Daniel Gilbert Sr. (abt. 1731 - aft. 1805)

Born about 20 Jan 1731 in Baltimore, Maryland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died after 9 Feb 1805 after about age 74 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States

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Biography

This profile is part of the Gilbert Name Study.

Lieutenant Daniel Gilbert Sr. served with Bedford County Militia, Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

Daniel Gilbert Sr. is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A045080.

Daniel was born in Baltimore County, Maryland on 20 JAN 1730/31 (see research notes). He was a child when his father Garvis Gilbert's will was probated in June 1739, and being the youngest son, his legacy was a mere 10 pounds, when he came of age. His eldest brothers received land.

By 1752, Daniel had moved to the part of Lunenburg County, Virginia that would become Bedford County in December 1753. We know this because he and his closest brother, Benjamin, appeared together as two single men in the 1752 Lunenburg County tithables list.

Daniel married his first wife Elizabeth (maiden name unknown) sometime between 1752 and 1754, when she was prosecuted for petty theft. Halifax County, Virginia Order Book 2 shows that Daniel Gilbert was ordered to pay the costs of a prosecution lately begun in the Court, in behalf of the King against Elizabeth, the wife of said Daniel, for felony. On 15 January 1755, Elizabeth pled not guilty, I trial was held and several witnesses examined including Daniels brother Benjamin and Ann Gilbert, presumably Benjamin's wife. Unfortunately Elizabeth was found guilty and sentenced to be taken to the whipping post and given ten lashes on her bare back, and enter into recognizance for £10 for her good behavior for twelve months, with George Willcox her security.

We're unsure of what later became of first wife Elizabeth, however testimony in John Sexton's Revolutionary War pension file indicated his wife Mary Ann Gilbert, daughter of Daniel Gilbert Sr, was by his first wife. Since Mary Ann was shown born in 1764, it indicates the first wife, Elizabeth, must have lived until at least that year. In that testimony, Isaiah Gilbert and Elizabeth Galyean were named as Mary Ann's half siblings and based on their believed birth ranges it is estimated Daniel married his second wife, Mary (aka Molley), sometime between 1764 and 1772. The existence of the second marriage was proven on 1783 when Daniel Gilbert and wife Mary gave Daniel's brother Acquilla power of attorney to sell their Campbell County, Virginia land. Further proof was provided when Dan Gilbert Sr and wife Molley sold land to John Gilbert 17 July 1800. Molley is a common nickname for Mary, however there is a chance they were different women, which would indicate three marriages for Daniel. Since most of Daniel's children were born at indeterminate times in the 1764-1772 range, their mother is unknown.

Daniel served as a Sergeant in the Bedford County, Virginia Militia in 1758 during the period of the French and Indian War. On 22 November 1779, Daniel Gilbert was appointed as a Second Lieutenant in the Bedford County, Virginia Militia in the American Revolutionary War.^[1]

Daniel moved from Campbell (formerly Bedford) County, Virginia to Spartanburg District, South Carolina by 5 November 1785, when, with John Morris, he witnessed a deed from Kirkondall to Joseph Morris for land on Buck Creek of the Pacolate River. On 1 January 1786, Daniel received a grant for 120 acres lying on Thickety Creek of the Broad River in Spartanburg District.

In the 1790 U.S. Census, Daniel appeared in a sequence of five families which included households headed by three of his sons: Samuel, Thomas and Garvis. Immediately before that group were multiple Morris families. A fourth son, George Gibbert (sic) appeared on the prior census page.

On 8 March 1791, Daniel purchased 100 acres of land from William Barton in Spartanburg District, South Carolina. The land was on the south side of the Pacolate River and the deed was witnessed by his son, George Gilbert, and Joseph Morris of the November 1785 deed. Three days later, Daniel purchased another 514 acres on the Pacolate River from William Barton and, again, George Gilbert and Joseph Morris witnessed the transaction. A week after that, Joseph Morris purchased Barton land and the transaction was witnessed by Dan Gilbert and Samuel Gilbert.

After the 1791 land acquisitions on the Pacolate River, Daniel sold his 120 acre Thickety Creek land grant on 18 August 1792.

