Bibby
The Bibby Family from Liverpool
See the Bibby Family Tree
See the Bibby Census Returns
See the Bibby Family photos
the Garston Parish Register Transcripts
See the Map of Early Bibby occurrences in South Lancashire
Additions:
Interesting Links: The Bibby Shipping Line, All About Bibby (Steve Bibby’s site)
Bibby Family of Flint (millers) and The Bibbys of Flint Family Tree
The Bibby Shipping Line Family Tree
Bibbys of Conder Mill Family Tree
Thanks to Sonia Breen, Steve Bibby, Paul Leyland, Nita Pearce and Steve Brereton amongst others for help and suggestions over the years.
Connections?
Are our Bibby’s connected to the Bibby Shipping Line family? At this point in time, I can find no connection, but it is possible that if I can get a little further back I may find a link. I’ve researched the family of the founder of the Shipping Line; John Bibby born in 1775 at Wrightington, between Standish and Coppull. I cannot get back with any certainty further than John’s father James Bibby born about 1738. Wrightington and Coppull are not far from Chorley which is where there is a possible link to the family of the Bibby Millers in Flint. This is an interesting family which also contain millers called Alexander! See the links above and the map which may help to illustrate the areas of research I have been covering.
Another branch which is of interest are the Bibbys of Conder Mill, near Quernmore, Lancashire, further north than any of the other families. This was a corn mill bought by Edward Bibby (born in 1779) in 1830 14 . Two grandsons of Edward Bibby founded J Bibby and Sons LTD Animal Feed, of Liverpool in 1879 11. This family can be traced back to a John Bibby baptised at St. Mary, Lancaster on 5th April, 1630, the son of John Bibby and Mary Winder 10. I have updated this tree with descendants of Joseph Bibby and Ruth Pye and James Bibby and wives Mary and Margaret Pye. This is thanks to information from Sophie Moreton, as a result of working on her family tree of another branch of Bibbys based in Bretherton and Ruffford.
I have not been able to join any of these main families together but am still working on it, together with a large group of Bibbys from the Wigan area which I will upload in due course.
I was stuck for long time on Alexander Bibby, a Millwright, who married Mary Molyneux on 26th May, 1822 at St. Peter’s Church, Liverpool. We know that he died early as Mary remarried in 1831 but that was about it. There were a few Alexander Bibbys documented who would have been born at the right time, but these were accounted for by other researchers. Then we got a breakthrough when Sonia found a burial for an Alexander Bibby in 1826 at Garston Chapel, aged 34. This tied in with a family of Bibbys all baptised at St. Michael’s Garston and their father was Alexander Bibby, a miller! From there, I hit another problem as this latter miller would have been born about the right time to be the son and heir of another Alexander Bibby, miller of Flint, who was also accounted for! Then I found another Alexander born around the right time in Neston the son of another miller; this time James Bibby who was miller of Great Neston but also lived in Childwall and Garston. However, there could still be a link between these Bibbys and those that include Alexander Bibby, miller of Flint and his wife Sarah Jackson, who were married in Great Neston in 1753!
I can be pretty sure that at the top of our tree we have James Bibye born abt 1717, a miller. He was ‘of Childwall’ when he married Elizabeth Akers, also of Childwall on 16th February, 1738 at the Chapel of Maghull 7 . [I can find no birth of a James anywhere in the vicinity for that time period apart from a James Bibby baptised on 12th October, 1718 at Ormskirk, the son of Robert Bibby of Martin Mere 10.]
