Gillespies originated in the British Isles. Click on the green or blue words that are links to records.
PRONI – The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland
The National Archives of Ireland – for census records
History
“Politically, the island is divided between The Republic of Ireland, called ‘Ireland’, an independent state of 26 counties, and Northern Ireland (a constituent country of the United Kingdom). They share an open border and both are part of the common travel area.
Northern Ireland consisted of six counties: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone. These form two-thirds of the historical province of Ulster, and perhaps why Irish- born Scots from there are called Ulster Scots in North America.
Many Presbyterian Scots, mainly from Stirlingshire and Ayrshire, Scotland moved to Northern Ireland in two immigration schemes during 1600s to take over Catholic estates, whose land owners and tenants were forced to flee south or elsewhere. Many people were killed during these years. During the same period, English settlers moved into County Londonderry and also south into County Fermanagh, while dominating in Derry. That all 16 original settlers might have been related seems high, and their Scottish roots a probability.
There is an indepth study of the Immigration Scheme of the 17th Century to Northern Ireland on the Ulster Historical Foundation website.
The earliest Gillespie records in Ireland found so far include:
1630 Ulster Munster Rolls:
Co Antrim, Co Armagh, Co Cavan, Co Donegal, Co Down, Co Fermanagh, Co Londonderry, Co Monaghan, Co Tryone – listing of Gillespie settlers on huge estates across Northern Ireland.
1659 – Pender’s Census 1630
lists two groups of Gillespie in only two counties in all of Ireland. None under spelling Gillespie.
- County Antrim 8 individuals McGillaspie
- Co Donegal 8 individuals McGillaspick. See Hearth Money Rolls for some of these names less than 10 years late
Family History of Ann Gillespie & Patrick Byne, m 1896 Ireland by Paul Belile.
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Earliest records
- Co Donegal 1630. Also Marriage 1746 Raphoe
- Co Antrim 1630
- Co Tyrone 1630
- Co Down 1630
- Co Louth 1676 birth
- Co Fermanagh 1702
- Dublin 1712 christening
- Co Limerick 1729 christening
- Co Cork 1734 christening
- Co Carlow 1740 baptism
- Co Longford 1780 marriage
- Co Armagh 1796
- Kerry 1799 Baptism
- Belfast 1813
Ireland’s Administrative Districts
Griffith’s Valuation Records Explained 1847-1865
Advertisements for Lost Irish Relatives
Diocese of Clogher:
This Diocese covers county Monaghan, nearly the whole of Fermanagh, and a large portion of Tyrone, also parts of Louth, Donegal and Cavan. There were 36 parishes in this Diocese in 1836, 38 in 1846 and 40 in 1931.
Births
miscellaneous records with no specific location
Marriages
miscellaneous records with no specific location
Gillespie Land Owners in Ireland 1876
COUNTY RECORDS
CO ANTRIM
Tithe Applotment Books – 1823to 1838
Vital Statistics: Births, Marriages, Deaths
Ulster Town Directory for Antrim, 1910
Gillespie WILLS – Co Antrim
Books:
- George L Gillespie: Children’s Church: Craigyhill Presbyterian Church 1956-2006
- Irish Presbyterians and the Christian Mind – Professor John Gillespie, University of Ulster, Coleraine
CO ARMAGH
Vital Statistics: Births, Marriages, Deaths
Flax Growers in Co Armagh 1796
Tithe Applotment Records 1828-1834
Griffiths Valuation Records 1864
City of Armagh Farmers & Residents, and Businesses, 1888
Gillespie WILLS – Co Armagh
BELFAST – CITY OF
Tithe Applotment Books 1814-1855
Vital Statistics: Births, Marriages, Deaths
Belfast 1901 Census
Belfast 1911 Census – Use link in Co Antrim
Gillespie WILLS – Belfast
CO CARLOW
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
Tithe Applotment records 1814-1855
Census 1901 – no results says National Archives
Census 1911– no results says National Archives
CO CAVAN
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
Tithe Applotment Books 1814-1855
Griffiths Valuation Record, 1855-56
CO CLARE
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
Tithe Applotment Books 1814-1855
Griffith’s Valuation Records, 1855
CO CORK
Maps: County Cork Overview West Parishes Middle Parishes East Parishes
Census 1766 Diocese of Cloyne
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
Griffiths Valuation 1814-1855
CO DONEGAL
Donegal Hearth Money Rolls of 1665
Tithe Applotment Books 1814–1855
Census 1821-1851 – Killymard Parish
Griffiths Valuation Records 1857
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Death
Gillespie WILLS – Co Donegal
Local Donegal Historian, Helen Montgomery Meehan, of Inver, with her video of Christie Gillespie of Letterkenny b 1962, a teacher, with some of his history included on description page.