Also in 1792, Daniel and at least eight other Gilberts appeared on the membership roll of the Boiling Springs Baptist Church of Spartanburg County, South Carolina. The other Gilberts on the list included Daniel's sons Samuel, Jarvis and Isaiah. The Mary Gilbert may have been his wife Mary (aka Molley) or a daughter and the other females either daughters or daughters-in-law. The membership list contained many names of neighbors and associates of the Gilberts as proven by censi and deed records. Some members of these families later intermarried with the Gilberts. Significant families included the Bishops, Burgess', Cartees, Kimbrels, Morris' and Olivers,

On 25 January 1797, Daniel sold 188 acres to his son Samuel. We know Samuel was his son, because the deed states the fact. The transaction was witnessed by sons Dan Jr., Jarvis and John. We don't know if this was the intent, but having the transaction witnessed (and thereby approved) by three other brothers could later eliminate misunderstandings.

On 17 July 1800, Dan Gilbert Sr and wife Molley sold son John Gilbert 70 acres of the 1791 land purchase. A Mary Gilbert, relationship unknown (daughter or D.I.L.?) witnessed the transaction. Again, we can't know the intent of these transactions, but Daniel was in his late 60's at the time and much to old to work the land. Selling it would provide income for himself and make the estate easier to manage in the future.

On 6 October 1802, Dan and John Gilbert witness a land purchase by Samuel Gilbert in Spartanburg District, South Carolina. We don't know if the Dan Gilbert witnessing the deed was Daniel Sr or Jr. However, on 9 February 1805, Dan Gilbert Sr again sells son Samuel Gilbert land in Spartanburg District. The 70 acres sold was from the 1791 purchases and the transaction was witnessed by Thomas Kimbol and Isaiah Gilbert, who was believed to be Daniel Gilbert Sr's youngest son. The deed citation was very interesting in that it stated the land was bordered on the south by "John Gilbert, agreeable with line run by John Gilbert and Mark Gilbert to divide John Gilbert’s land. "

The 1805 deed was the last record found for Daniel and in the 1810 U.S. Census for Spartanburg he was unlisted leading to the logical conclusion that he died between 1805 and 1810.

It's unknown precisely where Daniel was buried, but a fine brass memorial plaque was placed for him in 1976 by the Gilbert researcher Horace Gilbert. That plaque is located at the Gilbert Family Cemetery in Cooley Springs, Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Bear in mind that the plaque is a memorial and not a valid genealogical record. A photograph of the plaque may be viewed at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/64303598/daniel-gilbert (G. Pinson note: Will later add source citations and reference them in the part of the biography dealing with Daniel's life in Spartanburg S.C. The entire bio needs to be reorganized as do the source citations. 7/2/2022)

Research Notes

• One of the many dangers to copy and paste genealogy is that you transfer both erroneous, as well as unproven, information to your publication. I've edited several profiles for the Garvis Gilbert line from Maryland listing birthplaces in "Hartford" County, Maryland. There has never been a "Hartford" County, Maryland. Harford, not Hartford, County was created from Baltimore County, in 1773. By that time, Daniel Gilbert Sr had been out of Maryland for decades. Daniel was born and raised in Baltimore County. When in doubt, check before listing birth and death places based on other's claims.

