DEDICATION
This is my Dad, Sam Gillespie Sr (1875 – 1954). He died the April after this photo was taken, and I miss him to this day. This website is dedicated to his memory.
Go to end of notes for latest additions
VISION
The development of this collection of records for Gillespies world-wide, has given me some of the happiest moments of my life. I had searched for my own personal roots, all while living and working in Canada. Although I had travelled, I missed those opportunities to film tombstones in far way places. Now I wish I could pick up and do so. It remains a personal focus, as the days slip away and the winds of time pass over those graves, often erasing information. Thank you to those who are recording tombstones around the world.
My vision for this website is three-fold: to offer easy, free access to records to help folk find their ancestors, and to preserve memories. Thirdly, to offer challenges to come up higher in our daily walk in an increasingly, dangerous world. I need them, too. So much attention is focused on the physical body, without promoting healing for the mind and emotions. What about our inner spirit? I add a spiritual element because when the end comes, we won’t be thinking about the rest. In the meantime, it is themes like forgiveness, loving others and trusting God, that is at the heart of my own journey.
A Family Celebration CALENDAR 2023 – for the 16 Gillespie relatives in my life, sharing photos and marking important dates for birthdays and anniversaries. Introducing family history notes of our roots at end of calendar, to ensure everyone knows the story of those who came before us. A lifetime of research in a few short pages, but deeply satisfying.
Genealogy – see left menu bar
New Gillespie entries are added to country sections, so recheck them from time to time. Read further down for top and right menu additions and other news.
AFRICA – 335
139 Deaths or obituaries; 16 births for South Africa. A ship wreck with Gillespie in charge 1895. 10 records telephone books. Count rechecked and update for total 817 records for Africa
ASIA – correction made
Recount gives total of 494 for India. Removed links to military in last year’s count, creating a negative balance even though 14 new records were added to India. India has many records under Military.
AUSTRALIA – 189
An alert to Aboriginal people: This website and its pages contains records and photos of deceased persons.
- Australia Capital 5
- New South Wales: 87
- Northern Territory: 2
- Queensland: 0
- Southern Australia 0
- Victoria: 69
- Tasmania 0
- Western Australia: 23
Total Australian records 3, 047
The last people born in the 1930s are disappearing, aged 90s. Most are now gone. Those born in 1940 turned 80 in 2020, with that generation now in their 70s, and the last World War II babies. That war ended September 2, 1945. It is interesting to see where the majority of these seniors were living in each country, from the obituaries above.
CANADA – 762
- Alberta 21
- British Columbia 26
- Manitoba 32
- New Brunswick 3
- Newfoundland 3
- Nova Scotia 10
- Nunavit 1
- Ontario 440
- Prince Ed. Island 5
- Saskatchewan 7
- Quebec 10
- Yukon 2
ENGLAND – 29
- Births 1
- Deaths 28
IRELAND – 97
Obituaries:
- Co Antrim: 11
- Co Armagh: 19
- Belfast 15
- Co Donegal: 4
- Co Down: 15
- Co Londonderry: 12
- Co Mayo: 4
- Co Monaghan: 2
- Co Tyrone: 2
- Co Wicklow 1
NEW ZEALAND – 19
- Deaths
SCOTLAND – 58
Births: 3
Obituaries: 55
- Angus 1
- Ayrshire: 2
- Dunbartonshire: 4
- Edinburgh 4
- Glasgow: 32
- Kirkcudbrightshire 1
- Lanarkshire: 2
- Midlothian: 1
- Perthshire: 1
- Renfrewshire: 6
- Stirlingshire: 1
Isle of Islay: Added two photos of the Kilnave Cemetery on Islay and corrected the source of these photos and cemetery records as from Richard Sheil of New York. Also, see Hawaii for an Islay Scot.
Found another Islay Gillespie Scot in Ontario, buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Owen Sound, Grey County . See Margaret Gillespie, her husband Archibald BROWN and their many children. Listed under Ontario Deaths: Halton to Essex County. Click on name or photo to see a larger one.
