Newsletter - November 2018

There have been numerous changes and additions to the Gibbs Family Tree website at gibbsfamilytree.com since my previous newsletter in April, including the login password. Please see newsletter last section for details.

This month is the centenary of Armistice Day, so this newsletter picture quiz lost his life amongst the trenches of WW1. Do you recognise him? Click on the underlined text, or on the photo, to take you to his full record.

We recently lost our most enthusiast family historian, font of knowledge, and supporter of this Gibbs Family Tree. There will be a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Christopher Gibbs on Thursday 15th November at 3pm in St James’s Piccadilly.

In addition to the website changes, I have also changed the email address to [email protected], hoping to reduce junk mail; please add this to you address book. I will keep checking the old gmail for a while as well.

I encourage you to send me any family updates and forward this newsletter to your wider family inviting them to subscribe. Check your own entry, including the notes, and send me photos if there aren’t any. I also invite your feedback and recommendation on the family tree website and this newsletters and welcome future newsletter contributions.

Family Updates - hatches, matches, dispatches ...

Please do let me know about family births, marriages, deaths and other family news, not only so that I can keep the Family Tree living and accurate, but also to let the wider family know.

Jude Denis Gibbs born to Charlie Gibbs-Henny (son of Sarah Gibbs) and Holly on 18th May 2018

Frederick Robby Gibbs Allen-Back born to Jessica and Joshua, a grandson to Vicary Aldenham, born in London on 29th August 2018.

Barnaby Charles Gordon-Lennox born on to Hamish abd Susannah 16th Sep 2018

Jack's eldest daughter Nancy Gibbs was married to Peter Douglas on July 14th;

they met as teenagers at school. Jack's mother and all her first cousins were there.

Isabel Orlanda Medley White married William Thomas Morgan on 21st July 2018

Samuel George Loveday, married Suzanne Ruth Trevena on 9 September 2017

Isabel Margaret Ramsay Howell (née Gibbs) married John Robert Page on 23rd September 2017

Emma Margaret Belak (née Edgedale) died peacefully on 9th January 2017, after a long illness bravely fought. Beloved mother of Freddy, Ella and Charlotte Dos Santos. Funeral on 24th January, at St Mary's Battersea. Santos. Funeral on 24th January, at St Mary's Battersea.

Clare Ziegler (nee Charrington) died on 14th November 2017. Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend. Funeral at St Mary's The Boltons, Kensington, Tuesday 28th November.

Jean Frances Woodroffe (nee Hambro), (previously wife of Vicary Paul Gibbs, KIA WW2) died peacefully on 7th December 2017, aged 94. Much-loved mother of Jenny, Rosie and the late Jamie and adored grandmother and great-grandmother. Funeral in Mere, on 19th December, thanksgiving at St Mary's Church, Worplesdon.

Antony Woodall on 9th March, aged 86. Peacefully in hospital after a short illness. Beloved husband of Deirdre, greatly loved father, grandfather and brother. Funeral on 29th March at the Church of St Nicholas, Great Hormead.

Christopher Henry Gibbs died peacefully at his home in Tangier on 29th July 2018; Beloved brother of Julian, Roger and Elizabeth, much loved Uncle and friend to so many. Funeral in Tangier on August 1st, a Service of Thanksgiving will be held at St James's Piccadilly, at 3pm, on 15th November 2018.

Rev. William Gilbert Gibbs on 20th September 2018, aged 87. Beloved husband of the late Sally and a much-loved father and grandfather. Burial at Winwick, followed by a celebration of his life at St Etheldreda's Church, Guilsborough, on 10th October

Sir Roger Geoffrey Gibbs on 3rd October 2018, died peacefully at home on 3rd October 2018. Adored husband of Jane, beloved brother of Elizabeth and Julian and the late David, Stephen and Christopher. Family funeral. Service of thanksgiving on 15th March 2019, 2:30pm, at St Paul’s Cathedral, London.

The family and the First World War 1914-1918

With the Centenary upon us it seemed appropriate to reflect upon the massive impact that WW1 had on our family, as it did on so many others.

Inside one of Christopher’s books I came across a list of 45 “Relations of Henry Lord Aldenham serving in the War” compiled from Army List of 30th November and Navy Lists of 18th December 1915. Already 4 are marked as Killed in that first year, and others lost their lives, or were severely impacted, in the following years. In previous newsletter Eion Gibbs wrote about coming across his GG-Uncle Noel Martin’s 1916 grave in Tanzania. I checked the list against the online Forces War Records and confirmed many of the comprehensive war details documented in our family tree.

David Hogg, an avid researcher and author of books about the Gibbs Family, wrote "In Memoriam – Tyntesfield and the First World War" dedicated to the young men from Tyntesfield whose lives were sacrificed during the First World War.

in addition to the extensive letters and diaries from the Front, the book also recounts the lives of some of the women back home. Victoria de Burgh Gibbs (Lady Wraxall) was Vice President of the Red Cross and helped establish hospital wards in and Portishead, equipped with furniture from Tyntesfield and supplying vegetables from the gardens. Via also directed the Bristol Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Help Society. She sadly the gardens. Via also directed the Bristol Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Help Society. She sadly succumbed to the flu epidemic shortly after the war. Ursula Lawley (later Last Wraxall) was a VAD nurse in France, awarded the Royal Red Cross.

