Thomas Edward Gibson

[JimMcL]

Hi All

I really need some help with a brick wall.

My ggrandfather Thomas Edward Gibson married Mary Catherine McCarthy 18 Mar 1885 in Liverpool. On the marriage certificate he was 21, a seaman and his father was Edward (deceased).

Thomas Gibson 25, born Sunderland, merchant seaman, sailed from Liverpool on 12/7/1889 on the ship Aurania. Arrived back on 4/8/1889. Pay £4 per month and £1 allotment. Pay on discharge £4/3s/10d. Previous ship Australian from London.

His daughter Margaret was born 27 Nov 1890 and on the birth certificate her father was a seaman. In 1891 census he wasn't with the family as he was probably at sea.

This is where the fun starts.

In 1901 he is with the family and a railway worker. He is 38 and gives his place of birth as New Zealand!

In 1911 his place of birth is Sunderland but has also entered that he is an American citizen!

Whether he had a sense of humour with census forms or somebody else completed it I don't know. He may even have taken out American citizenship on one of his sailings to America.

Based on a birth of c1863 there are these entries but there is no link apart from approximate year of birth:

1871 census

Sunderland Union Workhouse, Bishop Wearmouth


Thomas Gibson          8   Schoolboy   Sunderland, Durham

1881 census
Bishop Wearmouth

Margaret Littlefair
1881 census

Bishop Wearmouth


Margaret Littlefair     Wid.   60      Sunderland, Durham
Thomas Gibson             nephew  18   Joiner      Sunderland, Durham

There is also:

Thomas Mansfield Gibson b 23/1/1863 Bishop Wearmouth, Father Edward, Mother Mary.

There isn't any Thomas Mansfield Gibson on censuses, marriage or death record that I can find, or any Thomas Edward Gibson in the Durham area.

A possibility is:

1851 census

4 Crow St, Bishop Wearmouth

Thomas Littlefair      49   Blacksmith   Auckland Durham
Margaret         47         Durham
George         12         Chester-Le-Street, Durham
John            8         Chester-Le-Street, Durham
Jane Ann         4         Sunderland, Durham
Edward Gibson son-in-law     26   Seaman      Newcastle, Northumberland
Mary            25         Durham
Elizabeth         6mo         Sunderland, Durham



This Edward's seaman's records have him at sea nearly all the time so he missed being on censuses. The family addresses tie up with his seaman's records.

1861 census

53, Dock Street, Monks Wearmouth, Sunderland

Mary Gibson      36   Mariners wife   Monks Wearmouth, Durham
Alexander         12         Monks Wearmouth, Durham
George         9         Monks Wearmouth, Durham
Ann            6         Monks Wearmouth, Durham
Mary            9mo         Monks Wearmouth, Durham

1871 census         

30, Dock Street, Monks Wearmouth, Sunderland

Mary Gibson      45   Master Mariner’s wife   Sunderland
Ann            16         Sunderland

[Milliepede]

Could be a mix up as fathers name is different but there is a family tree with a Thomas Edward Gibson born 10 Feb 1863 New Zealand.

Father in this tree is down as Henry dying in New Zealand 1898 so make of that what you will 

[JimMcL]

Hi Millipede

Many thanks for getting back to me.

I was aware of that tree and have been in touch with the family out there. The birth entry I got is for Thomas Gibson (not Thomas Edward Gibson)  in Richmond, Nelson, NZ on 10 Feb 1863 to Henry Gibson and Harriet Sutton. No evidence of Thomas Gibson's life in New Zealand exists although there is a lot of paperwork, photographs, records, etc. of all the other members of that family. The only connection I could find was that the 1901 census form had New Zealand on it, apart from that there is nothing really to support a NZ link.

As he stated Sunderland as his birthplace in 1889 and 1911 I think that's more likely to be correct. I even looked at Sunderland, Massachusetts and Sunderland, Maryland on the off chance but can find no trace there.

I suppose it's possible that Thomas Mansfield Gibson and Thomas Edward Gibson are the same person and he didn't like Mansfield so changed it. Sorry, I'm clutching at straws.

Best Regards

Jim McLaughlin

[Milliepede]

Edward Gibson son-in-law     26   Seaman      Newcastle, Northumberland
Mary            25         Durham

Marriage to tie these two together here

Dec 1849 Sunderland
Edward Gibson
Mary Ann Littlefair

[JimMcL]

Hi Millipede,

George Gibson married Anne Bowness on 19/5/1800 at St Johns, Newcastle.

Edward Gibson born 14/3/1801, baptised 12/4/1801 at Newcastle. Father George, mother Anne Bowness. Paternal grandfather Robert Gibson, maternal grandfather Edward Bowness.

Anne Gibson bap. 15/12/1805 St Nicholas parish church, Newcastle. Father George, mother Anne Bowness.
Robert Gibson bap 20/10/1811. St Nicholas parish church, Newcastle. Father George, mother Anne Bowness.

Edward Gibson, builder, married Miss Mary Alderson of Newcastle at St Andrews church on 18/12/1827.

1841 census

Trafalgar Street, All Saints, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Edward Gibson         40   Builder      Northumberland
Mary            30         not Northumberland
Edward            15         Northumberland
Jane            10         Northumberland
Mary            5         Northumberland

Edward Gibson, builder, died at Trafalgar Street on 11/10/1841 aged 41

Mrs Gibson, widow of Edward Gibson, builder, died on 18/12/1841 in Trafalgar Street.

Edward Gibson Baptised 23 Oct 1825 at All Saints, Newcastle upon Tyne. Father Edward Gibson, mother Mary.

Jane Anne baptised 29/12/1830 St. Andrews, Newcastle.

Dec Q 1849 Sunderland 24 304 Edward Gibson married Mary Ann Littlefair (at Bishop Wearmouth)


This Edward was also a mariner.

I just need to find a link between Thomas Edward Gibson and this family or another one in the area. There were very few Edward Gibsons. There are a number of Thomas Gibsons born in the 1860s in Durham but without ordering all their birth certificates it's difficult to know which, if any, is correct.

Best Regards

Jim