Thomas Gibbins ²

   Cause of his death was Bronchitis & Heart disease.

  General Notes:

Thomas Gibbins remained with the army for many years and was the army bandmaster. He was also the first private bandmaster in Auckland City.

  Death Notes:

An inquest was held into his since it was sudden. Witnesses to the inquest were: his wife Mary Ann; Lydia Reeves, a neighbor; and Thomas Lewis, his doctor.
His death notice reads:
GIBBINS: On April 14, at 1892 (of Ford St). Suddenly, Thomas Gibbins, late of H.M.'s 58th Regiment, the beloved husband of Mary Ann Gibbins, aged 64 years.

  Burial Notes:

at Judges Bay.
Thomas Gibbins of 58^th Regiment died 14 April 1892 aged 64 years. Husband of Mary Ann Gibbins and buried 16 April 1892 in Symonds Street Cemetery.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Census, 1841, Chester, CHS, England, UK. ⁶

• Education: at Bluecoat School, 1841, Chester, CHS, England, UK. ⁷ Bluecoat School, in Upper Northgate St, was the first charity school built outside London by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge.
The 25 boys attending the school as boarders were clothed in blue and educated at the expense of the charity and 120 others, known as Green Caps, were taught there as day-scholars.
The Bluecoat School was restored in 1854 and finally closed in 1949.

At the time of the 1841 census, there were 26 pupils at the school, mostly aged 12 and 13 (1 aged 11). There was one school master (John Edward) with his wife and 4 children, plus two girls (maids?) aged 14 and 20.

• Military: Private, 58th Regiment, 1 Sep 1848, Chatham, KEN, England, UK. ⁸ The booklet "Discharged in New Zealand"- Foot Regiments discharged in NZ 1840-1870 NZ Genealogical Society lists Pte Thomas Gibbons from Chester as a baker.
Thomas is recorded as having enlisted in the regiment 31 Aug 1846 and was discharged (with an unspecified gratuity) on 31 Oct 1858. (The regimental records show an enlistment date in Chatham as 1/9/1848, two years later)
British Army, Worldwide Index 1851 Transcription
First name(s) Thomas
Last name Gibbons
Name as transcribed Thomas
Year 1851
Service number 2399
Rank Private
Regiment or unit 58th (The Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot
Period 01/01/1851-31/03/1851
Location New Zealand T
he National Archives reference WO 12/6753

• Emigration: On the ship Blenheim, Between 23 Sep 1848 and 22 Feb 1849, Chatham, KEN, England, UK. ⁹ He sailed from Deptford, London on the ship Blenheim leaving 23 Sept 1848 (not long after having joined the regiment in Chatham) arriving in Sydney on 22 Feb 1849. This was a convict ship with the regimental men acting as guards.
25 January 1848 - 13 February 1850
Blenheim voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1848 with 3 passengers
Convict Description Convicted At
James Dunne ** community contributed record **
Thomas Dunne ** community contributed record **
Philip O'reilly ** community contributed record ** Ireland, Leitrim

Surgeon's general remarks. The Blenheim transport sailed from Kingston Harbour, Ireland on 1 November having on board 300 male convicts and a guard consisting of 52 officers and men (and five women and four children, being the wives and children of the above). During the period of the journal 78 persons were entered on the sick report, of which one case (a soldier) was a complicated case 'derangement of the liver and jaundice'. The cases of fever were slight and easily subdued - in one presented with typhoid character, the disulphate of quinine in large doses was found most useful. Four cases of acute and chronic bronchical inflammation came under treatment - in one only difficult of management. It occurred in the person of one of the guard and in whom there was evident disposition to phthisis and requiring active treatment with repeated blisters. There was considerable more sickness among the guard than the convicts. Most of the former were young recruits raised in Ireland and probably most of them suffered from the late disastrous famine and fever, no less than four of them had evident symptoms of incipiens consumption. Among the prisoners the most marked disease was a subacute inflammation of the conjunctiva, which was also prevalent at most of the Dublin Prisons and at Spike Island; repeated blisters to the temples and behind the ears together with the use of the solution of nitrate of silver were the most serviceable remedies. In no case was there any evidence of its being contagious. Bowel complaints and indigestion both induced by sudden and extreme change of diet, in one case the diarrhoea took on a most uncontrollable form resisting every means - alteratives, astringents, sedatives, tonics and it terminated fatally. This patient had suffered on the preceding winter from famine and famine fever and was of a very intemperate character.

• Immigration: Thomas sailed on the "Maid of Erin" from Sydney, Between 24 Feb 1849 and 14 Mar 1849, Auckland, New Zealand. ¹⁰

• Military: Private, 58th Foot (Rutlandshire) Regiment, Between 14 Mar 1849 and 31 Oct 1858, New Zealand. ¹¹ This regiment, also known as the "Black Cuffs" served in NZ from March 1845 to November 1858.
The 58th regiment was in NZ for eleven years, with its headquarters in Auckland, and detachments took part in various engagements until the Regiment left for Portsmouth in November 1858 (except for those who were discharged and stayed in NZ - this included Thomas).
The 58th Regiment was stationed in Auckland on land that is now Albert Park. The regiment came to NZ to fight in the NZ Land wars. Thomas remained with the Militia for many years and was the army bandmaster.
The 58th Regiment was in the following principal engagements:
Okaihau, Ohaeawai, Ruapekapeka, Boulcott Farm, and Wanganui (July 1847).
All these battles were before Thomas arrived in NZ so he would probably not have seen active service.
Refer also to http://www.geocities.com/rutlandshire58th/index.html

• Military: Auckland Militia, Between 1858 and 1868, Auckland, New Zealand. ¹² Recorded on Robert Grant's death certificate (1862) as being a bugler (Thomas registered Robert's death)

• Residence: Grey St, Between 1861 and 1892, Onehunga, Auckland. ¹³

• Occupation: Labourer, Abt 1869, Auckland, New Zealand. at the Albert Barracks.

• Property: Panmure, Oct 1882, Onehunga, Auckland. ¹⁴ 1 acre, value £70, Settler, Panmure, Eden county

Thomas married Mary Ann Hotterway, daughter of George Hotterway and Jane Eltham, on 12 Jan 1852 in Auckland, New Zealand.¹ (Mary Ann Hotterway was christened on 18 Jan 1837 in Chatham, KEN, England, UK,¹⁵ died on 14 Oct 1898 in Auckland, New Zealand ¹⁶ and was buried in Auckland City, New Zealand.). The cause of her death was Morbus cordis.

  Marriage Notes:

The family of eight (plus 3 who died young) children lived with Thomas and his wife, Mary Ann, in the family quarters of the army barracks.

The Town Clerks file 162/59 of 09/07/1959 at Auckland city Council Archives has Thomas Stanley Gibbins (a Sergent in the 58^th Regiment), his wife, Mary Ann Gibbins and their children Thomas Stanley, Harry Gibbins, Robert Gibbins, Rhoda Gibbins age 7 and Emily Gibbins age 18 months buried in Symonds Street Cemetery.