John P. Gibson - was his father also John?

Where was John P. Gibson living before he married Margarett J. Williams on January 3, 1843 in Monroe County, Mississippi? This has been a burning question that has plagued my family research efforts for way too long.

Yesterday, however, I may have made some progress in the search. According to another researcher's information, Joseph L. Gibson, John's relative in Monroe County, Mississippi, may have owned some land in Lincoln County, Tennessee. According to this information, Joseph L. Gibson deeded a parcel of that property to a son-in-law before he died. So I decided to search U. S. Census Records for Lincoln County, Tennessee.

Why had I not found this before? Lincoln County, Tennessee and Monroe County, Mississippi are not that far apart. I knew I might be on to something here, so I forged full steam ahead and checked out U. S. Census records for Tennessee, for 1830 and for 1840. I was pleasantly surprised.

According to the U. S. Census taken in 1830, John Gibson was enumerated in Lincoln County, Tennessee. He was between 70 and 80 years old. Another male, between 30 and 40 years old, was included in that household. Also present were three females under twenty years old, and another female, between the ages of 70 and 80. In 1840, the household only included the two oldest individuals. The second male in the household in 1830 was likely my John Gibson. Since John P. Gibson was over 44 years old when he married Margarett J. Williams, it was likely his second marriage. The three females living in the household in 1830 may have been three underage daughters from his first marriage. It is possible that he and his daughters lived with his parents until each daughter was married, and then he married a second wife. I also noted a Williams household several houses away on each sentence. Possibly, Margarett was related to this family. Another significant bit of information was the name "Zebie Gibson" that appeared two houses away from John Gibson's household on the 1840 census. Was this John's son, or was it John's brother.

I believe that Zebie may be just the name I need to link John P. Gibson to the rest of his family.

And the search for John P. Gibson's family continues.