SOUTH AMERICA
Appreciated family history of D Gillespie, with links between ARGENTINA Gillespies to Greenly, Colorado. Earlier history from Edinburgh, SCOTLAND.
ARGENTINA:
Added a personal biography of Ajehabdro Murray Gillespie of Olivos, Buenos Aires, by his son, David Southard Gillespie.
USA – 460
Obituaries & Tributes: 138
- Alabama 5
- Arizona 1
- Arkansas 1
- Delaware 2
- District of Columbia (Washington) 1
- California 5
- Connecticut 2
- Florida 3
- Georgia 1
- Kentucky 5
- Hawaii 9 – one born Islay, Scotland
- Idaho 1
- Illinois 4
- Indiana 5
- Iowa 2
- Kentucky 2
- Maryland 1
- Michigan 7
- Minnesota 4
- Missouri 1
- Mississippi 2
- Montana 1
- New Hampshire 1
- New Jersey 5
- New Mexico 3
- New York 5
- North Carolina 8
- Ohio 11
- Oklahoma 2
- Pennsylvania 11
- South Carolina 4
- South Dakota 1
- Tennessee 4
- Texas 5
- Utah 10
- Virginia 8
- Washington State 1
- West Virginia 2
USA Marriages: 322
- Florida 36
- Georgia 10
- Hawaii 1
- Iowa 12
- Maryland 8
- Missouri 115
- Ohio 30
- Pennsylvania 49
- Washington 29
- West Virginia 33
Census: 1860 Baltimore, Maryland – 16
WALES – 12
- Deaths
IMMIGRATION & PASSENGER LISTS – 2
1851 David Gillespie’s passport read in Hawaii
1860 – Mr Gillespie from Africa to Plymouth.
LIBRARY & ARCHIVES
Added link for web family history of Donald Gillespie & Catherine McDonald from Islay, Scotland, buried in Norland, Ontario
MILITARY: June 6, 2023
79th Anniversary of D-Day landing of World War II. 45 Veterans in their late 90s attended the event in northern France at the beach. this year. 2024 will be the 80th Anniversary. Plan now if you want to go. I am interested in the miltary trip through Italy, between Sicilly to Ravenna in the North with lots of time in Rome for shopping and site seeing. There is a 12- hour train ride between Milan and Paris, also in reverse, that could make the journey even more interesting. Added four links to US Soldiers WW 1
Adding cemetery maps with location of graves of Gillespies and Coe Hill soldiers overseas -World War I Canadians, Brits, other nations, all of them. Doing France just now, others to follow.
NEWS FOR CANADA: The 1931 census was released to the public on June 1st, 2023. This census is 92 years ago. It will be searchable online by district and subdistrict from the Library & Archives Canada. No name index yet, so a brief glance showed me it would be difficult to use just now for me. Microfilmed page can be enlarged with zoom.
PERSONAL INTERESTS – See Top Menu Bar
Coe Hill Obituaries – 775 My Home Town
Obituaries for folk of Coe Hill & Area with tombstone photos being added. All six local cemeteries inscribed in chart form to indicate burials, as some do not have tombstones. See Obituaries A to Q , or R to Z top menu bar. The list is growing longer and longer as it includes cottagers, pastors of the local churches, and anyone who has lived at some point in their lives in this area. Not all tombstones have been filmed yet, because I live so far away, but do a few more each time I visit.
See Coe Hill news for latest deaths.
Recent obituaries before 2023:
Colleen McCann nee Wilson, daughter of Roy Wilson died 2008.
Buddy French who built the Red Eagle Lodge in Coe Hill. Died 2015.
COE HILL NEWS:
Death of Tom McCormick in Fort Francis, siblings in Coe Hill area. Obituary now posted. Died Oct 4, 2023
Death of Victor Davis, Oct 6, 2023 in Calgary, Alberta. Obituary posted.
