Thomas Gillespie Sr.
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Thomas Gillespie Sr. (1719 - 1796)

Thomas Gillespie Sr.
Born in Cecil County, Marylandmap [uncertain]
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 1 Jan 1745 in Augusta County, Virginiamap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 77 in Cleveland, Rowan, North Carolina, United Statesmap
Profile last modified | Created 6 Aug 2010
This page has been accessed 5,229 times.
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This person is an ancestor of President James Knox Polk 11th US President

Contents

Biography

1776 Project
Thomas Gillespie Sr. served with Rowan County Regiment, North Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.

This person is an ancestor of President James Knox Polk[1]

Thomas Gillespie was born in 1719[2]

Birth and Parentage

The birth place of Thomas Gillespie is not certain. It has been suggested that he was born in either Cecil County, Maryland, or Chester County, Pennsylvania[3] because many of the settlers of Rowan County came from that area to North Carolina. According to a great grandson of Thomas and Naomi named George C. Duffee said, [4] "My grandfather, John Gillespie, was the son of Thomas Gillespie and Naomi Thompson...my great grandfather, Thomas Gillespie, came from North Ireland; and was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church. Naomi Thompson, my great grandmother came from Pennsylvania."

The only clue to Thomas Gillespie's father is from the same article by George C. Duffee and he "heard that the father of Thomas was David." John W. D. Wright leaned toward a Robert Gillespie as his father. However, there is no proof of that. Thomas Gillespie was not the son of the Rev. George Gillespie, pastor of Head of Christiana Church in Delaware. He had only two sons and neither was Thomas.[5]

Probably Thomas Gillespie came from the area around Cecil County, Maryland or Chester County, Pennsylvania, as many of the Rowan County settlers were from that area. Then he migrated into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and was in the Augusta County, Virginia area for a few years. A Thomas Gillespie presented a James for baptism on 18 March 1744, at the Timkling Springs Presbyterian Church in Augusta, County, Virginia which is prior to the marriage of Thomas and Naomi. This assumes that Thomas was the father of the James who was baptized, which is doubtful. There was a William presented for baptism on 18 October 1747 by a Thomas but his name does not appear in Thomas Gillespie's will and from information in the "Carolina Cradle" by Robert W. Ramsey, page 41, it is explained that this William was an orphan of William Humphrey, deceased. Thomas would have removed William from the Colony but was ordered by the court to deliver said orphan to the church wardens. (Records of Augusta County, 1, 31.) Note, it is believed that these people who were baptized were in the family of Thomas and Eleanor Gillespie who were also in Augusta County at the same time.[6]

Thomas and Naomi Gillespie migrated into Rowan County North Caroina. They were the first white family west of the Yadkin River. The Gillespie farm was on Sills Creek.[7]

There was a Robert Gillespie in Rowan County who may have been related to Thomas. There was a John Gillespie, cooper, also in Rowan, who may have been a cousin. There was also a Samuel H. Gillespie who was buried in Thyatira Cemetery as was Thomas and Naomi Gillespie. There was a Matthew Gillespie in Rowan County in early 1750s and 1760s whose identity is unknown. A Joseph Gillespie was in the area at the the same time. Sorting these six men out has proved unsuccessful thus far.[8]

In the Land Office Patents and Grants, Virginia, card 59, a record was found which showed that Thomas Glassbey (sic Gillespie) on 1st of December 1740, Augusta County received 400 acres on a draft of the north river of Shanando called the Long Glade. Patent No. 19, 1739-41, p. 902. From a typed copy of the original document we learn that he paid forty shillings of good and lawful money for this land. The land was bounded on the west by Long Glade and on the east by Naked Creek. This is in the northern part of Augusta County. This is the first legal document on him and places him in Augusta by December 1740.[9]

North Carolina Journal Article

Died at 2 PM on Tuesday, the 13th December, Mrs. Naomi Gillespie aged 69; and at 10 the same evening, Mr. Thomas Gillespie aged 78. They were the first settlers in Rowan (County), on the West-Side of the Yadkin River, and had lived in the bridled bonds of love and matrimonial friendship for the space of 55 years. Their descendants amount to 65 of whom six sons carried them to their place of interment where they were deposited in the same grave, and in the same coffin. The history of North Carolina, perhaps, has never furnished a similar instance since its first settlement.[10]

Thomas and Naomi Gillespie migrated into Rowan County North Carolina. They were the first white family west of the Yadkin River. The Gillespie farm was on Sills Creek. Thomas Gillespie served in the Revolutionary War. He would have been in his late fifties then. He was appointed Sessor in Capt. William Armstrong's Company in 1777. He served as a Commissary in the war under General Rutherford and received quite a lot of bounty land after the war for his service in what is now Tennessee. According to one source, he bought up other bounty land in the same areas. Naomi and Thomas Gillespie had ten children. Most of his sons are listed as serving in the Revolutionary War. Five of Thomas' sons received part of his land in his will, however some of his sons had also received bounty land as reward for their own service in the war.[11]

