Meribah Folger

Daughter of John and Frances (Robertson) Gibbs of Norfolk England.Meribah was born about 1595. Married John Folger in England in January 1616/17. Meribah died after 1665.

In the book "Southold Connections" 1991 by Judy Jacobson, it is stated that:

"Meribah died in 1664 and was buried beside her husband on Tower Hill, Great Harbor, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/141145774/meribah-folger

Father

John was born in about 1549. This is a published estimate. He died in Frenze which is quite close to Diss, Norfolk, England.

John's burial was recorded by the clerk in Scole as follows: "1608[/9]: John Gybbes of Frenze was buried the 27 of February"

John and Frances had at least 7 children: Henry, Roger, Margery, Thomas, Edmond, Merrable and Frances.

John's Will was written on January 25, 1608/9 and a transcription can be found in "The American Genealogist" Vol 88, starting on page 294. In his will, John names his four sons: Henrye, Roger, Thomas and Edmond, and his three daughters: Merrable Folser, Francys Buxton and Marye my youngest.

Disputed mother

JOHN GIBBS first married FRANCES ROBERTSON, born 1549, died before February, 1604.

After FRANCES ROBERTSON died, JOHN GIBBS married 2nd ALICE DENNY, on February 4 1604.

All children of JOHN GIBBS born 1604 or earlier, are the children of FRANCES ROBERTSON.

ALICE DENNY is the mother of all JOHN GIBBS'children born AFTER 1604.

See Familysearch.org
JOHN GIBBS 9VY4-SLF
MERIBAH GIBBS FOLGER 99BX-15X

John Gibbs, born in probably Norwich, Norfolk, England; died in probably Norwich, Norfolk, England. He married Alice Elmy in probably Norwich, Norfolk, England.

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/p/o/h/Pamela-J-Pohly/GEN...

Ben M. Angel notes: There are some chronological issues with this individual:

1. She is listed as having died on Martha's Vineyard in 1635. The first English colony on the island began after land for it was purchased from the local tribe in 1642.

2. Several online family trees suggest both Martha's Vineyard and Norwich as her death location (this despite the fact that she was supposedly a passenger, along with her husband John and son Peter, on the Abigail in 1635). None that I found provide sources suggesting either way, despite one suggestion that Benjamin Franklin, her great grandson, was perhaps her first "family researcher"

• ( http://okielegacy.org/journal/ezine/?ID=6049&iss=20&Vol=13 )

3. A user placed her burial location as Tower Hill at Great Harbor on Martha's Vineyard. I've found one online family tree that asserted this as well, but suggested that she died in Norwich, and was buried in the New World. Find A Grave:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/141145774/meribah-folger

4. Supposedly the Folger family was either in Dedham or Watertown before John Folger moved to Martha's Vineyard as one of the first English settlers there in 1642. The source for this was apparently Coffin's description of some early American families:

• ( http://troutwind.tripod.com/folger.html )

4. One source online suggested instead of a 1635 death date, that she died much later, but this would not fit with John Folger being married to a Mayhew when he arrived on island. (Supposedly, his association with the Mayhew family was what led to his being one of the island's first settlers.)

For now: I'm leaving the death location blank. The four options are:

• 1. Death in Norwich (possibly on board the ship Abigail).
• 2. Death in Dedham after 1638.
• 3. Death in Watertown.
• 4. Death on Martha's Vineyard after 1642 (highly unlikely).

For now, I'm leaving the burial location as Tower Hill. This needs to be confirmed by a source, though. This seems highly likely to have been presumed by a researcher who asserted this without any confirmation of a gravestone.

Meribiah Gibbs, born 1595 in Norwich, Norfolk, England; died 1635 in Norwich, Norfolk, England, or Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of John Gibbs and Alice Elmy.

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/p/o/h/Pamela-J-Pohly/GEN...

Children of John Folger and Meribiah Gibbs are:

• i. Eleazer Folger, born Bet. 1615 - 1635 in Norfolk, England.
• ii. Peter Folger, born Bet. 1617 - 1635 in England.
• iii. John Folger, born Bet. 1619 - 1635 in Norwich, Norfolkshire, England.
• iv. Sarah Folger, born Bet. 1620 - 1635 in Norwich, Norfolk, England; died Abt. 1685 in Piscataway, Middlesex, New Jersey; married Richard Smith Bet. 1640 - 1660 in Long Island, New York.
• v. Mary Folger, born Bet. 1622 - 1630 in Norwich, Norfolk, England; died Bet. 1667 - 1685 in Southold, Long Island, New York; married (1) Peter Paine Abt. 1641 in Southold, Long Island, New York; married (2) Jeremiah Vail May 24, 1660 in probably Southold, Long Island, New York.

ohn FOLGER - b. about 1593, Norwich, Norfolk, England; d. 1660, Martha's Vineyard, Dukes Co., MA. Son of John FOLGER (b. about 1569) and Elizabeth (b. about 1571). Peter immigrated with his parents from Norwich County, Norfolk, England in 1635 when he was about 18 years old. Just when they settled in Watertown, MA is not known, but John owned a homestead and 6 acres there in 1642. Married about 1615, Norwich, Norfolk, England.

http://kinnexions.com/smlawson/folger.htm

Meribah GIBBS - b. 1595, Frenze Hall, Diss, Norfolk, England; d. after 1664, Martha's Vineyard, Dukes Co., MA. Daughter of John GIBBS (b. about 1572; d. 1608) and Alice ELMY (b. about 1574). Meribah may not have been the first wife of John FOLGER, since a tradition says that he arrived in America as a widower.

Daughter of John and Alice (Elmy) Gibbs. Married John Folger in England in January 1616/17. Meribah died after 1664. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=141145774

GEDCOM Note

The she was daughter of John Folger of Freudes Hall, Norfolk, is proved by his 1609 will in which he mentioned his daughter, "Merraba Folger."<ref>G. Andrews Moriarty, "Miscellaneous Records of Various Families," in NEHGR, 86 (1932):86</ref> Per Southold Connections, she died in 1664 & was buried next to him onTower Hill in Martha's Vineyard.<ref>Southold Connections, by Judy Jacobson, publ. 2009</ref> 18 October 1664- The sale of her estate was on this date and handled by her son Peter. Her estate was purchased by Thomas Mayhew.

References

• http://www.bakerancestry.org/public/pedigree/1594.htm
• https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=141145774
• WikiTree contributors, "Meribah (Gibbs) Folger (abt.1595-abt.1664)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gibbs-372 : accessed 19 November 2024). Cites
  • G. Andrews Moriarty, "Miscellaneous Records of Various Families," in NEHGR, 86 (1932):257
  • "Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89Z8-T3R9?cc=2106411&w... : 22 May 2014), Dukes > Deeds 1641-1713 vol 1-2 > image 193 of 445; county courthouses and offices, Massachusetts.
  • Southold Connections, by Judy Jacobson, publ. 2009
  • "Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9Z8-T7Q9?cc=2106411&w... : 22 May 2014), Dukes > Deeds 1641-1713 vol 1-2 > image 353 of 445; county courthouses and offices, Massachusetts. 18 Oct 16___
  • https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=141145774 NOTE: No headstone
  • William C. Folger, The Folger Family, New England Historical and Genealogical Register, New England Historic-Genealogical Society, Albany, NY, Vol. 16 (1862), pp. 269-279.