David Gibson

David Gibson

Find A Grave Memorial ID 12588844

David Gibson was a prominent Hampshire Countian. Born in Winchester, Virginia in 1795, he moved to Romney in 1814 after serving as a Sargent-Major in the War of 1812. Involved in a mercantile business, he became a director of the Valley Bank in 1823 and President of the Bank in 1837. Gibson served Hampshire County as a Justice of the Peace for over forty years (1820-1861), was Hampshire County Representative to the Virginia Assembly in 1839-40, and sat on the County Commission of 1861 that declared Hampshire County in favor of the Confederacy. In addition, David Gibson helped found the Romney Classical Institute and was a founder of the famous Romney Literary Society in 1819. His eldest son, Issac Gibson, died fighting for the Confederacy. David Gibson died in 1870.

James Armstrong Gibson, son of David, inherited "Sycamore Dale" on his fathers death. James Gibson was also prominent in Hampshire County affairs, serving as County Assessor for two decades (1876-1896), and as a County Commissioner and a postmaster. James Gibson sold the property in the 1870's to James Wirgman, described as a "sea-captain." James Wirgman founded a short-lived newspaper in 1897 called the Hampshire Times.

DAVID GIBSON was of Scotch-Irish descent. One of his ancestors was the Rev. Hugh Gibson of Scotland, a contemporary of Rev. John Knox, with whom he shared the persecutions of those troublesome times, and finally took refuge in the north of Ireland, whence the father of the deceased, Andrew Gibson, emigrated to this country about 1785, and lived several years at or near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he married, and thence removed to Winchester, Virginia, at which place his son David was born, July 22, 1795. His father died away from home when David was about a year old, leaving his mother with eight children and in very straightened circumstances. With a resolute spirit, she addressed herself to her arduous work; and, by her own exertions, succeeded not only in making comfortable provision for her children, but also in giving them a good English education.

About the age of thirteen David commenced his mercantile career in the store of James Little, then doing an extensive business in Winchester, with whom he continued about four years, when, on the breaking out of the War of 1812, Mr. Little closed his business, and David was thus deprived of employment. "I could not think (jf living on my old mother," he writes; and by dint of strenuous exertion he procured employment at White Post; afterwards with another firm at Winchester; and finally he was led to Romney, where his main life's work was to be done. He alludes in touching terms to his desolate feelings on reaching that place. "On February 20, 1814, I arrived at Romney. It was Saturday night. My heart was sad. I was a poor boy, compelled to do as I could, not as I would; but I determined to support myself by my labor." He entered the store of Frederick Steiuback; but some seven months after he was drafted for Norfolk, and with his company, commanded by Captain Cockerell, left Romney. August 9, 1814. Soon he was appointed orderly sergeant of the company, and was afterwards promoted to the rank of sergeant-major of the regiment.

He returned to Romney when peace was declared, but seeing no prospect of getting into business there, he spent several months in a store at Winchester, when John Jack, then cashier of the South Branch bank, offered him the charge of his store in Romney, with a share of the profits. This offer he accepted. The business prospered in his hands, and he continued with Jr. Jack until May, 1818, when two well known lawyers of Romney, Samuel Karcheval and Warner Throckmorton, proposed a partnership with themselves, in another store. Some of his best friends were strongly opposed to his leaving Mr. Jack; but the young merchant reasoned shrewdly on the subject. "If I remain with Mr. Jack, and build up a good business, the benefit of my labors will accrue to his son, who will eventually succeed his fitther. But these two lawyers know nothing about the mercantile business, and anticipating larger profits than they are likely to realize, they will become tired, and, by the time I shall have made enough to buy them out, they will be ready to retire." The event justified his sagacity. In much less time than he expected he became sole owner of the store, giving his bonds for the value of the goods. Having borrowed one thousand dollars he replenished his stock; "and by my constant attention to business," he continues, "was greatly encouraged, and built up a trade which continued to increase. This, May, 1819, was the date of my start in life."

In 1825 he was ordained a ruling elder of the Romney church, and continued to act as such up to the time of his death. In June, 1826, he was appointed by the county court a justice of the peace, and remained such until 1852, when, by a change in the State constitution, the office became elective by the people. He was re-elected, and served continuously until the commencement of the war, occupying, by the choice of his fellow-justices, the position of presiding judge. The services Mr. Gibson rendered to Hampshire County in this capacity were invaluable. He was gifted with that rare common sense which arrives at just conclusions, without a distinct consciousness, at all times, of the intervening mental process ; and a mind like his could not but absorb a large amount of legal knowledge in the trial of the numerous cases argued before him.

In 1823 he was elected a director of the Valley Bank, and in 1S37 became its president. In December, 1833, he was married to his second wife, the daughter of Isaac Van Meter, of Hardy County, who died in August, 1859. Of her six children, two died in infancy. Her elder son sleeps in the grave of a Confederate soldier at Richmond.

In 1836 Mr. Gibson retired from the mercantile business, in which he had greatly prospered, and bought the valuable South Branch farm, upon which he resided during the rest of his life. His native energy and sound judgment, and the systematic habits contracted in his former employment, were brought successfully to bear upon the management of this novel enterprise. Here he dispensed a generous hospitality and died November 10, 1870.

History of Hampshire County, West Virginia, from its earliest settlement to the present by Hu Maxwell

National Register of Historic Places, Sycramore Dale

Sycramore Dale, Wikipedia

David Gibson

Find A Grave Memorial ID # 12588844

David Gibson was a prominent Hampshire Countian. Born in Winchester, Virginia in 1795, he moved to Romney in 1814 after serving as a Sargent-Major in the War of 1812. Involved in a mercantile business, he became a director of the Valley Bank in 1823, and was its President of the Bank in 1837. Gibson served Hampshire County as a Justice of the Peace for over forty years (1820-1861), was Hampshire County Representative to the Virginia Assembly in 1839-40, and sat on the County Commission of 1861 that declared Hampshire County in favour of the Confederacy. In addition, David Gibson helped found the Romney Classical Institute and was a founder of the famous Romney Literary Society in 1819 and was its President in 1837.