Elizabeth Gibson

Elizabeth Thornton

• Born 3 Jan 1674 in Petsworth Parish, Gloucester, Virginia
• Died 2 Dec 1732 at age 58 in King George County, Virginia
• Daughter of Francis Thornton and Alice Savage
• Wife of Edwin Conway — married 21 May 1695 (to 1698) Gloucester County, Virginia
• Wife of Jonathan Gibson Sr. — married 1699 Richmond County, Virginia

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Biography

GrGrandmother of James Madison 4th US President

Elizabeth was born 3 Jan 1674 in Petsworth Parish, Gloucester, Virginia. She is the daughter of Francis Thornton and Alice Savage. She passed away 2 Dec 1732 in King George Co., Virginia.

Elizabeth's first husband was Edwin Conway (c.1640-1698), by whom she had one son:

• 1. Francis Conway (15 Sep 1696 - bef. 12 Apr 1733) who married Rebecca Catlett.

After Edwin died, Elizabeth married Jonathan Gibson, son of Edmund Gibson and Jane Langhorn. According to Jonathan's will dated 1727, he was survived by his wife Elizabeth and four children:[1]

• 1. Jonathan Jr., b. abt. 1700. Married Margaret Catlett.
• 2. Sarah, b. abt. 1702. Never married.
• 3. Alice, b. abt. 1704. Married John Catlett ll.
• 4. Rachel, b. abt. 1706. Never married. This Rachel Gibson is often mistaken for her niece, the Rachel Gibson who married George Taylor, but that Rachel was the daughter of this Rachel's brother Jonathan Gibson Jr. and his wife Margaret Catlett.

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From Mark Hale (2016)

Elizabeth (Thornton) Conway Gibson was born in January 1674 (1675 by the Gregorian Calendar), according to her father's Bible record. She was the daughter of Francis 1st and Alice (Savage) Thornton. Elizabeth married first (1695) to Edwin Conway 2nd, who died in 1698. She married second to Jonathan Gibson 1st in 1699; he died in 1729 and Elizabeth died in 1733 (both left wills in King George County). Elizabeth's offspring were: Francis Conway 1st, Jonathan Gibson 2nd, Alice (Gibson) Catlett, Rachel (Gibson) Taylor, and Sarah Gibson who died young and unmarried.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81752376/elizabeth-gibson

Born probably in "Old" Rappahannock Co., Virginia, Elizabeth was the first of Francis and Alice (Savage) Thornton's children. [Biographies of her parents linked to this one contain erroneous information.]

In 1695, Elizabeth married widower Edwin Conway, who died three years later. Elizabeth then remarried to Jonathan Gibson in 1699.

Jonathan Gibson 1st died around 1729. President James Madison was great-grandson of Elizabeth (Thornton) Conway Gibson. (By Mark Hale - unfortunately this biography has been extensively edited by myself because of copying my biographies by others without my being given credit.)

A son of Edwin Conway (ca. 1642–1698) and his wife, Elizabeth Thornton, was Francis Conway (1697–1733). Rebecca Catlett (d. 1760), whom Francis married about 1718, was the granddaughter of Elizabeth Underwood and John Catlett, killed by Indians in a fort at Port Royal on the Rappahannock River in 1670, and a daughter of John’s son of the same name (1658–1724) and his wife, Elizabeth Gaines. Nelly Conway (1732–1829), one of the children of Francis and Rebecca Catlett Conway, married James Madison, Sr., on 15 September 1749.

Will

https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I2363...

1721-1752 King George County, Virginia Will Book A-1; [George Harrison Sanford King]; Page 92-93

