Location: Augusta County, Colony of Virginia

Surnames/tags: Gillespie Glassy
Contents |
Introduction
This content was copied from the profile of James Gillespie (abt.1707-bef.1769) on 7 January 2024.
Subsequent research conducted after this content was added to his profile showed that two James Gillespie families in Virginia were being conflated (Beverley Manor vs Cowpasture River). Additionally, no reliable sources have been found connecting this James Gillespie with specific persons in Ireland, his stated origin, or Scotland, the other purported origin.
This content is being preserved as it may contain valuable leads for this James Gillespie or for other Gillespie families. However, the content needs further research, reliable sourcing, and review. Spratlin-29 16:36, 7 January 2024 (UTC)
Research Notes
Purported Origins
James is purported to have the following origins:
- Falkirk Parish, Scotland (see below)
- James is assumed (no source) by some to have been born about 1700 in Ulster, Ireland.[citation needed]
Falkirk Parish, Scotland
[Needs Review] Unproven Origins
[This subheading purports origins that are not properly supported by reliable sources connecting the person in Europe with the person in Virginia. Spratlin-29 18:44, 28 September 2023 (UTC)]
James Gillespie was born into a long line of Gillespies from Falkirk Parish, Scotland, whose recorded history we have traced at the least to the beginnings of the 18th Century when the Parish first recorded Christenings.[1] He was born on 2 November 1701, in Falkirk Parish to William Gillespie and Mary Killan.[2]
He was strongly dedicated to family. What's interesting is the nature of his ties to the children he sired. All evidence shows he was having an affair when he was young and first married out of which came Agnes, his first child born in Kincardinshire, out of the way of Falkirk. Agnes became a part of his family as he included her in the family he sponsored to the colonies in 1740. His first wife bore their boy, John in Edinburgh, but after she ostensibly died, there were two children in his household, his son a baby when he married Jennett. Jennett ultimately gave birth to 4 of his children, William being 12, and James being 4 by the time they moved from Scotland, one who died in infancy in the colonies, and the last born and raised in Virginia. This is also seen in his Will where he bequeaths some property to his wife's brother, John who apparently moved to Ireland where he raised a family. He calls him his "brother."
One can guess the character of James Gillespies who was a supreme support for both his kith and kin [1] through providing sound judgment especially regarding how to take advantage of his opportunities when territory opened in Cowpasture, Augusta County. Certainly more research is needed to make any definitive statements, but the Gillespies had enough money to pay their own way to Pennsylvania, and then independently settle on land west of the Alleghenies in 1740, 7 years after it was opened. In fact, James was instrumental in developing, cultivating and moving produce to the closest city, York 330 miles North of Cowpasture. So it seems obvious they had also been farmers in Falkirk.[3] Ultimately he would give his 1,000 acres of land or more precisely 3 full plantations to his sons outright upon his death in 1768. As tobacco didn't grow well there, they most probably grew and traded Hemp whose fibers were used for a number of useful purposes for the colonists.[4]
It is presumed the family of James Gillespie of Falkirk Parish is the same family then found in Orange County, Virginia, as early as 1740.[citation needed]
[Needs Review] Family & Heritage
[This subheading purports two marriages, one subsequently disproven, and origins that are not properly supported by reliable sources connecting the person in Europe with the person in Virginia. Spratlin-29 18:44, 28 September 2023 (UTC)]
Parrish records show a christening of Agnes with James Gillespie as father and a mother named Janet Thom: Agnes Gillespie b. 15 May 1719 parents James Gillespie and Janet Thom in Kincardine 7.2 miles from Falkirk.[5] There is nothing further on church records regarding this couple.
Church records might show two marriages:
First Marriage Elizabeth McBeath married James Gillespie in Edinburgh 5 Oct 1718 (See Parish list which includes both Elizabeth and Janet.
But then together James and Elizabeth had the following:
- James Gillespie b. 27 Sep 1719 Edinburgh Parents James Gillepie and Elizabeth McBaith / McBeath[6]
- Margaret Gillespie b. 21 Aug 1720 Edinburgh Parents James Gillespie and Elizabeth McBaith[7]
- John b. 19 Jan 1724 Edinburgh John parents James Gillespie and Elizabeth McBaith[8] and then there's THIS
- George Gillepsie b. 14 Jul 1728 Edinburgh Parents James Gillespie and Elizabeth McBaith / McBeath[9]
This doesn't seem to be the right James Gillespie and this is why sources can be tricky...
