Roger Gibson

 

ROGER GIBSON

 

Born about 1700 came to South Carolina same time as Daniel and John Gibson of the Congaree and Gideon and Jordan Gibson of the Pee Dee, he lived on Wateree with his niece Susannah and  *nephew Luke Gibson, Cherokee Trader.  He married Mary, possibly Wright, relative of Anthony Wright.

*A Guide to Cherokee Documents in Foreign Archives

By William L. Anderson, James Allen Lewis

Fol. 222b. 9 Dec 1749, Council Chamber. Minutes containing petition from Luke Gibson whose warrant for 150 acres of land expired before he returned from the Cherokees. 6p. 

Roger and Mary had four Children; Roger, Samuel, Mary and Jane.  

Roger Jr., died young, no heirs, left his estate to his mother Mary Gibson and his deceased sister, Mary Ross' children, and to her son Isaac Ross his mother's estate after she is deceased. 

In the name of God Amen I Roger Gibson of the State of South Carolina, Planter being sound in mind and memory [Blessed be God for the same]do make and publish this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following [that is to say] First I give to Alexander Smith one year old horse of the English Breed with all my wearing apparrel also I give TO MY SISTER JANE SMITH one black mare and colt also I give to the FOLLOWING CHILDREN OF **ISSAC ROSS DECEASED BY HIS WIFE MARY [MY SISTER] that is to say ELIZABETH ROSS one mare and colt named Fancy, to JANE ROSS one bay mare and colt, also to MARY ROSS one old mare and colt I also give to ISAAC ROSS one sorral horse names Starling I give to EUPHAMY ROSS one young cow and calf I also give to MY MOTHER MARY GIBSON, that plantation or track of land whereon she now lives with all and singular the houses, outhouse edifices building shades barns stables orchards gardens etc with all the Plantation tools with the remainder of the stock which sh is to have during her natural life and after her decease I do order and hereby give the aforesaid Plantation or Track of land unto the above mentioned ISAAC ROSS [MY SISTERS SON] with all and singular houses, buildings, orchards, gardens, waters, timber and timber trees and all and every profit and priviledge as is specified in the Indenter of the said track parsle of land to him his heirs assigns and I make and appoint my mother MARY GIBSON to be Executrex of this my Last Will and Testament and to take upon her the charge and trouble hereof and to see the same performed according to my true intent and meaning and lastly I do hereby declare this only to be my Last Will and Testament.

 In witness where of I the said ROGER GIBSON have hereunto set my hand and seal the ninth day of July in the year of Our Lord one thousand and seven hundred and seventy eight   

Roger GIBSON

Signed Sealed and Declared by the said ROGER GIBSON the testator in presence of us who have subscribed our names witnesses thereto in the presence and at the request of the said testator

 EIZ^A ROSS

JANE ROSS

State of So Carolina Camden District

Jane Ross one of the subscribing witnesses to the above will being duly sworn made oath before me that she saw Roger Gibson sign seal and eliver the above instrument of writing as his Last Will and Testament and at the same was Eliza Ross assign as witness to the above will, Sworn before me this July 1782

 Recorded 11 February 1786

In the will of Mary Gibson Sr., widow of Roger she writes;

I also give to the following children of **Isaac Ross Senr,[See Isaac Ross below]  deceased which he had by his wife Mary deceased, my daughter; [that is to say] I give to Elizabeth Ross a negro wench call'd tubina, I give to Jane Ross and negro girld call'd Nanny, I give to Isaac Ross a negro boy call'd Owen, I give to Eupheny Ross a negro girl call'd Susannah, and after all the issue of said Tubina I order equally divided amongst the said children of Isaac Ross Senr, deceased. -- also I give ti Euphem Ross one heifer, aslo I give to Mary Ross daughter of the said Isaac Ross Senr, deceased an equal share [with the rest of the said children of the said Isaac Ross Senr deceased] of the issue of said Tubina, al

Roger Gibson Will - Son of Roger Sr and Mary

corded Will Book C page 214z

August 8th, 1795

Kershaw County

Escerpt;

First I give to Alexander Smith - my sister Jane Smith

I give to the following children of Isaac Ross, deceased, by his wife Mary [my sister] names; Elizabeth, Jane, Mary, Euphemy, Isaac Ross, my mother Mary Gibson His Estate

18 June 1801 Wm Lewis and Mary his wife, late Mary Gibson, widow and relict of Roger Gibson, late of Marion Dist to Gideon Gibson and John Gibson of Marion Dist for 80 pounds SC quit claim dower which they, Wm and Mary Lewis, might have which was of Roger Gibson

Wit; Levi Gibson Rec; 23 Mar 1807

After his mother's decease the entire plantation is left to Isaac Ross [his sister's son]  

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At a court held for Washington County November 21st, 1781. Present Arthur Campbell, John Kinkead, Robert Campbell, Gentlemen. The Grand Jury Present Alexander Smith for Adultry with Jane Gibson, Jacob Young for horse Raceing, James Douglas for same, Evan Evans for same, Thomas Gross for misprison, Daniel Young for Breach of the Peace, Col. John Smith for Breach of the Sabbath, Andrew Colvill for Horse Raceing, Henry Graham for same, John Young for same, Archibald Brumley for same, James Dysart for same, Joseph Snodgrass for same, Major David Campbell for same, Henry Skaggs for Audultery with Nancy Davis, Aaron Skagge for same with Sarah Lyon, Sarah Kennedy for Fornication, Mary Pierce for same, William Robinson for Neglect of the Road, Daniel Young for same, John Funchouser for same, James Piper for same, William Batie for same, Widow James for fornication, and they having nothing further to present are Discharged. Ordered that process issue against the Several persons this day presented. [Source: Annals of SouthWest Virginia 1769-1800, pg. 1091]. (Note: apparently couples not married in the Church of England were not recognized as being lawfully married in some areas before the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783).

