Records of the Gibbons Family of Corbyns Hall
- Located At: Staffordshire Record Office
- Document Reference Number: 3616, 5994, 6060, 7817
- Date: 1636-1978
- Level: Collection
- Format: Family and Estate papers
- Description: The Gibbons family had become established as yeomen farmers in Sedgley by the sixteenth century. They acquired land in the area and over the next hundred years they began to develop their interest in the coal and iron industries. By the end of the eighteenth century the three sons of John Gibbons of Shut End had become partners in the Iron Industry and they began buying land in the Kingswinford area either as co-partners or individually. The brothers were Thomas Gibbons of Wolverhampton, banker and ironmaster, Benjamin Gibbons of Shut End, ironmaster and William Gibbons of Bristol, merchant. William Gibbons played a leading role in the Iron Trade's opposition to the Government's proposed tax on native iron.
The brothers' partnership lasted until the bankruptcy of the bank and ironworks in 1816. Benjamin Gibbons, who had no children, conveyed his portion of the estate which he held separately, the greatest part of which was Corbyns Hall and its land which had been purchased in 1778/9, to his nephews, the sons of his brother Thomas. These brothers, the leading partners being John and Benjamin, resumed the business in the 1820s with forges and furnaces at Level and Corbyns Hall. John was responsible for the iron industry and Benjamin the coal mines. They were very much involved in the technical aspects of both the iron and coal industries and wrote pamphlets on the scientific advances they made in the operation of their furnaces and ventilation of their mines.
The bulk of the papers relate to the last mentioned John Gibbons (1777-1851) and include not only detailed business accounts and papers but also household records and a large quantity of personal and family correspondence. There are also a large number of letters and associated papers relating to his collection of pictures. He was a patron of several artists and had a gallery of contempory British art in his house in Hanover Terrace. After John's retirement in 1844 the iron and coal businesses were carried on and later wound up by his brother, Benjamin. When Benjamin died in 1873 his property was passed on to the grandchildren of his brother John ( John's son Benjamin, also known as John, had gone into the church and not the family business).
5994 - from a descendant of William Gibbons and the Bristol side of the family
6060 - from a descendant of Thomas Gibbons and the Kingswinford side of the family
For further related items see accession D695, records of Harward & Evers, solicitors of Stourbridge, of whom the Gibbons family were major clients. - Category:Estate management
- Related Material: See also Gibbons Collection at William Salt Library, reference 40/52.
- Accession Number: SRO 5994
- Accession Number: SRO 6060
- Accession Number: SRO 7817
Viewing at the Archive
This cannot be viewed, as it is a collection or series level catalogue record. Please select from the hiearchy browse a document at item level
Copying Service
Sorry, but this item is not avaliable for the copying service as it has not yet been digitised. You may be able to request a research and copying service quote to have it scanned and sent to you.