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Facts and Events
Identity not clear
John Skimerhorn/Gipson appears in the 1880 census (along with 2 other children who were likely his siblings) as John Skimerhorn, age 5, in the household of John Gipson[3], who was apparently his guardian[2]. John Skimerhorn/Gipson does not appear to be John Gipson's son, but his exact relationship is unclear. He is listed as John's brother-in-law, but he is too young to be Emeline's full brother. He later used the name Gipson, and undoubtedly looked on John Gipson as his father.
John Skimerhorn/Gipson's death certificate states that his parents were Jack Gibson and Beckie[1], and it has been speculated that he was the illegitimate son of John Gipson and Rebecca Skimmerhorn. However, that is not consistent with either his relationship in the 1880 census, nor the number of living children Rebecca claimed in the 1900 census (who can all be accounted for by other children listed in the 1900 census)[4]. Most likely, his death certificate identified the people who raised him because his survivors did not know who his biological parents were.
Speculation:
- If we take the relationship in the 1880 census literally, then John Skimerhorn/Gipson must have been Emeline's half-brother. If so, Emeline's father divorced her mother (who was still alive in 1880) and remarried, or had illegitimate children with a younger woman while his wife was still alive.
- Alternately, John Skimerhorn/Gibson could have been Rebecca's illegitimate son by an unknown father, and his relationship to John Gipson was listed as brother-in-law to obscure that fact. If this is the case, Rebecca disavowed him (and his 2 siblings if they were still alive) when she indicated that she had 6 living children in the 1900 census[4]. However, if she is the Beck Proctor of the 1910 census, claiming 11 children[5], then this is a reasonable hypothesis.
- Or John Skimerhorn/Gipson could have been Rebecca's legitimate son, since Rebecca is identified as a widow in the 1880 census[3]. In this case, the relationship of the 3 children to John Gipson in the 1880 census is an error, probably due to a misunderstanding by the census taker. This does not explain, though, why Rebecca did not include him in the count of her living children in the 1900 census, unless they were estranged by that point, or she believed that she was only intended to count the children from her current relationship.
- Lastly (and I would hope least likely), it is possible that he was the illegitimate son of John Gipson and Rebecca Skimehorn, born while John was also having children with Rebecca's sister Emeline (but before his marriage to Emeline). If so, the relationship in the 1880 census and Rebecca's claim to have 6 living children in 1900 are still problematic.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kentucky Death Records, 1852-1953.
Name: John Gibson
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 53
Birth Date: 27 May 1876
Birth Place: Tennessee
Death Date: 15 Jan 1930
Death Place: Hopkins, Kentucky, USA
Father: Jack Gibson
Mother: Beckie
- ↑ Family Notes - User:Dlbradley1.
John used the name of his father Gipson but as far as I can find Jack Gipson was never married to Rebecca...he is listed as their guardian and some of the children used his name.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Court House, Hopkins, Kentucky, in United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T9).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Madisonville, Hopkins, Kentucky, in United States. 1900 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T623).
- ↑ Hopkins, Kentucky, in United States. 1910 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T624).
Beck Proctor, age difficult to read but transcribed as 30 (which is not realistic, given the number of children she claimed to have had), 11 children, 10 of whom were living
in the same household are Della and Joe Gipson/Gepson, step-children of her husband
This could to be Rebecca Skimehorn.
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