James and Elizabeth were living at Allerton when their first two children were born up until around 1741 (they were baptised at All Saints, Childwall.) From at least 1745 to 1753 they were living at Great Neston. When his daughter Eleanor was buried in 1754 they were living in Garston 12. It is likely then that James began as Miller of Great Neston (possibly and earlier version of the Tower Mill) and then moved to a Mill in Garston. Garston had two water mills and at least two windmills that were located between Banks road and the river. James could have worked here 13. James and Elizabeth had the following children 5:
John Bibby bp 18.2.1738 Childwall (born at Allerton) m 2.1.1769 Childwall to Jane Ganet bur 1.12.1807 Garston (age 70)
Ann Bibby bp 7.5.1741 Childwall (born at Allerton) William Bibey bp 22.9.1745 Neston, d 1746 William Bibey bp 29.10.1749 Neston James Bibby bp 19.5.1752 Neston
Alexander Bibby (Miller) bp 30.9.1753 m 20.5.1782 Childwall to Sarah Halsall bur 8.5.1794 St. Michael, Garston Eleanor Bibby, b ? d 1754, Garston, bur 16.4.1754 Great Neston
By 1766 James and Elizabeth were living at Garston, their abode at time of death; Elizabeth was buried on 12th March, 1766 and James on 16th September, 1766 both at All Saints, Childwall 8.
There is also a Christopher Bibby living in Wallasey at this time; he had a son Alexander born in 1748, who died in 1839. Christopher could be related to either James or Alexander of Flint Mill.
John Bibby born 1738 was the eldest son of James and Elizabeth Ackers. He was a farmer/husbandman and married Jane Ganet on 2nd January, 1769 at Childwall 5. They had four children baptised at St. Marys , West Derby between 1770 and 1777 and then five children baptised at St. Michael, Garston between 1780 and 1791. (see family tree)
Their youngest son Alexander Bibby born in 1753 was a miller and married Sarah Halsall (daughter of John Halsall ?) on 20th May, 1782 at Childwall 5. They had the following children, all baptised at St. Michael’s Garston 1, (apart from an earlier base-born daughter Elizabeth who was born at Childwall):
Elizabeth Bibby b 9.7.1776 Childwall (entry states daughter of Alexander Bibby and Sarah Halsall)
James Bibby (Millright) b 2.11.1782, bp 24.11.1782 Garston m 4.9.1810 Liverpool to Mary Buttery
William Bibby b 20.7.1784, bp 29.8.1784 Garston bur 2.9.1787 Garston
Mary Bibby b 4.3.1787, bp 1.6.1787 Garston m 27.12.1802 Liverpool St Nicholas to Richard Wood Sarah Bibby, b 23.6.1789, bp 19.7.1789 Garston Alexander Bibby (Millwright) b 29.5.1792, bp 1.7.1792 Garston m 26.5.1822 Liverpool St. Peter to Mary Molyneux bur 12.11.1826 Garston Chapel (aged 34)
Alexander was buried at Garston St. Michael on 8th May, 1794 1. I had not been able to find any burial for Sarah. and wondered if she may have remarried. We then got a DNA match from Neil – a half sixth cousin coming from a daughter of Sarah Halsall named Frances Sharples. It seemed that she did remarry; to John Sharpes on 14th Jan 1798 at Childwall 10 Their daughter Frances/Francisca was born in Garston and baptised on 27th March, 1799 at St. Mary, Much Woolton 10. Sarah appears to have died at Little Woolton in 1847 living at Little Woolton. She was buried on 14th August, 1847 at Garston St Michael aged 84 10 .
Alexander Bibby, son of Alexander and Sarah, was born in 1792 and was a millwright. He married Mary Molyneux (daughter of William Molyneux, sailmaker and Mary Hargreaves) on 26th May, 1822 at St. Peter’s Church, Liverpool. They had the following children 2:
William Bibby (Shipwright) bp 23.3.1823 Liverpool St. Peter m 25.2.1847 Liverpool St. Matthew to Jane Greggs (born 1826) d 1880 Workhouse, bur 12.12.1880 Liverpool cemetery
Sarah Bibby bp 3.4.1825 Liverpool St. Peter bur 29.9.1825 Garston St. Michael 5
Ellen Bibby bp 22.10.1826 Liverpool St. Peter bur 20.1.1827 Garston St. Michael 5
Alexander appears to have died in 1826, buried at Garston Chapel on 12th November, 1826 aged just 34 1 , between the deaths of his two daughters. Mary later married another millwright; Owen Owens on 28th August, 1831 at Liverpool St. David. A daughter, Ann Jane Owens, was however baptized on 20th July, 1828 also at St. David’s (died by the 1841 census). According to the register, her father was Owen Owens, so we wonder why Mary and Owen waited until 1831 until they married? They had the following further children, gleaned from Liverpool parish registers 2 and the 1841 census 3:
William Owens bp 11.9.1831 Liverpool St. David (d before 1841?)
