Pioneer Company DB | Pedigree | Family Search Record
When you look at the records (pedigree) for John Aaron Roby Gibbons I think it is clear that his name is John Aaron Gibbons, not John Aaron Roby Gibbons. Whoever entered his records including the maiden name of his wife Fanny Roby by accident or on purpose...
John Aaron traveled with his wife, Fanny, in 1854 across the plains in an unidentified company. He was 60 years old at the time.
It appears that their living children (4 of them lived - James, Thomas, William, Francis) all crossed the plains. However, it appears from the records that they did not all cross as a family. James crossed in 1868 in an unidentified company at the age of 43. Thomas also crossed in 1854 in an unidentified company (probably with his parents). He was 20 at the time. Francis crossed in the John R. Murdock Company in 1868, he was 36 years old. William Belcher Gibbons appears to have crossed 9 years after his parents in 1863, the Thomas E. Ricks Company. He was 34 at the time and from the records it looks like he and his wife used the Perpetual Emigrating Fund.
His name was actually John Aaron Roby Gibbons at time of death, as evidenced on his gravestone and family photos of the time, and documents that state JAR Gibbons.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that he was born John Aaron Gibbons but when he married Fanny Roby he adopted her surname too. Unusual for any period in history but certainly enlightened!
This is evidenced by their marriage certificate that clearly shows they signed it as John Gibbons and Fanny Roby.