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Person

Rose Ann Gibson

Draft — sources verified, prose evolving

TypePerson
Borncirca 1857
WithinBeaver Island archipelago
ErasIrish era
On this page
Person
Born
circa 1857
Spouse
William Gibson
Parents
William Boyle · Hannah Boyle
Children
William Gibson · Robert Gibson · Elizabeth Gibson Redner · Sarah Gibson Gallagher
Siblings
Margaret Boyle Gallagher
Family
Gibson family of the 1885 loss
Eras
Irish era
Concepts
heritageirish-arranmorecommunitydemography
Within
Beaver Island archipelago

Summary

Rose Ann Gibson was the widow of William Gibson and the mother of four children named in the February 2026 account. The article identifies her as a daughter of William and Hannah Boyle and a sister of Margaret Boyle Gallagher. Helen Collar’s transcription of the 1877 marriage gives Rose Ann’s age as 20, supporting a circa-1857 birth year.

Evidence and limits

The source reports Helen Collar’s note saying Rose Ann was the one sent away by Bowery, but treats that as a clue rather than a settled explanation. Her residence and fate after William’s death are unknown; the missing 1890 census removes a major possible bridge.

Open questions

  • Where did Rose Ann live after 1885, and when and where did she die?
  • What civil, parish, cemetery, or land records identify her marriage and parents?
  • Was “sent away by Bowery” literal, and what did it mean in the family context?

See also

Sources

See the sources block above.

Kin

Hannah Boyle1839 – 1891William Boyle1826 – 1899Margaret BoyleGallagher1861 – 1940This articleRose Ann Gibsonb. c. 1857William Gibson1856 – 1885ElizabethGibson RednerRobert Gibson1883 – 1963Sarah GibsonGallagher1885 – 1967William Gibson1881 – 1964
Of the Gibson family of the 1885 loss. Only relations stated in the sources are drawn; absence means unrecorded, not childless or unmarried.

Sources

  1. Transcribes the November 22, 1877 marriage of William Gibson (29) and Rose Ann Boyle (20), supporting an approximate 1857 birth year for Rose Ann; it identifies her as Canadian-born and does not provide a death record.
  2. Connie Wojan, "The Stories Behind the Names of Islanders Lost on the Great Lakes," Northern Islander, February 2026.
    Described in this archive: Northern Islander, 1850–1856.
    Names Rose Ann as William Gibson's widow, identifies her parents as William and Hannah Boyle, and names her children and sister Margaret. The article preserves her later whereabouts as unresolved and does not provide birth or death dates. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.
    charlevoix · northern_islander_2026.02

Added 1 August 2026 · revised 2 August 2026. Recent changes

Cite this article

Beaver Island Archive, “Rose Ann Gibson”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/people/rose-ann-gibson/, accessed [date], citing Helen Collar, Beaver Island Church Records - G, Page 3, Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. (and 1 further source listed on the page).

Last revised 2026-08-02. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.

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