Shep's Place Family Tree

James married Helen Coyne ‎(b. 1848)‎ on 2 Dec 1874) at Eassie, Forfarshire, registered at Edinburgh. Her grandparents escaped from the 1798 uprising in Ireland by hiding in a corn field all one night and with their infant Joseph made their escape and in due course reached Glamis. Helen was a daughter of Joseph. More children were born at Glamis and Helen's brother Denis was a piper at Glamis Castle and a maker or fine violins. James did not take to farming, and following his marriage was at High Street, Arbroath in the grocery business. In 1883 they moved to Edinburgh and with a brother, James had an Italian warehouse ‎(which imported superior goods for the grocery trade)‎. They had sugar interest at Demerara and Jamaica which James visited on behalf of the business.

He and Helen had seven children, all born in Scotland.

Late in 1890 the business partnership was dissolved and James with his wife Helen and five surviving children emigrated to South Australia, Helen Black, fiance of his youngest brother William had come to S.A. with Lord Kintore's party. He was Governor of S.A. 1889-1895 and is thought to have influenced James in his choice of cities. William had died young, before 1889. The Gibsons were at Liverpool pre-embarkation and 5 year old Christopher commenced his schooling there. The voyage took six weeks by the "Orizaba" ‎(Capt. F. Dixon)‎ and they arrived at Port Adelaide on 10 Feb 1891.

In South Australia they lived first at Gunson Street off Wakefield Street, Adelaide and James bought and sold houses. In 1900 James was critically ill with typhoid fever, his only serious health problem in a very long life. Helen, his wife had all the artistic and temperament characteristics of her Irish ancestry. She had spent her youth at Glamis where her father Joseph was head piper to the Earl of Strathmore. It is clear that Christopher's gift of music came from his mother who died aged 57 at "Sidlaw", Mary Street, Unley, on 28 Apr 1905 and was interred a the Mitcham Cemetery.

James had been with G. Wood, Son, and Co., Adelaide using his extensive knowledge of the grocery trade to good effect for many years when in his 60's he was dismissed without explanation, and without any reward for his long service. Never one to be defeated he applied for and was accepted at the Alma Plains District Council about 1914, and his unmarried daughters accompanied him to see to his domestic comfort. Maggie worked part time at a local maternity hospital where Agnes Taylor nee Balk, a widow ‎(born 21 Jan 1866 with a twin Christine)‎ was matron. James in his 70th year married her in 1915. On 29 Sep 1919 the Council presented him with a certificate commemorating the war service of his son Christopher.

James and Agnes had a last house at Torrens Park, above Mitcham, near Scot's College, a substantial dwelling with a good deal of land about it where Agnes kept a great many hens and collected things in large quantities, and presented visitors with such items as bird cages, picture frames and other non useful items. James concentrated on his books to his 90th year and his death notice said that he died at his residence 9 Carruth Road, Torrens Park on 30 Sep 1935 and was buried beside Helen at Mitcham. Agnes died the following year and left the Gibson treasures and James money to her nieces and nephews.