Proposed Children

1. William Gilbert was born in VA c. 1750 - 1760.
2. Daniel Gilbert JR. (1760s VA - 1833 Buncombe Co NC). He married Rebecca Steele.
3. Garvis Gilbert was born in Virginia c. 1760's. Garvis died c. 1820 - 1830 in South Carolina, at 60 years of age.
4. John Gilbert was born in Virginia c. 1760's. John died c. 1830 - 1840 in South Carolina, at 70 years of age.
5. Mary Ann (Gilbert) Sexton was born in VA 1764. She married in Bedford Co., VA., March 4, 1780 John Sexton b. about 1765 in Bedford Co., Va., d. in Cocke Co., TN. [ or b. about 1762 in Charlotte County, VA., d. Jul 04 1844 in Greene Co.]. She was still living in 1849 in Cook Co., TN. She applied for a pension on John Sexton's Revolutionary War Service. In so doing, she obtained affidavits from her half-brother, Isaiah Gilbert, who was living in Greene Co., TN. at the time he made his affidavit, and Elizabeth Gilbert Galyean, who was living in Sevier Co., TN. when she made her affidavit, in which Mary Ann stated she was born in Bedford Co., Va., the daughter of Dan Gilbert.
6. Thomas F. Gilbert was born in Virginia c. 1765-1774. Thomas died c. 1823 - 1830 in Alabama.
7. George Gilbert was born in Virginia c. 1765 - 1774. George died c. 1808 - 1810 in South Carolina, at 43 years of age.
8. Samuel Gilbert was born in Virginia c. 1770's. Samuel died JAN 1832 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, at 61 years of age.
9. Elizabeth (Gilbert) Galyear (Gallion?) was born in Virginia c. 1772. Elizabeth died after 1844 Greene County, Tennessee.
10. Mark Gilbert was born in Virginia 1774 - 1784. Mark died c. 1815 in Spartanburg Co. South Carolina, at 36 years of age. He married Jemima [Gilbert?] b. 1773 in VA, d. 1849 in Paulding Co., GA. A son of Mark Gilbert is Arthur Gilbert b. 4 Oct 1806 (probably in Spartanburg Co.) d. 27 July 1888 Murray County GA, buried in New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery. Married 10 July 1834 in Union Co GA to Mary Headrick b.25 Dec 1819 d. 7 Mar 1903 Murray Co. GA.
11. Isaiah Gilbert was born in Virginia 9 NOV 1780. Isaiah died after 1844 in Tennessee. Isaiah Gilbert made an affidavit in Green Co., Tenn on 19 July 1844 & stated he and Mary Gilbert Sexton had the same father & he stated he (Isaiah) was born 9 Nov. 1780 in Bedford, Co., Va. (Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files, Volume III: N-Z, John & Mary Ann Sexton, Virginia Line, W172. abstracted by Virgil D. White. Published by the National Historical Publishing Co. Waynesboro, Tenn. 1992) He married Kizzia Cassandra Woody (1786 - 1831).
12. Elinor Gilbert was born in Virginia before 1790.
13. Salley Gilbert was born in Virginia before 1790.

Daniel Gilbert's Wives

It is proven that Daniel Gilbert Sr. had two wives, named Elizabeth and Mary, but both wives' maiden names are unknown. Both marriages would have occurred in Bedford County, Virginia. The end of Daniel’s first marriage and the beginning of his second are known to fall in the 1764 to 1772 period, demarcated by the births of his daughters, Mary Ann (Gilbert) Sexton and Elizabeth (Gilbert) Galyean, Pension testimony proved they were half-sisters.

Countless descendants have sought proof of the wives ancestry to no avail. However, unsubstantiated claims have been made in unsourced family trees and copied by eager, but unwitting genealogists. Two of those claims previously found their way into this profile.

It has been proposed with no proof, that Daniel's first wife was Elizabeth Gott (Gott-826) and his second wife was Mary Ann Saxon (Saxon-630). I have left full statements on both of their wikitree profiles why the claims are totally without proof and in some ways implausible. I therefore, have detached as claimed wives, both profiles from this profile for Daniel Gilbert.

If someone can provide real evidence that either lady was Daniel Gilbert's wife, which I'm sure they won't, the profile can be reattached to his profile. Meanwhile, leaving the imaginary wives attached only will lead to more beginning genealogists copying and spreading unproven and fallacious claims.

Meanwhile, the fact that George Willcox was listed as first wife Elizabeth's security during her 1755 conviction offers a valuable clue that should be investigated. It is quite likely that Willcox (Wilcox) was Elizabeth's blood relative. Perhaps her father, or brother. One should not leap to turn this hypothesis into fact just to fill a surname in a family tree. However it is possible that a diligent search through Wilcox records could confirm it.

G. Pinson (Pinson-796) 2/14/2022.

Census Data and Notes

1790 Spartanburg County, South Carolina Census

• Thomas F. Gilbert 1,2,1,0,0
• Samuel Gilbert 1,0,1,0,0
• Wm Gordon
• Garvis Gilbert 1,0,4?,0,0
• Daniel Gilbert 3,4?,5,0,0

Notes:

