The Bibbys, which later marry into the Mills family, had long roots in County Tipperary. First of all, the surname of Bibby, which is more common in Great Britain than Ireland, is also spelled Bibbey , Bibey, Bybee, Biby, Bebby, and Beeby, was located in Ireland mainly from 1847 to 1864. Reportedly it is a relationship name “from the Middle English personal name Bibby” and occurs in places such as Manchester, England. Other connections to Ireland are not known. In 1813, a man named Robert Bibby was born in Ireland. While his exact birth place is not known, it is likely that he was born in County Tipperary. Like Thomas and John, his parents are not known. In later years, Thomas Lyndop Bibby was born (in 1822) in Cashel, Ireland, County Tipperary. His parents were reportedly John Bibby and Mehitable Lyndop, who died in 1840. These could have been the same parents of Margaret Ann Bibby, born two years after Thomas, also in Cashel. It is possible that the Bibby family was large, as could have been the Mills family, and they may have crossed paths. After all, Bibbys were born as far back as 1765 (Thomas Bibby) in Ireland.
The previous post connects to what I wrote previously about the Bibbys, using Find a Grave as a starting point.
From breadwinners to those keeping house: some important characters in this story
originally posted on the WordPress version of this blog.
John Rand Mills
Place of Birth: Parish of Ballysheenan, County Tipperary, Ireland
Date of Birth: 1805. While some sources say that he was born on Sept. 29, 1804 and others peg his birth date as 1806, he told a court in Warren County he was born in 1805.
Year of immigration: 1835. Left from Ireland in July, landed in New York City in August, and settled in Warren County, New York.
Residence in United States: Warren County, New York, specifically Bolton, Chester, Glens Falls, and later Minerva, within Essex County.
Importance to this story: Married Margaret Ann Bibby, reportedly in 1839, and had 12 children. One was Robert Byron Mills I who later adopted Bert. Another was Dora, who later married Cyrus Winfield Packard. She was the birth mother of Bert before her death in 1895.
Place of Death: Minerva, Essex County. Lived in Chester, Warren County until his death.
Date of Death: May 2, 1876, evident since he is living in Chester, NY in 1875.
Place of Burial: Chester Cemetery in Chester, Orange County, NY.
Margaret Ann Bibby
Place of Birth: Cashel, Ireland.
Date of Birth: Reportedly 1824, making John much older.
Year of immigration: Not currently known, but was likely sometime between 1835 and 1839. Possibly came with a group of other Bibby family members, just like John may have done.
Residence in United States: Warren County, New York, specifically Bolton, Chester, and Glens Falls
Importance to this story: Married John Rand Mills, reportedly in 1839, and had 12 children. Bibby and Mills families were likely interlinked in others ways that are not currently known.
Place of Death: Minerva, Essex County.
Date of Death: 1874, predeceased John.
Place of Burial: Chester Cemetery in Chester, Orange County, NY
Dorothy “Dora” Ann Mills
Place of Birth: Glens Falls, New York
Date of Birth: June 1, 1849
Residence in United States: Warren County, New York, specifically Bolton, Chester, and Glens Falls. Also lived in Cummington and Plainfield, Massachusetts after 1881.
Importance to this story: Daughter of John R. Mills and Margaret Ann Bibby. On November 21, 1881, Dora married Cyrus Winfield Packard in the Methodist Episcopalian Church in Glens Falls. She lived in Massachusetts for the rest of her life until her death in 1895. She was the mother of Bert.
Place of Death: Plainfield, Massachusetts
Date of Death: February 5, 1895.
Place of Burial: A cemetery in Pottersville, NY called Pottersville New Cemetery, which is within Warren County, New York.
Joseph B. Mills
Place of Birth: Warren County, NY
Date of Birth: 1844
Residence in United States: Bolton (1855-1860) & Chester (1865-1875), both towns in Warren County
Importance to this story: RBM I (“Uncle Rob”) was his brother. He was a long-time civil servant and member of the Republican Party in Warren County, NY
Place of Death: Warren County, NY
Date of Death: May 5, 1900
Place of Burial: A cemetery in Pottersville, NY called Pottersville New Cemetery, which is within Warren County, New York.
