William Gibson, Quaker minister

Evidence needed to support Elizabeth Gibson as wife.

William Gibson

• Birth: 1629 - Caton, Lancashire, England
• Death: Nov. 23, 1684 - London, Middlesex, England
• Burial: Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, London Borough of Islington, Greater London, England
• Parents: not yet identified
• Siblings: John Gibson, Elizabeth Steers, Anne Lucas
• Husband of Elizabeth (Thompson) Gibson — married 22 Jan 1662

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Family

In 1662 William Gibson married Elizabeth Thompson, of Crossmoor, County Lancaster and settled at Warrington in Lancashire, where he is believed to have worked as a haberdasher.

Children (will order)

1. John Gibson, living in 1685
2. William Gibson Jr., living in 1685, died in 1703 in London, England; married Jane Thomas
3. Patience Gibson; born 29 May 1673 in St Aldesgate, Lancashire, England; married John Wright

No daughter Elizabeth was listed in William Gibson's 1683 will:

• Elizabeth Crane Elizabeth Gibson, born about 1680, married Nathaniel Crane.
• Elizabeth Hodson, born about 1668, married Nathaniel Hodson

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Quaker Clergyman and New Jersey Proprietor

From https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71386007/william-gibson

William Gibson was born at Caton, Lancashire, England. He was a soldier in the Parliamentary army (Roundheads) during England's Civil Wars. Gibson and three other soldiers heard that a Quaker meeting was being held in Carlisle and they decided to go there to harass the preacher, Rev. Thomas Holmes. Although Gibson ‘came to scoff he remained to pray'; he was so moved by Rev. Holmes' words that he began attending other Quaker meetings and finally left the army. As a result, he was subjected to persecution for refusing to take oaths and pay tithes. In 1654 he was confined in the Lancaster jail for the crime of ‘public testimony.' In 1655 and 1656 he was imprisoned several times for short periods for the same offense. It was at this time that Gibson was recognized as a Quaker minister. In 1660 he was again imprisoned at Lancaster for his refusal to take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy; he was confined at Shrewsbury in 1661. Later that year, while traveling to a Quaker meeting at Denbighshire, Gibson and several other Quakers, were attacked by a group of soldiers and sent to jail. The others were soon released by the local court, but Gibson was imprisoned and abused by his jailers. He was thrown down a flight of stone stairs and seriously injured, taking months to recover.

In 1662 Gibson married Elizabeth Thompson, of Crossmoor, County Lancaster and settled at Warrington in Lancashire, where he is believed to have worked as a haberdasher. She died 29 May 1688 aged 58.

He remained at Lancashire until 1670, when he removed to London where he worked as a haberdasher as well as a Quaker minister. In 1672 his name appears on a list of Quakers discharged from the king's bench under the general proclamation of Charles II. William Gibson became a noted London Quaker who was imprisoned, fined and distrained of his goods many times. During 1676 and 1677, while living at Fenchurch Street, his goods were several times distrained on account of his not paying tithes. A letter he wrote dated August 8, 1679, protesting the eviction of Quakers from Danzig, Holland, suggests that Gibson was involved in ministerial work in Holland that year. His name also appears with those of noted Quakers William Penn, George Whitehead, William Barclay and others as a signer of epistles sent to the monthly meetings.

