Thomas Gillham Sr. (abt. 1710 - abt. 1785)

Born about 1710 in Ulster, Ireland [uncertain]

Husband of Margaret (Campbell) Gillham — married 1749 in Calfpasture, Virginia

Descendants

Died about 1785 at about age 75 in York County, South Carolina, United States of America

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Biography

Thomas Gillham Sr. was a Civil Servant in the American Revolution.

Thomas Gillham, Sr., the patriarch of the Gillham family is believed to be a Scots-Irish (or Ulster Scot) immigrant born circa 1710. Nothing is yet known of his origins or early life.

Most of what is known about Thomas comes from his time in Augusta County, Virginia Colony, as documented in Lyman Chalkley's "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia", and in published accounts by two descendants - Hon. Daniel B. Gilliam, a great-grandson, and W. Clark Gilliam, a 3rd great-grandson, both who descend through Thomas’ son John.

According to family legend, Thomas came to America from Ulster, Great Britain (now Northern Ireland) with his first wife, Mary Meade and the eldest two of their four children:^[1]

• Charles
• Ezekiel
• Mary
• Nancy

The young family settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania then later joined the mass Scots-Irish migration south along the Great Wagon Trail.

1744 is the first time Thomas is noted as being a resident in the newly formed Augusta County, Virginia Colony.^[2] He was clearly part of the Scots-Irish community who settled there, most of whom were of the Presbyterian faith.

On 25 July 1745, an indenture was recorded between James Patton and John Lewis of Augusta County and Thomas Gillham of same, for five shillings, 168 Acres lying on both sides of the Great River of the Calf Pasture beginning at William Jameson’s land.^[3]

Family lore also has passed down a vague story concerning the murder of Thomas’ first wife, Mary, by the hands of either a neighbor's slave or a native American. Whatever the true facts, her tragic early death left Thomas a widower with four children.^[1]

He soon remarried to Margaret Campbell (circa 1748), a who was supposedly a sister of Thomas’ son-in-law. ^[1]

Together, Thomas and Margaret had seven children, all born in Calfpasture.^[4] Their names are as follows:

• Sarah
• Susannah
• Thomas, Jr.
• William
• James
• John
• Isaac

On 28 August 1751, 200 Acres in Calfpasture was conveyed to Thomas by his in-laws, William and Sarah Campbell and other near kin (likely wife, Margaret's maternal uncle) Robert Gay and his wife, Margaret. The parcel was recorded as being "where William and Robert live". ^[5]

Thomas played an active role in the Augusta County militia, defending the western frontier of Virginia Colony against Native American raids particularly during the French and Indian War. He qualified for rank of Captain of the Foot on 20 August 1752 ^[6]and appears to have served in this capacity through 1758.^[7]

The same day he became Captain of the Foot, an indenture was recorded between Thomas Gillham and wife, Margaret to James Lockridge for the 168 Acres in Great Calfpasture, corner of William Jameson's land and Mill Creek that Thomas had purchased in 1745.^[8]

Thomas was named as son-in-law in the 5 October 1754 will of William Campbell of Calfpasture. On 1 September 1759, he was named executor in the will of his own son-in-law, Jacob Clements.^[9]

By 1764, Thomas and Margaret decided to move their clan further south to North Carolina.

On 25 August 1764, the couple sold to to John Corolile, for 45 pounds, 200 Acres in Calfpasture bounded by lands of Robert Gay’s orphans, Samuel Campbell’s lands and William Wills’ lands.^[5][10]

Thomas was granted 300 Acres of land along Bullock and Bells Creeks in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina on 30 October 1765. He was granted an additional 100 Acres along Bells Creek, a branch of Bullocks Creek on 26 October 1767. Boundary changes would later place these parcels in York County, South Carolina.^[11]

Many unsourced accounts state that Thomas served in the Revolutionary War, however no record exists to support these claims. A grave marker erected more than a century after his death lists a rank of Captain in the South Carolina miltia. ^[12] However, this simply does not appear to be based on any verifiable fact.

Thomas, after all would have been a man in his 60s or even 70s during the earliest years of the U.S. War of the Revolution. DAR records indicate he served as a juror, per local jury lists, but to what extent this civil service had anything to do with the war effort is not known.^[13] It certainly wasn't a combat role within the rank of captain.

Thomas Gillham's death date is also unknown. Some researchers believe he died sometime after 1790, but no verifiable source has been found.

The last known proven record for him is a land transaction in 1780. On 25 February 1780, Thomas Gillham, Sr. of Craven County, Camden District South Carolina conveyed to Thomas Gillham, Jr. 180 Acres on the North side of Broad River on the waters of Bullock Creek, being part of 360 Acres granted to Thomas Gillham, Sr. on 26 September 1766 by North Carolina.^[14]

There were two Thomas Gillhams enumerated in the 1790 federal census for York County, South Carolina. One, written as "Thos. Gillam" is most definitely his grandson, Thomas (son of Charles), as his household had only one free white male over the age of 16 (and two under the age of 16, plus four white females), indicating a younger man's family. He is listed adjacent to his father, Charles. The other, written as "Thos. Gilham", had a household with two white males over the age of 16 (and two under the age of 16, plus six white females).^[15]. This man is certainly Thomas Gillham, Jr. But since we know Thomas jr. had a son, William born 2 November 1771 and married around 1800, it is likely that the second adult male over age 16 is his son William and not his father Thomas Gillham, Sr.

