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Capt. Robert Gibbon

Capt. Robert Gibbon.
Portrait perhaps c.1780.
Portrait must be pre-1801 (see ship's flag).
The ship was hidden under dirt. Uncovered when portrait cleaned.
See larger and full size.
See other scan. See other shot and other shot.
See label at back and second label at back.

Capt. Robert Gibbon,
born 23 Aug 1738.
He was a sea captain in the merchant navy.
See Wikitree.
He is described as from Aberdeen at marriage.

Traded in Holland, around 1760s:
He went to Holland for trade (as did his wife's family).
Capt. Robert Gibbon, Master of the sloop, the Fortuna, is noted in the Aberdeen Press and Journal, 31 December 1764. He is making a voyage to "Campver" in Zeeland. This is Veere, known in Scotland as "Campvere".
Veere was from 1541 to 1670 the staple port for Scotland, in particular for the wool trade. It remained an important port for Aberdeen traders until the end of the Dutch Republic in 1795. See [Wyllie, 2020, p.114].
He is "Robbert Gibbon", born approximately 1741 at Aberdeen, who on 19 Nov 1768 became a citizen of Veere.

He mar 1769 to Barbara Yeats [born 16 July 1749, descendant of Robert III, King of Scotland and of Henry I].
Barbara's father was a Scottish merchant in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Many Scottish merchants traded through Rotterdam at this time.
They mar at Scots Church, Rotterdam.

They lived Virginia St, Aberdeen. Children bapt in Aberdeen from 1770 on.
There is a family bible, printed 1766, with a concordance of 1767, signed "Robert Gibbon and Barbara Yates", Virginia St, Aberdeen.
A grandfather clock survives in the family, from an Aberdeen clockmaker, dated 1760s.
Robert is described as "Shipmaster" at children's baptisms 1770 through 1780.
He is listed as "merchant" at dau's baptism 1789.

Barbara dies, 1791:
She died 13 Nov 1791, age 42 yrs.
See death notice in Aberdeen Journal.
She was bur Nigg Bay.
Robert is described as "merchant" in his wife's death notice 1791.
He must be "R. Gibbon" who was owner of the Fortune (built 1795).
He is described as "merchant" of Aberdeen in son Arthur's marriage contract 1815, and grave at Nigg Bay.
He is described as "Ship-owner" in his burial record.

Robert dies, 1821:
He died 2 Aug 1821, age 82 yrs.
He was bur 7 Aug 1821 at Nigg Bay.
The family business was "Robert Gibbon and sons, merchants" on Virginia St, Aberdeen.
The Gibbon business is listed at no.11 Virginia St in [Aberdeen Directory, 1824-25]. And this is listed as family business and family home for some years after. Presumably same building as when Capt. Robert was alive.
Capt. Robert and Barbara had issue:

Elizabeth Gibbon,
born 5 Dec 1770,
bapt 12 Dec 1770 [St.Paul's, Aberdeen].
Must be after her grandmother Elizabeth Leslie.
She died in infancy, bur Nigg Bay.
William Gibbon of Viewfield,
born 31 Oct 1772 [St.Paul's] [family papers], or possibly 17 Oct 1772 [other family papers],
bapt 5 Nov 1772 [St.Paul's, Aberdeen].
Must be after his grandfather William Gibbon.
He is described as "William Gibbon, Junior" at marriage and at his children's baptisms (to distinguish from his grandfather and uncle).
Alexander Gibbon,
born 1 Apr 1774,
bapt 30 Apr 1774 [St.Paul's, Aberdeen].
Must be after his grandfather Alexander Yeats.
He died in infancy, bur Nigg Bay.
Margaret Gibbon,
born 6 Feb 1776 [St.Paul's], or 7 Feb 1776 [family tree],[family papers],
bapt 11 Feb 1776 [St.Paul's, Aberdeen].
Must be after her grandmother Margaret Innes.
She mar 1799 to Dr. William Livingston. No issue.
Robert Gibbon,
born 4 June 1777 (NOT July),
bapt 11 June 1777 [St.Paul's, Aberdeen].
He died in infancy, bur Nigg Bay.
Ann Gibbon,
born 1 Nov 1778 [according to her diary].
St.Paul's records must be wrong to say born 8 Nov 1778.
She was bapt "Ann", 11 Nov 1778 [St.Paul's, Aberdeen].
She spelt her name "Ann" rather than "Anne".
Arthur Gibbon.
He was born 7 July 1780.
See birth record. (Note these are birth dates not bapt dates.) See [Family tree].
He was bapt at St.Paul's, Aberdeen, 15 July 1780.
Robert Gibbon,
born 2 Dec 1781 (second Robert),
bapt 11 Dec 1781 [St.Paul's, Aberdeen].
Isabella Gibbon,
born 13 Nov 1783 [St.Paul's] or 16 Nov 1783 [family tree],[family papers],
bapt "Isabel" 18 Nov 1783 [St.Paul's, Aberdeen],
died in infancy, bur Nigg Bay.
Elizabeth Gibbon,
Eliza, born 5 June 1785 (second Elizabeth),
bapt 12 June 1785 [St.Paul's, Aberdeen].
Living with sisters Ann and Margaret at Union Place, Aberdeen, in 1841 census.
She died unmarried, 15th Feb 1859, age 73 yrs, bur Nigg Bay.
Jane Barbara Gibbon,
born 17 Oct 1787,
bapt "Jean" or "Barbara Jean", 29 Oct 1787 [St.Paul's, Aberdeen].
"Jane" in notes on Gibbon graves at Nigg.
She died in infancy, bur Nigg Bay.
Barbara Gibbon,
born 11 Mar 1789,
bapt 20 Mar 1789 [St.Paul's, Aberdeen].
"Miss Gibbon" is listed as living 85 Crown St, Aberdeen, in [Aberdeen Directory] 1861-62 to 1878-79.
Barbara was living 1871 with her widowed sister Margaret Livingston at 85 Crown St.
She registered Margaret's death 1872.
She died unmarried, 28 Feb 1879, age 89 yrs, bur Nigg Bay.
John Allison Gibbon,
born 21 June 1790,
bapt "John Alison" 24 June 1790 [St.Paul's, Aberdeen],
died in infancy, bur Nigg Bay.

