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Andrew Gibson
Family tradition is that Andrew came to the US with three brothers, according to a genealogy by Nancy (Gibson) Hess. According to Ms. Hess, Andrew also may have had a sister, Jane who stayed behind in Ireland. It is believed that other brother, possibly two, stayed in Pennsylvania and that the reminding brother moved to the south Virginia or West Virginia are. The family’s ultimate origin was no doubt Scotland, but the settlement around Londonderry and West Fallowfield, Chester Co., Pennsylvania was clearly Irish, most of them being from County Derry.
Andrew was born about 1708 in Count Derry, Ireland and died 25 Oct 1803 in West Bradford, Chester Co., Pennsylvania. He is buried in Faggs Manor Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Chester Co., Pennsylvania.
Will of Andrew Gibson
Chester Co., Pa., Will Book K, vol. 10, pp. 438-439
Be it Remembered that I Andrew Gibson sabler of West Fallowfield Township County of Chester and State of Pennsylvania being in weak health and disposing mind and memory do make this my last will and Testament in manner and form following. Imprimis I will and appoint that all my past debts funeral expenses be paid out of my Estate by my Executors hereinafter named.
Item I will & bequeath unto my Daughter Rebecca the wife of William Read the Sum of five shillings Pennsylvania Currency.
Item I will & bequeath unto my beloved son Jacob Gibson five shillings Currency. I give and bequeath unto my beloved son George Gibson the sum of five shillings currency as I have already given him a plantation, which he hath sold for five hundred Pounds.
Item I will and bequeath unto my beloved Daughter Mary Gibson the sum of three Pounds Currency yearly and every year to be paid during her natural life by my Executors hereafter named together with her bed and its furniture . . whatsoever she hath purchased or whatsoever she may justly claim to be at her own disposal. Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved son Thomas Gibson the sum of five shillings Currency which together with the Plantation which he now lives on containing one hundred acres be the same more or less and also the full … with all its appurtenances thereto belonging I consider as his proportion of my estate.
Item I will bequeath unto my beloved son Andrew Gibson the sum of five pounds Currency to be deducted out of the sum of one Hundred and fifty pounds which he now owes to me and the remainder viz. one hundred and Twenty Five Pounds to be appropriated to the discharge of the Legacies herein mentioned.
Item I Give and bequeath unto my daughter Margaret the wife of William Lyon the sum of forty pounds also to my Daughter Sarah the wife of William Criswell the sum of fifty pounds and to my Daughter Agness the wife of James Criswell the sum of forty pounds and also to my Daughter Jane the wife of Jacob Weedon the sum of Forty pounds exclusive of all which they have received of me.
Item I Give and bequeath unto my Grandson Andrew Gibson the son of Thomas Gibson the sum of Ten pounds for his Use to be put to interest until he arrive to the age of twenty one years.
Item I Give and bequeath unto my grandchildren Andrew Lyon; Andrew Gibson Criswell, son of my daughter Agnes; Andrew Gibson Criswell son of James; Samuel Criswell Gibson, son of Thomas; five pounds each to be put out to interest for their dispositive use until they arrive at the age of twenty one years.
Item I will and order that my Executors do cut a tombstone over my beloved wife’s and my grave as soon as convenient after my decease.
Item I will and order that to pay my Just debts and legacies above bequeathed that my Executors hereinafter mentioned do put to sell all my Estate real and personal and empower them to … my lands unto the purchase or purchasers as fully and lawfully as I could myself when Living and if
after paying the debts and Legacies there is a remainder they shall divide the same currency my Children share and share alike without respect to age or sex. Likewise I will and order that if any of my grandchildren above mentioned should die before they arrive at the age of Twenty One years that their Legacy shall go to their parents respectively.
Lastly I constitute ordain and appoint my beloved son, Andrew Gibson, Esqr.; and my son in law, James Criswell, my only Executors of this my last will and Testament hereby revoking and disannulling all other wills and Testaments heretofore by me made and all other Executors by me constituted and declaring this to be my only last will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fourth day of April in the year of Our lord one thousand =
Seven Hundred ninety and nine.
Andrew Gibson {SEAL}
Signed Sealed published pronounced and declared by the said Andrew Gibson to be his last will and Testament in Presence of us who were requested by him to evidence the same James Cochran, Zechariah Bell, A. Mithell, West Chester Novr the 1st 1803 then personally appeared James Cochran & A. Mithel who on their own oaths in according to law did dispon and say that they were personally present and saw and heard the testator above named sign seal publish pronounce and declare the foregoing writing as and for the last will and testament and at the same time be appeared to be of sound mind and well disposing memory to the best of their understandings.
Jurat Coram J. Allison
Be it Remembered that on the 7th day of Novr 1803 the last will and testament of Andrew Gibson late decd was proved in due form of law and Letters Testamentary were Granted to James Criswell one of the Exrs. therein named (the other Viz. Andrew Gibson Esqr being dec’d) he being duly sworn well and truly to Administer and being in an Inventory of the deceased estate into the registers appear on or before the 7th day of December next and settle the Acct. of his administration in a year or when thereunto legacies required given under the seal of sd …
J. Allison {SEAL}
Thomas Gibson, Father of Andrew
Thomas Gibson was born about 1690 in West Fallowfield, Chester Co., Pennsylvania and died about July 1783 in Chester Co., Pennsylvania. His wife’s name was Mary (surname unknown) who was born about 1680 in Ireland and died in Chester Co., Pennsylvania. Andrew and Mary had at least five children. According to Thomas’ will, there were two other children. After Thomas’ death Mary married James McCormick.
John Gibson, Father of Thomas
John was an early colonial Philadelphia resident and friend of the family of William Penn. He married Anne St. Clair (1677-1748) in 1699, the sister of early Pennsylvania settler William St. Clair, the grandfather of Continental Army General Arthur St. Clair. Arthur St. Clair was President of the United States in Congress Assembled when the United States Constitution was enacted. John espoused the cause of the Halsall Quakers and with community antagonism toward his religion, departed the hostile Bay Colony area as a young man, arriving in the Quaker friendly city of Philadelphia, sometime between 1690 and 1693, and probably indentured. An early teacher and administrator of Friends Select School in Philadelphia, he was called by Attorney General David Lloyd in 1696, to help frame the Charter of Privileges, (especially his religious freedom writings in section one), the first Constitution of Pennsylvania. It remained in effect until 1777 with some of his writing appearing in the U.S. Constitution, written in 1786, and still in use today.