- James Gillespie of Falkirk married Janet Bennie married James Gillespie 13 May 1725 in Falkirk[10]
- Helen Gillespie b. 23 Jan 1726 Parents James Gillespie and Janet Bennie[11]
- William Gillespie b. 18 Feb 1728 Parents: James Gillespie and Janet Bennie[12]
- James Gillespie b. 14 Jul 1734 Parents: James Gillespie and Janet Bennie[13]
- Mungo Gillespie b. 11 Jul 1736 Parents James Gillespie and Janet Bennie[14]
James and Janet brought 4 children to the colonies being Agnes, John, William and James when they Emigrated in 1740 as one of the original Settlers of Augusta County. As Mungo and Helen are not mentioned on the passage listing, it is presumed they died. They had 2 more children being:[15][16]
- Margaret Gillespie b 1741 Died in infancy
- Elizabeth Gillespie (1742/43)
[Needs Review] Legacy
Property in Falkirk/Stirlingshire[17]
There are some indications that the Gillespies owned land in Falkirk.
- The family traces back to the beginnings of Parish records in the early 17th Century. We find father to son for over a century by the time James left for the colonies. If the family were tenants, one expects to see more movement from one place to another.
- They were farmers. The Gillespies successfully managed 3 separate plantations that were eventually left to the sons in Virginia.
- James clearly had the funding to not only get passage for his family of 5 to the colonies, but show reason to acquire hundreds of acres in the developing Augusta County.
- From the The History of Stirlingshire Chapter XXXVII – Landowners, "There are several extensive estates in the county, but property is very much divided. Farms in the lower districts vary from 20 to 300 acres. In the hilly and mountainous districts, however, they are considerably larger... In St. Ninians parish, which has the highest valuation of the county, there are 140 farms...
In this Chapter we see the following "Gillespies" on record for St. Ninians:
- Mrs. Elizabeth Honyman Gillespie of Torbanehill, 283 pounds
- In Airth parish there are 34 farms – Bellsdyke farm (Robert William Gillespie Stainton, Esq.) is valued at 396 pounds, and the minerals at 125 pounds[18] Bellsdyke is tempting as James' wife Jennett is from Denny, a factory town using minerals.
- But probably most compelling though "Gillespie" isn't prominent are still the farms of Falkirk:
- "There are 107 farms in the parish of Falkirk – farms of Redbrae, Lippy, and Glenrig (Mrs. Eliza G.W. Ralston), valued at 276 pounds; part of Merchiston and Mungal (Mrs. J.G. Stainton), at 240 pounds; Mid and Easter Newlands (Thomas S. Maccal, Esq.), at 190 pounds; farm of Newhouse (Trustees of William Marshall, Esq.), at 172 pounds; Dyke (James Haldane, Esq., and others), at 155 pounds; Jaweraig (Trustees of William Scott, Esq.), at 105 pounds; Oakerdyke (Mrs. Margaret Thomson Rankine), at 73 pounds; farm of Strathavon (J.S. Douglas, Esq. of Polmunckshead), at 70 pounds; lands of South Bantaskine, &c. (John Wilson, Esq.), at 396 pounds; Summerford, &c. (Ralph Stark, Esq.), at 151 pounds; and colliery pit, Redding (His Grace the Duke of Hamilton), at 350 pounds."
Record Search
In Virginia:
- A James Gillespie is listed in "The History of Rockbridge County, Virginia" where it lists some of his descendants, but is unsourced.[19] James is not listed in the General Index, so not obvious why listed in the Miscellaneous Data section. Presumably the same as this James based on the death date of 1769. Lists "bro. to John," presumablly from his Will. Does not list Jennet, his wife, listed here in his importation oath and his Will.
- Archibald Glendenning mentions William Gillespie and _____ Gillespie in his will which was probably James' grandchildren through his son William. There is a possibility there were two Gillespie families in Bath County Virginia at that time. More research may reveal they were in different territories: William in Cowpasture and ____ in Bullpasture. This will probably come out in the near future.
In Ireland and Scotland:
- Another Interesting thing is that though the church (Scotland) recorded marriages and birth, there's less information on funerals. What did they do with the dead?