Barbara Yeats.
Portrait perhaps c.1790. (She died 1791.)
See larger and full size.

Item in Aberdeen Press and Journal, 31 December 1764.
Showing Capt. Robert Gibbon making a voyage to Veere in Zeeland.

Item in Aberdeen Press and Journal, 29 July 1765.
The three Gibbon brothers arrived at Aberdeen would be our three Gibbon brothers.
And the Captain of the Fortune sailing for Banff would be our Capt. Robert Gibbon.

St.Paul's Episcopal chapel, Aberdeen (baptism place of Gibbon children).
From here in map of 1866-67.
Loch St to the W. St. Paul's St to the S. Gallowgate to the E.
Now demolished and built over. See modern map.

Birth of Arthur Gibbon, 7 July 1780.
See full size.

Lost things

Will of Arthur Augustus Gibbon (died 1907) mentions a silver plated urn with initials "R.G." and a cross with the initials "R.B.G."
This would be Robert and Barbara Gibbon.
These went to Mildred Gibbon (died 1952).

Will of Arthur Augustus Gibbon (died 1907) mentions cutlery with the initials "R.B.G."
This would be Robert and Barbara Gibbon.
This went to Mildred Gibbon (died 1952).

The ship in Capt. Robert Gibbon's portrait

The ship in the background of Capt. Robert Gibbon's portrait above.
See larger and full size.

The flag is the Red Ensign (also here), the Union Jack in the top LHS corner, the rest of the flag red.
On the picture it can be seen that this is the pre-1801 Union Jack (also here).
This indicates a British merchant ship between 1707 and 1801.
The Red Ensign (with the modern Union Jack in the top LHS corner) is still the flag of the British Merchant Navy today.

Christian Milne's poems

The Gibbon and Livingston families supported the efforts of the female poet Christian Milne.
Christian Milne's poems were published in:

Simple Poems, on Simple Subjects, Christian Milne, Aberdeen, 1805.

Extract from memoir of Christian Milne.
From p.184 of Sketches of obscure poets, Cochrane and MacCrone, 1833.

Christian Milne was born Christian Ross, 1773, in Inverness.
She married in 1797 to Mr. Milne, a "ship-carpenter". (Probably a ship builder. Might not be poor and might be wealthy.) They lived in Aberdeen.
Her breakthrough was when her poems were made known to "the Lady of Captain Livingston". This is Elizabeth Martin, niece of Barbara Yeats.
Elizabeth Martin showed them to her brother-in-law "Dr. Livingston. This is Dr. William Livingston, son-in-law of Capt. Robert Gibbon and Barbara Yeats. (Two 1st cousins married two brothers.)
They helped her get the poems published in 1805.
The preface of the 1805 book of poems lists references from:
- William Livingston, M.D. Professor of Medicine in Marischal College, Aberdeen.
- Robert Gibbon, merchant in Aberdeen (must be Capt. Robert).
The list of subscribers includes what must be Capt. Robert's children:
- Robert Gibbon, Sunderland.
- Arthur Gibbon, Aberdeen.
- Miss Anne Gibbon, Aberdeen.
- Miss Eliza Gibbon, Aberdeen.
and others:
- Alexander Gibbon, junior, Aberdeen.
- James Gibbon, Aberdeen.
- James Gibbon, junior, Aberdeen.
- Miss --- Gibbon, Aberdeen.
- Miss --- Gibbon, Aberdeen.
- Miss J. Gibbon, Aberdeen.

AI animations

AI animations of the Gibbon portraits.
Made using Deep Nostalgia at MyHeritage.
Uses AI technology from D-ID.

AI animation of the Capt. Robert Gibbon portrait.

AI animation of the Barbara Yeats portrait.

Sources yet to be consulted

Will/admin of Capt. Robert, 1821. [Wyllie, 2020, p.316] has information on Capt. Robert's property at his death. He was "a wealthy man with shares in nine ships through his holding in his company, Robert Gibbon & Sons. He distributed his money round his family with the two brothers William and Robert receiving the lion's share."