Mary Ellen Owens bp 15.3.1835 Liverpool St. Peter, (d by 1851?)
John Owens b 1838 Liverpool
Richard Owens bp 1.11.1840 Liverpool St. Peter
At the time of the 1841 census they lived at Roscoe Street, Liverpool. Apart from the above mentioned three children, William, Mary’s eldest son, Alexander, Shipwright was present. However, there was no sign of Ann Jane or William Owens, so we have to assume that they had died before the time of the 1841 census. In 1851, Owen, Mary, John and Richard were living at 5 Court, Rosco Lane and according to this census Mary was born abt 1806 in Liverpool and Owen in 1798 also Liverpool 3. Owen died in 1859 and was buried 13th March that year at Toxteth cemetery 6. Mary cannot be found in the 1861 census, so it is presumed she died sometime, between 1851 and 1861.
William Bibby born 1823 was a Shipwright/carpenter. In 1841 when he was living with his mother and step father Owen Owens in Liverpool, he was described then as being 15 but his age was probably rounded down (as was the norm for the 1841 census) and he was in fact, by then 18 years old . He may well have served an apprenticeship. He married Jane Greggs (daughter of John Greggs, sail maker and Sarah Hutchinson, both from Cumbria) on 25th February, 1847 at Liverpool St. Matthews 4.
William and Jane had six children, all baptised at Liverpool, St. Peters 2:
John Greggs Bibby b Feb 1848 Liverpool, bp 27.2.1848 Liverpool St Peter d 1849 (aged 1) Birkenhead
Alexander William Bibby (watchmaker) b 30.3.1850 Tranmere, bp 6.4.1851 Liverpool St Peter m 1875 Liverpool St. Andrew to Jane Timmons
Sarah Jane Bibby b 1853 Birkenhead, bp 4.4.1853 Liverpool St Peter, died by 1861
John Owen Bibby (Ship’s Steward) b 14.3.1855 Liverpool, bp 7.5.1855 Liverpool St Peter m 22.8.1878 Liverpool to Hannah Simpson d by 1899
Jane Ann Bibby b 3Q 1857 Liverpool, bp 24.8.1857 Liverpool St Peter d 1861, bur 10.3.1861 Toxteth cemetery 6
William Molyneux Bibby (Boatbuilder) b 25.12.1861 Liverpool, bp 17.8.1862 Liverpool St Peter m 20.4.1882 Toxteth Park to Mary A Rowlands d 1930 Mill Street, Liverpool, bur 27.5.1930 Toxteth Park Cemetery
In 1851, William, Jane and son Alexander were living with Jane’s parents at 11 Albert Place, Tranmere. There is no sign of William after that date 3. In both the 1861 and 1871 censuses, Jane is listed as “wife” of William so it is assumed that he was at sea at this time. Jane died in 1872 at Rathbone Street aged 47 4. In 1878 when his son John Owen married, William is stated as being a Carpenter and is not described as being deceased. I then found that he died in 1880 at the workhouse and was buried in 12th December, 1880 at Liverpool cemetery (unconsecrated ground).
Alexander Bibby, born in 1850 at Tranmere, was a clock-fitter in 1881, living at 38 Aberdeen Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. He was married to Jane Timmons and they were living with Kate E A Timmons (his step daughter) and his brother William M Bibby, a boatbuilder. In 1901, Alexander was still living in the same household as his brother William and his family3. he died aged 55 at Toxteth Park Workhouse and was buried on 9th November, 1909 at Toxteth cemetery 6.
