Will of Richard Gibb of New Brunswick, Middlesex Co. NJ, gentleman, dated 20 June 1778, codicil 3 May 1785, probate 11 June 1786 — primary-source PRE-Cooper marriage attestation for Barbary Margreta Gibb = [p.280 Barbara Margaretta Gibb Cooper](../../people/p.280%20Barbara%20Margaretta%20Gibb%20Cooper.md). CATALOG-DEFINING DISCOVERY 2026-05-28: Barbara Margaretta was the WIDOW of Richard Gibb when she married Daniel Cooper Sr 3 Nov 1788 (= [p.1 Marriages table](../../people/p.1%20Daniel%20Cooper%201695-1795.md) #5 'Mrs. Gibb of New Brunswick'); 'Gibb' was her LAST married surname, NOT her maiden name. Maiden surname remains UNKNOWN.

Transcription and notes

Filename: Source = maintainer-supplied Ancestry screenshot 2026-05-28 of "New Jersey, U.S., Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817 for Richard Gibb" + "Volume XXXV, Abstracts of Wills, 1781-1785" page (= NJ Archives First Series Vol 35 abstracts; Lib. 28 p. 319 per the published abstract footer).

Source identification

Data from the document [verbatim — per Ancestry screenshot]

1778, June 20. Gibb, Richard, of New Brunswick, Middlesex Co., gentleman; will of.

Daughter, Hannah Harriss, ½ of my real and personal estate.

Grandchildren, Andrew Gibb, James Neilson Gibb and Ann Gibb, the other ½. My only son, John, is in debt to me, and I have some goods and clothing of his deceased wife, and, if he makes no demand on my estate and approves of my disposing of them to his children, I release him from all debts. To the said grandchildren the said goods and clothing.

Son, John, £10 yearly. Doctor Robert Harris is in debt to me, and I release him from said debt.

Wife, Barbary Margreta Gibb, all monies.

Executors—Doctor Robert Harris and John Henry.

Witnesses—Mary Dennis, John Dinnes, Jr., John Dennis.

1785, May 3. Codicil. Son, John, my apparel, and another £20 yearly. Witnesses—same as above.

Proved July 11, 1786. Lib. 28, p. 319.

Note: published abstract says "Proved July 11, 1786" but Ancestry detail panel says "Probate Date 11 Jun 1786" — minor discrepancy (June vs July); full manuscript pull would clarify.

Catalog-defining findings

Finding 1 — Barbara Margaretta was WIDOW of Richard Gibb

"Wife, Barbary Margreta Gibb, all monies." = primary-source-attests Barbara Margreta (= p.280 Barbara Margaretta Gibb Cooper) was Richard Gibb's wife as of 1778 (will date) + still his wife at 1785 (codicil date). Richard died 1786 (probate date) = Barbara became widow 1786.

Catalog correction: catalog previously assumed "Gibbs" was Barbara's MAIDEN name (per I.130 Brode 1932 framing). Correct interpretation: "Gibb" was her LAST MARRIED name (= from Richard Gibb 1st marriage). Her actual maiden name remains UNKNOWN — could be "Gorley" (per I.26 Ancestry tree), or something else entirely. Possibly her PREVIOUS-PREVIOUS husband's surname OR true maiden name.

Finding 2 — Marriage timeline locked

= Barbara's marriage to Daniel Cooper Sr lasted only ~1 year (Nov 1788 → 1789).

Finding 3 — Richard Gibb's family identified — 1st marriage RESOLVED 2026-05-28

Richard's 1st marriage primary-source-attested via NJ Archives First Series Vol 22 (Nelson's Marriage Records 1665-1800) page 616:

"Gibbs. Richard. y. m., and Cdtrine Van Imburg. y. d., married at Hackensack 1737"

= Richard m. (1) Catrine Van Imburg at Hackensack 1737 (= Dutch Reformed Hackensack family). Catrine = mother of Richard's documented children (Hannah Harriss + John Gibb). Catrine d. pre-1778.

= Richard m. (2) Barbara Margreta ___ (= p.280) sometime before 20 Jun 1778 (= his will date naming her "Wife"). Marriage date + Barbara's maiden surname UNKNOWN — NOT in NJ Archives Vol 22.

Richard's children + grandchildren:

Daughter: Hannah Harriss (= via 1st marriage to Catrine Van Imburg; m. someone Harriss = possibly Doctor Robert Harris named as in-debt-to-Richard executor)

Son: John Gibb (= via 1st marriage to Catrine; "only son" per will; in debt; has children Andrew + James Neilson + Ann; deceased wife = he had been widowed)

Grandchildren (= John's children): Andrew Gibb + James Neilson Gibb + Ann Gibb (= "James Neilson" matronymic suggests John's deceased wife had maiden surname Neilson = common Hunterdon/Middlesex NJ Dutch-immigrant family)

= Barbara had no documented children with Richard Gibb (= ~8-year marriage 1770-1786 with no children-by-Barbara in his will). She was therefore Richard's 2nd wife in a probably-childless 2nd marriage; all children + grandchildren named in his will = via Catrine.