Research Notes

y-DNA said to be R1b1a2 http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/gillham/367/ Per Herb GIllham, in 1999

Burial place is likely the Bullock Creek Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Sharon, York County, South Carolina, USA, GPS (lat/lon):, 34.85807, 81.4082

Thomas Gillham Sr died between 1785-1790 and was buried in Bullock Creek Presbyterian Cemetery in Sharon, SC. A memorial marker gives us the death year of 1785 for Margaret Campbell Gillham and death year of 1744 for Mary Meade Gillham. There is a discrepancy between Mary Meade's death date and the birth year for Sarah, first child of Margaret. There are no known records to clear up this discrepancy yet.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Gillham, W. Clark, "The Family of Thomas Gillham", microfilm #1321309 Item 5, (Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986), pp. 3-4, 8.
2. ↑ Quaife, Milo M., ed., "The Preston and Virginia Papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts, Volume I", Google Books (Online: Google Inc., 2004), [Originally published Quaife, Milo M., ed., "The Preston and Virginia Papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts, Volume I", (Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1915), p. 3], <https://books.google.com/books?id=j7MTAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=gilham&f=false>
3. ↑ Gilliam, Gregory A. "GILLIAMs of Orange County", GILLIAMs of Virginia, [Original source: Sparacio, Ruth Trickey, "Deed Abstracts of Orange County, Virginia (1743-1759)", (McLean, VA : R.L. and S. Sparacio, 1985)],<http://www.gilliamsofvirginia.org/Orange/Orange.html>
4. ↑ Brink, W.R., "History of Madison County Illinois, Illustrated, with Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Pioneers", (Edwardsville, Ill.: W.R. Brink & Co., 1892), pp. 71-76.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Montgomery, Robert H., "Gay Families of Augusta and Rockbridge Counties, Virginia", FamilySearch (Online : Genealogical Society of Utah, 2013), [Originally published Montgomery, Robert H., "Gay Families of Augusta and Rockbridge Counties, Virginia", Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, volume 59, April, 1951, number 2, (Richmond: Virginia Historical Society, 1951), p. 210], <https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/7944?availability=Family%20History%20Library>
6. ↑ "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, Volume I", USGenWeb (Online: USGenWeb Project, 1996), [Originally published Chalkley, Lyman, "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County 1745-1800, Volume 1", (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1974), p. 53], <http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~chalkley/volume_1/or03_50.htm#page 54>
7. ↑ Quaife, Milo M., ed., "The Preston and Virginia Papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts, Volume I", Google Books (Online: Google Inc., 2004), [Originally published Quaife, Milo M., ed., "The Preston and Virginia Papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts, Volume I", (Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1915), pp. 30, 38, 48], <https://books.google.com/books?id=j7MTAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=gilham&f=false>
8. ↑ Morton, Oren F., "Annals of Bath County, Virginia", Google Books (Online: Google Inc., 2004), [Originally published Morton, Oren F., "Annals of Bath County, Virginia", (Stauton, Virginia: The McClure Co., Inc., 1917), p. 168], <https://books.google.com/books?id=OkgUAAAAYAAJ&q=gilham#v=snippet&q=gilham&f=false>
9. ↑ "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, Volume III", USGenWeb (Online: USGenWeb Project, 1996), [Originally published Chalkley, Lyman, "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County 1745-1800, Volume 3", (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1974), pp. 55-56], <http://ftp.rootsweb.ancestry.com/pub/usgenweb/va/augusta/court/3court5.txt>
10. ↑ "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, Volume III", USGenWeb (Online: USGenWeb Project, 1996), [Originally published Chalkley, Lyman, "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County 1745-1800, Volume 3", (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1974), p. 306], <http://ftp.rootsweb.ancestry.com/pub/usgenweb/va/augusta/court/3court30.txt>
11. ↑ Manuscript and Archives Reference System MARS, State Archives of North Carolina (Online: ncdcr.gov, 2012), <http://mars.archives.ncdcr.gov/BasicSearch.aspx>
12. ↑ Melton, Angie "Grammy", "Memorial marker for Capt. Thomas Gillham, Sr.", jpeg image, FindAGrave (Online: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2012),[Memorial marker located Bullock Creek Presbyterian Church Cemtery, Sharon, South Carolina, USA], <https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=73292365>
13. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 2015-09-11), "Record of Thomas Gillam", Ancestor # A044774.
14. ↑ "York County, South Carolina Trails ", (Online: Genealogy Trails, 2017), [Originally published "York County Deed Book A Abstracts, 1786-1787", The Quarterly, Vol. 3, (Rock Hill, South Carolina: York County Genealogical and Historical Society, December 1991/March 1992), pp.9-11], <http://genealogytrails.com/scar/york/probate_misc.htm>
15. ↑ "1790 United States Federal Census (Population Schedule)," Fairfield, York County, South Carolina, Thos. Gillam household, jpeg image, FamilySearch (Online: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., 2010), [Original source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), "1790 United States Federal Census (Population Schedule)", NARA microfilm publication M637, roll 11, ((Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), pp. 198-199], <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBZ-C1J?i=28&cc=1803959>

See also

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed September 5, 2022), "Record of Thomas Gillam", Ancestor # A044774.

• Find A Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 17 July 2017), memorial #73292365 for CPT Thomas Gillham, Sr (1710 - 1790) - Find A Grave Memorial.

• Family records assembled by Edgar Rasch

• Lisle, John B., "Davidson Genealogy Research", John B. Lisle (Online: davidsongenealogy.com , 1995-2016), <http://www.davidsongenealogy.com/family1/getperson.php?personID=I20492&tree=Family1>

• 1740 CENSUS; Thomas Gillham in Surry Co, VA