INTRODUCTION
A study of the earliest Gillespies in Scotland is found in NEWSLETTERS – begins page 13 in opening newsletter.
Where did Gillespies live in Scotland? They were most numerous in Lanarkshire (including Glasgow) and Stirlingshire, with none in Shetland. The chart provided below lists the individuals in each country every 10 years between 1841 to 1891. Births vs deaths, and arrival or departure of people affect the total number, as one gets a glimpse of Gillespies over 50 years in Scotland’s history.
| COUNTY | Census 1841 | Census 1851 | Census 1861 | Census 1871 | Census 1881 | Census 1891 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABERDEENSHIRE | 134 | 116 | 165 | 181 | 208 | 213 |
| ANGUS | 58 | 44 | 58 | 86 | 116 | 122 |
| ARGYLL | 139 | 117 | 114 | 130 | 116 | 125 |
| AYRSHIRE | 96 | 90 | 129 | 104 | 178 | 207 |
| BANFFSHIRE | 7 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| BERWICKSHIRE | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 11 |
| BUTE | 6 | 18 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| CAITHNESS | 12 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| CLACKMANNANSHIRE | 67 | 76 | 58 | 50 | 48 | 43 |
| DUMFRIESSHIRE | 86 | 134 | 171 | 146 | 99 | 134 |
| DUNBARTONSHIRE | 34 | 46 | 64 | 91 | 148 | 140 |
| EAST LOTHIAN | 8 | 9 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
| FIFE | 64 | 170 | 197 | 195 | 201 | 224 |
| INVERNESSSHIRE | 15 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 19 | 1 |
| KINCARDINESHIRE | 15 | 15 | 23 | 31 | 32 | 32 |
| KINROSS-SHIRE | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| KIRKCUDBRIGHSHIRE | 36 | 53 | 65 | 99 | 97 | 87 |
| LANARKSHIRE | 429 | 548 | 886 | 1153 | 1256 | 1485 |
| MIDLOTHIAN | 202 | 221 | 225 | 284 | 318 | 381 |
| MORAYSHIRE | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 7 |
| ORKNEY | 0 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 7 |
| PEEBLESHIRE | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 11 |
| PERTH | 79 | 117 | 85 | 94 | 104 | 105 |
| RENFREWSHIRE | 138 | 148 | 225 | 237 | 285 | 320 |
| ROSS & CROMARTY | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| ROXBURGHSHIRE | 2 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 8 |
| SELKIRKSHIRE | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| SHETLAND | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STIRLINGSHIRE | 235 | 379 | 449 | 405 | 448 | 478 |
| SUTHERLAND | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 7 |
| WEST LOTHIAN | 13 | 24 | 37 | 43 | 30 | 61 |
| WIGTOWNSHIRE | 44 | 31 | 30 | 34 | 28 | 18 |
| TOTALS | 2443 | 2967 | 3084 | 3445 | 3806 | 4248 |
Early Records:
Alexander Gillespie, ship captain, ” from his home in the Fife burgh of Elie, Alexander Gillespie and his wife and business-partner Christian Small, planned their trading ventures. Until 1676, Gillespie voyaged throughout Europe in his ship the Anna – to Norway for timber; into the Baltic for iron, flax, hemp, and oaken boards; London and Rotterdam for manufactured goods and luxury items such as furniture, tobacco, garden seeds, and hoods and bells for hawks. The most profitable cargo for Gillespie – but one which involved the greatest risk and outlay – was wine from Bordeaux, which fetched the best price if it could be unloaded at Leith in time for Hogmany.
Gillespie’s outward cargoes were mainly coal and salt from the Firth of Forth, though occasionally he carried human cargoes too, such as a contingent of ‘sogers’ (soldiers), which he delivered to Dieppe in 1671. Dr Martin believes they were probably about to participate in the projected Anglo-French invasion of Holland. In 1676 Gillespie went to Rotterdam for six months to supervise the building of a new ship, the James. The James was a larger ship than the Anna, carrying up to 120 tons of cargo, and through her Gillespie amassed the fortune which allowed him, in his final years, to become a country gentleman. None of his descendants followed him into sea- faring careers. One striking piece of evidence of his time in Elie is the remains of the elaborate doorway of his 17th century townhouse, a structure which is known locally as the ‘Muckle Yett’ (great gate), which was retained when the house was rebuilt to form ‘Gillespie House’ in 1870.” Source: University of St Andrews – more details from link. Researcher Dr Paula Martin.
