William Gibbs sent to the Tower of London for treason
Well that should have got your attention; such tales of scandal hidden in our family past!
Cousin Nicholas has a passion for ferreting around in old books and manuscripts to unearth intriguing historical tales, and sent me some notes he unearthed on Gibbs ancestors in ‘MEMORIALS OF THE WEST, Historical and Descriptive, collected on the borderland of SOMERSET, DORSET AND DEVON by W.H. HAMILTON RODGERS, F.S.A” published in 1888. Link to online copy.
Needless to say, this does not refer to William Gibbs of Tyntesfield, but to a much early William Gibbs who lived at Fenton in Devon (considered to be the earliest documented roots of our Gibbs Family).
Nicholas wrote “I came across details and contemporary reports of the discontent in Devon when Bloody Mary came to the throne in the 16th century …”
William was an accomplice in a planned uprising by adherents of the Reformed faith against the reimposition of Catholic rituals and potential marriage of Queen Mary to the cruel Philip of Spain. This was part of the unsuccessful Wyatt’s rebellion. The portrait of Thomas Wyatt by Hans Holbein was ‘discovered as a long lost masterpiece’ by Christopher Gibbs in 2006.
The Hon. Herbert Cokayne Gibbs, 1st Baron Hunsdon of Hunsdon, conducted considerable research into the early origins of our family, with the aim of proving the connections of the Gibbs family of Pytte in Cyst St George (from which our descendent is very well documented in Henry Hucks Gibbs ‘Pedigree of the Family of Gibbs’), to the Gibbs of Fenton. He published his findings in 1925 (available online here), with extensive extracts from the Subsidy and Stannary Rolls of Devon, and various other Rolls, uncovering every reference to the Gibbs name (many from court proceedings).
It appears that both the Fenton and Gibbs families lived in the same neighbourhood and were engaged in the the industry of tin mining. Images of Fenton (now known as Venton) Manor can be seen here.
Wills and other Records tended to only name the Oldest Son so his proof was not conclusive, however he surmised that John Gibbs (who was ‘assessed’ at Pytte in 1524) was the younger brother of the William that inherited Fenton, grandfather of the William of this story (the last Gibbs of Fenton as he had no male heirs, passing to his grandson William Wooton).
Elizabeth Neill summarises rather unflatteringly “from the 1470s to the 1530s, three generations of the Gibbes family lived there, becoming infamous for their criminal activities. William and his son Thomas attacked and robbed neighbouring farms, stealing livestock and evicting tenants … for the next hundred years … kept a private army and embarked on a reign of terror in the area…”
Following William Gibbs’ period of ‘residence’ in the Tower of London during the reign of Queen Mary, he went on to sit in the first parliament of Queen Elizabeth, as religion returned to the protestant faith. The story of his rebellious and political ventures is well recounted on the website of ‘The History of Parliament – British Political, Social and Local History’ where he has this entry:
GIBBES, William I (d.1570), of Venton and Rewe, Devon.
Constituency: LAUNCESTON (DUNHEVED) Dates: 1559
Family and Education
s. of Thomas Gibbes of Venton. m. Dorothy, da. of Richard Berkeley of Stoke, Som.
Biography
Gibbes’s family had lived in Devon since the fourteenth century, emerging from comparative obscurity with Gibbes’s father’s marriage into the Courtenay family, his own into a good Somerset family and his sister’s to John Fortescue of Wynston. He served in the field under Lord Russell in the suppression of the western rebellion, along with Sir Gawain and Sir Peter Carew to whom he was related through his mother. These three shared largely in the division of rebels’ lands made by Russell and confirmed by letters patent in the following year. Gibbes’s share was substantial, lying mainly in Ugborough, Brent, Tavistock and Widecombe in the Moor, formerly the property of John Bury, one of the leaders of the rebellion.
In January 1554, at the Carew’s seat of Mohun’s Ottery, Gibbes and the Carews hatched a plot to replace Mary by Elizabeth, under the leadership of the 4th Earl of Devon and Henry Grey, 3rd Duke of Suffolk, father of Lady Jane Grey. On 17 Jan. Gibbes, the two Carews and 40 others made an abortive attempt to take Exeter. Sir Peter Carew fled abroad and Gibbes and Sir Gawain Carew were put in the Tower, where they remained until September 1554, when they were tried for treason at the Exeter assizes. Returned to the Tower, they were released in the following January. Carew was pardoned in July 1555 and Gibbes in October. He paid a fine of 1,000 marks in November 1557.
With such a career under Mary it is not surprising that Gibbes should be found in Elizabeth’s first Parliament, no doubt obtaining his Cornish borough seat through the influence of Sir Gawain Carew, who was himself a friend of the 2nd Earl of Bedford. Towards the end of his life Gibbes became financially embarrassed, probably as the result of the fine paid in 1557, and had to sell some lands. The manors of Manworthy and Bateford went to two merchants of Exeter, and Gidecot was sold to the Arscotts of Tetcott. He died intestate on 8 Dec. 1570, administration being granted 9 Nov. 1580 on behalf of William Wotton or Wootton, the infant son of Gibbes’s elder daughter, to whom Venton passed.
Thank you for your research, it’s good to now my ancestors on the female side , so taking into consideration that records written by scribes in candle light in old English, Latin , French, Cornish or a mixture. To investigate I allow several directions, our connections witch I have proof , so I’ll start with my 20x grandfather, Thomas Pitt alderman of Bristol D: 1613 , son William married to Mary Gibbs William D: 1624 Mayor of Bristol, merchant, alleged pirate , more connections John Swayne Chancellor to QE 1 married Joan Pitt daughter of Nicolas Pitt farther of Thomas alderman Bristol, now the name Pitt, pytt, pyttes I have various historical documents relating to the family with the name spelt differently but all related to the same family, of course different scribes were a mixed bunch of various stiles, dialects, now like Several Gibbs . (Marlow) Gibbs is mentioned are referred to as ship owners, merchants, the Pitts also had ships and two of Thomas brothers fought in they fought in the Spanish Armada campaign , were also involved in coal mining iron Cannon making iron foundry, coincidentally in your article you mentioned Pyttes, Devon and Somerset, Nicolas Pyttes minister of Saint Mary’s Redcliffe Bristol 1434 to 1496 John Pitt shipping customers Bridge water Somerset 1340 , all members of the mother church Bath , just to mention Gibbs bay Barbados is named after William
A little more Mary Gibbs farther in law Thomas comes from the well known line of Pitt of Dorset , in some documents she is referred to as Mary Marlowe Gibbs ?
A little more Mary Pitt ne Gibbs D: 1636 I believe she did leave a will , her final years were spent in Stone house Gloucester but her will she had property in redcliff street Bristol, leaving it to her son Robert Pitt born 1605 he emigrated to Virginia in 1634 on a ship The Thunder, his daughter married a James Bridger from Dursley Gloucester, I also think some Gibbs also immigrated , some of the first settlers, Thomas Pitt obviously had connections to QE1 and started the London trade company after the Virginia company , I know there merchant business had connections,
Enjoyed reaading. Thanks for sending me information on the Gibbs family.