[Ancestor] Sibley

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Husband [Ancestor] Sibley

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Wife

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Children

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1 M John Sibley ^{1 2}

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           Born: 1603 - England 1
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           Died: 1661 - ? Salem, MA
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         Spouse: Rachel Pickworth (      -      ) 1

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2 M Richard Sibley ¹

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General Notes: Husband - [Ancestor] Sibley

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The name Sibley is believed to be composed of the two Anglo-Saxon words sib and lea. The primary signification of sib is peace; a later signification is relationship. The word lea is field, or in a more general sense, land. The name Sibley may, therefore, be translated either as "Peacefield," "Land of Peace" or "Kinsmen's Land."
In the so-called "Rotuli Hundredorum" of the reign of Edward I. (1272-1307), Sibleys are listed as owners of land in the counties of Kent, Oxford and Suffolk. The family is, therefore, an ancient one, as surnames in Eng-land did not come into common use before the twelfth century. Enthusiastic and painstaking antiquarians and genealogists have claimed to be able to trace the line back to the time of
William the Conqueror. Two coats-of-arms according to heraldic authorities are now, or have been in former times, borne by certain Sibley families in England. These coats are to be found recorded, the one in Sir William Dugdale's "Origines Juridicales," published in 1671, and the other coat in several editions of Burke's "General Armory."
The one figured by Dugdale and dated 1559, belonged to John Sibley, of Gray's Inn, one of the most renowned seats of English legal learn-ing. The coat is thus described: "A shield quarterly; in first and fourth a tiger, gules, viewing himself backward in a mirror, azure; in second and third a chevron, gules, between three cows' heads caboshed, sable." The coat found in Burke's "General Armory" is de-scribed as follows: "Per pale, azure and gules, a griffin passant between three crescents, argent." This coat was, during the reign of George I., confirmed to Henry Sibley, Esquire, and to Thomas Sibley, Esquire, high sheriffs of Hertfordshire. It is possible that these arms had been borne by other Sibleys several centuries earlier. A Sibley crest is given in Fairbairn's "Crests of Great Britain and Ireland" as: "Out of a ducal coronet, or, a swan's head between wings, p. p. r."
However strong the probability, there is no documentary evidence yet submitted to the writer of this sketch to prove that any Sibleys of this country are, according to English rules, authorized to use either of these coats. Arms are not granted to families but to particular individuals and to their descendants. The use of armorial bearings by Americans is being discouraged.
Several facts indicate that the New England Sibleys come from St. Albans, or, at least, from the county of Hertford in which St. Albans is situated. Representatives of the Hertfordshire Sibleys have within the past few years aided in making researches tending to strengthen the probability. They have taken pains to set forth from sundry records certain reasons why it is likely that John Sibley, of Salem, Massachusetts, who took the freeman's oath, September 3, 1634, was a descendant of John Sibley, who was mayor of St. Albans in 1557, 1569 and 1578, and who is believed by them to he the John Sibley who was the emi-nent barrister of Gray's Inn.
"The names with which John Sibley's is associated in the records of Gray's Inn are among the most eminent in English history, being those of Spelman, Sackville, Lovelace, Walsingham, Lord Bacon, Yelverton and others, all fellows of the same renowned hospice." Another sentence from West's "Life of General Henry Hastings Sibley," first gov-ernor of Minnesota, may prove of interest in this connection: "That the Sibleys of Hert-fordshire were of the same family as the Sibleys of Somerset, Kent, Middlesex, Sussex, Essex, Leicester and Huntingdon is attested by various genealogists." Other counties in Eng-land in which Sibleys were, in 1875, owners of land were Lincoln, Warwick and Devon.*
Several of the Sibley surname in England have achieved distinction and there has been a number of alliances with the nobility. Those who desire to pursue these and kindred sub-jects further may find additional facts in the "Life of General Henry Hastings Sibley" by Nathaniel West, D. D., published in 1889 at St. Paul, Minnesota, and in the "History of the Town of Union, Maine," by John Langdon Sibley, A. M. The latter work was published in Boston in 1851. The author was a member of the Massachusetts Historical Society, was a diligent gleaner of New England records, published several other works, and was for many years prior to his death librarian of Harvard University. A member of the Sibley family in England, who at the present time has an international reputation, is Walter Knowsley Sibley, M. A., M. D., M. R. C. P., M. R. C. S., etc., of Grosvenor Square, Lon-don. He is a member of the senate of Cam-bridge University, physician to the Northwest London Hospital, and holds several other posi-tions of responsibility and honor. He has made many noteworthy scientific investigations and is the author of a considerable number of highly esteemed writings. Brief particulars concerning him are given in the current volume of "Who's Who."
According to Felt's "Annals of Salem," it seems that the first Sibleys in this country came to Salem, Massachusetts, in the fleet of 1629. Their given names were John and Rich-ard and they are supposed to have been brothers.

* Since the above was in type, I am in receipt of a copy of a document showing that under date of September 13, 1642, John Sibley, of Salem, for the sum of three score pounds, paid to him and Nicholas Hallet, sold and conveyed certain life leases held by him and Hallet in Bradpole Manor, county Dorset, England. The document sets forth also that John Sibley and W. Sibley were "sonnes of Wm. Sibley," and that the latter had died prior to the granting of these leases in 1617. (See Aspinwall Notarial Rec-ords, page 162). A professional genealogist informs me that he has traced the line in England to 1483, and that for the sum of $500 he sells the informa-tion to members of the Sibley family under restric-tions not to publish it. I have not seen fit to accept his terms. E. H. SIBLEY

The Sibley family in America is a com-paratively small one. In 1853 a genealogist estimated that the Sibleys of the male sex, of New England origin, from 1629 to that date, did not exceed five hundred. Their activity, usefulness and prominence as leaders in pro-portion to their numbers have received many favorable comments.
The Sibleys in the central, southern and western states are, in general, descended from Joseph Sibley. There are, however, certain Sibleys in Florida and in Maryland who are not related to the New England family. [GPHAV, 308] ³

1 John W. Jordan, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Genealogical Memoirs, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906), Pg 392.

2 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913), Pg 309.

3 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913), Pg 308.