The following is my record of the Gibson and Brown families as related to my ancestry.  Most of this has been retrieved from the internet and some from decedents and some from other researchers.  I am working backwards in time so some of my references will be resolved on following pages.  Also note that I and most workers consider Gibson and Gipson the same names; also, Priscilla is often spelled Prescilla.

1. Sarah Jane Brown was born 6 Sep., 1846 and died on 25 Dec.,1907¹   On 25 November, 1866 she was married to my Great-grandfather, (G'GPa) William Clemons Stanley in Mercer Co., Mo.²  She was born in Mercer County, Mo.  and died in Kelseyville, Calif. Her death certificate had her in Calif. for 24 years and 2 months which would mean she arrived in Oct. 1883; she was a housewife.  I don't think I heard my mother or Norma talk about her at all; I'm sure they knew her so I suspect the Stanleys lived much of their later life in or around Lower Lake.  She and W.C. had 8 children who I will not detail here.

2. Sarah Jane's father was Abner Brown; the only info I have is from his daughter's death cert. that he was b. in America and I have a copy of the page from the book in the Grundy County, Mo. courthouse in Trenton, Mo. where his marriage to Prescilla Gibson was entered as 25 June 1843.  Mercer County was formed from part of Grundy county in 1845 so it is very likely they were married in the part of Grundy that was to become Mercer Co.  There were several Brown families in the Mercer Co., Mo. area but neither Maggie Russell or I could find any trace of an Abner.  As Prescilla remarried soon after Sarah Jane was born I must assume that he died well before the civil war but I have no proof.  The Gibson family came to Missouri from Putnam Co., Indiana where there were many families of Browns but I haven't made a connection.

3. Prescilla Gibson was b. about 1820 in Putnam Co., Indiana; I have seen the Prescilla spelling often enuf to use it in preference to Priscilla, her mother's name.  As the county was formed 2 years later, either the record is imaginative or they were there quite early; I suspect the latter.  Her name shows up spelled both ways and, on her marriage record, she was Prescilla, Gipson.  I have no idea  when or where she died but many of her brothers are buried in the original section of the Leon, Decatur Co., Cemetery.

 a. Prescilla m. Abner Brown in June of 1843 and Sarah Jane was b. in Sept., 1846; see discussion above.
 b. Prescilla m. David Deweese.  "David was b. ca. 1826 in Putnam Co., IN, eldest son of Thomas Deweese (1798-1864) and America Oatman."³  Also, "Study of probate records from Mercer Co., Mo. has revealed that your David died there on 10 Nov. 1852... this according to an affidavit given by a Garret Gibson there, who was also appointed to take an inventory of the deceased David's property, as he had left no Will.".  Again, a death before the civil war; I'm beginning to worry about Prescilla.    The 1850 Mercer Co., Mo. census (p. 403-A) shows the following entry:

   David Deweese         24    b. Indiana
   "Precilla"            22
   Amanda              5/12    b. Missouri  (this could have been America after David's mother).
   Sarah Brown            3         "

       "The above David fought in the Mexican War, applying for a Land Warrant in recognition of said service on 30 Sept. 1848, while a resident of Grundy Co., Mo. According to a published account termed "The Nance Memorial,"which was apparently compiled by Alicia W. Oatman of Dundee, Illinois in 1935 and notarized, this David married ______ Gibbons (I now believe this must have been Gibson), and had one child, a dau. named America. No further info on David's descendants in that source. According to his Mexican War papers, your David was born in "Hendrick Co., IN" (adjacent to Putnam Co. and derived from it)."
 c. Prescilla then m. Lewis Russell Gay Sr. b. 1806 in Ky.⁴ and d. 1876 in Mercer Co., Missouri.  He was the son of William Henry Gay and Margaret Russell and had previously married Mary Rice in Clay Co., Ky. by whom he had 8 children: Grant, Henry, Hiram, Joseph, Lewis Russell (Jr.), William Johanna b. 1850 and Matilda. They lived in Trenton, Mercer Co., Mo.  Prescilla and he had 3⁵ children:
  i.  JAMES N. GAY, b. 1860, Mercer Co.,  Missouri; d. 22 August 1860, Mercer Co.,  Missouri.
  ii. MARTHA E. GAY, b. Abt. 1861, Missouri; m. SILAS H. PALMER.
  iii. WILLIAM BEDY GRANT GAY, b. 24 January 1864, Missouri; d. 30 May 1935, Mercer Co.,  Missouri.

