Z355

Gibbs Family of Ampthill and London

The founder of the family was Robert Gibbs, born in Dunfermline c. 1737 and buried at Ampthill on 14 March 1814 aged 77. He came to Ampthill as gardener to the Earl of Upper Ossory at Ampthill Park. Z355/1-89 are odd vouchers between 1773 and 1797 out of those kept by him to verify his accounts with the estate. A stray from this series is Z270/1. Of the labour force under him, his son Thomas appears in the vouchers between 1786 and 1791, and William Gibbs, a younger son, in 1793. Robert Gibbs married in Ampthill Mary Carte, the daughter of Thomas Carte of the Kings Head at Ampthill, and the title deeds in the Brandreth collection show the Gibbs family buying property in Ampthill, and inheriting more from the Cartes. Robert and Mary Gibbs had a large family, most of whom appear in the archive. The first four children were baptised at Ampthill church (Thomas 1771, Robert 1773, John Anne 1775, and Ann 1777). The rest appear in the list of members' children kept by the minister of Maulden Baptist Church (William 1779, Catherine 1781, Humphrey 1783, George 1785, Charles 1788, Mary 1790 and James 1793). Thomas Gibbs, the eldest son, in time had nurseries in Ampthill and Old Brompton, and a nursery and seedsman's business at a shop on the corner of Half Moon Street, Piccadilly. He married in 1799 Sarah Prosser Brandreth, sister of Henry Brandreth of Houghton Regis. Their second and eldest surviving son, Humphrey Gibbs, eventually inherited the estate and took the name of Brandreth. Most of the documents here are from Thomas' archive. The second son, Robert purchased a corn chandler's business from a Mr Few at 7 Theobalds Road, London. From X568/7 it is clear that Thomas and Robert occasionally disagreed, but on the whole the members of the family worked closely together, and on Robert's premature death in December 1808, Thomas dealt with his family and his estate, and most of the business records (especially the accounts) in this collection relate to Robert's corn chandler's business. Robert married Louisa Hill Dalton, and left three children, William Dalton Gibbs and daughters Marianne and Margaret. Louisa's own family seems to have been helpful and concerned, and both families spent time and trouble trying to find a suitable apprenticeship for young William. Z355/90-250 relate to Robert Gibbs' business and family and executors. Of the younger sons we know little of John. In 1803 and 1805 he was living at Woburn; was unhappy in 1803; had a wife and son; and was still alive in 1814 on his father's death. His father had revoked a legacy to him of £50 [Z355/214, Z355/230]. William was delicate, is described in 1815 as a nurseryman of Old Brompton [B317] where perhaps he assisted Thomas, but does not appear later. Humphrey died at age of three. George in 1815 was a seedsman of Half Moon Street, and seems to have assisted Thomas at the business there until his death in 1833 [Z355/412], and there are business letters and memoranda from him to Thomas and to Thomas' sons Humphrey and Robert. He does not appear to have married. Charles in 1815 was an oilman of Half Moon Street [B317], and James, the younger son, a seedsman of Stoke Newington in 1815, died in 1820 aged 27 after having received medical care at Bedford, and his brother Thomas dealt with the doctor's bill [Z355/411]. All the sons were given the opportunity to set themselves up in a business or in a trade. , and it would seem that the daughters too were allowed to be useful. Z270/2 shows that either Ann or Caroline was employed by M Vining and Devaux, Jermyn Street. Ann, the eldest of the three daughters, married John Forbes, and had three children between 1809 and 1812. Z270/6 shows that she voyaged to Cadiz (presumably with her husband) and John Forbes made arrangements with Thomas Gibbs for her, and also about the disposition of his property should she die. Her husband was dead by April 1814 [Z270/7], and we find her, as a widow, living in Ampthill and much involved in the management of the nursery there for Thomas, and Z355/405 is a dressmaker's bill of 1829 for work done for her daughters. Catherine married in 1807 a widower, Charles Jackson, and had several children, of whom we find letters from the eldest, a daughter also called Catherine, who was for a time a governess near Liverpool, which seems to be where this family settled. Charles Jackson was asking help in dealing with creditors in 1808 [Z255/232], and the family continued to request financial assistance, though most letters are in Z270 [Z270/18, 21, 24, 25; Z355/409]. Mary, the third sister, from the evidence here did not marry, but lived at Ampthill at least for a time, and her name, too, appears in the papers which relate to the running of the nursery there. A letter from her when staying with the Jacksons (presumably at Liverpool) survives at Z355/391. To return to Thomas Gibbs, (born 1771), his obituary says that he wvas educated at the noted private school at Aspley Guise, and this collection shows him working under his father for the Earl of Upper Ossory in Ampthill between 1786 and 1791. The obituary says that he went to Kew as a pupil of William Aiton, and in 1799 was made seedsman to the Board of Agriculture, and was engaged in experiments, especially on grasses. He was one of the original members of the Smithfield Club [Z355/375-6] and also helped form the Horticultural Society of London [Z355/413-4]. His obituary in Bell's Weekly Messenger 12 February 1849 goes on to say that by his wife he had a large family, "Most of these died in early life. His eldest son [Thomas Brandreth Gibbs] died at the age of 23 [in 1823] being at that early period instrumental, with the late John Frost, esquire, and others, in establishing the Medico-Botanical Society of London, and which society at his death placed a marble tablet to his memory in the chancel of the parish church of Ampthill. Mr Gibbs leaves four children - viz. Humphrey Brandreth, the present High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, who took the name of Brandreth in lieu of Gibbs on succeeding his uncle to his mother's family estates; Robert Gibbs of Compton, Surrey; Rebecca the wife of John B Bergne, esquire, and Benjamin Thomas Brandreth Gibbs, the Honorary Secretary of the Smithfield Club and Director of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, and, since his father's retirement, the head of the firm of seed-merchants to that society". This obituary says that he founded the firm of Thomas Gibbs and Company, the seedmerchants of Half Moon Street, Piccadilly, and Z270/7, /10 suggest that he was taken into partnership by David Watts of that address, having taken the place of the previous partner Thomas Agnew. He continued head of the firm for fifty years. Much emerges of his method of running the Ampthill nurseries, in which at first he was helped by his father Robert. Afterwards the documents suggest that one of his sisters in Ampthill kept an overall eye on the money, and the work was done through a very hard-pressed foreman. QSR1827/316-8 tells us more of the nursery, and Z270/8 is a weekly account of 1817. Of his children we have little of the eldest son, Thomas, mentioned in his father's obituary, except for a letter from his father at Z355/408. The next two surviving sons, Humphrey and Robert, we find at school in Margate [Z270/13] and helping their father with his business. Humphrey on the death of his maternal uncle Henry Brandreth [Z270/22, /26] inherited the estates and took the name of Brandreth [B collection]

fonds

Gibbs, Robert,
Gibbs, Thomas