John Gibbs

  General Notes:

John2 Gibbs (Thomas1), born 12 Sept. 1644, died 30 April 1725 (May. Des., 29:22).

He married, first, about 1669 Jane2 Blackwell, daughter of Michael1 Blackwell, born about 1650, died, probably in Sandwich, after 2 April 1711 and before 9 Nov. 1716 (The Register, 117:183, April 1963).

He married, secondly, 9 Nov. 1716 Elizabeth Swift (Sandwich Town Records), who survived him. She was probably the widow of William3 Swift of Sandwich, although no proof of this identity has been found.

One John Gibbs served on a coroner's jury in the case of Thomas Fish of Sandwich, 25 June 1664 (Shurtleff, op. cit., 4:84). If this was the man he was quite young, assuming his birth in 1644, as we be­lieve it was. It would seem certainly he who served on the grand jury 1 June 1669 (ibid., 5:18). He and his father are listed 15 July 1678 among Sandwich men who had taken the Oath of Fidelity (Free­man, op. cit., 2:73). "Att this Court," 27 Oct. 1680, "Thomas Tupper … appointed to be lieuftenant of the Military Company of Sand­wich and John Gibbs to be Ensign bearer thereof" (Shurtleff, op. cit., 6:55). In 1686 he served on both the grand and petit juries (ibid., p. 107, 196, 200).

As we have seen he was appointed administrator of his father's intestate estate in 1693 and, by agreement with his two younger brothers, he acquired all his father's real estate. In 1682 Joseph Warren and five others had acquired a large tract of land in the south western part of Plymouth township, known as the ''Agawam Purchase." By a deed dated 30 Dec. 1695 Warren sold a quarter part of his share for £43 "paid by John Gibbs of ye Town of Sandwich," described as "my … lands both Upland and meadow, divided and undivided ... at ... Agawam within the Township of Plymouth, excepting only my dwelling house and the land where it stands … and is the one-sixth part of the … Agawam Purchase" (Plymouth County Deeds, 2:15).

Although John Gibbs held this land at Agawam, and presumably still owned land at Sandwich, for some reason he seems to have moved about this time to Middleborough, as a deed of 16 June 1696 shows that Richard Warren of Middleborough for £3. 5s. gave to John Gibbs of the same town rights to two lots there (ibid., p. 22). Also, "John Gibbs of Middleborough … for £50, silver money, paid by John Wadsworth of Duxborough ... all my whole share of lands . . . I bought of Jabez Warren of Plimouth, which was formerly the land of John Stearn, excepting ... a lot which Sarah Warren sold . . . also the halfe of 4 1/2 acres being in partnership with Samuel Swift" (ibid., p. 32). Two days later he sold to John Holmes for £5 a 3 acre Middleborough meadow lot, described as formerly belong­ing to John Adams (ibid., p. 102).

He must then have returned to Sandwich, where his name appears on a list of freemen in 1702 (Freeman, op. cit., 2:85). It may be that he had over-extended himself by these dealings in land, because the will of his father-in-law Michael Blackwell, dated 29 Nov. 1709, gives "unto my grand son Benjamin Gibbs" (who had lived with the testator from the age of two) a considerable share of real property, but to "my daughter Jane Gibbs, that £9 which her husband form­erly borrowed of me & which he yet oweth to me" (Barnstable County Probate, 3:82). By a receipt dated 2 April 1711 "John Gibbs of Sand­wich" acknowledged payment "received of my brother-in-law Joshua Blackwell Senr., of Sandwich, in full of bequest under the will of Michael Blackwell, deceased, my father-in-law, due to me John Gibbs and Jane my now wife" (ibid., p. 86).

By a deed dated 29 Oct. 1723 "John Gibbs Senr. of ... Sandwich ... for the love and Good will & affection I have and do bear to my grand son Micah Gibbs of the same … batchelor" conveyed "all that 1/4 part & share in a certain Purchase called Agawam in ... Plymouth, being one twenty-fourth part of said Agawam Purchase" … being that part "called Joseph Warren's share" (Plymouth County Deeds, 17:55).

Like his father he died intestate and the Court, finding that "whereas John Gibbs late of Sandwich, now deceased" had property in Barnstable County, appointed "Elizabeth Gibbs, widow, relict, and John Gibbs, both of Sandwich, administrators." The widow's dower share, amounting to £19. 11s. 5d. was set off 17 July 1725. The inventory totalled £78. 2s. 12d. and was sworn 1 July 1726 (Barnstable County Probates, 4:245, 248).

Children (births of all the children are shown "of John Gibbs," but the page upon which the entries of the first five were made was in such condition when Mr. Bowman copied them that not much more than the dates were legible (Sandwich Vital Records-May. Des., 14:174). The births of the sons Job and Barnabas appear clearly elsewhere and it is possible to make out the name of Joshua. We place within brackets the names which we reconstruct from other records): [Thomas1 Gibbs of Sandwich, Mass. (ca. 1615-1693) by Lydia B. (Phinney) Brownson and Maclean W. McLean, NEHGR 123, 1969]

John married Jane Blackwell, daughter of Michael Blackwell and Unknown, about 1669 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ^16,66.^,314 (Jane Blackwell was born about 1650 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ^16,64,66,314 and died before 9 Nov 1716 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ^16,66,314.)

John next married Elizabeth Swift, daughter of William Swift and Elizabeth Tompson, on 9 Nov 1716 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ³¹⁴.^,380 (Elizabeth Swift was born on 11 Jan 1695/96 ³⁸⁰.)