Stephen West (say 1723 – 1771-01-08?) was my 6th-great-grandfather and a Canadian politician who served in the Nova Scotia General Assembly in the 1760s. He was born in Tisbury, Massachusetts, the son of Abner West (1683-06-09 – 1756) and Jane Look (1680-12-14 – 1765-03-13), and moved to Nova Scotia in 1760.
His wife was named Margery, but her maiden name is not certain. Some claim Gibb or Gibbs. I can find no credible source for this, but it would neatly explain the use of the forename Gibbs among her descendants. They married perhaps in 1746.
I am descended through their daughter Rebecca (née West) Pineo (c.1748 – 1801-05-23). She was the mother of Sarah Pineo, wife of Henry Gesner.
Stephen’s mitochondrial haplogroup has been identified as J2b1a from a test on a living first cousin, nine times removed. This line goes back to Elizabeth (Godfrey) Bunker, whose origins are unknown, although there are two promising baptisms who may be her. However, some have raised doubts about Elizabeth being the mother of the Bunker children, proposing instead Jane Godfrey.ref
Different sources attribute 1771-01-08 as being Stephen’s or Margery’s death date. They could have died on the same day, but it is more likely this was confusion. If so, it’s not clear which is right. A possible gap in the births of Stephen’s children may suggest Margery died and he remarried, but this is speculative.ref
His ancestry is not known beyond the great-grandparents, although there are theories. Particularly, George Bunker’s parents are generally claimed to be Timothy Bunker and Elizabeth Hawkins, for which there is good though perhaps not decisive evidence.