John Owen Bibby was the second surviving son of William Bibby, Shipwright and Jane Greggs, born on 14th March 1855 at 40 Roscoe Street, Liverpool 4. John Owen was a Ship’s Steward. He married Hannah Simpson, daughter of George Simpson, Carpenter and Elizabeth Jennings on 22nd August, 1878 at St. Luke’s church, Liverpool 4. John and Hannah had four children:
William George Bibby (Ship’s Steward) b 11.11.1878 Toxteth Park, bp 20.1.1879 Liverpool St. Peter m 25.12.1901 St Matthews Bootle to Annie Elizabeth Dunn d 17.3.1955 Wavertree, Liverpool
Hannah Elizabeth Bibby b 1880 Liverpool, bp 227.3.1881 St. John’s Liverpool m 1901 Walton St Mary to Henry (Jack) Mayne
Caroline Emily Jane Bibby bp 16.8.1882 Liverpool d 1883 Eleanor Bibby b 1896? m ? to ? Woodward (they had a daughter called Edna May Woodward)
In 1881, the family were living at 21 Danton Road, Toxteth Park. John’s wife Hannah was described as a book folder and sewer 3. I have no knowledge of John Owen after this date. He was dead by the time his son William George married in 1901. There is one possibility and that is a death at sea of a John Bibby on the Harvest Maid certified in January 1892 4. The ship had been missing since 6th December 1891 and the man in question was about 35 which would be about right. I then found a marriage for Hannah Bibby, widow to William Henry Turnbull, also a shipwright on 24th December, 1899 at Liverpool St. Nicholas 4. They were both living at Union Street at the time. So it seems very likely that John did die at sea. It is likely that Hannah died in 1931, aged 73, buried at Anfield cemetery on 28th October, 1931 9.
William George Bibby was the eldest child of John Own Bibby, Ship’s Steward and Hannah Simpson, born on 11th November, 1878 at 2 Aberdeen Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool 4. William George married Annie Elizabeth Dunn, daughter of George Dunn, carter and Ann Lunt, on 25th December, 1901 at St. Matthew’s church, Bootle 4. At the time of their marriage they were both living at 432 Hawthorne Road. I have been unable to find them on the 1901 census. William could have been at sea at the time. William was a Ship’s Steward in the Merchant Navy. He and Annie Elizabeth had four children:
William Alfred Bibby (Merchant Seaman) b 6.7.1903 Liverpool m 1925 to Edith Neil Birkenhead, d 1955 Birkenhead
John Owen Bibby (Seaman) b 1905 West Derby m 1948 Greenwich to Yolana Mayerova
Doris Bibby b 15.11.1911 Kirkdale m 10.8.1935 to Ernest Pople, d 1994
Cecil Bibby (Bricklayer) b 4.1.1915 m 25.8.1950 Anfield to Elizabeth Ralphs, d 1991 Birkenhead
William George and Annie were living at 2 Sylvaria Road, Liverpool at the time of the 1939 Register together with lodger’s Harold Pritchard and Alfred and Emily Pace 3. William died aged 77 on 17th March, 1955 of heart failure at his home in Allerton, Wavertree, only two months after the death of his eldest son William Alfred 4. His wife Annie died sometime after 1939 possibly at a Liverpool hospital, but we cannot find the record at present.
William Alfred Bibby was born 6th July, 1903 at Liverpool 4. He was a Merchant seaman and married Edith Neil, daughter of Joseph Henry Neil and Pheobe Sanderson, in 1925 at Birkenhead. They had four children born between 1926 and 1943. The eldest Edith Lilian (known as Dizzy) married Henry Bryan Evans in 1953. See the Evans family. William and Edith were living at 20 Park Road at the time of the 1939 Register 3 . William Alfred died in January 1955. Edith continues to live in Birkenhead near her family until her death in 1985.