Dr. Alexander Smith died in Abingdon, Virginia between 29 December 1784 and 16, February 1785. In his will he left all his slaves, land, cattle, and Bordon Quarters to his widow, Jane Gibson Smith. The land in Bordon Quarter had been givien to George Smith, Alexander's grandfather. Soon after her husband's death, Jane married a Conn. A word or two might be said about Jane Gibson Smith who was reported to have been one of the most beautiful girls in all of southern Virginia

Dr. Alexander Smith was married second to Catherine McAlpin, and lived briefly in Richmond County, NC. Four children of that marriage were McAirn, Catherine McAlpin.

It appears Dr. Alexander abandoned this wife for Jane Gibson, mentioned below. His relationship to Jane Gibson began ca. 1775, when he moved to South Carolina. Catherine McAlpin and Dr. Alexander Smith had lived at the head of the Yadkin River prior to the Revolutionary War.

 Catherine lived near Malcolm Smith and James Smith in Richmond County. This indicates that Catherine was a second wife of Alexander Smith and that she named only her blood children in her will. There is no doubt that Hugh, David, Alexander, Joseph, George, Malcomb, James, Neil, and Morris (Maurice) were Alexander's sons as well. While there is no definite proof, we believe that the naming patterns suggest that Alexander was first married to the daughter of Hugh Shaw. Dr Neil Smith followed in family tradition and became a physician This bit of scandal was reported in the records of Washington County, Virginia related to Dr. Alexander Smith. We have affirmed that Alexander moved to banks of the Holston River in the Washington District, Virginia, just above McPheeters Bend, about 1780. Apparently, he left his second wife, Catherine and children in North Carolina when he made this move. Dr. Alexander Smith was charged with "adultery" for associating with Jane Gibson. It seems that Jane Gibson was a third "wife", not the mother of Dr. Alexander Smith's children. This scandal is reported in Washington County.

 

Virginia Order Book 1. p 125. Jane Gibson was the daughter of Roger Gibson, Sr. and his second wife, Mary whose will was administered in Camden District, SC. Jane and Alexander Smith of Virginia are mentioned as the administrator. Alexander is named as a Quaker from Virginia. Dr. Alexander Smith, Sr. received two hundred sixty pounds for his service as a physician in the Revolutionary War according to the South Carolina Indents and Stubs. Alexander Smith was involved in the Battles of Camden and Kings Mountain as well as many others.

 

In 1780, Dr. Alexander Smith built the biggest, finest house in Abingdon, Washington District, Virginia. Dr. Alexander Smith, of Virginia, Quaker, returned to the Camden District of South Carolina to settle the estate of his mother in law, Mary Gibson. Jane Gibson Smith was named as Mary's daughter and Alexander was given administration responsibilities.

 Records show that Alexander Smith of Hawkins County, Tennessee, the grandson of Hugh Smith, appears in the records of Old Ninety Six District and the Abbeville District as these are abstracted by Willie Pauline Young in her book, Abstracts of Old Ninety-Six and Abbeville District Wills and Bonds. Clearly Hugh's wife was of the same family as the Wade Hampton Family. Although some evidence suggests that she was the daughter of the famed Revolutionary hero Wade Hampton, there are more indications that her father was John Hampton. Hugh Smith witnessed a document for the Hampton Family.

 The records contained in Camden District S.C. Wills and Administrations as abstracted by Brent Holcomb. verify that James Breeden. of Hawkins County, Tennessee, James and Samuel B. Smith, were in the district with Captain Hugh Smith, Dr. Alexander Smith, the Gibson family, Jane, Catherine, Henry, John, James, Joseph, John, Sr., and John Jr., Matthew, Paul, Peter, Sarah and William Smith.

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The mention of St. Marks Parish and the implication that Gideon named a son Roger suggest that this Roger who died in 1752/3 might be the elder Gideon’s brother; at least some other researchers think so. Roger was a Justice of the Peace from 1748-51 and a magistrate for Craven County just prior to his death. His wife was Mary (probably Wright) and they had children: Roger, Samuel, Jane (m Alexander Smith) and Mary (m Isaac Ross) who are later associated with Kershaw County, SC, according to Roger’s (d 1752/3) widow’s will made in 1782 and the will of his son Roger dated 1786.

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 **ISAAC ROSS PROSPECT HILL AND THE GIBSON FAMILY

Isaac Ross (January 18, 1760 – January 19, 1836) was an American Revolutionary War veteran and planter from South Carolina who developed Prospect Hill Plantation in Jefferson County, Mississippi, for cotton cultivation. He owned thousands of acres and nearly 160 slaves by 1820.

In 1830 Ross was among the major donors and founders of Oakland College, a Presbyterian-affiliated school for young men near Rodney, Mississippi, which operated from 1830 to 1870. After it failed, its campus was sold to the state and used to start Alcorn College, the first land-grant university for Blacks in the United States.

Influenced by war ideals and the American Colonization Society, Ross was among the founders of the Mississippi Colonization Society. Its goal was to repatriate (or transport) freed slaves and free people of color to Africa in order to get them out of the South, where planters believed they threatened slave societies. In 1835 Ross wrote a will to free his nearly 200 African-American slaves. It ordered the sale of his plantation to generate revenue to fund the transport of the freed slaves to Mississippi-in-Africa, the state's colony in West Africa that eventually became part of Liberia. The Mississippi Colonization Society had purchased the land, and in 1847 it became part of the Commonwealth of Liberia.