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| River Bourgeois, Cape Breton by Cal Shook |
At the time of the Halifax Explosion the Landry family owned and occupied 38 Union Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They were not alone; the Gibson’s of Cape Breton were living there also. Do you know the Gibson’s of Cape Breton?
Joseph Gibson and his wife Alice, plus their two daughters, Mary and Vernetta, moved in shortly before December 6, 1917. They rented three rooms: a kitchen, sitting room, and bedroom. They were making payments on a piano and owned a violin and accordion.
At the time of the explosion, Joseph was around 28 and Alice 23. Daughter Mary may have been around 3 years old and Vernetta possibly less than a year. Not long after the explosion, Alice and the girls went to live with her parents, Andrew and Mary (Thibeau) Robertson, in River Bourgeois, Cape Breton. One of the girls “had been badly cut about the head,” said mother Alice in a statement to the Halifax Relief Committee, on January 1st, 1918. Joseph did carpentry work in Halifax for a little while then joined them.
Alice Gibson’s parents were Andrew and Mary (Thibeau) Robertson. Joseph Gibson’s parents were Thomas and Marie Anne (Thibeau) Gibson. Joseph died around 1968 and Alice around 1926, in St. Peters, Cape Breton
Any pictures or information about this family before, during, and after the explosion and how you acquired them would be welcomed.
Note: Special thanks go out to cousin Linda Landry Horne for the many hours spent at the Nova Scotia Archives doing research and to Kristin Josselyn Morin for genealogy assistance.
Andrew Robertson is my Grand uncle I know who you are looking for.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Gibson is my great great grandfather. My mom's grandfather. She said he dies in 1967 not 1968. Email me at Marc.Chisholm@dal.ca with contact info and I will pass it along to my mom.
ReplyDeleteSorry it was 1968.
DeleteI just spoke to my mom. Mary drowned in river tillard at age 14 in Richmond County. My moms aunt Vernetta (nettie) died with liver disease. She was married to Bert Fish and lived in New York. She had 2 girls. There was also Earl Gibson st Peters he died with lung cancer he had 5 children with Mary wedge and Harold Gibson my grandfather (Papa Gibby) died in 1994 of cancer. He had 11 children. My grand mother Eileen Maddox Harold wife died in 1968 of cancer.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Wonderful hearing from both of you! Look forward to learning more about your family members, offline!
ReplyDeleteomg ;; I was called vendetta after her that's my maiden name [GIBSON] JOE Gibson was my grandfather ;;and Mary was dads sister ;;and papa gibby use to get me to come to his house and step dance for him ;;and aunt Nettie loved me so much ;;they had a store in the states and she use to bring boxes of dresses and she always would say to me ;;;pick the ones you want than your sister Lillian can have some after ;;;lol ;; dad said moms side the Maddox and dad side wanted to call me other name but Papa gibby won and they called me after aunt Nettie ''would love to hear from you
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marg! Will be in touch soon.
Deletemy email is philandmargcyr@hotmail.com
ReplyDeletewell it is a small world my grand father was joseph Gibson and grand mother Alice Alice died when my dad her son was 2 and she was 33 years old. my dad was the youngest of them. my dad Harold Gibson died in 1994 and his wife Eilleen Maddox died in 1968. along with my grandfather joseph Gibson he died Feb 10 1968,,Mary ,joseph Gibson daughter , died at 13 years old in St.peters she drowned in River tillard . that would have been my aunt. My name is Carol Gibson would love to here from you and if you have any picture s of long ago
ReplyDeleteCarol, Thank You for sharing! What is the best way to reach you?
ReplyDelete