Millennium Project
In 1881 he is a sugar boiler, and we find that he has married Jane Smith from Saintbury. They married in Saintbury Church on October 22nd, 1878. At the time Frederick was employed as an Animal Stuffer. (We might imagine he worked for the Pitt Rivers Museum?). The marriage was witnessed by Richard Miles and Mary Ann Smith. They live at 28 Blackfriars Rd, St.Ebbes, Oxford. They have a son Frederick,1, who was born in Abingdon in 1880. At the time they were living in Stert Street, and Frederick was employed as a Groom, then in Oxford a year later, Ethel is shown in the Census as 3 months old.
Jane Smith is the daughter of a Parish Clerk in the village of Saintbury, in Gloucestershire. In 1861 she is 9 years old. Her father is William Smith 40, a Parish Clerk, mother Mary Ann (Veal) 38, sister Hannah, 11, brother William, 7, who goes to school with Jane, James, 4, Mary A, who at the time of the Census was not even a month old. In 1871, Jane is a domestic servant to George D. Bourne, Rector of Heston and Deputy Lieutenant Justice of the Peace, owner of the Rectory, in the Parish of Heston Subedge.
In the Saturday, Dec 16, 1882 issue of the Oxford Journal it appears that Frederick Gibbs has found a way to free advertising by getting his name mentioned in the local paper. On , stories from the Oxford City Police Court, we find that Frederick witnessed an assault on someone by a group of drunks at 95 Friar Street.
In the Sat. Aug 1st 1885 edition, we find that Leopold Hunt, 14, and Joseph Nash, 16, were arrested for assaulting Frederick, on Thursday July 23rd. Frederick was on a boat, when stones were thrown, with one hitting him on the chest. (It was probably a rather special event as the Mayor was there to witness the assault.) Hunt was fined 1s.6d costs, or 7 days hard labour. Nash was fined 2s.6d costs, or 7 hard days labour. In Kellys directory for 1883 Frederick's Wholesale and Retail Confectionary business is based at 95 Friars Street Oxford. Then in 1887 Directory the business has moved to 120, Marlborough Rd.
Then on Sat, Oct 1st 1887, Oxford Journal,we read James Bryant was found to be begging in the market vaults, High Street at 2.35pm on Saturday 24th, and it seems that Frederick was having his dinner, when James Bryant approached him for money. It was alleged that Bryant struck Gibbs when the request was refused, and the police had to be called. Bryant was given 14 days hard labour.
In 1891, the family are establishing themselves as a sweet making business. They are at 120, Marlborough Road, Grandpont, Oxford, in the parish of St Aldates. The family are: Frederick, 35, confectioner manufacturer. Jane, 38, wife. Frederick, 11. Ethel, 10. Arthur, 8. Ernest, 7. Percy, 4. Herbert Allan, 17, lodger and confectioners apprentice.
Actually Herbert is a Nephew, born of Ann Gibbs (b.1844, Deddington) and Joseph Allen (b.1842 Deddington) Herbert is found as running a Bakers shop in in Deddington in the 1901 Census, and a Journeyman Baker living at 21 Westmead Terrace, Springfield Rd, Windsor as seen in the 1911 Census.
In 1901, they are still at 120 ,Marlborough Rd. Pollie Miles aged 16, neice, is added to the family members. She is the daughter of Edwin Richard Miles and Mary Ann Smith, (Sister to Jane Smith).There are very few Pollie Miles to be found in the Census records, and no more from Ashton Underhill, this is because Pollie is an old nickname associated to the name Mary, and its derivative Molly, (similarly Margaret and Meg became, Peggy or Peg.) Her real name is Mary Hemmings Miles, who married Frank Hewings in 1914, in Kings Norton, Birmingham.
There are several properties that are associated to Frederick Gibbs sweet manufacturing business, of which 120 Marlborough Road appears to be the main residence and business property where the manufacturing process was in progress.
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Sadly, Jane Gibbs died at the age of 76 on 16th April, 1927, Jane died of a Cerebral Thrombosis, leading to a Coma, present at the death was Arthur Albert Gibbs, the death certificate gives us his address as 22 Charles Street off the Iffley Road. Frederick remarries in the same year to Ellen Puddifer in 1927, in Oxford, he is 67 years old and she is 54, in previous census records of 1901 and 1911, we can see that she is a confectioners shop assistant. She has lived in 29 Temple Street, Oxford, although her parents come from West Wycombe. It is thought that she took control of the business after his death. Previously her family stayed in the Nags Head public house, Stokenchurch, Oxfordshire, where her father ran a chair manufacturing business, and she is listed as a mothers help.
On the 20th of February 1934, at the age of 85, Frederick William Gibbs died at the Acland Home, and his Will was put into effect on the 9th of July. It was granted to Ellen Puddifer and Solicitors William Howes Linnel to be executors of the Will. All his personal effects and business were granted to Ellen, also she received his house of 120 Marlborough Rd. The residue of his Estate was to be sold and invested in trust funds to create an income for Ellen for the rest of her life. To a Miss Louise Puddifer of 21 James Street, Oxford, was granted £500. To his children being Frederick William, Percy, Arthur, Ernest, Ethel Ellen Maycock (2nd marriage), were each given £500. Miss Minnie Elizabeth Field of 44 Abbey Rd, Oxford, was given £200. Albert Underwood Snr of Kennington Lane, Nr Oxford, was given £200. (in the 1911 Census he is a Sugar Boiler, born in Birmingham aged 66, his son Albert 21 is a private in Meerat, India.)
The Radcliffe Infirmary and County Hospital, to receive £1000.
The Morris-Wingfield Orthapaedic Hospital, to receive £1000.
The Oxford Eye Hospital, to receive £1000.
Any further residue of the Estate was to be shared equally among his children.
The will probably caused some dissatisfaction among his children as clearly Ellen was receiving an overwhelming proportion of the estate, the solicitors eventually persuaded Ellen to release the value of the invested money to be further shared among the remaining children before her own death, at some time before the 2nd World War. Whether this was prompted by the dissatisfied children, or not, can be a matter of speculation.
2.Frederick William b.1 November1855 d. 20 Feb 1934 WILL
+(1) Jane Smith m. 22 Oct 1878 d.16 April 1927
3.Frederick b. 17 December 1879
3.Ethel Ellen b.1881 d.1941 WILL
+ (1) Fred Harris b.1870 d.1925 (her cousin - son of Elizabeth Gibbs and Edward Harris)
+ (2) Alfred Maycock
3.Arthur (Albert?) b.1882 d.1970
3.Ernest b.1884
3.Percy Walter(b.1886) d.1965
4.Audrey (b.1928)
+ Robert CJ Baker
5.Christine b.1949
+ Stephen Saffin m.1987
+(2) Ellen Puddifer m.1927
Follow this link for Children of Frederick William