Although a young movement, the Religious Society of Friends, known as Quakers, had serious schisms between members from its beginning years. Gibson took a prominent part with Quaker founder George Fox and others in the Wilkinson-Story Controversy, dealing especially with Raunce and Harris. This conflict illustrate the issues that concerned the Society of Friends in the mid- to late-seventeenth century. After 1676 two Wycombe Friends, John Raunce and his son-in-law, Charles Harris, were in opposition to the rest of the Quakers in their Monthly Meeting. They were partisans of a section of the Society headed by John Wilkinson and John Story, that rebelled against the system created by founder George Fox, particularly in its disciplinary rules. Many felt that they were too individualistic and couldn't accept the authority of the group, such as presenting the proposed marriage of a couple to the Women's Meeting for approval. Although the Society of Friends initially included women as equals, although with differing roles, as early as 1656, church leaders were beginning to express doubts about women's role in the Society; throughout the first fifty years of Quakerism, the question of women's position was often the subject of debate. The Wilkinson-Story controversy began as a dispute over the right of women to hold separate meetings for special church business, but quickly grew into a debate over the essential meaning of Quaker religion and the place of authority and control within the church. The debate over the proper role of women, which was an important component of this controversy, provides a great deal of insight into both the church leaders' and the separatists' perception of women. Support for women's role within the Society was varied, and George Fox had to assert his personal authority to maintain a role for women. George Gibson was one of many who supported Fox.

"The Short and Itinerary Journals of George Fox" has about a half dozen references to William Gibson listed in the index. Most of the journal entries consist of a day by day listing of where Fox went and who he met with. Gibson is also listed among a group of sixty-six Quaker ministers who met at a yearly meeting in 1677 "at Ellis Hookes his chamber." There is also a footnote on William Gibson: "His [William Gibson's] name appears frequently in the Haistwell Diary between the years 1677 and 1678 . . ."

William Gibson was also a New Jersey Proprietor, although it is believed that he died without coming to America. According to New Jersey historian John E. Pomfret, "Before [William] Penn left for America in August 1682 a significant alteration took place in the composition of the East Jersey proprietorship. The twelve associates agreed "to take in twelve persons more, to make up the number of proprietors [to] twenty four." This was accomplished by each owner transferring half his share to a new proprietor. Since Wilcox had sold his share, there were eleven old proprietors and thirteen new proprietors. The new proprietors consisted of five London men, all Quakers; two Dublin men, both Quakers; and six Scots, three of whom were Quakers. The London men were Edward Byllynge, gentleman and brewer, of Westminster and chief proprietor of West Jersey, now solvent again; William Gibson, citizen and haberdasher and a prominent Quaker minister; Thomas Barker, merchant; Gawan Lawrie, merchant; and James Brain, son-in-law of Groom, and a merchant."

Gibson was not only one of the Twenty-Four New Jersey Proprietors, but a first purchaser of land in Pennsylvania, with an interest of 500 acres. He attended the proprietors' meetings in London until his death. His widow and children were his heirs. Thomas Boell, their agent, secured for them 500 acres at Wickatunk and 2,000 acres on the Millstone. In 1687, however, the Gibson propriety was purchased by Robert West and Thomas Cox and in 1689 Cox as trustee for West sold it to Dr. Daniel Coxe. In March, 1692, when Coxe sold his holdings to the West Jersey Society, he owned two East Jersey proprieties. One he referred to as "the West share," and this was the share he had purchased from Byllynge. The other, "Mew's share," he had purchased from the heirs of Gibson since it was one-half of Gibson's original undivided propriety." [Source: Pomfret, John E. "The Province of East New Jersey 1609-1702." Pages 132 and 246]

In "8 mo. 1684", he [Gibson] was reported "nigh death" (Penn's letter to M. Fox). William Gibson died at Lombard Street, London, England. He was buried at Bunhill Fields, London, England. It was said that more than a thousand Friends followed his remains from Lombard Street to Bunhill Fields.

