John Gibbons, Forfar area 1750 ish

[KevinBattle]

Hello all, I'm not usually stupid, but I'm not too hot on Scottish searching, so asking for your help, please.
I'm helping a friend with his family tree and we got as far back as Thomas Gibbons born In Edinburgh or Stirling in March 1851 (3 weeks old in Scottish Census). His father William was serving with 93rd Foot (Sutherland H'ldrs). Mother Ellen (nee Emery b Dublin?) and elder brothers John b 1847 in Canada, as was James in 1848. It seems William and Ellen married whilst the 93rd were in Canada in 1844 at Second Congregational in Quebec.
That seems a little odd as the 93rd were apparently reputed to be the most devout Regiment in the British Army, even having its own communion plate, thus presumably William & Ellen would seem to be Catholics. So why a Congregational Church? Or am I confusing "congregation" with "Congregation"? .......
Back to the search
I think I have Williams father as George at Killiemuir marrying a Jean/Jane Mann in 1814. That union shows the following children:
James born about 1816; William "Peddie" (George apparently was a peddler?) born 1818; Alexander Smith b. 1820; George I born 1822 but died as infant; George II b 1824.
I think George/Jean link back to John Gibbons marrying Jean Brechin(e) in about 1773 with one child Alexander, then another marriage about 1782 to Isabel(l) Reid.

Can anyone add, amend or correct that for me?

A few questions, also, if I may...
The Sutherland Highlanders were said to be most like a clan and seem to have a very narrow recruitment, with many having one of only about a dozen surnames. Was one of them Gibbons? i can't square the Forfar area with recruits for the 93rd Foot.
The 93rd went to Canada in 1838, so a 20 year old would be prime for being recruited to bring them up to strength, but was William an "outsider"?

The family are all in Scotland in 1851 Census, but 1861 finds Ellen a widow in Plymouth with just John and Thomas. In the interval, the 93rd were in Crimea and on return were in Aldershot area prior to being shipped from Plymouth to China but diverted to help quell the Indian Mutiny. Could that be when/where William died? And why Plymouth and not back to Scotland? It was where the 93rd sailed from to the Crimea and where they returned and also for China/India but the 93rd didn't return until 1870. Did the family all go to Crimea as camp followers? I don't quite understand why the family would accompany William, unless they were all taken for a long deployment in China/India, but then how did she with young children make it back? And not only did she have the death of William but also son James along the way.

I think you can tell that I'm fascinated by trying to join the gaps between these 10 year "snapshots" of families. I hope you can add something more to this for us!

[JackieSeares]

Hello! I'm researching the same William Gibbons (I'm a descendant of his son John), and just came across this post from 8 years ago. Did you ever get any responses or get any further in your searches for your friend? Best wishes, Jackie

[markw78]

Hello.. Small aside but father William Gibbons seems to have awarded medal for India Mutiny
https://www.dnw.co.uk/resources/medal-rolls/entry.php?medalroll_id=4&entry_id=19445
L for Lucknow I assume... more at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Mutiny_Medal

Hope this is of interest..
Rgds
Mark W

[markw78]

Slight change with just L...
Rgds
Mark W

[KevinBattle]

Hello Jackie and MarkW78
Thank you for your information.
I'm always surprised at how long a post can go without response and then out of the blue something surfaces, so it's always worth putting info "out there" in the hope that in time others can add info that may not have been available back then.

I should have thought of medals, after all, I made the potential connection to the Indian Mutiny, just didn't think of any medal roll listing. It's my understanding that to be awarded the medal, I assume he'd had to survive?

I will pass this info on to my friend, who may now be more computer conversant to take this thread further himself.
Thank you both for responding, just like London buses!!

[markw78]

Your most welcome...
Glad you liked,
Regards
Mark

[JackieSeares]

MarkW78 and KevinBattle
Thank you both so much for replying!
Mark - that medal information is great - I thought he had probably died before that, since his 2nd son was admitted to a school in Chelsea for 'orphans' of soldiers (even though his mother was still alive) in Oct 1856. Also, the 'remarks' that he 'transferred to 74th' gives another avenue to follow. Really useful - thank you.
Kevin - thank you for posting in the first place - and if your friend is interested in continuing the thread, that would be great.

[markw78]

JackieSeares
Your most welcome... it caught my attention as my wife's great x 3 grandfather severed in the 78th Regiment of Foot from 1793 to 1817.. and he published his own biography in the 1840's.. LIFE by Roderick Innes Published 1844 Stonehaven

Good luck with your research...
all the best
Regards
Mark

[KevinBattle]

Some general background on the 93rd and 78th Regiments in the Indian Mutiny.

The 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot was a Line Infantry Regiment of the British Army, raised in 1799. Under the Childers Reforms, it amalgamated with the 91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot to form the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The regiment sailed for India in June 1857 to help suppress the Indian Rebellion. It arrived at Calcutta in September 1857 and was welcomed by General Sir Colin Campbell.
.... Lucknow.....
Under heavy enemy fire, the regiment, together with the 4th Punjab Infantry Regiment took part in the storming and capture of Sikandar Bagh, a walled garden fortification, on 16 November 1857. Six Victoria Crosses were awarded to members of the regiment for their service in this action. At daybreak on 17 November 1857 the Regimental colour was hoisted on top of a tower as a signal to the beleaguered garrison of the Residency at Lucknow.

On the night of 19 November 1857 the regiment provided covering fire as the evacuation of the Residency took place. The regiment then saw action again at the Second Battle of Cawnpore in December 1857.

The regiment also took part in the storming and capture of Kaiser Bagh in March 1858: a Victoria Cross was awarded to Lieutenant William McBean for his role in killing eleven rebels with his sword during the engagement. It went on to take part in the capture of the city of Bareilly in May 1858 and a skirmish at Russulpore in October 1858.

It was renamed the 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot in 1861 before embarking for home in February 1870. The regiment disembarked at Burntisland in March 1870 and received new colours from the Duchess of Sutherland in August 1871. It moved to Curragh Camp in Ireland in May 1877 and to Gibraltar in January 1879.

The 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot was a Highland Infantry Regiment of the Line, raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with 72nd Regiment, Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders to form the Seaforth Highlanders in 1881. The regiment returned to India in May 1857 to help suppress the Indian Rebellion. It took part in the recapture of Cawnpore in July 1857 and then took part in the reinforcement of Lucknow strongly defending the residency until it was relieved in November 1857. The regiment won eight Victoria Crosses during the campaign and its role at Lucknow was commemorated by poets such as John Greenleaf Whittier and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. There is also a long "epic" by William McGonagall!! The regiment returned home in September 1859.

The Indian Mutiny Medal was a campaign medal approved in August 1858, for issue to officers and men of British and Indian units who served in operations in suppression of the Indian Mutiny. The medal was initially sanctioned for award to those troops who had been engaged in action against the mutineers.

Clasps: Lucknow: November 1857 - March 1858. Awarded to troops under command of Sir Colin Campbell who were engaged in final operations leading to the surrender of Lucknow and the clearing of the surrounding areas.