EARLIEST RECORDS FOR SCOTLAND
Movement of Gillespies within Scotland
Births Marriages Deaths
Aberdeenshire 1651 1658 1777
Angus 1682 1704 1825
Argyll 1772 1751 1808
Isle of Islay 1741 1778 1806
Ayrshire 1640 1667 1829
Banffshire 1805 1702 –
Berwickshire 1708 1671 –
Bute 1739 – –
Caithness 1749 1818 1883
Clackmanshire 1690 1690 1843
Dumfrieshire 1617 1642 1724
Dunbartonshire 1704 1665 1892
East Lothian 1690 1672 1873
Fifeshire 1656 1651 1648
Inverness-shire (fort) 1791 1649 –
Kincardineshire 1674 1625 1825
Kinross-shire 1707 1610 –
Kirkcudbright 1768 1698 1796
Lanarkshire 1640 1652 1707
City of Glasgow 1683 1669 1832
Midlothian 1776 1631 1732
City of Edinburgh 1760 1681 1732
Morayshire 1731 1763 1881
Nainshire 1859 – –
Orkney 1856 1857 –
Perthshire 1671 1677 1833
Renfrewshire 1752 1811 1811
Ross & Cromarty 1860 1855 –
Roxburghshire 1639 1662 1788
Selkirkshire 1680 – –
Shetland – – –
Stirlingshire 1671 1604 1829
Sutherland 1814 1844 1886
West Lothian 1651 1656 1858
Wigtownshire 1770 1726 1796
OLDEST RECORDS SUMMARY
1604 Stirlingshire Marriage Record
1610 Kinross-shire Marriage Record
1617 Dumfries-shire Birth Record
1640 Ayrshire Birth Record
See all Scotland additional records at bottom of page.
COUNTY RECORDS
Click on green coloured words to find records
ABERDEENSHIRE:
Births Marriages Deaths
Aberdeen Parish Map (shows location of events in yellow)
Actor, William Gillespie, 1894-1938 born Aberdeen, buried in California.
Started in Hollywood in the silent era, His career spanned 1915 top 1938.
ANGUS
Births Marriages Deaths
ARGYLL
Births Marriages Deaths
……………………………………………………………………………
ISLE OF ISLAY: Births Marriages Deaths
MAP of Islay Parishes MAP Islay Overview
Passenger Lists Tenants Researchers
Isle of Islay: Travel Tips
“In the 13th Century, Donald of Islay founded the MacDonald Clan.”
Dubhgall, the eldest son of Somerled, Lord of the Isles, was the founder of the MacDougall clan.”
Note: There are more Scottish Gillespies in Ontario, Canada from the Isle of Islay, than any other Scottish location of origin. Most of them arrived during the 1830s, lessening after 1851. Islay Immigrants to Ontario
Books: Sketches of Islay by William MacDonald, MD; Islay, Biography of An Island, by Margaret Storrie
AYRSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
BANFFSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
BERWICKSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
BUTE
Births Marriages Deaths
CAITHNESS
Births Marriages Deaths
CLACKMANNANSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
DUMFRIESSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
DUNBARTONSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
EAST LOTHIAN
Births Marriages Deaths
Edinburgh – see MIDLOTHIAN
FIFE
Births Marriages Deaths
Captain John Gillespie, 1610 Kirkcaldy – 1665 in Edinburgh, age 55, son of Rev John Patrick Gillespie (1573 – 1927) a Presbyterian minister, & Lilias Simson. Wife Agnes Wilson. Family history through links provided.
Another son, Rev George Gillespie, who also became became a minister at the church in Kirkcaldy, led to considerable controversy about 10 years ago with Gillespie researchers, as to links to Delaware. Note: I brought home a cup I bought at the church with George’s photo on it from my visit to the church in 2014. There was a large display to honour this man. The desire for DNA evidence led to consider digging him up, but in time this passed. Others have carried on the research, and links provided above, help us remember this family line.
