Little is known of Anna’s early life except that she was born in Maryland and at some
point she came to Ohio. She was 35 when she married William Davidson Gibbons so it’s
reasonable to imagine that she may have been married before though as far as we know she
brought no children to the marriage.

According to Licking County, Ohio records, Anna married William “Gibbins” on July 29,
1827. This was a 2nd marriage for William that came 2 years and 4 months after his 1st
wife died in childbirth with twins. (The twins survived and were placed in adoptive homes
before William met Anna.) Upon this marriage, Anna immediately became stepmother to his
four children: Rhoda, Araminta, Thomas Butler and Benjamin S.

Court records provide a peek into this 2nd marriage which had initial difficulties that
were apparently eventually resolved. Four months after they married William informed Anna
he had sold the farm where they were living and asked Anna to sign a Deed of Conveyance.
He told Anna he intended to purchase another farm and promised that if he didn’t do so,
Anna would have enough money ($700) to live on from the money he was to receive from the
sale. So within a day or two she accompanied him to Granville and signed the deed.

A couple of days after this, William told Anna he intended to visit his sister, Pamelia
in Knox County, Ohio for a few days. In his absence, he suggested that she stay with her
brother who lived near Newark and wait for his return. This she did but she soon found
out that immediately after leaving, William sold almost all of his personal property,
distributed his children amongst friends and departed for parts unknown. Anna could
hardly believe this till she read notices in the newspaper (apparently placed by William)
that she should be trusted and credit should be extended to her upon his account. (This
information comes by way of a complaint that Anna filed in Newark, Licking County Court
on 22 Sep 1829.) After several years, this complaint was dismissed without prejudice. It
is not known how or where Anna lived during that time.

In 1828, a few months after William left, Anna gave birth to their son John. At some
point it’s clear Anna and William eventually reunited. According to the 1830 census,
William was in Tippecanoe County, Indiana with his four children but without Anna. But on
3 Jul 1835 William and Anna deeded property in Tippecanoe County to Simeon Dyer. Their
2nd child, Jane, was also born in 1835. Then William purchased 160 acres in St. Joseph
County, Indiana in 1837. Their third child, William Jasper, was born in 1838. The 1840
census show 7 people in the household in St. Joseph County, Indiana. The 1850 census
shows William and Anna living in Union Township in St. Joseph County with Thomas, John,
Jane and William Jasper. William died in 1854. The 1860 census shows Anna still living in
Union Township with John and William Jasper.



Additional info submitted by FAG contributor 47223271