Marriage

Thomas married Naomi Thompson on Jan 1, 1745 in Augusta, Colony of Virginia.[12]

A marriage date of 1 January 1745, for Thomas Gillespie and Naomi Thompson, has been cited in two references but no proof has been found to substantiate this. 1) Information from Jimmie Moore, Tennessee which may have been from David W. Morgan, Cedar Park, Texas. (Note: David doesn't know Jimmie Moore) "Thomas was born 1719 in either Cecil Co., Maryland or Chester Co., PA, and married Naomi Thompson 1-1-1745 in the "Valley of Virginia" with the ceremony performed by Rev. John Craig." (Note: Rev. Craig was pastor of the Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church in Augusta County, Virginia from 1740-1764, as found in "The Tinkling Spring; Headwater of Freedom" by Howard McKnight Wilson, Th.D.) (Note: The marriage date of 1-1-1745 came from an addenda that Dr. L. A. Absher sent out with his book, "Some Early Settlers of Upper Sumner County, Tennessee," who stated that the information came from "Mrs. Louise Gillespie Lynch of Franklin, Tennessee." I note that Louise Lynch is listed as the archivist of Williamson County on the Williamson County GenWeb site. (Anybody want to contact her? David W. Morgan) 2) Information from "Lentz and Gillespie Families in Rowan County, North Carolina 1749-1818" by Gilbert G. Lentz, 1994, page 5, says: "Thomas Gillespie, 1727-1796 (sic. birth year was 1719), married Naomi Thompson, January 1, 1745." Source not cited. At the time they died they had been married 51 years which figures out to be 1745.[13]

Revolutionary War Service

A source has been found for militia service for Thomas Gillespie: "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia," Volume II by Lyman Chalkley. From the Preston Papers held by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, copies of Musters of Augusta County, begin on page 507. On page 508, Captain John Smith's List: reports Thomas Gillespie. The date of the service was 1742. One Gillespie descendant said Thomas got a land grant in Anson County, NC in 1751 for this service. (This land grant has not been proven.) A copy of the handwritten muster roll (a list) was obtained from the above mentioned Historical Society.[14]

Thomas served as a Commissary in the Rowan County Regiment during the Revolutionary War under General Griffith Rutherford and received quite a lot of bounty land for his service in what is now Tennessee. According to one source, he bought up other bounty land in the same areas. Five of his sons received part of this land in his will. Each son's history will have what he received in the way of land. Son, George had his own land grant for his service in the War.[15]

Will

Thomas Gillespie made his will on 15 November 1796 (just one month before his death) in Rowan County, North Carolina. It is recorded in Will Book G, pages 2, 3 and 4. In it he names his children and disposes of his property. Witnessed by Thomas Irvin and Philip Palmer.[16]

The following children, along with his wife, Naomi, are listed in Thomas's Will. The dates in parenthesis and spouses are from other research. There were six boys and four girls. Only the oldest, James Gillespie is believed to be born in Augusta County, Virginia and the others were born in Rowan County, North Carolina. James died before his father, so his inheritance went to James's oldest son Thomas. His children are listed below in order of their birth.[17]:

  1. James Gillespie (ca 1745-before 1787), married Jane Graham (?-1823) in 1765
  2. Martha (Gillespie) Allison (widowed) (ca 1747-ca 1780) and son Thomas Allison, married Thomas Allison (?-1780)
  3. Isaac Gillespie (1750-1826 in Tennessee), married Mary Ann McGuire (1770-1845) in 1791
  4. George Gillespie (1751-1818 in Tennessee), married Mary Graham (1751-1815) in 1771
  5. Lydia (Gillespie) Knox (1753-1772 in Tennessee) and son Thomas Knox, married Capt James Knox (ca1752-ca1794) in 1772
  6. Thomas Gillespie, Jr. (ca1755-ca1830 in Tennessee), married M. Jane Luckey (ca1763-?) in 1785
  7. Alexander Gillespie (ca1759-ca1804)
  8. David Gillespie (1761-1834 in Tennessee), married Mary Luckey (1770/80-1814) in 1785, married Mary Marlin/Martin in 1814
  9. John Gillespie (ca1762-ca1825 in Alabama), married Margaret Kerr (ca1769-ca1843) in 1785
  10. Robert Gillespie (1772-1843), married Sarah "Sally Thornton (1781-1850) before 1808

Thomas and Robert are given as executors of his Will. There are also several Negro slaves mentioned in the Will.

  • Negro boy Peter (willed to Alexander)
  • Winch Violet (willed to Alexander)
  • Negro Luce
  • Negro man named Dick (willed to Robert)
  • Wench Phebe (willed to Robert)
  • Wenches Lisa and Fan
  • Negro Luke

Death

Thomas Gillespie died on Dec 13, 1796 in Rowan County, North Carolina and is buried with his wife Naomi in the Thyatira Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Mill Bridge, Rowan County, North Carolina. On the tombstone is carved the date Dec 12th, 1796. The ages would imply that Thomas was born in 1719 and Naomi in 1727.[18]

A Thyatira Presbyterian Church booklet reads, Died at 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday the 15th (sic) of December, 1796, Mrs. Naomi Gillespie, aged 69; at 10 O'clock the same evening, Thomas Gillespie aged 76. Their six sons carried them to the grave and buried them in the same casket.[19]

Research Notes

The Will and tombstone photo are attached to this profile to help with research. There are no sources to show that Bowen-3888 was a spouse of Thomas.