Professor Thomas Gillespie (1777 – Sept 11, 1841) was Professor of Humanities at St Andrews University, Fife. A classical scholar and debater, he married twice. His second wife was the sister of Lord-Chancellor Campbell. This photo may have been taken at St Andrews in 1842 or 1843 and is one of the earliest known photographs.
INVERNESS-SHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
Earliest record for the North of Scotland 1649
KINCARDINESHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
KINROSS-SHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
1792 Census of Parish of Balmaclellan
LANARKSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
Oldest person: Isobel Gillespie 1640 – 1707 Wiston Churchyard.
Biography of Robert Gillespie, Merchant to Canada
City of Glasgow Births Marriages Deaths
1841 Glasgow Police Return:
- Mrs C Gillespie born Scotland, age 60, 26 years in city, 16 Gibson Street, widow, 2 children born, weekly earnings 1.0, Parish relief 1.0, meals 1, Dwelling 14’X 10′ In bad health and has no work
- Mrs G Gillespie, born Ireland, age 65, 45 years in city, 109 Old Wynd, widow, monthly parish relief 4.6.temp parish relief 1.0, 1 meal. 12′ x 10′ dwelling size. No bed clothes and in ill health.
MIDLOTHIAN
Births Marriages Deaths
City of Edinburgh Births Marriages Deaths Edinburgh Gillespie Biographies
Oldest burials in Edinburgh are in St Cuthberts Graveyard (1600 & 1700 records): see Edinburgh Deaths
(see also Fife) Rev George Gillespie, 1613-1648 A reformer, eloquent preacher, writer. Defender of the Biblical principles at the Westminster Assembly. In 1648, Gillespie became Minister of the High Kirk of St. Giles in Edinburgh and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He died of tuberculosis in December of the same year.
James Donaldson 1751-1830 married Jane Gillespie. Editor of the Edinburgh Advertiser. Left his fortune to found a school for the poor & deaf children.
James Gillespie Graham 1776-1855 s/o Malcolm Gillespie a writer of Dunblane, became an architech, designed churches and country houses.
Portrait of William Gillespie, of Leith, Scotland (Edinburgh). About 1843 -1847
MORAYSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
NAIRNSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
ORKNEY
Births Marriages Deaths
PERTHSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
Birth of James Gillespie Graham, 1776-1855, son of Malcolm Gillespie, writer in Dunblane. His father became Sheriff substitute of Dunblane. His mother was Jane Stewart. James became an architech, designing church and country homes. He married Elizabeth Marjorie Campbell in 1830 in Edinburgh, Scotland. James also became a Justice of the Peace. His residence was in Parish of Duddingston, in the east side of Edinburgh, where he had lived for at least 15 years before his death. Buried Greyfriars Churchyard.
RENFREWSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
ROSS & CROMARTY
Births Marriages Deaths
ROXBURGHSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
Health Record: Elizabeth Mary Carruthers or Gillespie b 1836, age 36, wife of William C Gillespie of Annabank, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire, admitted June 19, 1872 Roxburgh District Asylum. Died June 29, 1872.
SCOTTISH BORDERS
Death: Stanley MELROSE, On 12th May 2013, after a short illness bravely borne, Stanley, aged 79 years, husband of Jean Gillespie and father and grandfather to his family. Brother to Margaret (McCraw), Andrew and Douglas and the late Alister. Sadly Missed. From Peeblesshire News.
SELKIRKSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
SHETLAND
Births Marriages Deaths
STIRLINGSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
SUTHERLAND
Births Marriages Deaths
WEST LOTHIAN
Births Marriages Deaths
WIGTOWNSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
ADDITIONAL RECORDS
Scotland: Miscellaneous Birth Records
Scotland Gillespie Biographies
Scotland Mining Accidents
Scotland Asylum Patients (many with death dates)
School Records for Scotland (all with birth records)
Ministers of the Free Church of Scotland 1843 – 1900
Total Records: 11