WILL OF ELIZABETH GIBSON

• In the Name of God Amen. I Elizabeth Gibson of the County of King George being sick and weak but in perfect mind and memory thanks be to God for the same do make constitute and appoint this my last Will & Testament in manner and form following.
• imp: I give to my well beloved son Francis Conway the whole tract of land I live on to him and his heirs forever. I likewise give to my said son Francis Conway three cows & calves and three breeding sows to be paid him out of my stock the first year after my decease and three cows & calves more the year following.
• Item: I give to my well beloved daughter Sarah Gibson three cows & calves and three sows and six pigs which are now at my Quarter and a gold ring of fourteen shillings price and a bed, bolster and pillow which are made in the house for her.
• Item: I give to my well beloved daughter Rachel Gibson three cows & calves and my riding mare, bridle & saddle she allowing to my Executor three pounds Currt Money out of a debt I owe to her of six pounds. I likewise give to my said daughter Rachel a gold zing of fourteen shillings price and a feather bed, bolster and pillows which are made in the house for her.
• Item: I give to my well beloved daughter Alice Catlett all my wearing cloths and a piece of Bombays which I have by me not made up.
• And lastly I give to my well beloved son Jonathan Gibson who I likewise make constitute & appoint my whole and sole Executor of this my last Will & Testament eight Negroes by name Will Frank Jone Vemen Sarah Joseph Luce & Charles and all the rest of my Estate of what nature or kind soever after my just debts and legacies paid revoking all other Wills I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 14th of November 1732. Eliza Gibson *Seale*
• Sign'd in presence of us Anthony Thornton, Winifred Thornton, Her Mary [X] Thornley Mark
• At a Court held for King George County the 2d February 1732/3.

The last Will & Testament of Elizabeth Gibson was presented into Court by Jonathan Gibson her Executor who made oath thereto and the same was proved by the oaths of Anthony Thornton and Mary Thornley and admitted to record.

• Cop:a
• Test:
• T: Turner Cl:Cur:

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• 1721-1744 King George County, Virginia Inventories; [Antient Press]; Page 138-140
• An inventory and appraisement of the Estate of MRS. ELIZA. GIBSON
• deced 15th February 1732 (1733) .. items valued and totalled, 302.13.2
• .. includes two negro men; an old negro woman, a woman named Sarah and
• children; one sea chest .. made by. appraisers JOS. STROTHER~ SAML.
• SKINKER, T. TURNER ..
• At a court held 6th April 1733 .• inventory presented into court and
• admitted to record.
• ELIZABETH GIBSON of county of King George made her will on 14th November 1732. Presented into court by her son (Executor) JONATHAN
• GIBSON 2nd February 1732 (1733) and admitted to record.

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Married Well and Often: Marriages of the Northern Neck of Virginia, 1649-1800. part 2 pg 147.

References

• Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Dec 4 2020, 9:57:54 UTC
• “The Madison Family Tree,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-01-02-0063-0001. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, vol. 1, 16 March 1751 – 16 December 1779, ed. William T. Hutchinson and William M. E. Rachal. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1962, pp. 4–6.]
• https://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p5862.htm... “Eiizabeth Thornton was born on 3 January 1674 at Gloucester, VA.1 She married Edwin Conway, son of Edwin Conway, Gent. and Martha Eltonhead, on 21 May 1695 at Lancaster, VA; He had married (1) Sarah Fleete.1 Elizabeth Thornton died on 2 December 1732 at King George, VA, at age 58.1 Family Edwin Conway b. 11 May 1644, d. 16 Aug 1698 Child Sarah Conway+1 b. c 1696, d. 1785” (this seems unsupported)
• https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I2363... cites
  • 1. [S268] Virginia Genealogies - Hayden, 591. Virginia Genealogies: A Genealogy of the Glassell Family of Scotland and ... By Horace Edwin Hayden
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Thornton-676
• Name: monkeys -- Janet Ariciu family Bush Updated: 04-25-2019 18:04:40. Owner: Janet Ariciu. < Rootsweb >
• < famouskin.com > cites:
  • 1 Brogan, Hugh and Charles Mosley, American Presidential Families, New York: Macmillan Publishing Company (1993), 257.
  • 2 King, George Harrison Sanford, Marriages of Richmond County, Virginia 1668-1853, Fredericksburg, Virginia: G.H.S. King (1964), 43, 77, 248.
  • 3 Meade, Bishop, Old Churches, Ministers and Families of Virginia, Vol. II, Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co. (1857), 96.
  • 4 Roberts, Gary Boyd, The Royal Descents of 600 Immigrants to the American Colonies or the United States (2 vols.), Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. (2008), 314-315.
  • 5 Roberts, Gary Boyd, comp., Ancestors of American Presidents, 2009 Edition, Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society (2009), 513.
• http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/halifax.htm will abstract of Elizabeth's 1732/3 will (King George County, Virginia