Ancestors of Mandy Willard

William GIBBONS (c1710-1757)

and Mary COLEMAN (c1710-1744)

and Catherine GRIFFIN (c1720-1780)

William Gibbons and Catherine Griffin were most probably my 6x Great Grandparents.  (Click here to see their place in my pedigree chart.)  They married on 25 December 1746 at St. Gyles in Merston, Sussex.  The marriage register did not record that William was a widower, nor whether Catherine was a spinster or widow.

William had previously married Mary Coleman by licence on 29 September 1735 at the Bishop's Chapel, although their marriage was also recorded in the Merston parish register.  Their marriage licence was issued on the same day at the Chichester Palace Chapel and recorded that Mary was of Merston, whereas in a transcript of the marriage register she was said to have been from Bishop's Chapel.

William Gibbons's date and place of birth/baptism are unknown, to me, although I am guessing he was born about 1710.  His baptism was not recorded in the Merston parish registers.  He was most probably buried in Meston on 7 November 1757.  Another William Gibbins was buried on 11 January 1759 in Funtington, Sussex.  Might he have been the son of Thomas Gibbons and Mary Varndel?  A William Gibbons was baptised on 4 May 1685 in Boxgrove, the son of John Gibbons and Grace.

Mary Coleman's date and place of birth/baptism are unknown, to me.  Her baptism was not recorded in the Merston parish registers.  She most probably died as a result of child birth and was buried on 22 October 1744 in Merston.  A Mary Coleman was baptised on 12 December 1700 at St. Peter the Great, Chichester, the daughter of Nicholas Coleman.  (Nicholas Coleman married Mary Gardiner by licence on 25 February 1695/6 at St. Peter the Great.  He was a cordwainer of Chichester and she a spinster.  Surety for the marriage licence was provided by Nicholas and Daniel Gardener who was also a cordwainer of Chichester.)  If this 1700 baptism was that of Mary married to William, might he have also have been born about the same time?

Catherine Griffin's date and place of birth/baptism are unknown, to me.  Her baptism was not recorded in the Merston parish registers.  She was buried on 15 April 1780 in St. Pancras, Chichester, Sussex.  I would think 1705 was the earliest she may have been born, given that she may have had a daughter born in 1751, and about 1725 the latest.

William Gibbons and Mary Coleman had the following children:

1. William Gibbons's baptism has not been found.  He was buried on 21 February 1744/5 in Merston and it was recorded in the burial register that he was the son of William Gibbons.

2. Thomas Gibbons was baptised on 4 December 1738 in Merston.  (An IHGS transcript records the surname as Gibbons, whereas a PRTS transcript of the Merston baptism register records the surname as Simmons.)

   Did Thomas marry Mary?  And did they have the following children:

   1. John Gibbens was buried on 20 October 1765 in Oving.  Both his parents were named in the burial register.

   2. Henry Gibbens was baptised on 1 January 1769 in Oving, the son of Thomas and Mary.

3. Mary Gibbons was baptised on 22 October 1744 in Merston.

William Gibbons and Catherine Griffin may have had the following child:

1. Ann Gibbins, my 5x Great Grandmother, may have been a daughter of William and Catherine.  She married Thomas Wedge on 1 December 1770 in Donnington.  (They have their own page.)  She was said to be 19 years old when she married, and did so with the consent of Catherine Gibbins of Merston, therefore, she was born about 1751.

John Griffin was born about 1734.  He was most probably baptised on 9 January 1733/4 at St. Peter the Less, Chichester, the son of John Griffin and Mary.  (John Griffin and Mary Arkal married on 21 December 1727 in Up Marden, Sussex.)

John married Mary Collins by licence on 16 December 1761 at St. Peter the Great in Chichester.  He was then of Meston and she of the parish of St. Peter the Great.  The witnesses to their marriage were William Smith and Rebecca Smith.  Their marriage licence was issued on the same day by the Deanery of Chichester and noted that John was a 27 year old bachelor and husbandman of Meston for 2 weeks, whilst Mary was a 25 year old maiden of St. Peter the Great for a month.  Surety for the licence was provided by John himself and William Smith a husbandman of Chichester.  (A William Smith of Mid Lavant had married Rebecca Rogers on 8 July 1754 at St. Peter the Great.)

John and Mary had the following child:

1. John Griffin was baptised on 7 April 1765 in Merston.

An Elizabeth Gibbons died aged 86 years and was buried on 21 December 1823 in Merston, therefore, born about 1737.

Was she the wife or widow of a Gibbons, or a spinster?  If she was a spinster, might she have been the daughter of William and Mary?

The following has come from a transcript of the Hunston registers:

John Gethings and Catherine Garland married on 7 June 1683 in Hunston.

John and Catherine had the following children:

1. Mary Githens was baptised on 14 September 1684 in Hunston.

2. John Githans was baptised on 5 June 1687 in Hunston.

I wonder, could Gethings/Githens/Githans be Griffin?  And might the John baptised in 1687 be the father of Catherine Griffin who I would think was born around about 1720?

COLEMAN          GIBBONS          GRIFFIN