William Gibson's published writings are:
1. ‘A Salutation of the Father's love unto the Young Men and Virgins, who are in the Openings of the Prophecies in Visions and in Revelations,' et cetera, 1663, written in 1661 in Shrewsbury gaol.
2. ‘The Everlasting Rule born witness unto . . . in words,' 1667.
3. ‘Universal Love, being an Epistle given forth by the Spirit of God through His Suffering Servant, William Gibson,' 1671; republished 1672; written in Maidstone gaol.
4. ‘Tythes ended by Christ with the Levitical Priesthood,' et cetera, 1673. Part by T. Rudyard and George Watt.
5. ‘A False Witness examin'd and rebuk'd,' et cetera, 1674.
6. ‘The Life of God which is the Light and Salvation of Men Exalted: or an Answer to six Books or particular Treatises given forth by John Cheyney . . .' 1677.
7. ‘Election and Reprobation Scriptually and Experimentally Witnessed unto, et cetera," 1678.
8. ‘A Christian Testimony born by the People of God, in scorn call'd Quakers, in London . . .' 1679. Part by Thomas Rudyard.
9. ‘A General Epistle given forth in obedience to the God of Peace . . .' et cetera, 1682.

Notes

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/collaborate/LJYB-2CB

1662...William Gibson, an eminent Quaker preacher and London Haberdasher, was not a passenger on the "Welcome". He was born at Caton, in Lancashire about 1629 to parents as yet unidentified, he married on 22 Jun 1662 Elizabeth, the daughter of William Thompson of Crossmoor in lancashire, and she survived him to die in Lombard Street, London, 29 May 1688 aged 58. He died 20 Nov 1684 aged 55, and his funeral has already been described above on p. 571 in connection with Thomas Wynn. !William Gibson was affiliated with James Hogg & John Hogg of Scotland, it is likely he was a Haberdasher in London with roots back in Scotland. The book, Kin & Kin of Scotland, pg 15, gives GIBSON...Fife, CLAN or DIST: Midlothian 13thc.; of the Clann BUCHANAN; CAMERON, (key to map F6, F5). We need additional research-GH. Insert-Loc-Loman (tour of ancestral Gibson site.

Source: Coldham, Peter Wilson • “American Wills Proved in London 1611-1775” : Genealogical Publishing Company Inc, Baltimore 1992 pp 36, 120 • ISBN: 9780806313634 < book > • FamilySearchCatalog >