Finding 4 — NEW research paths for Barbara's TRUE maiden name

Since "Gibb" = her last married name (NOT maiden), Barbara's actual maiden surname is open. Research paths:

1. Richard Gibb's 1st marriage records — if Richard was married before Barbara, his 1st wife would be mother of Hannah Harriss + John Gibb. Barbara would be Richard's 2nd wife.
2. Was Barbara married BEFORE Richard Gibb? — possible she had an even earlier husband, in which case "Gorley" (per I.26) could be that earlier married surname OR her maiden surname.
3. NJ Marriage Records 1750-1778 for Barbara Margaretta ___ × Richard Gibb
4. New Brunswick NJ Dutch Reformed Church records — Richard's "New Brunswick" residence + Barbara's possible NJ origin
5. Cross-check with I.130 Brode 1932 p. 74 for any "Gibbs" maiden-name source-citation (= may have used Richard Gibb's surname assuming = maiden)
6. Cross-check I.26 Ancestry tree "Gorley" attribution — may be Barbara's actual maiden OR a previous-husband surname

2026-06-02 — Richard Gibb + BOTH wives located at New Brunswick First Reformed (F.182)

Full OCR of the First Reformed (Dutch) Church of New Brunswick register (F.182) places this family at New Brunswick across both marriages:

• p.7 (members, 10 Sept 1738): "Catharina van Limburg, huisvrouw van Richard Gibb" admitted met Attestatie (by transfer certificate) — Richard + 1st wife Catrine Van Imburg had moved from Hackensack (1737 marriage) to New Brunswick by 1738.
• p.15 (members, 7 June 1787): "Barbara Maragrita Teijsen, weduwe van Richard Gibb" admitted op attestatie — Richard's widow (consistent with his 1786 death per this will's probate), now with her own surname Teijsen (see p.280).

These two member entries fit a single Richard Gibb of New Brunswick — 1st wife Catrine (member 1738), 2nd wife Barbara (his widow 1787) — and so the Mansfield-1752 and Gloucester-1761 "Richard Gibbs" from the name.430 Richard Gibb FamilySearch hits (was F.175, retired) are confirmed as different men.

Cross-references

• F.182 — New Brunswick First Reformed register: Catrine (1738) + Barbara-as-widow (1787) member entries
• p.280 Barbaty-Margaret Gibbs Cooper b. 1738 d. 1789 — primary subject; widow of Richard Gibb
• p.1 Daniel Cooper Sr 1695-1795 — = subsequent husband
• I.130 Brode 1932 Cooper Ancestry — = catalog source naming her "Barbaty-Margaret Gibbs"
• I.26 Ancestry tree — = catalog tree-tier source naming her "Barbara Margaretta Gorley"
• pr.8 Anne Cooper Van Court sister hypothesis — = related catalog research thread on Daniel Sr's family

Follow-up

• NJSA Colonial Marriage Bonds 1666-1799 NULL 2026-05-28 — searched Surname "Gibb" + First name "Barbara"/"Margreta"/"Catrine"; 0 hits for our Richard Gibb's marriages (= even his attested 1737 Catrine Van Imburg Hackensack marriage NOT in NJSA Bonds). 18 Gibb-groom records all from Burlington/Gloucester Counties = different Gibb family. Diagnosis: NJSA Bonds covers license-bonded marriages only; our Richard's Dutch Reformed Church-ceremony marriages were registered in church books, not bonds. Database = wrong source for this question.
• NEXT-STEP DRC marriage record search — primary research paths:
• Hackensack + Schraalenburgh DRC marriages 1686-1813 (Holland Society of NY publication)
• New Brunswick DRC register 1750-1800
• FamilySearch — Dutch Reformed Church records New Jersey collection — = DRC marriages aggregator
• NJ Archives Vols 25-42 later Marriages volumes — may catch records Vol 22 missed
• Pull manuscript Liber 28 p. 319 (= original Richard Gibb will at NJ State Archives Surrogate's Wills) — would primary-source-tier upgrade the abstract + possibly add detail not in abstract
• Identify Barbara's actual maiden surname — = open research thread; primary acquisition paths above
• Catrine Van Imburg family-of-origin research — = Hackensack DRC records 1700-1737; Van Imburg was prolific Bergen Co. Dutch surname per NJ Archives Vol 22 (pages 626 + 638 + 673 + 676)
• Resolve probate date (11 Jun vs 11 Jul 1786) — published abstract vs Ancestry detail panel
• Identify Hannah Harriss + Doctor Robert Harris relationship — = if Hannah m. Robert Harris, then Robert is Richard's son-in-law (= explains both the in-debt-to-Richard relationship + executor role)
• Trace John Gibb + grandchildren Andrew + James Neilson + Ann Gibb — = NJ census 1790+ for the Gibb family descendants; "James Neilson" maternal-line = maiden Neilson, possibly cross-thread to NJ Neilson notable family (= Hunterdon Co.)