 I believe that the Gay family will show up again with Mary Elizabeth Stanley.  My mother tells the story that, when her father, Otha Stanley, was born his parents (W.C. & Sarah Jane) were living in Iowa but went to Missouri for Otha to be born.  Since it appears that Sarah Jane's mother, Prescilla, was living with Lewis in Trenton and had young children and experience and W.C. had probably not seen his father in years it would be natural to go to her mother's place for her first child to be born.  When W.C. wanted to set out for St. Joseph to enlist in the civil war in the mid-60s, he was said to have left from Modena, Missouri.  I believe his mother, Mahala, lived most of her life in Decatur Co., could W.C. have been brought up by Prescilla?

4. Lewis Gibson was Prescilla's father and, I'm sure, very influential in the history of my Gibson and Stanley families; someday I hope to prove why.  My best information is from an 1986 Cemetery Tabulation of Mercer County, MO by Joe Dale Linn [sent by Maggie Russell]: "Lewis, husband of D. Gibson died March 24, 1847 aged 56y 10m 5d".  This would have him born on 19 May, 1790; other sources say 1791 but how does one argue with a headstone.  Now, about that D. Gibson....  Lewis was said to have been born in Surry County, N. C.  and he died in Mill Grove, Mercer Co., Mo. Mill Grove as I recall is a very small town with narrow streets on a low sidehill;  I'm sure it had businesses in the 1840 but not now.  Lewis was in the 1820 census of Knox Co., with 3 boys, 2 girls, wife and 2 male adults and, it appears, 1 female slave.  It looks like Basbainville (could this be Barbourville, the county seat of Knox Co., Ky.?).  Valentine Gibson, I don't know which one,  was there also with quite a crew on Stinking Creek.  Garrett Gibson, again I don't know which one, was in Knox Co. in 1810.  Knox county was formed in 1800.  If the information on Prescilla is correct, Lewis moved his family to Putnam Co., Greencastle area, Indiana in 1820-21.  Lewis shows up on the 1830 census in Putnam County along with Garrett and a couple of George Gibsons.  Again, judging from his children's birthplaces, he moved his family to Mercer Co. about 1842; at least what was to become Mercer County.  One source I can't now find said that John Butcher Gibson was b. 1828 in Claiborne Co., Tenn.; this would be interesting as Lander⁶ has John's wife, Mary Elizabeth Stanley b. there in 1832.   Lewis is considered an early pioneer of Washington Twp., Grundy Co., Mo. (recall that Mercer county didn't exist until 1845).

5. On 10 Feb., 1814 in Knox Co., Ky⁷. Lewis m. Priscilla Wilson b. 1793 in Knox Co., Ky. Children⁸:

 a. Mary Gibson    b.   3 Feb., 1814
 b. James B. Gibson   b. 24 Oct., 1816
 c. Castleton Gibson   b.   9 Jan., 1819 the line of a correspondent of mine.
 d. Prescella Gibson   b.    before 1821 my line
 e. Garrett Gibson    b. 03 Feb., 1826 perhaps uncle Owen's namesake.

 a. John Butcher Gibson   b. 1828 m. W.C.'s aunt, Mary Elizabeth Stanley.
 b. Nancy Gibson    b. 1832
 c. Louis N. Gibson   b. 4 Feb., 1836
 d. Rebecca Gibson   b. 1840
 e. Rhoda Francis Gibson   b. 1841 m. W. C.'s uncle Ozias Lafayette Stanley.
 f. Beda Gibson    b. 1843
 g. Rachael Gibson               b. 15 Jan., 1846
 h. Keziah Gibson    b. 1848

 James Thomas GIBSON I
  Born: ABT 1750                  at: Halifax Co., Va.
  Married: ABT 1770            at: Stokes or Surry Co., NC.
  Died: 1835                          at: Whitley Co., Ky.
  Father:  Valentine GIBSON
  Mother: Francis GARRETT
  Wife: Sarah Roark or SUMNER
         Born: ABT 1750          at: Stokes Co., NC.
         Died: AFT 1820          at: Knox Co., Ky.