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References

1. WikiTree contributors, "William Gibson Sr (1629-1684)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gibson-5465 : accessed 15 November 2024). cites
   1. Find A Grave: Memorial #71386007 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71386007/william-gibson
   2. Coldham, Peter Wilson • “American Wills Proved in London 1611-1775” : Genealogical Publishing Company Inc, Baltimore 1992 pp 36, 120 • ISBN: 9780806313634 • https://genealogical.com/store/american-wills-proved-in-london-1611... • https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/619298?availability=Fam...
   3. [Source: Pomfret, John E "The Province of East New Jersey 1609-1702." pp 132 and 246]
   4. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Gibson,_William_(1629-1684)_(DNB00)
   5. "Curtbright Family" "William Gibson (1629-1684): London Quaker"
   6. Besse, Joseph. "A collection of the sufferings of the people called Quakers, for the testimony of a good conscience from the time of their being first distinguished by that name in the year 1650 to the time of the act commonly called the Act of toleration granted to Protestant dissenters in the first year of the reign of King William the Third and Queen Mary in the year 1689" Vol. I Pranava Books, 2006. Reprinted from 1753 edition.•
   7. Besse, Joseph “Collection of the Sufferings of the People called Quakers” : Luke Hinde, London 1753 Vol I pp 102, 255, 303, 309 https://archive.org/details/collectionofsuff01bess/page/255/mode/1up
   8. Fox, George. "Short Journal and Itinerary Journals of George Fox - In Commemoration of the Tercentenary of his Birth (1624-1924)." Edited by Norman Penney with an Introduction by T Edmund Harvey : Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press1925. https://archive.org/details/shortjournalitin0000foxg/page/n8/mode/1...
   9. Gough, John “A History of the People Called Quakers From Their First Rise to the Present Time" Vol. IV, Dublin, Ireland: Robert J. Jackson, 1789 https://archive.org/details/historyofpeoplec04goug/page/n2/mode/1up...
   10. Leslie, Stephen and Lee, Sidney, Editors. "Dictionary of National Biography" Vol 21, New York: Macmillan, 1885 pp 1166 to 1167.
   11. Stephen, Leslie “Dictionary of National Biography” : Oxford University Press, London 1890 Vol XXI pp 287, 288 https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.48780/page/n299/mode/...
   12. Neal, Daniel. "The History Of The Puritans, Or Protestant Non-Conformists, With An Account Of Their Principles; Their Attempts For A Further Reformation In The Church; Their Sufferings; And The Lives And Characters Of Their Most Considerable Divines." Newburyport, Massachusetts: William B Allen and Company, Printers, edition of 1822. https://archive.org/details/historyofp01neal/page/n6/mode/1up
   13. Neal, Daniel, Joshua Toulmin “History of the Puritans” : W Baynes, London 1822 Vol V pp 267, 268 https://archive.org/details/historyofpuritan05nealuoft/page/267/mod...
   14. Pomfret, John E "The Province of East New Jersey 1609-1702" Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1962
   15. Pomfret, John E "The Province of East New Jersey 1609-1702" Octagon Press, New York 1976 https://archive.org/details/provinceofwestne0000pomf/page/n6/mode/1up (limited access)
2. Smith, Joseph. "A Descriptive Catalogue of Friends' Books: or Books Written by Members of the Society of Friends" Pranava Books 2008 Reprinted from 1893 edition.
3. Smith, Joseph “Descriptive Catalogue of Friends’ Books” : R Barrett & Sons Printers, London 1867 Vol I pp 839-843 •https://archive.org/details/desccatal01smit/page/839/mode/1up?view=...
   1. The Journal of the Friends' Historical Society (London & Philadelphia, 1903) Vol. 1, Page 22-23.
4. https://www.raabcollection.com/william-penn-autograph/william-penn-...
5. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Gibson,_William_(1629-1684)
6. https://gibsonfamilyhistory.com/johngibson-desc.pdf (unsourced)
7. https://gibsonfamilyhistory.com/biographies.php
8. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LJYB-2CB has errors
9. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71386007/william-gibson Created by: Beverly W. Crifasi Record added: Jun 15, 2011 Find A Grave Memorial# 71386007 lists sources:
   1. Besse, Joseph. "A collection of the sufferings of the people called Quakers, for the testimony of a good conscience from the time of their being first distinguished by that name in the year 1650 to the time of the act commonly called the Act of toleration granted to Protestant dissenters in the first year of the reign of King William the Third and Queen Mary in the year 1689" Vol. I, Pranava Books, 2006. Reprinted from 1753 edition.
   2. Fox, George. "Short Journal and Itinerary Journals of George Fox- In Commemoration of the Tercentenary of his Birth (1624-1924)." Edited by Norman Penney with an Introduction by T. Edmund Harvey. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1925.
   3. Gough, John. "A History of the People Called Quakers From Their First Rise to the Present Time" Vol. IV, Dublin, Ireland: Robert J. Jackson, 1789.
   4. Leslie, Stephen and Lee, Sidney, Editors. "Dictionary of National Biography" Volume 21, New York: Macmillan, 1885. Pages 1166 to 1167.
   5. Neal, Daniel. "The History Of The Puritans, Or Protestant Non-Conformists, With An Account Of Their Principles; Their Attempts For A Further Reformation In The Church; Their Sufferings; And The Lives And Characters Of Their Most Considerable Divines." Newburyport, Massachusetts: William. B. Allen and Company, Printers, edition of 1822.
   6. Pomfret, John E. "The Province of East New Jersey 1609-1702." Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1962.
   7. Smith, Joseph. "A Descriptive Catalogue of Friends' Books: Or Books Written by Members of the Society of Friends" Pranava Books, 2008. Reprinted from 1893 edition.
10. Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 28 2024, 11:45:48 UTC
11. Brigg, William. The parish registers of St. Edmund the King and Martyr, Lombard Street, London, 1670-1812.< link to online book >