My great great grandfather William Joseph James Gibson followed in his father's and grandfather's footsteps carving fancy wooden mirror frames for a living. While previous generations hailed from Northumberland, William junior was born and grew up in east London. He was the eldest of eight children, with 24 years' difference between him and the youngest … Continue reading William Joseph James Gibson (1856-1916): A chip off the old block
Stoke Newington
William and Phoebe Gibson: Tough times for a frame carver
Records show that my 2xgreat grandfather William Joseph James Gibson was at least the third generation in his family to carve fancy mirror frames for a living. The looking glass frames that he carved were luxury goods, but he and his wife Phoebe, nee Wakefield, raised their family of seven in cramped conditions in Victorian … Continue reading William and Phoebe Gibson: Tough times for a frame carver
George Ephgrave (1885-1935): Milk sterilizer engineer
My great great uncle George was one of several in his family to leave rural Hertfordshire for a life in London. There he worked, like his brothers Frederick and William, for a large dairy company. He became an electrical engineer involved in milk sterilization. He and his wife had two daughters. He died at the … Continue reading George Ephgrave (1885-1935): Milk sterilizer engineer
My Stocking Roots 