#858, Rosamund Lucia GIBBS

Educated at St Stephens College, Broadstairs, Kent, Plymouth Technical College and The Violet Melchett College, Chelsea

From a Gibbs family newsletter, 2026:

The magical thread running through Gibbs and Woodard families

Rozzy Woodard loves to highlight the magical thread that runs through the combination of our own Gibbs and Woodard family.  We seem to keenly interact with each other...  Robert Nathaniel Woodard and Rosamund Lucia Gibbs first met at a Royal Naval ship's cocktail party in Devonport, and rediscovered their close family links.  Robert's great grandfather was Nathaniel Woodard, founder of the Woodard Schools and Corporation.  Rosamund's kinsmen were the William Gibbs family of Tyntesfield, generous benefactors of those Woodard Schools. Many family members of both Robert Woodard and Rosamund Gibbs were educated at Lancing College, under the Woodard School's umbrella.

Robert's father, the Revd Francis Alwyne Woodard #861, was a master at Lancing College.  Rosamund's father, Denis Lucius Alban Gibbs #791 was Lancing's Head Boy at that time and told us that Francis Alwyne Woodard had been his favourite master and an influential mentor.

Rosamund and Robert were married at Mount Edgcumbe in 1963.  Their two sons, Rupert Piers Nathaniel Woodard #873 and Jolyon Robert Alban Woodard #875 were educated at Lancing College.  They were in Gibbs House, hence the necessity to embroider their initialled nametapes with Woodard Gibbs.  Their daughter, Melissa Lucia Rosamund #874, not to be outshone by her brothers, is Woodard by birth, but shares her Gibbs great grandmother's name of Lucia, which, of course, means Light... in her case a Bright Light!!   

Footnote

Anthony Cobbold #539 married, secondly, Rosamund's sister Jillianne #541.  Jill's eldest Robin #803 and Anthony's eldest Tim #643 were both educated at a Woodard School, Ellesmere and Tim's three children, Hanna #897. Johno #1009 and Esther #1155 all went to Lancing.