On the other side of the world, after the demise of guano, Antony Gibbs & Sons had become heavily involved in the nitrate business in Chile, which led the British government at the outbreak of war in 1914 to ask the firm to take over the purchasing, shipping, and financing of all nitrate requirements for munitions; to see to its storage, and its delivery to factories. These services the firm rendered without charge to the government.

The Soldier and the - Bourton WW1

Bourton, in North Dorset, have established a small exhibition (a comprehensive booklet available to be downloaded) about life there during WW1 In the exhibit they contrast the lives of two local men who lost their lives in the war. Their family homes at opposite ends of the village, Will Candy and George Hallam Parr couldn’t have been more different.

George is pictured with his officers at the front. Lady Lilian Mary Parr (nee Gibbs) lost her husband and both sons, all of whom served in the army, within 4 year of each other, commemorated in a stained glass window at St Mary’s, Taunton. She lent her house as a military hospital during the war. Vicary Aldenham attended the exhibition opening.

St Dunstan's and Blind Veterans UK

St Dunstan’s in Regents Park was the London home Henry Hucks Gibbs, Baron Aldenham, until his death in 1907. There are several photos of the house in one of Christopher’s albums, with it's famous chiming clock representing Gog and Magog, rescued from St Dunstan-in-the-West church. Built for the 3rd Marquess of Hertford (who used it for orgies), in 1914 the then owner Otto Kahn lent the house to a new charity for blinded servicemen, which took the name of St Dunstan’s Hostel for Blind Soldiers and Sailors .

The idea was to provide a hostel where ex-servicemen would go after they had received hospital treatment to ‘learn to be blind’. By 1929 there were still two thousand men in their care. After a fire in 1936 the house was demolished and later became the US Ambassador’s official residence, with 12 acre grounds.

Creative Cousins: Actors, Artists, Artisans and Authors Creative Cousins: Actors, Artists, Artisans and Authors

While the Gibbs families have a rich history of Merchants, Bankers, Soldiers and Clergy, many cousins have channelled their energies into other creative careers or hobbies. See previous creative cousins, and please let me know of new creative cousins …

Artists - Art

Nicholas Roland Gibbs has had several exhibitions of his works in London galleries and the Imperial War Museum, on paintings of Balkans conflict and his travels. More recently he has come up with theory on the 15th-century indecipherable coded Voynich manuscript

Lucinda Jane Gibbs (born in Zimbabwe, living in Paris) shared an exhibition with Nicholas in London last year.

Leonie Gibbs (nee Fox-Pitt) is a sculptress and a painter living in the north of Scotland on the Belladrum estate with husband Joe.

My sister, Carol Misch (nee Gibbs), found time from running an energetic creative household and painting album covers for son Tom Misch, to create this glass sculpture, with internal double helices representing DNA, commissioned in memory of those children who died at the Evelina Children's Hospital before it was relocated from the Guy's to the St Thomas' site in 2005.

Stained Glass Windows of Clyst St George Church

Dr. Stuart Bird, who lives in Clyst St George, has been researching the stained glass in the church. He has extended an invitation to the family to attend an illustrated talk on Charles Kempe, renowned Victorian stained glass artist, on 22nd November. If you would be interested in attending let me know.

Nicholas Gibbs recounted how his father as a child was watching the bombing of Exeter when the church was hit by a Stuka bomb and his grandfather Antony Hubert was blown off his feet by the percussion of the explosion. The George Gibbs Memorial tablet was pulverised.

Antony Hubert oversaw the church restoration, but where did all the antique glass come from? Christopher Gibbs identified the house at the foot of King Edward the Martyr as Henry Martin’s house Barrow Court in Somerset.

Stuart’s investigations have since shown that the four Saints windows at Clyst St George church definitely came from the former Oratory at Barrow Court, and old Kempe archives reference them in 1888. A lot of the contents from the Oratory were transferred to Clyst St George around 1952-54.

From AHG’s obituary “After the destruction of the church by enemy action in 1940, it was rebuilt thanks to his untiring energy and patience…"

Please Identify these Photos from Christopher’s Album

I’d like to “crowd source” the identities of the cousins in these photos from

a Christopher Gibbs’ album, as I’ve lost the opportunity to go through them with him. So if you are good on past generations, please browse and let me know who they are! There is another album of sketches that I had reviewed with Christopher, but i’d love confirmation.

The Hispanic-Anglosphere at Tyntesfield

A research network of scholars and non-academic partners from all around the world who are tracing curious and long-enduring entanglements of the global Hispanic and Anglo worlds. Juliet and I joined a meeting of them at Tyntesfield in June; they have developed a link with the National Trust there due to William’s strong connections with Spain and the Americas, and have produced a "Hispanic Tour of NT Tyntesfield” available on-line.

