Principal occupation=quarryman, storekeeper
Surname variations=Sibly/Sibley
Simon Libby Sibly was born on 25 January 1826 at Pengelly, Cornwall, England. He was the son of Joseph Simon Sibly (1779-1834), a miller at Newhall near St Teath and later a shopkeeper at Pengelly, and Susanna Libby (1788-1840). His older brother was Joseph Sibly (1823-1895). Religion –Wesleyan Methodist. From the age of 8 until he was 30 he worked as a quarryman in the Delabole slate quarry in Cornwall. Simon aged 27 years, married Elizabeth Cory (1827-1901), aged 26 years, on 12 March 1853 at Camelford in Cornwall. Elizabeth Cory was born in Bowithick, North Cornwall and she was the daughter of Richard Cory (1796-1870) and Tomasin French (1797-1884). Simon (30), his wife Elizabeth (29) and their two children Alfred (2) and Esther (1) arrived in South Australia on 24 July 1856 aboard Hooghly from Plymouth. They travelled with Simon’s brother Joseph Sibly (also a quarryman), aged 33, his wife Susan and children. Soon after arrival they were living in Willunga and the two brothers were working in the slate quarries. They eventually had 11 children (2 who were born at Medrose in Cornwall, 4 who died young and the other 5 were born at Willunga):
- Alfred (1854-1948) born at Medrose, Cornwall, married (1st) Esther Leah Yates (1852- 1882) on 8 June 1878 at the residence of Simon Sibly at Aldinga; (2nd) Hannah Maslin (1861-1953) on 15 August 1883 at Aldinga, he was a bootmaker and shopkeeper at Aldinga and paid rates on one ninth of an acre and a house in section 401 and another half acre and a house in section 399 (Samuel Eastwood) in the 1880s. They later moved to Maylands – he died at Beulah Park, South Australia
- Esther (1855-1941) born at Medrose, Cornwall, married Edwin George Chenoweth (1848-1923) on 31 March 1875 at Willunga. She died at Eastwood, South Australia
- Leah (c1856-1882) born at Willunga, unmarried, died at Aldinga aged 29 years, and buried in the Wesleyan Methodist (Uniting) Church Cemetery, Willunga
- Simon Libby (1857-1857) born and died at Willunga aged 3 months
- Mary (1858-1859) born and died at Willunga aged 1 year and 5 months; buried in the Wesleyan Methodist (Uniting) Church Cemetery, Willunga. Mary and another child, Elizabeth Jane Cock, fell into an uncovered well and both drowned.
- Simon Libby (1860-1860) born [as Sibley] and died at Willunga aged 12 days; buried in the Wesleyan Methodist (Uniting) Church Cemetery, Willunga
- Avis Hannah (1861-1864) born and died at Willunga aged 2 years; buried in the Wesleyan Methodist (Uniting) Church Cemetery, Willunga
- Catherine (1863-1934) born at Willunga, married (1st) Frederick Reed (1863-1922) on 1 January 1889 at the residence of Simon L Sibly, Willunga; (2nd) Phillip Cornelius (1855-1941) on 9 May 1925 in Adelaide at the Salvation Army Citadel. She died at Wallaroo Mines, South Australia
- Marwood (1865-1945) born [as Sibley] at Willunga, married Charlotte McClintock on 9 September 1893 at the residence of J R Spencer, Clarnedon, South Australia, and died at Claremont, Western Australia
- Clifton James (1867-1912) born at Willunga, married Bessie Emma Raymont (1877-1954) at the Bible Christian Church, Adelaide on 30 December 1896. He died at Fremantle, Western Australia
- Elsie Oriana (1872-1960) born at Willunga, married Thomas Herbert Shipway at her parent’s residence, Willunga. She died at Leabrook, South Australia and was buried at Clarendon, South Australia
Simon Libby Sibly was a quarrymen who worked as a “squarer” for 22 years (1856-1878) and later a storekeeper at Beltunga Gully and then at Willunga. He was a lay preacher for the Wesleyan Methodist Church for 60 years. He was a member of the Willunga Lodge of Oddfellows for many years. Simon paid rates on a house, garden and land in Willunga township and in section 700 (Beltunga Gully) from the late 1850s until the 1880s.
Elizabeth Sibly, aged 75 years, died on 12 July 1901 and Simon Libby Sibly, aged 82 years, died on 14 June 1908 at Willunga. They are both buried in the Wesleyan Methodist (Uniting) Church Cemetery, Willunga.
