Edward Stanley Gibbons - Death

Death

By 1905, Georgina Gibbons had died, as Stanley re-married again in October 1905. His fourth wife was Bertha Barth. In 1908, Gibbons was back in Ceylon and found in the archives there is a newspaper cutting headed, "Death of Lady Visitor to Ceylon: Wife of famous collector." This refers to Bertha, who had died in the General Hospital there from cancer of the liver at 35 years old. Gibbons returned to England shortly after the death of his fourth wife. On 16 January 1909, he married Sophia Crofts. However, it is possible that he and Sophia separated before his death in 1913 as his will makes no mention of her. Made in July 1912, from his address, ‘Selsey’, 63 Stanhope Road, Streatham, his estate is left to 'a dear friend', Mabel Hedgecoe.

Gibbons' death was recorded on 17 February 1913 at his nephew's apartment at Portman Mansions, just off Baker Street, although it was rumoured he had died in the arms of a lover at the Savoy Hotel and was subsequently transported to his nephew's house. His death certificate gives his occupation as, "A retired Stamp Collector" and the cause was stated as, ‘Coma, Haemorrhage of the Brain, secondary to Extensive Valvular Disease of the Heart with Atheroma of Endocardium and the Blood Vessels accelerated by enlarged prostate’. He is buried in Twickenham cemetery.

Gibbons' string of wives, all but one of who died relatively young, his swift remarriages and his background in pharmacy has given rise to suspicions of ill-doing on his part, however, there is no evidence for this.