One of the outcomes will be a display about William Gibbs' Hispanic links in Tyntesfield house next year. The NT are keen to find an image of William as a young man (the earliest portrait they have is from around 1848). If you know of or have a younger image please let me know as they would love to hear about it for the exhibition.

Gibbs Family Tree Trivia

I routinely head out for a weekly bike ride with a local group. We recently welcomed back Barney Rickett, an astrophysics professor from San Diego, USA on another sabbatical year in Cambridge. In the course of a ride he mentioned he had started to trace his family and his grandmother was a Gibbs. My usual response that there are 100,000 of us but only around 500 on our Tree. At lunch stop he said her name, Agnes Hilda, which rang a bell, so I got out my phone to check, and there she was! I have connected with a whole new branch of cousins.

“Vicary’s Silly Bushes” is how Christopher referred to his Great Uncle Vicary’s passion for gardening. This summer’s edition of 'Garden History - Journal of The Gardens Trust’ had an extensive article on ‘Remembering Horticultural Excellence; Vicary Gibbs (1853-1932) and Edwin Beckett of Aldenham House and Gardens, Elstree, Hertfordshire’. Vicary became Vice President of the RHS and, with up to 150 gardeners under Edwin, developed a 200 acre garden to rival Kew and Hampton Court. On Vicary’s death the extensive plant collection was sold at auction and the gardens abandoned, later acquired for the Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Boys. How must Edwin have felt at losing his gardens?

Gibbs Family Tree Website Enquiries

Mary Ann Rogers from USA whose Gibbs ancestors include John Gibbs (from Dorset born 1777) and a Gibbs who is alleged to have been a captain of a ship bringing first setters to America; he and his sons somehow got to Alabama. David Woollcombe put in touch by Anthony Cobbold, working on his tree. Childhood memories of parties at Briggens with Vicary and George. Megan Hays looking for a connection to her 4xG grandfather Alexander Gibbs, born in Devon, the maker of stained glass in London Bedford Square. Alexander Gibbs & Co did the stained glass for at least two of William Gibbs church buildings. Bruce McComish searching for information relating to Raymond Humphrey Quill, Royal Marines (1897-1987), who had a noteworthy service career in both world wars and after retirement as a notable horologist. He was a first cousin of Jessie Quill and Lady Aldenham was his executor. With Vicary’s help, Bruce visited Angela Tyser at Gordonbush in Scotland. Vernon Gibbs trying to trace his grandfather Ferdinand Gibbs. Robert Paul Gibbs seeking Gibbs links to the Quaker Fry family, to Pitt the Elder and the Younger and his ancestors who included Bristol merchants, a Mayor and a Chocolatier. Bob Summers has a book of Gibbs, passed along by his mother, Vallie Juanita Hickey going back to Nancy Gibbs.

Phil Paine asked did you know that one gent in your family tree, Charles Frederick Henry Leslie born 1861 played cricket for ? Phil is busy researching him. Philip Watts seeking information on Captain Frederick Gibbs. Fiona Thomas, Gibbs on her mother’s side, seeking information on Midland Industrialist Gibbs (the Warwick branch of Gibbs probably separated from our family in 14thC; Thomas Gybbes was granted a tract of land in Honnington, Warwickshire by King Richard in about 1378). Victoria Walker in Australia researching D’Arcy Wentworth's (my 5xGGF) partner details. Her husband Wal has recently published a book on D’Arcy’s affair (and alleged teenage marriage?) with Jane Austen - janeanddarcy.com.

Use and Future of the Gibbs Family Tree

More cosmetic and structural changes to the Family Tree as I get used to the new system. Anyone can access the tree records, however to see any details of living persons, or items linked to them, you do need to “Log In”; I have created a generic account for all family members (that’s you) rather than individual accounts (to ease the admin burden). This lets you view details, but not to make changes or additions (which need to be submitted to me). The path to login is as follow: 1. Select Family Tree on the homepage; either from the menu along the top of the page, or from 4-bars at the top left (the web pages are dynamic and adapt their layout to your screen size, so small screens, like mobile phones, have the compact 4-bars menu). 2. Below the “SEARCH” section, select the "Log In” item (this will be to the right on a large screen, or below all the text description and instructions on a small screen). 2b. Alternatively if you are already within the Tree, on every page there is a “Login” item. 3. In the pop-up Login enter the current Username and Password, check “Stay logged in on this computer” (optional) and finally select the Login button.

The new account details are to family members on the tree; please contact me.

There are numerous functions to the tree system, which I encourage you to explore. I showed the colourful Ancestors Fan Chart and the Relationship display last time. How about the Calendar which lets you see all events on dates in the month; I have selected Birth Dates for Not Living Persons.

Would you like to have your family available at your finger tips on your iPhone? Open the family tree website on your phone, login selecting stay login in, and navigate to yourself (use search) and then select the Family Chart option. Swipe up on your screen from the middle and you should get a little apple navigation menu at the bottom of the screen; one of the items is a box with an up arrow, select this and then swipe left along the bottom row of icons to find “+ Add to Home Screen”. Select, give a nice short name, select Done, and now you have an “App" on your phone that goes straight to your family!

Please keep enjoying your family history journey

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