aurochs, went to the Royal College of Surgeons and were catalogued by Richard Owen
(Owen 1845 item Nos 585, 642, 1394-1398). Other specimens were domated by John
Gibson's widow in 1846 but they were not catalogued and no record of their localities
preserved (Davies 1874 p. 73). The Royal College of Surgeons received many bones and
teeth of hyaena; lion; rhinoceros; horse; deer and ox or aurochs from Kirkdale cave
(Owen 1845 pp.32; 210-211; 234; 264-265; 276-277 and 281-282). They also received
some sharks' teeth from the chalk of Sussex (Owen 1854 pp.127; 129; 131 & 139).
John Gibson was survived by his widow who died on 8th March 1868; a son John
Gibson, a daughter Eliza Ann Gibson; a daughter Hannah who died on 9th October 1879
after having borne ten children by her husband the Reverend Joseph Wix who died on
29th March 1898. His brother Thomas Gibson; sister Mary Thomas of Knaiborough; and
brother in law Michael Chapman Harrison also survived him (Estate Duty Office Register
at Public record Office 1R 26/1547 582). A son, Robert Harrison Gibson who was born
on 23rd February 1810, predeceased him on 5th November 1838. They are interred
together. In addition to property at Stratford and Bow he owned land in Westerdale,
Yorkshire.
John Gibson's earthly remains lie veiy close to those of Sir Antonio Brady, another
famous Ilford fossil collector and "elephant hunter" (Cole 1884 pp.94-101 + portrait),
who started his researches at about the time John Gibson passed away. Did they ever
meet?
References:
Anon.
1834
Annual Reprot of the Council of the Yorkshire Philosophical
Society for 1833.
Howards 1797-1947. Published by Howards & Sons Ltd.
Reliquiae Dihtvianae; or, Observations on the Organic Remains
contained in caves, fissures, and diluvial gravel, and on other
geological phenomena,attesting the action of an universal deluge.
Presidential Address 19th February 1841. Proceedings of the
Geological Society of London Vol. 3 part 2 No. 81.
A Visit to Ilford aturday July 24th 1880. Transactions of the
Epping Forest and County of Essex Naturalists' Field Club Vol. 1
Proceedings pp. XXVIII-XXXVIII.
In Memoriam: Sir Antonio Brady, J.P., F.G.S., &c.[1811-1881].
Transactions of the Essex Field Club. Vol.III pp.94-101 + portrait.
Catalogue of the Pleistocene Vertebrata, from the Neighbourhood
of Ilford, Essex in the Collection of Sir Antonio Brady, KT, J.P.,
F.G.S., Etc. of Maryland Point, Stratford, Essex.
Geology of Yorkshire. An illustration of the evolution of Northern
England.
Geological Rambles Round London. Five manuscript volumes in
Library of the Geological Society of London. Vol. III.
Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Fossil Organic
Remains of Mammalia and Aves contained in the Museum of the
Royal College of Surgeons.
Descriptive Catalogue of the Fossil Organic Remains of Reptilia
Pisces contained in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons.
The history of the Yorkshire Museum and its geological collections.
Pleistocene Vertebrates in the British Isles.
Anon. 1947
Buckland, W. 1823
Buckland, W. 1842
Cole, W. 1881
Cole, W. 1884
Davies, W. 1874
Kendall, P.F. 1924
& Wroot, HE.
Mitchell, J. 1840
Owen, R.
1845
Owen, R. 1854
and
Pyrah,B.J. 1988
Stuart, A.J. 1982
W.H. George
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 25, May 1998