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Feedback: 2003

  • 24-Dec-03 Yvonne married to a descendant of Simon Gribble (blacksmith bap Illogan 1801, son of William & Susanna, 4th generation of tree) emailed a descendant tree replete with source notes and commentary. Simon & wife Eliza had four children at Chagford ca 1833/34 & Ashburton ca 1837/39 in Devon before moving to Barkwell/Iron Acton in Gloucester ca 1841. Ed: Wow! Is this a clue to the parentage of the father William whose relation to William & Joan of Illogan is speculative? Chagford in Devon is near places with Gribble links E.G. Lustleigh, Crediton, Bovey Tracey, and Hatherleigh. Further afield Barnstaple, Rockbeare & Ipplepen. Additional focused research seems worthy to verify Yvonne's findings and to rule in or out a Devon rather than Camborne/Sancreed heritage! How amazing and rewarding is the web when it works well.

  • 01-Dec-03 Rec'd mail last week from Carole, Gail, & John descendants of Lillian Louisa K, Charlotte Burnett K, and Solomon Kittelty; niece of Sophia thru her brother Henry, sister to Sophia's father William, brother to Sophia's father William respectively. John has a history tracing the Kittelty family name back to the marriage of Solomon & Ann Miller at Perth Scotland in 1813. Including the appearance of Solomon & his family of twelve in Van Dieman's Land on 14-Aug-1833 via the vessel 'Thomas' out of Leith near Edinburgh. Lots of Tassie convict links via marriage. Some Northcote overlap with Sophia's time of residency and the boot trade. Ed: Perhaps an explanation for the move from Portland to Northcote?

  • 20-Oct-03 Elizabeth (ggd of John Gribbel) shared some data on the Gribbel family from the privately published book "Gribbel and Elkins Families", 120p., 1962 by Tuttle (Rutland, Vermont). Ed: There are some interesting anomalies in the lineage descending from Richard Gribbel bapt. 11 Jul 1731. She also asserted 'the first Grebells moved from the continent to Southern England probably in the 15th or 16th century'. Ed: In the absence of supporting evidence I am concerned an uncorroborated myth rather than any established fact is declared.

  • 15-Sep-03 Ian wrote 'speculating' the origin of Illogan Gribbles. Including two unsubstantiated assumptions he asserts Illogan Gribbles are descendants via Camborne of William [1586] & Elizabeth Grybell of Sancreed. Ian recalled some analysis he had undertaken concerning Thomas Grybell (m Elizabeth Harry) and William Grybell (m Katheryn Butcher). Involves the will of William [1703], Thomas's administration by Elizabeth, and the Poor Register covering Penpons. Ed Interesting finding of Ian was that these Gribble brothers were [stone]masons as distinct from miners. Earlier this year I began examining the Camborne Parish Registers on CD at the Cornish Assn of Vic. A can of worms re Gribble. Lots of different spellings for this surname and incredibly brief entries which make the task of relating persons to families (especially those known from the Illogan registers) quite difficult.

  • 13-Sep-03 Michael (related to the Bovey Gribble clan through marriage) wrote 'Gribble is a very old Bovey Tracey (Devon) name appearing in parish registers from the mid 1500s. My understanding is that Gribble is an old Devon (therefore Saxon-Germanic) name for either a May Bush or a Thorn Bush (same things).' Ed No surprises here.

  • 23-Jun-03 John (originally from Redruth and a graduate? of the Camborne School of Mines, now retired in balmy Brazil and researching Wheal Agar) wrote of the Gribbles (Thomas, Jos'h, James, & William) who appear in an original Cost Book of Wheal Agar Mine (which later became East Pool & Agar in the Parish of Illogan) he was given over 50 years ago. The book covers the period October 1855 to November 1859 and details the monthly costs of the mine, as well as the advance of each working end, the name of the pare doing the work, and the wages earned and more. E.G. in the month of November 1855 Thomas Gribble with 3 other men were driving the 29 fathom level east on Dubree's lode. Gross pay for the month for the 4 was 17 pounds & 3 shillings ... Ed Just fascinating.

  • 13-Jun-03 Michael wrote 'Thank you for re-awakening my interest... for making me do a bit of re-thinking and brushing up' (on the origin of the Gribble name) ... I have much enjoyed the challenge.' 'We still have no documented evidence of the name being "old German"... The various family stories of 3 or 5 brothers migrating from Europe and bringing the name to Devon or Cornwall are variable, inconsistent, make no mention of timing and are not documented... in the face of the evidence I don't think Postles's omission is of any significance.' Ed Agree re lack of evidence and inconsistency. Believe more data is needed concerning Postles's omission of Gribble as an old Devon name.

  • 31-Mar & 3-Apr-03 David a member of the south Devon branch of the Gribble tree and descendant of Thoms (of Bovey Tracey) the first Gribbell family baptism appearing in official church registers anywhere in Devon) wrote:

    1. The absence of Gribble records (because none were 'really' famous) does not preclude the existence in Devon of Gribbles prior to the first appearance of the name in parish records. The decree in 1538 by Thomas Cromwell initiated the recording of the baptism of farm children. Most Gribbles until the 20th century had all been farmers, labourers and tradesmen

    2. There is unlikely to be any blood connection between Gribbles from the four branch areas centered on Barnstaple, Crediton, Bovey Tracey and Redruth because of the tendency of people NOT to move around

    3. The name Gribble appears to stem from no other part of the country (UK) than the areas of west Devon and Cornwall the dialects of which have a common linguistic root. The Gribbles are British, not English. The name Gribble predates the immigrant miners

    4. Pre 1575 baptism records from the IGI Bovey Tracey (Devon), Barnstaple (Devon), Charlton Kings (Gloucester), Spreyton (Devon), Ilfracombe (Devon), Lapford (Devon), Islington (Devon) representing some 12 families do not exhibit French style personal names for any father. None of the children have French style personal names. Huguenot name lists do not include anything like the word Gribble. The closest found was Grimblin. As Harry Grybell registered a baptism in Barnstaple in 1545, some years before serious persecution of Calvin's followers around 1560 it is probable Barnstaple Gribbles predate any immigration by Huguenots.

    5. At the very least, the Gribble name appears to have origins in Devon despite David Postles oversight. On what basis did Postles formulate his list?

    Ed: Great to receive such thoughtful feedback. Some I agree and some I don't. Point 5 is not answered by my brief Kensington notes. The list Gribble-L is probably a better place for it as it is a vehicle allowing a wider and ongoing public debate which this website is not set up to support.

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