William Molyneux Bibby born on 25th December, 1861 was the youngest child of William Bibby and Jane Greggs. He was a boatbuilder and married Mary Alice Rowland (daughter of John Rowland) on 20th April, 1882 at Toxteth St. Philemon.
They had the following children 3:
William Rowland Bibby (App Watchmaker) b 1885 Liverpool m 24.2.1910 Toxteth St Silas to Eliza Jane Fulton d 10.10.1942, bur Allerton Cemetery15
Mary Elizabeth Jane Bibby b 1887 Liverpool m 6.8.1905 Toxteth to Harold Mason (this line are the ancestors of Sonia Breen – thanks Sonia!)
Edward Harold Bertram Bibby b 1889 Liverpool m 8.1.1912 St Matthews Toxteth to Charlotte Windenes
Thomas Bibby b 1891 Liverpool
Nellie Maud Bibby b 21.1.1895, bp 25.1.1895 Liverpool
Doris May Bibby b 1898 Liverpool Alexander William John Bibby b 1902 Toxteth Park m 18.4.1927 St John the Baptist, Toxteth to Elizabeth Jewell
William died in 1930 aged 66 at 345 Mill Street, Liverpool and was buried on 27th May, 1930 at Toxteth Park Cemetery and Mary Alice was also buried at Toxteth on 2nd December, 1943 10 .
William Rowland Bibby and Eliza Jane had four children [living]. He died on 10th October, 1942 and was buried at Allerton Cemetery. He shares a plot (NC/12?357) with his wife Eliza who died on 16th June 1966 15.
Neil had been matched with a descendent of Elizabeth Bibby (born 1776) and John Siddell – a 6th Cousin,
A descendent of Sarah Halsall‘s child Frances Sharples born 1799 from her second marriage to John Sharples – half 6th cousin,
A descendent of Doris Bibby b 1898, daughter of William Molyneux Bibby b 1861 – a 3rd cousin 1x removed.,
A descendent of Mary Molyneux‘ brother James Molyneux born 1786 – a 5th cousin 1x removed and
A strange match that we are still investigating from the descendent of another son of William Bibby b 1823 called John Bibby?? who emigrated to Boston – a half 2nd cousin 2x removed (suggesting his mother was not Jane Greggs as was stated on his marriage certificate)
1 Garston St. Michael’s baptisms, burials from ancestry.co.uk
2 Liverpool St. Peter’s parish registers
3 Census returns from ancestry.co.uk incl the 1939 Register
4 birth, Marriage or Death certificate
7 Halsall Bishop’s Transcripts at ancestry.co.uk
8 Childwall burials at ancestry.co.uk
9 Burials in Anfield Cemetery from ancestry.co.uk
10 Baptisms, marriages and deaths from ancestry.co.uk
11 A Miller’s Tale: a history of J Bibby and Sons Ltd Liverpool – J B Bibby & C L Bibby 1978
12 Burials from familysearch.org
14 Conder Mill, Mills Archive
Hi Maia, I hope this reply gets to you as it has been a while since you posted your query. My Nana was Hannah Bibby too and your father was my uncle. My father was David who passed in 2012. He changed his surname to Holman (another family name when I was born as we have a very interesting family background. As we are cousins, I would love for you to get in touch so we can compare notes! Blessed be Rochelle xx
Hi Rochelle, I am a little confused as I am Juliet the website owner. I do not know who Maia is! But if you nan was Hannah Bibby you are probably also related to my husband Neil. Is this Hannah Bibby born in 1880, the daughter of John and Hannah or are we talking about a different family? Juliet
Hi again Rochelle, Apologies, I have just seen Maia’s message from 2018! Juliet
Hi Dot, I’ve just seen this and I’m also descended from Peter Bibby and Margaret Gaskell, via their son Thomas b1793 in Windle who became a blacksmith.
Also I’ve not found any link to the Bibby shipping line….
