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John Stevenson and Elizabeth Gibb Family:
JOHN STEVENSON (of County Antrim, Ireland) was born in 1807. He was the oldest son of WILLIAM STEVENSON and MATTIE MONTGOMERY. On August 1, 1831, JOHN STEVENSON married ELIZABETH GIBB, the daughter of WILLIAM and JENNIE (WYLIE) GIBB. Elizabeth was born (in 1811).
John and Elizabeth Stevenson started housekeeping on a farm near Donegore, Ireland. During the nearly 20 years they lived there, the first 8 of their 10 children were born.
The birth years for the first 8 Stevenson children are: JANE (JENNIE) - 1832; MARTHA (MATTIE) -1834; ELIZABETH (BETTY) -1837; AGNES ‘NANCY’ - 1840; ANN JANE - 1843; MARY - 1844; WILLIAM - 1848; and ELEANOR G. (ELLEN) - 1849. ~ John and Elizabeth then moved their family to the city of Belfast hoping to find employment for their older children. Their new home was located behind Montgomery’s Mill. (Perhaps Montgomery’s Mill was originally a family business of John’s maternal grandparents.) Here, John and Elizabeth had a small dairy. Two more Stevenson children were added to the family: ISABELLA in 1852 and JOHN A. in 1854. When the two youngest Stevenson children were old enough, they helped deliver the dairy’s milk to nearby homes.
By the time John and Elizabeth were in their 60’s, four of their older daughters (Jennie, Betty, Nancy, and Mary) lived in Henderson County, IL. - with their husbands. Early in the year of 1871, John and Elizabeth decided to leave their homeland and sail for America.
On the morning of February 19, 1871, John and Elizabeth left their home in Belfast. With them were their 3 youngest children, who were still living at home: Ellen, Isabella, and John A., plus 2 grown children: son, William and daughter, Ann Jane (Stevenson) Adair, along with their spouses and children.
First, the family traveled by train to Derry. There, David Gilliland and his friend, JOHN McKEOWN joined them. Now their traveling party numbered 14. (David Gilliland’s brother, William Gilliland had married one of the Stevenson’s daughters, Agnes ‘Nancy’. William and Nancy were already living in America.)
According to family records, the Stevenson family group sailed on the steamship - the ‘European’ of the Anchor line. It set sail on the morning of February 20th. (It was likely the S. S. Europa of the Anchor line.) The voyage, which started out so brightly, came near to ending in disaster. A storm tore off the ship’s lookout bridge. The captain and his first and third mates were drowned. After nearly a month on the Atlantic Ocean, the steamship landed at Castle Garden (New York) on March 16. (The Statue of Liberty, which many immigrants later yearned to see, was not in New York Harbor until 1885, 14 years after the Stevenson family arrived. ~ Prior to the famed Ellis Island, Castle Garden was New York's landing center.)
The Stevenson family, along with David Gilliland and John McKeown, boarded a train, going by way of Detroit to Chicago, where they spent Saturday night and part of the Sabbath. They left on Sabbath evening for Biggsville, IL. Early on Monday morning of March 20, they arrived in Biggsville. They were first greeted by William Gilliland and William John Gibb, who were in a wagon with a four-horse team. The 14 travelers were driven to the home of James and Jenny Gibb, where twenty-three relatives welcomed them! Nine of the ten Stevenson siblings now lived in Henderson County, IL.
John and Elizabeth Stevenson’s first summer, after coming to this country, was spent on a farm west of Biggsville, (which was later owned by their son, William). The following fall, John and Elizabeth Stevenson bought a home in the southeast part of Biggsville. They lived to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. They remained in their Biggsville home for the rest of their lives. Elizabeth died on November 7, 1894 in her 84th year. After her mother’s death, daughter Mattie Smith came from Ireland to care for her father. Mattie’s husband (John) had died in Ireland. Now all 10 siblings lived in Henderson County. John Stevenson died on November 28, 1899, at the age of 93 years and 4 months. John and Elizabeth are buried in South Henderson Cemetery (in Henderson Co., IL.).
In 1926, the Stevenson family history was read at a family reunion. At that time, 95 years after their marriage, there were over 300 direct descendents of John Stevenson and his wife, Elizabeth Gibb. Most lived in Henderson County.
Each of the 10 Stevenson children married:
1.) Jane (Jennie) married JAMES GIBB 2.) Martha (Mattie) married JOHN SMITH 3.) Elizabeth (Betty) married JOHN BOYD 4.) Agnes ‘Nancy’ married WILLIAM GILLILAND 5.) Ann Jane married WILLIAM ADAIR 6.) Mary married PAUL D. GIBB 7.) William married AGNES RAINEY 8.) Eleanor (Ellen) married JAMES (JIMMIE) GIBB 9.) Isabella married JOHN McKEOWN (Yes, they first met on the ship.) 10.) John A. married MARGARET (MAGGIE) GIBB.
Along with their parents, 3 of the daughters (Mattie, Nancy, and Ann Jane) are buried in South Henderson cemetery, while one (Isabella) is in the Stronghurst (IL.) cemetery. The rest of John and Elizabeth’s children (Jennie, Betty, Mary, William, Ellen, and John A.) are buried in Biggsville (IL.) cemetery.
If you would like to share any further information on this STEVENSON family, please let me know.
Thanks,
Mary Mc
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