The parents listed for this individual are speculative and may not be based on sound genealogical research. Sources to prove or disprove this ancestry are needed. Please contact the Profile Manager or leave information on the bulletin board.

Please do not add parents to this profile without primary sources

There are several descendants of Thomas Gillespie that have tested for DNA in his son George and Issac's families. See rows 71-77 of FTDNA Gillespie yDNA Test Results.[20]

Easily Conflated

These Thomas Gillespies are easily conflated:

Sources

  1. #Boyd
  2. #FG
  3. #Cradle
  4. #Duffee
  5. #Steely, #Duffee
  6. #Steely
  7. #Cradle
  8. #Steely
  9. #Steely
  10. #Journal
  11. #Cradle
  12. #Thyatira, #Probate1, #Probate2, #Probate3
  13. #Steely
  14. #Steely
  15. #Steely, #DAR, #RowanRegmt
  16. #Probate1, #Probate2, #Probate3
  17. #Probate1, #Probate2, #Probate3, #Steely
  18. #FG, #C1790
  19. #Thyatira
  20. #DNA
  • Source: Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.
  • Source: Find A Grave: Memorial #21347030, Thomas Gillespie, accessed Jan 23, 2017, Thyatira Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Mill Bridge, Rowan County, North Carolina, USA; "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (Link: 13 December 2015), Thomas Gillespie, 1796; Burial, Mill Bridge, Rowan, North Carolina, United States of America, Thyatira Presbyterian Church Cemetery; citing record ID 21347030
  • Source: Yahoo Group, GillespieDNAProject, accessed Jan 23, 2017.
  • Source: "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970," images, FamilySearch (Link: 21 May 2014), Rowan County, North Carolina Wills, 1797-1819, Vol. G , image 5 of 570; county courthouses, North Carolina.
  • Source: "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970," images, FamilySearch (Link: 21 May 2014), Rowan County, North Carolina Wills, 1797-1819, Vol. G, image 6 of 570; county courthouses, North Carolina.
  • Source: "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970," images, FamilySearch (Link: 21 May 2014), Rowan County, North Csrolina Wills, 1797-1819, Vol. G, image 7 of 570; county courthouses, North Carolina.
  • Source: North Carolina Journal, Halifax, North Carolina, 9 Jan 1797, per notes on Find a Grave.
  • Source: Thyatira Presbyterian Church Booklet, Dec 1796, "Died at 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday the 15th of December, 1796, Mrs. Naomi Gillespie, aged 69; at 10 O'clock the same evening, Thomas Gillespie aged 76. Their six sons carried them to the grave and buried them in the same casket. Son of Robert Gillespie.", per notes on Find a Grave, accessed Jan 23, 2017.
  • Source: The "Carolina Cradle" by Robert W. Ramsay, page 41, footnote 107
  • Source: RootsWeb, Thomas and Naomi (Thompson) Gillespie and descendants, Information from Billie Curry Steely (husband is descendant of Thomas and Naomi), A well documented genealogy, accessed Jan 25, 2017
  • Source: "The Mississippi Genealogical Exchange", Volume Five, November 4, of December 1959, by George C. Duffee , page 103
  • Source: "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (Link: accessed 1 July 2017), Thomas Gillaspie Sr, Rowan, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 346, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 7; FHL microfilm 568,147.
  • Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed date), "Record of Thomas Gillespie", Ancestor # A044835., some data in correction file
  • Thomas Gillespie, Commisary, Rowan County Regiment, North Carolina Militia
  • Source: Wikipedia contributors. "Thomas Gillespie (North Carolina)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 30 Sep 2019.
  • SAR Patriot #: P-166289




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Thomas by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Thomas:

Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.



Comments: 7

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Easy to confuse with this Thomas who was in Augusta County. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gillespie-1734
posted by M Smith
Does anybody have information about members of this family that journeyed north and settled in western PA? My Hazen line traveled through Cecil, MD and seems to have picked-up a Gillespie line along the way. The earliest trace that I can find is a John born bef. 1775 and a son Thomas b. 1799 in MD. They, also, seemed to have traveled with the Yoho family at the time.
posted by Wayne Gillespie
Removed parents that were already disproven per biography
posted by Robin Lee
Gillespie-3682 and Gillespie-49 appear to represent the same person because: same dates, same family
posted by Robin Lee
Gillespie-3101 and Gillespie-49 appear to represent the same person because: same birth, similar death, looks to be the same person
Gillespie-3093 and Gillespie-49 appear to represent the same person because: similar dates and same wife
Gillespie-2282 and Gillespie-49 appear to represent the same person because: They appear to be the same person.
posted by J. (Pearson) Salsbery