- The same lack of funeral records can be observed (see rootsireland.ie) in Donegal County, Ireland, as late as 1850. Would be good to understand why this occurred.Spratlin-29 14:48, 19 April 2022 (UTC)
- Earliest Gillespies listed in Kith & Kin Lennon 12 c MacPherson Clan.[20]
- There is nothing about the Gillespies of Falkirk to connect them with the Gillespies who are scholars in Kirkcaldy.
- There was some thought James' mothers' name was Cullon. There is a William Gillespie and Mary Cullan who christened a boy in Falkirk named William 1 Dec 1695.[21]
- Agnes Gillespie b. 15 May 1719 parents James Gillespie and Janet Thom in Kincardine 7.2 miles from Falkirk[5]
- John Gillespie b. 19 Jan 1724 parents James Gillespie and Elizabeth McBaith / McBaeth Edinburgh [8] Probably not true (see above) but then who is this John?
- William Gillespie b. 18 Feb 1728 Parents: James Gillespie and Janet Bennie[12]
- James Gillespie b. 14 Jul 1734 Parents: James Gillespie and Janet Bennie[13]
- Name Gillespie[22]: There's two Gillespies: one from Ireland, the other Scotland. It is extremely difficult figuring out which line is which before acquiring the proper records -- especially when we add names common to both. As tempting as it is to think that there's one lineage that comes from one name, this has not been what we see from names. Generally names were applied to people often to reflect a royal, or even geographical setting on your home base. They were used in Medieval Times to identify families in tax and property roles.
- The name, Gillespie then was probably applied to this family designating a Servant to a Bishop, which would be true for both Ireland and Scotland. The most convincing evidence that James Gillespie comes from Scotland, though, is because the Descendant with the most Percentage of DNA from the 18th Century is Stephen Ferguson, the only DNA Connection of our profile at 1.56%. Ferguson is important because Ferguson are the Chiefs of a Scottish Clan in Ayrshire, (Highlanders on Scotland's SW coast) who originally came from Aberdeen in the NE shores.[23] This is further supported by the Cunninghams who married Elizabeth (Gillespie) Cunningham a grand daughter through William. The Cunninghams were also a powerful sept from Ayrshire from Clan Bruce[24]. One of the reasons I Moyer=780 knew Nancy belonged to this family was that when I first came here in 2013, Mary Glendinning had given birth to Elizabeth within months of Nancy (Gillespie) Owens in Pennsylvania. They have since changed her birthday...but that's understandable.
- The colonial frontier that was mainly settled from about 1717 to 1775 were mostly Presbyterian settlers from North England border lands, Scotland, and Ulster, fleeing hard times and religious persecution. The fourth major center of settlement was the Western frontier, located in the Western parts of Pennsylvania and in the South, which was settled during the early to late 18th century by mostly Scots-Irish, with others mostly from North England border lands. ... Historically, northern English, Scottish and Scotch-Irish Protestants settled in the interior of the South, and the Appalachian region.[27]
- By 1740 The Frontier Scots-Irish were people of Scottish background and ancestry who were sent to the northern part of Ireland in 1610 in order to promote British influence in Ireland. A century later they left Ireland to seek their fortunes in America. Many of these entered through the port of Philadelphia and then moved south to take up land in the Valley of Virginia. They settled in the counties of Augusta, Botetourt, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and the lands to the Southwest. The towns of Winchester, Staunton, Lexington, Fincastle, and Abington were largely Scotch-Irish. So far, it seems his father and his family lived in Falkirk, so I have nothing yet to say these were Scots-Irish per se, but may have been closely aligned with them. [2] So, the Scots-Irish were in Ireland for over a 100 years before emigrating to the Colonies. Calling James Gillespie Scots-Irish is misleading and dilutes his heritage as a Scotsman who was defending Scottish interests until they left their home in 1740, over 130 years after Scottish people began settling in Ulster. There is 130 miles between Ayrshire and Ulster, perhaps 40 miles of water between them.
- Clearly, the Scottish Gillespies were strongly tied to Borderland Scots.
- Login to edit this profile and add images.
- Private Messages: Send a private message to the Profile Manager. (Best when privacy is an issue.)
- Public Comments: Login to post. (Best for messages specifically directed to those editing this profile. Limit 20 per day.)