 a. Name: William GIBSON    Born: 1773
 b. Name: Sarah GIBSON    Born: 1773
 c. Name: Polly GIBSON    Born: 1775
 d. Name: Barnabus GIBSON  Born: 1777   at: SC.
      Married: NOV-17-1800 at: Grainger Co., Tn.
         Died: AFT 1850    at: Green Co., Tn.
   Spouse:  Joyce ARTIS
 e. Name: James Thomas GIBSON Born: 1779   at: Ky., Va. or Richland Co., SC.
      Married: 1797
         Died: FEB-07-1862        at: Scott Co., Tn.
   Spouses: Mary FINLEY
 f. Name: Mary GIBSON   Born: 1780
   Spouses: Benjamin CROWLEY  George SOUTHERLIN
 g. Name: Garret Franklin GIBSONBorn: 1782              at: Stokes Co., NC.
      Married: BEF 1807  at: Putnam Co., In. or Claiborne Co., Tn.
         Died: 1850              at: Buchanan Co., Mo.
   Spouses:  Rachael REYNOLDS
 h. Name: Valentine GIBSON Born: 1783              at: Surry Co., NC.
      Married: NOV-17-1800      at: Grainger Co., Tn.
         Died: BEF MAR-05-1837  at: Knox Co., Ky.
   Spouse:  Mary WYATT
 i. Name: John GIBSON     Born: 1785              at: Surry Co., NC.
 j. Name: Aaron GIBSON  Born: 1787
 k. Name: Archelous GIBSON Born: 1789
 l. Name: Lewis GIBSON  Born: MAY-19-1791 at: Stokes Co., NC.
      Died: MAY-24-1847  at: Washington Twp. Mercer Co., Mo.
   Spouses: Elizabeth BUTCHER  Priscilla WILSON
 m. Name: George GIBSON Born: 1793
 n. Name: Elias GIBSON  Born: 1795              at: Stokes Co., NC.
      Married: JUN-14-1821  at: Monroe Co., In.
         Died: BEF NOV-15-1826  at: Putnam Co., In.
   Spouse:  Elizabeth GARRETT

 I'm startled by the 14 listed children but it has happened and several could have been early deaths. It is interesting to note the states mentioned for births: S.C., N.C., Ky, N.C., makes one wonder.  Also, the names James, Garrett, Archelous and Valentine as well as the surname Garrett show up.  This Garrett d. in Buchanan Co., Mo. in 1850 just after W. C. Stanley was born there; I suppose he could be the namesake for W. C. Stanley but his wife's uncle Garrett served in the civil war as did W. C.  Also, this Garrett could be the reason Jesse H. Stanley went to Buchanan Co., Mo. where W. C. was born.  I also like to point out the confusion on Garrett's marriage place, Caliborne or Putnam Co.; did the family members move to Claiborne Co. and back?  Another interesting fact, son James Thomas Gibson's daughter Elizabeth married Joseph Hatfield; I don't know his ancestry.

 a. James' son, James Thomas Gibson Jr. (e. above) was said by O'Neil to have been b. in 1775 in Richland Co., S.C., m. Mary Finley of Va. and had 8 children b. mostly in Knox or Whitley Co., Ky from 1801 to 1823.¹³
 b. James Jr. had son James III who had a child in Ky. then 10 children all b. 1832-1852 in Campbell Co., Tn.  He would be of the same generation as Lewis Gibson.

 The tax rolls for Knox Co., Ky in 1810 show:  Gibson, Barnabas, Garrett, Isaac, James, James, John, Valentine; it looks like the whole family was there as well as Reuben and Stanley Hatfield.

8. Sarah Roark, wife of James Thomas Gibson was b. ~1750 in Stokes Co., N.C. and died after 1820 in Knox Co., Ky.; I would guess that she shows up in the 1820 but not the 1830 census.  An AF source has her b. ~1756 in Surry Co., N.C. and d. after 1820 in Whitley Co., Ky. the daughter of Barnabus and Sarah (note the second son, Barnabus).  Also, as many of the Gibsons showed up in "melungeon territory" if she might be a connection.

9. Valentine Gibson and Frances (Elizabeth?) (Garrett) were the parents of James Thomas Gibson and several others. From AF: b. abt 1723 in Hanover Co., Va. d. Stokes Co., N.C.  He m. ~1744.
 From a note by Dorothy Tuttle to the Gibson List: "   I know there isn't a will for Valentine Gibson and I wish there was.  The only proof of a son of Valentine's is his son James.  On 2 Oct 1794  there was a deed from Valentine Gibson to Matthew Moore 63 pounds.  Said Gibson indebted to Matthew Moore as security for his son James Gibson where he now lives.  Wit Joel Halbert, Edwd Moore."
 