Best wishes, Liz
Hello – I am descended from another branch of the Bibby family who were farmers. Jonathan Bibby born 1697 Rainford died 1749 married Jane Devis. They had a large family and their son, John, born 1723 Rainford, married Elizabeth Ainsworth. Their son Peter, born 1755, married Margaret Gaskell and their son, Jonathan born 1781, married Mary Casswell in London before returning to Lancashire. Their daughter, Elizabeth born 1820 at Windle, married George Barton and their daughter, Elizabeth Ann Barton born 1858 Walton, married John Harrison (these are my gt grandparents). Family gossip said we were related to the Shipping Line Bibby’s but my Mum, who spent many years trying to find any kind of connection, was unable to tie the two families together. They lived in Windle and Rainford mainly.
Hi Dot, Nice to hear from you. I have come across Peter and Margaret Gaskell – I was confused at first as there a few Peters in the Flint Bibby family! I may add that tree later. We have the same family gossip but I cannot find a link either. Maybe we just have to go back a lot further to find it!
Juliet
Hi all. I wonder if you can help please. I’m looking for my grandmother Hannah Jane Bibby. All I know is that she had my father Orrell Alexander Carter with Albert E Carter (not married) in 1926 in either Moon Street or the workhouse at 56 Church Road Birkenhead. My notes say she had 13 children, six of whom survived. My father long gone but I’m intrigued. Thanks in advance. Maia
Hi Maia,
I am so sorry that I have just seen this message on my website. It is supposed to email be notifications but it has not been and I have missed about 5 messages in the last 6 months!
I have checked my tree and although we have a lot of Alexanders in the Bibby tree, which is often a clue, I cannot find your Hannah. There is another Bibby family with an Alexander that I came across that were originally from Wales. There is a Hannah Jane Bibby born in Bangor in 1903/ Could this be her?
I will find the other family info and get back to you if I find anything. Sorry again for the delay!
Juliet
There is an Alexander Bibby (or variant) born in Neston, Cheshire 1753ish.
He was the son of James Bibby and Elizabeth Ackers. James was a miller. James and Elizabeth married in 1738ish in Childwall.
Elizabeth’s mother, Eleanor, married a Gilbert Fairclough. The will of Gilbert mentions James, miller, of Neston and the will of Eleanor (Ellen) mentions her daughter Elizabeth Bibby.
Can’t find any connection between the older Alexander of Neston and James.
Hello Beverley,
Sorry for the delayed response – it appears that my email notifications have stopped!
I have been in contact with people descended from the Alexander Bibby of Neston that you mention, as I once thought they were part of our branch but alas they are not. A coincidence, I suppose Alexander and James, millwwrights of Garston and the same names cropping up in Neston, millers. I have no idea if the families are connected.
best wishes
Juliet
Juliet,
I am descended from Alexander Bibby. On the 1st July, 1753 Alexander Bibye(note changed spelling), miller, married Sarah Jackson, spinster, both of the parish of Gt. Neston, by licence. They were both from Flint and for some reason got the ferry over to Gt. Neston to get married.
There are 5 Christenings(all in Flint):
15th February, 1756 Peter Bibby, son of Alexander and Sarah Bibby, Flint Mill
28th October, 1757 Peter Bibby, son of Alexander and Sarah Bibby, Flint Mill
28th April, 1759 Richard Bibby, son of Alexander and Sarah Bibby, Flint Mill
25th June, 1764 George Bibby, son of Alexander and Sarah Bibby, Flint Mill
24th April, 1768 Christopher Bibby, son of Alexander and Sarah Bibby
I assume that the first Alexander died. My ancestor was Richard Bibby.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Steve
Hi Steve,
Yes, I think we have been in touch before. back in 2004 I think! I have done a lot of research since then and have got to Alexander and Sarah Halsall, but no further. I believe your flint Bibbys are not connected. Your Alexander b & Sarah Jackson had a son Alexander and at first I thought he may be the one, but apparently that Alexander had no children and was the sole executor of his father’s will and miller of Flint. I have to keep searching!
best wishes
Juliet