From: Richard
To: Jan
Subject: Woodville & Pahiatua Bibby families
Hi Jan,
You seem to have alot of history on the Bibby Descendants in and around Waipawa, I was wondering if you could shine some light on my descendants?
My Father was Raymond Robert Bibby born in Woodville 1916, his father was Richard James Bibby and had a farm in Pahiatua married to Clemence Hunt. This is where I run into trouble as I can not seem to find out if he emigrated to NZ or was born here….I believe his Father was a Richard and he married Mary Walker.
I know Dad had an Uncle in Waipawa but do not know his name…..hope you can help.
Thanks and Regards
Richard
Richard Bibby
From: Jan
To: Richard
Subject: Woodville & Pahiatua Bibby families
Hi Richard,
I’ve looked through the thick volume which is our family tree and can’t find and Raymond Robert or Richard James Bibby.
But then this volume only relates to descendants of my great great grandfather Edward Bibby, who was the first of our particular branch of Bibbys who was the first of us in New Zealand. He came from Lancashire in England and had two brothers.
One of which inherited the family mill and stayed in England and he carried on that particular English branch in the family tree, another brother immigrated to America.
Edward did have 9 sisters too and I know, through people contacting me through the website, that at least two of them came to New Zealand – one settling in Taranaki and one down Blenheim way. But of course they married and so they were never known by the name Bibby in New Zealand.
But is it intriguing that there is yet another Bibby family – and seemingly not one related my great great grandfather Edward Bibby. I would love to find out where you fit in because surely there must be a link.
Its interesting that you say your father had an uncle in Waipawa – because I thought all the Waipawa Bibbys were related. I’ll ask Mum when I see her later whether she remembers anything about Bibbys down Woodville/Pahiatua way?
I’m sorry I haven’t been much help – but if you find something out about your branch of Bibbys please let me know. In the meantime would you like me to post your enquiry on the website? Maybe someone out there will spot it and be able to fill in the blanks?
Take care
🙂 Jan
From: Richard
To: Jan
Subject: Woodville & Pahiatua Bibby families
Hi Jan,
Yes, please post my enquiry on the website. I’ll do a little more hunting down and make some more enquiries as well.
I believe our Bibby descendants came from Lancashire as well and were farmers, but it’s all a guessing game at present. Regarding the Uncle in Waipawa……it may have been a cousin or relative as I’m getting information from family friends as well.
Thanks again
Richard
From: Jan
To: Richard
Subject: Woodville & Pahiatua Bibby families
Hi again Richard,
I just talked to mum and she said that she remembers an elderly man who was a Bibby from down your way visiting her grandpa (James Bibby) here in Waipawa when she was a teenager. She said that these two elderly men looked so alike that they could have been brothers – but that although they talked about the Bibby family she couldn’t remember or not whether they had worked out exactly how they linked up. She said that this other Bibby family also came from Lancashire so there is a good possibility that they were some sort of cousins – which is a fairly good assumption since they had the same surname and came from the same rural part of England!
So maybe you and I are related way, way back.
It’ll be fun to find out.
Do you have any old photos of your grandfather’s family that we could add to your enquiry?
🙂 Jan
From: Jan
To: Richard
Subject: Woodville & Pahiatua Bibby families
Hi Again Richard –
Just had another thought – maybe your grandfather, Richard James Bibby, was my great grandfather’s , James Woodhouse Bibby’s cousin?
Was Richard’s father called James? Or his grandfather Edward?
Edward Bibby of Conder Mill (1779 – 1854) was my great grandfather’s grandfather.
He had 3 sons –
James(who inherited the mill and carried on the Bibby name in England),
Joseph (who immigrated to America and hence the usa Bibbys) and the youngest son Edward (who immigrated to NZ and started our line)
In our family tree Edward and James seems to be a fairly strong name- almost alternating each generation (which is VERY confusing) – until you get waaaaaaaaay back and then the dominant name was John.
If you find out anything please let me know. Its a great puzzle.
🙂 Jan
From: Richard
To: Jan
Subject: Woodville & Pahiatua Bibby families
Hi Jan,
Please find attached some photos of….
Ruth, Joyce, Ray with their parents Richard and Edith Bibby
My Grandfather (Richard James Bibby’s) parents.
Also a picture of the Bibby family from Arkholme England, unfortunately no other details on the back of the photo (wish I had of gone through the photo’s with my Father before he passed).
Thanks
Richard
From: Richard
To: Jan
Subject: Woodville & Pahiatua Bibby families
Hi Jan,
I found another piece of the puzzle, it’s a hand written family tree (attached) but I think the Richard in Pahiatua should be Woodville and then my Grandfather Richard James Bibby was in Pahiatua….but I’m guessing again.
