George Ibbotson

  Noted events in his life were:

• Immigration, 1847, United States of America. ⁴ George Ibbotson immigrated from England to Indiana in 1847 according to a biography of his son, John, published in Augustine M. Antrobus's, A History of Des Moines County, Iowa, and Its People - Illustrated, Volume II.

However, conflicting information in the 1856 Des Moines County Census stated he had been in Iowa 14 years by 1856.

• Iowa State Census, 1856, Yellow Spring Township, Des Moines County, Iowa. George Ibbotson, 49, male, married, 14 years in Iowa, born in England, occupation farmer

Martha A. Ibbotson, age 33, female, married, 17 years in Iowa, born in Kentucky

Martha Ibbotson, age 10, female, born in Iowa

John Ibbotson, age 8, male, born in Iowa

Steven Ibbotson, age 7, male, born in Iowa

George Ibbotson, 6, male, born in Iowa

Elizabeth Ibbotson, age 4, female, born in Iowa

Robert Ibbotson, age 1, male, born in Iowa

• Census, 1860, Yellow Spring Township, Des Moines County, Iowa. ⁵ George Ibbotson, 53, male, farmer, $4160 land, $2200 property, born in England

Martha Ibbotson, 39, female, born in Kentucky

Martha Ibbotson, 14, female, born in Iowa

John Ibbotson, 12, male, born in Iowa

Stephen Ibbotson, 11, male, born in Iowa

George Ibbotson, 10, male, born in Iowa

Elizabeth Ibbotson, 7, female, born in Iowa

Robert Ibbotson, 5, male, born in Iowa

• Census, 1880, Yellow Spring Township, Des Moines County, Iowa. ⁶ George Ibbottson, head of household, married, male, white, age 73, born in England, farmer, father's birthplace England, mother's birthplace England

George Ibbottson, head of household, married, male, white, age 73, born in England, farmer, father's birthplace England, mother's birthplace England

Martha Ibbottson, wife, married, female, white, age 58, born in Kentucky, keeps house, father's birthplace Maryland, mother's birthplace Maryland

Martha Ibbottson, daughter, single, female, white, age 34, born in Iowa, father's birthplace England, mother's birthplace Kentucky

Elizabeth Ibbottson, daughter, single, female, white, age 32, born in Iowa, father's birthplace England, mother's birthplace Kentucky

Robert Ibbottson, son, single, male, white, age 25, born in Iowa, farmer, father's birthplace England, mother's birthplace Kentucky

• Biography: A Portrait and Biographical Album of Des Moines County, Iowa, 1888. ¹ George Ibbotson an old settler and leading farmer, residing on section 30, Yellow Spring Township, Des Moines County, Iowa, is a native of Yorkshire, England, born in 1806, and a son of John and Martha (Lofthouse) Ibbotson, who were also natives of Yorkshire. Throughout his life, John Ibbotson was engaged in farming, and he and his wife both died in their native land. They were both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Our subject was reared on a farm until 1838, when, bidding good-bye to his home and friends, he sailed for America, locating first in Wayne County, Indiana, where he engaged as a farm hand, and later rented a farm there for three years. At the expiration of that time Mr. Ibbotson emigrated to Des Moines County, Iowa, settling in Franklin Township in the fall of 1841, where he rented a farm for one year, and then purchased eighty acres of land on section 30 of Yellow Spring Township. The farm then purchased still continues to be his home, though other lands were added, until he has now 400 broad acres in Yellow Spring Township under cultivation. In Washington Township he is also the owner of eighty acres, and all his land is improved.

In 1844 the marriage of Mr. Ibbotson and Martha Ann Riggs, a native of Kentucky, was celebrated. Eight children were born to them, namely: Martha, residing with her parents; John, who is engaged in farming in Yellow Spring Township; Stephen, residing in Los Angeles County, California; George who makes his home in Louisa County, Iowa; Elizabeth, still living at home; Robert, a farmer of Washington Township, Des Moines County; and Isaac and A. Lincoln, both of whom died in childhood. Mr. Ibbotson and wife are both members of the Missionary Baptist Church. In politics he is a stanch Republican, one who does not believe that the party has outlived its usefulness, and in his township he has held various offices. Financially a self-made man, his success in life is due to his own labor, energy and business ability, which have enabled him to secure an ample competency for old age. Mr. and Mrs. Ibbotson have reared a family of respected men and women, who do honor to their name, and to assist their sons they gave them each 100 acres of land. In their declining years this worthy couple can look back over a well-spent life, forty-four years of which have been passed together, and the respect which is their due, both as pioneers and honored citizens, is cheerfully given by all who know them.

• Alt. Death, 1894. (His Des Moines County biography lists his death as 1894; his gravestone has it as 1895)

George married Martha A. Riggs, daughter of Stephen Riggs and Elizabeth Riggs, on August 25, 1844 in Iowa.^{1 2} (Martha A. Riggs was born on July 14, 1816 near Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, died on April 30, 1904 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Territory ² and was buried in the Old Stone Church Cemetery, Franklin Township, Des Moines County, Iowa ⁷.)