A Family History of Jeremy Patrick Toomey
Generation Six and Beyond
(Great Great Great Grandparents of Jeremy Patrick Toomey)  

Stephen W Gibbs (parents unknown) was born in 1824 in Alabama and died by lynching in 1865 in Mississippi at age 41.

Stephen married Martha S (last name unknown) (parents unknown). Martha was born in 1830 in Alabama.

Stephen and Martha had four children: John Thomas, Richard Newton, Harriet S, and Stephen W.

John Thomas Gibbs was born in 1849 in Alabama and died in Dec 1935 in Escambia County, Alabama at age 86.

John married Sarah Rebecca Cannon, daughter of John F Cannon and Anna. Sarah was born in 1839 in Alabama and died on 11 Nov 1903 in Marengo County, Alabama at age 64. They had one son: Stephen John.

Richard Newton Gibbs was born in Oct 1853 in Attala County, Mississippi, died in 1922 in South Demopolis, Marengo, Alabama at age 69, and was buried in Old Springhill Methodist Church Cemetery, Marengo County, Alabama.

Richard married Louisa T Alawine, daughter of William R Alawine and Esther Ann (Hettie). Louisa was born in Feb 1850 in Leake County, Mississippi and died in 1896 in Kosciusko, Attala, Mississippi at age 46. They had seven children: Mattie Emma, Richard, Alma Eugenie, William R, Elizabeth (Belle), Ruth Minerva, and Thomas Wesley.

For more information on Richard Newton Gibbs and Louisa T Alawine and their children click on Richard Newton Gibbs link above.

Harriet S Gibbs was born in 1855 in Mississippi.

Stephen W Gibbs was born in 1858 in Mississippi.

James Gibbs was born in 1862 in Mississippi.

After Stephen's death, Martha married a widower, Robert Holly, who had a daughter: Minerva. Robert was born in 1831 in Georgia.

Martha and Robert had three children:

America A Holly was born in 1864 in Mississippi and died about 1925.

America married John Edgar Rivers, son of Edgar Monroe Rivers and Nancy Pearl Williams. Edgar was born Dec 1862. They had ten children: Clint, Mason, Nancy, Ellie, Ella Mae, Minnie, Mattie, Addie and Earlene.

Sarah L Holly was born in 1869 in Mississippi.

Ella Holly was born in 1872 in Mississippi.

Records for Stephen W Gibbs and Martha S (last name unknown) and their children

The Star-Herald, Kosciusko, Mississippi, May 17, 1979
HISTORICAL HAPPENINGS
Early Settlers Came In Wagons
By Joyce W. Sanders

John Beverly Sullivant was born in 1822 near Pulaski, Tennessee, and was married to Margaret Ann Shuler in 1844. Soon after their marriage they came to Attala County, near Zama, and settled on Lobutcha Creek. They made the trip in an ox wagon, bringing all their household goods with them. Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Shuler, parents of Mrs. Sullivant, joined the caravan, traveling in a wagon drawn by horses.

Several other families joined the migration, including Sam Riddle and William Ethridge. These families brought all their livestock, some driving wagons while others drove cattle. Mrs. Mary Ethridge drove a wagon all the way by herself. John Bailey and his wife, Susanna were in the troupe. Mrs. Bailey was a daughter of the Abraham Shulers and John was a great-great-uncle of Dr. Lamar Bailey. All these families settled within seven or eight miles of each other.

Mr. Sullivant told his children that when he first came here he could go out in the woods and see herds of deer and droves of turkeys. In these early days the creek bottoms were filled with a thick growth of reed (a tall jointed grass or cane). This reed was eaten by the deer and by cows that had been turned out on the range.
In 1850, for some reason unknown, this reed made seed and all the deer in this section died, supposedly from eating the reed seed. The reed also died after this seeding.

The first settlers turned their hogs, as well as cows, out to range so they could fatten by eating acorns and nuts which were plentiful at this time in this densely wooded area. Many of the hogs wandered away and were lost, soon providing a long nosed variety of wild hog. Hunting these wild hogs turned into a business, but "feuds" were often brought about by persons claiming to own the wild hogs.

During the first of the Civil War Tom Johnson accused Steve Gibbs of killing his hogs knowingly. As Johnson returned from the grist mill where he had had corn ground into meal, Gibbs shot him from ambush, killing him instantly. This happened three miles east of Zama. Johnson's friends and relatives retaliated by capturing Gibbs and taking him to the spot where Johnson was killed. There, instead of a mock trial, they just pronounced Gibbs guilty and asked if he had rather be shot or hung. Gibbs is supposed to have chosen being shot and Johnson's brother supposedly was ready to oblige; as a mob so often does, they paid no attention to his preference and decided to use the noose instead. Gibbs was placed on a mule, led under a tree, was tied around the neck with a noose and was tied to a limb of a tree. When the mule was led from under Gibbs, the noose slipped and his feet touched the ground and his neck was unbroken. Whereupon a cousin of Johnson's son named Blount shinnied up the tree, tightened the rope and completed the hanging.
 

Census Records

1850 census (actual image)
Stephen Gibbs age 27 born in Alabama farmer
Martha Gibbs age 20 born in Alabama
Thos M Gibbs age 1 born in Alabama
E C River, Bibb, Alabama; Roll: M432_2; Page: 77; Image: 155.

1860 census (actual image)
Stephen Gibbs age 36 born in Alabama farmer
Martha age 30 born in Alabama
John T age 11 born in Mississippi
Richard N age 7 born in Mississippi
Harriett S age 5 born in Mississippi
Stephen W age 2 born in Mississippi
Township 13 Range 9, Attala, Mississippi; Roll: M653_577; Page: 0; Image: 371.

1870 census (actual image)
Robert Holly age 39 born in Georgia farmer
Martha Holly age 39 born in Alabama
Newton Holly (Gibbs) age 17 born in Mississippi
Stephen Holly (Gibbs) age 13 born in Mississippi
Harriet Holly (Gibbs) age 15 born in Mississippi
James Holly age 9 born in Mississippi
Minerva Holly age 7 born in Mississippi
America Holly age 3 born in Mississippi
baby Holly 9/12 born in Mississippi
Beat 5, Attala, Mississippi; Roll: M593_722; Page: 166; Image: 333.

1880 census (actual image)
Robert F. Holly age 45 born in Georgia farming
Martha Holly age 50 born in Mississippi
America A. Holly age 13 born in Mississippi
Sarah L. Holly age 12 born in Mississippi
Ella Holly age 8 born in Mississippi
Martha J. Gibbs age 15 born in Mississippi
James Gibbs age 17 farming born in Mississippi
Gravilla, Conecuh, Alabama; Roll: T9_9; Family History Film: 1254009; Page: 31.4000; Enumeration District: 47; Image: 0065.