 Their children (probably?) were:
 a. Valentine GIBSON, JR. b. ~1756 Stokes Co., N.C.
  b. Archeleus Or Archelis GIBSON b. ~1763 Stokes Co., N.C. d. < Feb 1807  Grainger Co.,                                                      Tenn.
 c. James Sr. GIBSON  b.   1750 Stokes Co., N.C. d. < 1820  Knox Co., Kentucky
 d. Garrett GIBSON  b.   1752 Stokes Co., North Carolina d. >1809 d. < Jefferson, Tennessee
 e. Gibson GIBSON  b.   1752 Stokes Co., N.C. < 1813  Jefferson, Tn
 f. John GIBSON    b.21 Nov 1750 Hanover Co.,  Va. d. < 28 1839 Dec.         Cumberland Co., , Ky.
 The names are interesting because a record from a tax list of Grainger County shows:

Elisha Collins 1799  Griffin Collins 1804  Griffee Collins 1805
Griffy Jr Collins 1821  Joseph Collins 1804 & 1805 Joshua Collins 1804 & 1805
Lewis Collins 1804, 1805, 1821

Archibald Gibson 1804  Archelaus Gibson 1805  Isaac Gibson 1804 & 1805
James Gibson 1799  Valentine Gibson 1799
Archeles Gipson 1799  Garrot Gipson 1799  James Gipson 1799

 The above list continues with:

1784 Surry Co NC (land and tithes) Capt. Goins district
Valentine Gibson 150 1  John Gibson 0 1 James Gibson 200 1 Garrot Gibson 0 1
Joseph Goin 200 1
Barnabas Rowark 100 1 Elisha Rowark 200 1 Timothy Roark 0 1

1785     Capt Gains district
James Gibson 200 1  Archelaus Gibson 0 1 John Gibson 0 1 Garrett Gibson 0 1
Valentine Gibson 150 1  Joseph Going 150 1

 The interesting parts about this are first that Archelaus/Archeles, James, Valentine and Garrot (never mind the spelling) are all figured to be sons of Valentine's and second that Collins, Roark/Rowark, Goin/Garis and Gibson are names that, in the Grainger Co. area are often Melungeon;  and I have no evidence whatsoever that there are Melungeons in the family.

10. Valentine Gibson is said to have m. Frances Garrett; some workers question if this has been proved.  A note to GenForum said:
 According to Hinsahw's, Genealogy of Claytons,Beals & Browns; "Frances Nancy GARRETT married Valentine GIBSON sometime between 1745 and 1750."  The one child I know of was Garrett GIBSON b. about 1752 in Halifax Co. VA.  I am going to take a long shot and say that since Valentine GIBSON was born in VA and at least one child was born in VA that Valentine and Frances were married there also.  An interesting happenstance, I stumbled across a website by Judy Stanley Cardwell¹⁴ who has done considerable research on her Stanleys.  In particular, a Jesse Stanley was, in 1793 Dec 2 - Stokes Co., NC, involved in a transaction with Valentine Gibson.  It at least confirms that Valentine knew a Stanley and independently of the above information puts him in Stokes Co., N.C.  Jesse's brother was named Garritt Stanley!  John Stanley of the same family did considerable business with the large local Butcher family (see para.6 above).  Also, in Judy's genealogy was an Alfred Stanley b. ~1807 in N.C.  This Alfred came with quite a biography making him unlikely to be Alfred Muir Stanley.

11. Thomas Gibson is said to be the father of Valentine Gibson.  I have a note from GenForum:
 Your gggggggrandfather was Thomas Gibson b. about 1691 and d. before 7 November 1734 in St. Marten's Parrish, Hanover County, Virginia. This came from a pedigree chart in the local genealogy society in Abingdon Virginia. It was compiled by Barabara Gibson Froemming in 1997 who lives in Wisconsin.¹⁵  From the same GenForum comes a will which does sound like Thomas':
I think Thomas Jr., is the same that appears in records of Stony Creek Church in Scott Co., Va.,
and I think his descendants are known as Melungeons. If anyone has information to contradict
this I would like to see it.
===============
P. 151-152: (Will)- I Thomas Gibson Senior of St. Martins Par., Hanover Co. Sick and weak but
of sound mind and memory do make this my Last will and Testament. I recommend my soul to
the hand of Almighty God and my body to the earth. After all my debts and funeral charges are
paid I give to my loving son Thomas Gibson 50 a. of land; to my well beloved son John Gibson
50 a. of land; to be well beloved daughter Nice? Nicks wife of Edward Nicks, Frances Humdrey
and Mary Brook one Shilling each; to my well beloved son Edward Nicks awhom I do hereby
constitute sole Exor. of this my will and Testament my house likewise my stock of hogs and cattle
together with all my Estate goods and Chattels moveable and unmovable to enable him to bring
up my Children John Gibson, Valentine Gibson also William Robertson. I do hereby utterly
revoke and make void all former wills made by me.