CO DOWN
Gillespie Monument, Comber, Co Down
Gillespie Down Records by Ros Davies k= Link has died
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages
Deaths Wills
Tithe Applotment Books 1823-1838
Griffiths Valuation Records 1863-64
DUBLIN – City & Area
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages, Deaths
Directory of Merchants & Traders of Dublin 1798
Wilson’s 1820 Dublin Directory
Ireland WILLS – Dublin
The famine memorial in Dublin is a collection of statues designed and crafted by Dublin sculptor Rowan Gillespie. The memorial is on the on the River Liffey Quays. Directly across the street is the EPIC Irish Emigration Museum.
CO FERMANAGH
Vital Statistics: Births, Marriages, Deaths
Tithe Applotment Books 1827 -1835
Pole of Electors 1747-1788
Griffiths Valuation Records 1862
Frans Gillespie, Irvinetown, Parish of Blackbog, 1846, Roman Catholic curate in Diocese of Clogher:
Ireland WILLS – Co Fermanagh
CO GALWAY
Vital Statistics: Births, Marriages, Deaths
CO KERRY
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
Census 1901 – no records for Gillespie says National Archives of Ireland.
Census 1911 –no records at National Archives of Ireland for Gillespie
CO KILDARE
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
CO KILKENNY
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
Census 1901 – no Gillespies says National Archives of Ireland
KINGS CO (now OFFALY)
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
Census 1901 listed on National Archives website as Queens Co in error.
Census 1911 – no Gillespie records at Archives of Ireland for Offaly, and error for Kings Co.
CO LAOIS (Formerly Queens Co)
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
1901 Census – listed under Queens
1911 Census – listed under Queens
CO LEITRIM
Tithe Applotment Records 1814-1855
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
CO LIMERICK
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
1901 Census – No Gillespie listed in census at Archives of Ireland for this county
1911 Census – National Archives does not give records for a Gillespie
CO LONDONDERRY (Derry)
Vital Statistics: Births, Marriages, Deaths
Ireland WILLS – Co Londonderry
CO LONGFORD
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
CO LOUTH
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
CO MAYO
1824 Ballina -James Gillespie, Bridge St – Linen & Woolen Drapers
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
CO MEATH
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
CO MONAGHAN
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
Family History of John Gillespie & Jane Horner, Stonebridge, Co Monaghan, near Clones
James Gillespie 1747 – 1805, the oldest of three son of David Gillespie, born in Co Monaghan, immigrated with his family to New Bern, North Carolina. Before the American Revolution, he bought a plantation one mile east of Kenansville, in Duplin Co, North Carolina. He became a legislator and congressman for North Carolina, and was elected to the House of Representatives. More history in link to NCPedia.
Ireland WILLS – Co Monaghan
CO ROSCOMMON
Vital Statistics: Births, Marriages, Deaths
CO SLIGO
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
1911 Census
A Gillespie family immigrated from Castlerock, Co Sligo in 1896 to St Paul, Minnesota. A group of Gillespies in that US city apparently gather to trace their roots, and visit Ireland. See report on IrishCentral by Alfie Deehan 2021
Note: I have Irish roots from Sligo through my Great Grandfather William Gillespie’s marriage to an Atkinson early 1800s. They immigrated to the Bytown (now Ottawa) area of Carleton County, in Ontario, Canada
TIPPERARY CO
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
CO TYRONE
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
Earliest Gillespies in the county
Inhabitants of Fivemiletown 1908
Gillespie WILLS – Co Tyrone
CO WATERFORD
Vital Statistics: Birth Marriages Deaths
Census 1901-
Census 1911 – No Gillespies listed at Archives of Ireland
CO WESTMEATH
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
Census 1901 – No Gillespies
CO WEXFORD
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
CO WICKLOW
Vital Statistics: Births Marriages Deaths
Gillespie WILLS – Co Wicklow