I understand it was a John Bibby of Fieldhead Farm Littledale that was one of my descendants and his son Richard who was a farmer in Nether Kellet then his son Roger was a farmer also in Nether Kellet that’s when it there are missing pieces and the next entry is the Richard in Woodville who married a Mary Ellen Walker.
I hope someone can fill in the blanks
cheers
Richard
From: Jan
To: Richard
Subject: Woodville & Pahiatua Bibby families
Hmmm… Interesting. Well you have a John Bibby in you family tree and so do I – and I think they’re both from Lancashire area in England. May be that your John could be one of our Johns on our family tree but I can’t be sure? The records I have don’t mention that farm’s name that you mentioned – so I’m not sure whether or where the family trees link up?
Mum is still thinking that the Bibby from down your way who came to visit her grandpa was “some sort of cousin of his” which suggests to me it wasn’t a first cousin anyway.
But I did look at the photo of your grandfather, Richard James Bibby and compared it to my great grandfather, James Woodhouse Bibby and maybe you can see a family likeness??? Not totally confined though because lots of Edwardian men had moustaches – but they do both have similar straight noses?
I’ll send you a photo – What do you think? Is there a family likeness?
🙂 Jan
My Great grandfather, James Woodhouse Bibby
Your Grandfather, Richard James Bibby and Edith Hunt on their wedding day
From: Richard
To: Jan
Subject: Woodville & Pahiatua Bibby families
Hi again Jan,
You know the pictures from back then were not that clear but I would say there is some likeness.
I have included another family tree that my sister had and it appears we may be long lost cousins???
(Click here for larger version)
But your Mother may have a better idea as it seems there is a break at the Fieldhead Farm ( John Bibby ) and then an Edward who was a stock agent or whatever they were called back then. My family is in the RED highlight and the other branch(possibly your ancestors) are in the BLUE.
Richard
From: Jan
To: Richard
Subject: Woodville & Pahiatua Bibby families
Hi Richard,
Yay! that family tree looks good. I can clearly see where our branch of the family fits in (it is the blue branch you’ve marked) and maybe we are long lost cousins.
But I don’t suppose your sister has any dates to go with the family tree, has she?
I noticed on our branch there are actually a couple of generations of Edwards and James’ missed out – before it gets back to John.
And while you have the farm name where John lived, I only have birth and death dates. Plus his father’s name which was John too. Or maybe that is the same John as you have on your family tree and I have his son John – Gee it gets confusing sometimes when families recycle names generation after generation. But then I suppose I can’t talk because I used Edward again as a name for one of my children (only he doesn’t have Bibby as a surname)
I’m off to work shortly but when I get back I’ll try and draw up the bits I have on our family tree (obviously not all the tree as the New Zealand component takes up a whole book!) and send it back to you. And the little write up at the beginning of our family tree book about the earliest Bibbys we’re related to.
I’d really appreciate any more information that you come across.
🙂 Jan
From: Jan
To: Richard
Subject: Woodville & Pahiatua Bibby families
Hi again Richard,
Its funny looking at your family tree and seeing our family clearly marked in there on the right. It does appear that we may be distant cousins. I can see my grandad (Edward), great grandfather (James), my great great grandfather (Edward), and my great great great grandfather (Edward)
But now I’ve had time to have a closer look at the family tree you sent me, it seems there are a few generations missing (possibly over 100 years!)
You say you have other family members looking into it – so maybe your research might turn up things we don’t know so I’d love dates etc if you have them – or as they come to light?
Instead of trying to draw a family tree and explanation up of our family I have scanned the first couple of pages of the Blue Bibby book which if you print off and read the article has a fair amount of guess work to it too.
(click here for a larger version)
One thing we do know for certain is that my great great grandfather Edward Bibby (who was one of the early settlers here in Waipawa) was born at Conder Mill – which his older brother, James, inherited.
I have a photo of Edward visiting his brother James at the mill on a trip he and his wife Mary had back to England before the mill was damaged in a fire.
Coming forward in time goes to the third page of the Blue Bibby book which is Edward’s children, the first generation born here in Waipawa, New Zealand.
Edward’s eldest child, James Woodhouse Bibby (my great grandfather), was the second baby born here in the township of Waipawa. He lived his whole married life in the house where I now live and its quite neat to think that the house has been in our family all that time (120 years!) and probably the house your father or grandfather visited 60 or so years ago.
Anyway – that’s a little off topic.
Have a read of what I’ve sent you and tell me what you think. If you do come across more information it’ll be fantastic to put our information together to try and figure it out.
🙂 Jan