ELIZABETH P.
His Wife
July 25, 1825
Oct. 24, 1880
 
 

From the Gregg History of Hancock County, Illinois, 1880, page 973.

Gibson H. Dorothy is the son of Robert Dorothy, an old settler of McDonough county who died in 1878, aged 82; was of English descent and born in Fairfax county, Va.  The two sons, Gibson and Nathan, now reside in this tp., are well-to-do citizens, engaged in farming and stock-raising. Their mother, whose maiden name was Rhoda Stenate, was a native of Kentucky, and died at the old homestead, aged 66.  Gibson remained with his father until 20 years of age, when he was married to Miss Elizabeth Wright, daughter of Basil Wright, an early settler of this tp.

In 1856 Mr. D. purchased a farm of 80 acres on sec. 8, afterward 48 acres on sec. 17.   Mr. D. has a family of 3 children, whose names are: Charles B., John M. and Rachel; the latter is the wife of Samuel McPherson, a farmer of this tp.  Mr. Dorothy is now on the decline of life, but still is found plodding away on his farm preparing to make life less burdensome in the future.  His liberal Church and political views make his social life a pleasure both to himself and those with whom he comes in contact.  He has been extensively engaged in shipping stock for nearly 20 years.  John M., now the only son at home, is still carrying on the business.  Mrs. D. can tell of many severe and trying privations through which the early settler had to pass when she was quite young.

Hancock County marriage license #1114 was issued at Carthage on December 23, 1846, to Gibson Dorothy and Miss Elizabeth Wright.  They were married on the 24th by Abraham Lincoln, the well-known Justice of the Peace in the Fountain Green area, and first cousin of the future President Abraham Lincoln.  Marriage License

We have not found Gibson and Elizabeth in the 1850 Federal Census, but the obituary of their second child, Charles, reported he was born in Fountain Green Township in 1850.  We can guess that if they did not immediately after marriage begin living in that locale, they were probably not far away since their first child was buried at Fountain Green Cemetery.  The birth location of each of their subsequent children is assumed to be Fountain Green Township, based on census records.

Gibson and Elizabeth's children were:

i.	Infant Dorothy, died July 27, 1847, burial at Fountain Green Cemetery.
ii.	Charles Benton Dorothy, born July 1, 1850, in Fountain Green Township, Hancock County, Illinois.  He died June 2, 1922, in Pilot Grove Township, Hancock County, and was buried at LaHarpe City Cemetery, LaHarpe, Hancock County.
iii.	John M. Dorothy, born April 26, 1854, in Fountain Green Township.  He died April 7, 1916, at Carthage, Hancock County.  Interment at Moss Ridge Cemetery, Carthage.
iv.	Rachel Dorothy, born about 1859 in Fountain Green Township.  She died after June 2, 1922.
v.	George H. Dorothy, born December 23, 1863, in Fountain Green Township, died February 17, 1864, buried at Fountain Green Cemetery.  (Birth date calculated from tombstone inscription.)

A year and a half after Elizabeth died, Gibson remarried.  Hancock County marriage license #7288 was issued at Carthage on April 10, 1882, to Gibson H. Dorothy, 55, and Miss Harriet S. Parker, 49, both of Fountain Green.  They were married on the same day at Carthage by Judge J. B. Risse.

On the Board of Health document, Harriet stated that she had been born at "Courtwrite, Delaware", father's name - Joseph Parker, mother's maiden name - Elizabeth Browning.  In 1900 the census indicated she had been born in New York and that both of her parents were originally from Ireland. Marriage Documents

We believe Harriet was born in Kortright, Delaware County, New York, and that her parents left New York, spent time in Ohio, then came to Hancock County, Illinois, prior to June 1, 1850.  The 1880 census listing for Harriet is transcribed below, earlier years are displayed on the page for her mother.  See: Elizabeth Browning Parker.

Harriet survived Gibson by almost seven years.  On June 19, 1908, The LaHarper published a report of her death.  We do not yet know where she was buried.

Gibson H Dorothy, 33, male, farmer, value of real estate 4000, value of personal estate 1100, born IL
Elizabeth, 34, female, born TN
Charles, 10, male, born IL, attended school within the year
John, 6, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Rachel, 1, female, born IL

Dorothy, Gibson, 49, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 10000, value of personal estate 1800, born KY, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Elisabeth, 45, female, white, keeping house, born KY
John, 16, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Rachel, 10, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year

Dorothy, G H, white, male, 52, married, farmer, born IL, father born VA, mother born KY
Elizabeth, white, female, 53, wife, married, keeping house, born TN, father born KY, mother
born VA
John M, white, male, 26, son, single, at home, born IL, father born IL, mother born TN
Wright, Ida, white, female, 22, niece, single, at home, born IL, both parents born IL
Labourn, Christopher, white, male, 18, laborer, single, farm laborer, born IN, both parents
born OH

Dorothy, Gibson, head, white, male, April 1827, 73, married for 19 years, born IL, father born VA, mother born KY, farmer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, owned his farm home free of mortgage, farm schedule 8

Hatty, wife, white, female, May 1830, 70, married for 19 years, mother of 0 children, born NY, both parents born Ireland, could read, write and speak English

Burrow, Martin W, white, male, 36, married, farmer, born TN, father born TN, mother born SC
Cormila T, white, female, 32, wife, married, keeping house, born TN, both parents born TN
William J, white, male, 10, son, single, at home, attended school within the census year, born IL, both parents born TN
Ottis O, white, male, 5, son, single, at home, born IL, both parents born TN
Wright, Hubbard, white, male, 85, grandfather, widower, at home, could not read or write, born TN, both parents born TN
[continued on next page]
Parker, Harriet, white, female, 48, seamstress, single, seamstress, born OH, both parents
born NY