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More on the Squibb Family Origins

In my previous post, I mentioned several tidbits about the origins of the Squibb family. My Squibb ancestry goes back through Robert Squibb, who in 1721 married Mary Coebourne as reported in the Chester Monthly Meeting of the Quakers. As pointed out by RJF in his comment, the Coebournes had both Irish and Berkshire, England links, and had come from families of some social status and wealth. It is likely that Robert Squibb also had a similar background. Beyond that, nothing is known for sure.

The Squibbs were centered in Dorset, England, southwest of Berkshire, but they had Berkshire connections as well. The Visitation of Berkshire, 1665-66, includes a Squibb pedigree for a Robert Squibb, b. ca. 1606 in Winterbourne Whitchurch, Dorset, living at Reading in Berkshire, and wife Frances Castle. His eldest son was also Robert, born ca. 1642. He married Anne Beckingham. Neither of these Roberts could be the immigrant, Robert who married in 1721.

If you look at family trees on Ancestry.com, you will find these same people. Robert and Anne are shown with a son Nathaniel, who is purported to be the father of the immigrant Robert. The problem with that is that there has been no evidence found showing that Robert and Anne had any children, let alone a son Nathaniel. In fact, Robert's 1694 will mentions his wife, Ann, brothers and sisters, and mother, but no children. Robert's wife Anne's will of 1726, makes no mention of any children, only nieces, nephews, brothers, and sisters. So that particular Nathaniel connection cannot be proven, and seems very unlikely. But the Berkshire connection still has merit.

Besides the Berkshire connection, there are the Quaker and Irish connections to consider as well. One member of the Squibb family having potential here is Arthur Squibb of Chertsey, Surrey. (Surrey sits between London and Berkshire). Although not Quaker, he was a nonconformist, and he had Irish connections. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, he was a member of parliament, a seventh day baptist preacher, a Fifth Monarchist, considered a radical, and had land in Ireland. He was a brother to Robert, Sr. of Berkshire, discussed above. His wife was Martha Ireland. His will was written in 1680, leaving land surrounding present Wilkinstown, Ireland to his children, Arthur, Elizabeth Strickland, Martha and Mary. He had received land in Ireland according to The Irish and Anglo Irish Landed Gentry when Cromwell Came to Ireland so was perhaps one of Cromwell's so-called Adventurerers, who invested in the war against Ireland in return for receiving land taken from the Irish and even the English-Irish already there.

Another Arthur Squibb, also of Surrey, was uncle to the above Arthur and Robert Sr. He had quite the credentials, including holding the offices of Clarencieux King of Arms in 1646 and a Teller in the Office of the Exchequer in 1623. He died in 1650 in Ash, Surrey. His will mentions sons Arthur, William, Stephen, daughters Mary Bordura, Elizabeth Lister, daughter-in-law Mary Squibb, widow, son-in-law, John Glynn, and a brother Stephen.*

Yet another Arthur Squibb was a Doctor of Theology from Oxford, graduating in 1662. He was vicar at Netherbury Dorset between 1673 and 1697. Apparently he wasn't there the whole time though. A court, reviewing a case with his parish in 1688, received word that he was alive and well serving in Ireland as a chaplain to a regiment there. Any Berkshire connection here is pretty weak though. He died in 1698 in Kings Bench Prison. More research on his probate will hopefully reveal more information. A Rev. Arthur Squibb is recorded in Dublin as being intestate in 1699, perhaps the same man.

Other Irish connections include:

Stephen Squibb, appointed as commissioner at Loughria, Ireland for setting out lands to Irish in 1650.

Thomas Squibb, of St. George's Lane, had a will recorded in Dublin, Ireland in 1631.

Elizabeth Squibb and James Bamford were issued a marriage license in Dublin in 1662.

William Squibb, gentleman, of Dublin, died intestate in 1714.

And RJF has found several Squibbs in Ireland, a dozen or so from the 1600s, but no mention of the immigrant Robert or a Nathaniel.






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