Thomas (+) Gibson Wit: Isaac (x) Johnson, James (x) Phillips, G. Gillingham, School Mstr. 7 Nov.
1734 proved by oaths of the witnesses.
REF: Hanover Co., VA Court Records, 1733-1735
 I won't comment on the Melungeon inference.  This info has been picked up by others.¹⁶
 

12. Other Stuff:

 a. The 1790 census of Knox Co., Ky. lists:

  i. Gibson: John, Valentine, Garrott, Archelus, James, John, John & William.
  ii. Stanley, Jesse
  iii. Roark, Timothy
  iv. Collins, 3
  v. Harris, 3
  vi. Sumner: Caleb, Thomas

 b. The 1810 census of Knox Co., Ky. lists:  Barnabas,  Garrot, Isaac,  James,  James   John, Valentine and William Gibson.  Also, a Goin, 3 Harris's, 3 Collens and a Collins.
 c. The 1810 census of Knox Co., Ky. lists:  Gibsons: Isaac, James Snr,  Jesse,  Lewis,  Major and Valentine as well as 2 Goins, 4 Collins and Ruben Hatfield.
 d. Some of the Gibsons are still in the Knox Co. area in 1830 but not James.
 e. Lewis and Garrett Gibson are on the 1830 Putnam Co. census [along with several Butcher families and many Brown families].   Just east of Putnam Co., the Hendricks Co. census has John, Archibald, James and Ezekiel Gibson as well as Alfred Stanley [probably our Alfred].  Could Archibald be Archelous, G'Son of Valentine and could Ezekiel be a son of Ezekiel, son of Valentine?  We need more work here.
 f. The notch where Bell Co., Ky. meets Claiborne Co., Tenn. is the Cumberland Gap.  The rivers in this area run E.N.E. just about parallel to the Knox-Bell County line.  These maps, from the census bureau, are roughly to scale with each other and aligned in the areas of interest.¹⁷

 a. The Gibsons were close to the Stanleys in the 1850s and may have been why they were in Mo. in the 1840s.
 b. The Gibsons MAY have known the Stanleys in N.C. in the 1790s.  The family of Jesse Stanley is well known but I have not found a connection.
 c. The Gibsons were near the Stanleys in Indiana in the 1830s; Lewis' children were born in Putnam County; Jesse Harris Stanley was born in Hendricks County which was formed from Putnam Co. in 1824 making it possible that some of the Gibsons were actually in what is now Hendricks Co. altho Greencastle is mentioned which is in the center of present Putnam County.
 d. Gibsons moved from Grainger Co., Tn. To Knox Co., Ky. in the 1810 era; Alfred M. Stanley was said to have married in Claiborne Co., Tn. in 1827 and Mary Elizabeth Stanley was b. there in 1831.
 e. None of this PROVES a darn thing.

Note: I have not found a good way to attach the graphics which show the relationships between Mercer Co. in Mo. and Decatur Co. in Iowa nor between Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger and Hawkins Co.s in Tenn. and Whitley, Knox and Clay Co.s in Ky.  Until I find a way, believe me, they are close.  I believe all mentioned states wanted all parts of the counties to be no more than one day's ride (~20mi or 33km) from the county seat.

1.    Death certificate from Lake Co., Calif.
2.    Personal Communication from Jerry "RAILSELLER" Jones.
3.    Personal Communication from Jack C. Vaughn, Dewees/Deweese Family Archivist
4.    L.D.S. Ancestral File (AF).
5.    RAILSELLER
6.    Marvin Lander, "The Stanley Family", to be published.
7.    From "Pioneer Families of Eastern and Southeastern Kentucky" by William C. Kozee
8.    AF
9.    James Porter at: http://home.att.net/~jlporte110/html/fam01194.htm
10.  From Stokes County History on the Stokes Co., GenWeb site.
11.  Julia O'Neil at http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=juliaoneil&id=I1443 & James Porter.
12.  James Porter above.
13.  Note written by Fred W. Gibson in 1950 in response to a question about the family.
14.  http://juliemorrison.com/gen/rickles/rr_toc.htm
15.  GenForum Gibson message #6696
16.  Nichole Elster's site at:      http://www.geocities.com/myroots2002/
17.  http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/