• This 1790 Census was Page 33. In familysearch.org it’s sheet 9 of 11. The names above were in sequence, without interruption.
• Column key left to right: Free white males 16 years and upward. Free white males under 16 years. Free white females. All other free persons. Slaves.
• The number listed as 4? for both Garvis and his father, Daniel, could have been a 4 or a 2. The number appeared to be a composite of those numbers.
• Samuel was a proven son from a deed stating so. He was childless in this census and undoubtedly, the youngest of the three sons shown.
• Garvis was 16, or older (born by 1774). Obviously much older and appears to have three daughters by this census. He was probably Daniel Gilbert Sr.'s eldest son and named after his paternal grandfather.
• Thomas Gilbert was another of Daniel's older sons. One of the two males (under 16) in his house is believed to have been William Gilbert and the other may have been George W. Gilbert, although he is claimed by some to have been Thomas' nephew, not son.
• There were a bunch of Morris families immediately before. Perhaps a Gilbert wife was a Morris?
• On the page prior, (page 32) was found: George Gilbert (sic) 1,1,3,_,_ (last two numbers cut off page). Two doors from George is Thos. Gore who was on a Gilbert deed. George Gilbert is viewed as another of Daniel Gilbert's older sons.

1800 Spartanburg County, South Carolina Census

Dan Gilbert (listed page 175)

• one male over 45 (b. pre 1755)
• one female over 45
• one male 26-45 (b. 1755-74)
• two males 16-26 (b. 1774-84)
• one female 16-26
• one female 10-16

Thomas F. Gilbert (listed page 175, 6 houses later)

• one male 26-45 (b. 1755-74)
• one female 26-45
• one male 10-16 (b. 1784-90)
• two males to 10 (b. 1790-1800)
• one female to 10

Jervis Gilbert (listed page 175, 6 houses later)

• one male over 45 (b. pre 1755)
• one female 26-45
• two females 10-16
• one female to 10

Daniel Gilbert JR. (listed page 175, 4 houses later)

• one male 26-45 (b. 1755-74)
• one female 26-45
• three males 10-16 (b. 1784-90)
• two males to 10 (b. 1790-1800)
• one female 10-16
• two females to 10

Mark Gilbert (listed page 175, 5 houses later)

• one male 26-45 (b. 1755-74)
• one female 26-45

Samuel Gilbert (listed page 175, next house)

• one male 26-45 (b. 1755-74)
• one female 26-45
• two males to 10 (b. 1790-1800)
• one female 10-16
• two females to 10

George Gilbert (listed page 176, 52 houses later)

• one male 26-45 (b. 1755-74)
• one female 26-45
• one male 16-26 (b. 1774-84)
• two males 10-16 (b. 1784-90)
• two males to 10 (b. 1790-1800)
• one female 10-16
• one female to 10

Note:

• No Gilbert HOH departed from 1790 Census. "New" HOH from 1790 Census are: Dan Gilbert Jr. and Mark Gilbert.
• Daniel Gilbert Sr is the first listed and his son, Daniel Jr., the fourth. All the other Gilberts listed are known, or strongly believed to have been Daniel Gilbert Sr's sons. Once again, George Gilbert is an outlier, but the other Gilberts are not far apart, as indicated by the house spacing notation by their names.
• Note the 26-45 year old male in Daniel Gilbert Srs household. A son, or son in law? Isaiah Gilbert?
• Jervis (Garvis, Jarvis, etc) has no males in his 1800 household and no young emancipated male, who could possibly be his son, is heading a household in Spartanburg County in 1800. If he had male children, they undoubtedly died young.
• Note that Mark is childless and in his first census as head of household. He was one of Daniel's youngest sons.

Sources

1. ↑ 1779 - OB. No. 6, p 262: "At a Court held for Bedford County Oct. 25, 1779 ...Daniel Gilbert recommended for 2nd Lieut. ,,,". 1779 ° OB. No. 6, p 264 : "At a Court held for Bedford County Nov 22, 1779 John Gilbert, Captain, Daniel Gilbert 2nd Lt. and Benjamin Butterworth, Ensign, Qualified accdg. to law"

• 1790 Census Spartanburg Dist, SC pg 89 Daniel GILBERT age 16+ (bef 1774) "3-4-5-0-0";

• "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRC-4D7 : accessed 18 June 2022), Dan Gilbert, Spartanburg District, South Carolina, United States; citing p. 175, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 50; FHL microfilm 181,425. Dan GILBERT age 45+ (bef 1755) "00211-01101";

• Source: S682539552 U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Yates Publishing Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com
• Source: S682539583 U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 .Original data - Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls