Martha Gibbs (1737-1818)

Martha Gibbs was born in Cornwall in 1737. She was baptised on the 12th April 1737 at East Newlyn in Cornwall. Here parents were John and Elizabeth Gibbs (nee Nickals). Her siblings were Elizabeth, Michael, John and Mary.

Marriage
Martha married Richard Bettes on the 2nd December 1762 by Banns in the parish church at Lewannick, Cornwall. Richard's origins are currently unknown. Witnesses to the marriage were John Bennett and Thomas Jeffrey, and both bride and groom signed the register.

The couple initially settled in Lewannick and had 4 children baptised there. Another child, their fourth, was baptised in Altarnun, and the remaining three children were all baptised in Trewen. It is interesting to note that when one of their daughters had children, she two would have one of them baptised at Altarnun, while the remainder were baptised in Trewen.

Death of Son
Martha and Richard would lose their youngest son James when he was only 3 years old. He was buried in Trewen on 14th December 1784.

Witness to Daughter's Marriage
When eldest daughter Elizabeth married on the 24th February 1789, a 'Richard Bettes' was one of the witnesses. It has not been determined at this stage whether this is her brother, or her father acting as the witness.

Death of Husband
Martha's husband Richard was buried in Trewen on the 26th May 1793. She would outlive him by 25 years.

Death of Children
Martha would see the death of two more of her children. Her son Michael was buried in Trewen on 13th December 1795, aged only 20 years. Then her eldest daughter Elizabeth, married with children at the time, would die aged 45 years and was buried in Trewen on 2nd March 1808.

Death
Martha herslf would live to 81 years of age. She was buried at Trewen on the 2nd March 1818, and her burial record lists her age as 81. Her residence at the time was recorded as Pool.

Children

 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Richard and Martha Bettes
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Richard and Martha Bettes