Death of Graham Hoard of Calgary, Alberta, Monday, Oct 9th, 2023. Obituary posted. Funeral Tuesday, Oct 17th, 2023 in Calgary.
Death of Vivian Gunter, d/o Fred & Joy Walker, wife of Garnet, died December 17, 2023. Funeral was held on Dec 20th.
Death of Irene Bird, December 22, 2023 in Stirling Manor. Funeral January 6th, 2024 at 1:00 pm at Limerick Centre. Visits afterwards to 4:00 pm.
Death of Raymond Murray King, Christmas Day, Dec 25, 2023. A celebration of life will be held December 30th, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Limerick Community Centre, Highway 620.
Coe Hill Families:
Early Hastings County Marriages linked to Wollaston Twp; 1911 Census Wollaston Twp; Coe Hill Telephone Book 1950s. Trying to Identify those who who served in the Great Wars (highlighted in red). I knew some of these people, and others by name. Adding family histories notes from Coe Hill & Wollaston Township Message Boards by other researchers.
Coe Hill Soldiers & Vets
Adding photos and details of more soldiers from the Great Wars and other veterans with a connection to Coe Hill and their military life.
A MILESTONE:
It has taken six years and almost 3 months, but today, February 6, 2023, I typed the 46,000th Gillespie record on this website, an early marriage for Georgia. With summer activities, it took me to early September to reach 47,000 records.
Norma’s Kitchen
Food hints, and printout of A Cookbook For My Daughter. The battle of the bulge, Keto, and food experiences from travels abroad. Removed in July to make room for new columns. Still active via a search engine.
Gardening & Birding
A new column, month by month additions, but not a new subject as you can read back the last few years for successes and failures in my new gardening efforts on a city balcony. I have gardened a lot over the years for myself and for others, miss my greenhouse so much. In retirement, gardening equals genealogy for my main activities.
Don’t forget the birds as I introduce bird songs and identification information for this area, a bit different than I am used to, but an opportunity to learn something new, while remembering old friends. So glad I added a bird bath, as the feathered neighbours visit for a drink and chance to spash in that grey bowl. I change its water about twice a week.
The small pool below it bubbles away every day when the sun shines. The solar fountain in it, to circulate the water, gives a strong upward bubble that attracts newcomers to this balcony. If I use a fountain spray, the water goes too far outward from this small stand. I have delightful blue lobelia and multi-coloured fake flowers as its edging. I love lobelia and found the secret to keeping them bloooming all summer long is by keeping them lightly moist and clipping off any seed pods. Column removed to make room for the Garden Contest. Early Sept the sea gulls have left, most starlings and hummingbirds on migration. Last hummingbird visited my feeder August 31st, 2023 (and Sept 3 in 2022). New suet and bird seed put out to help birds on their way. I focus on the little birds. A neighbour has Black Sunflower Seed below my balcony. Lots of feathered visitors.
The Lavender I grew from seed I transplanted to a neighbour’s garden as a gift. Giving back in thanks for the joy of growing things.
2023 Gardening Contest during August
Winners Announced. Page removed Sunday, Sept 10, 2023. Remember to plant lots of bulbs for spring display. Protect them from squirrels and other pests by dusting top of planted ground under the mulch with a mixture of: garlic, onion and cinnamon powders, as animals hate those smells. Daffodils do not need protecting, but the tulips have to be. My most dependable variety over the years has been beautiful, pink Angelique tulip.
Lessons From The Past
Updating new archaeology discoveries, and linking them to the events being discussed. Adding historical events and empires that rose in the Middle East and how to relate them to today. Some Biblical prophesies, such as a major future event concerning Damascus, Syria.
Read The Bible In A Year Chart
Added to bottom of Lessons From The Past – for inner strengthening. Never let the voices of others determine who you are. God loves you, and that matters above all else. Seek Him personally. Working on 10 Charts of the Genealogy of Jesus, and produced a Summary of The Kings of the Divided Kingdom from Old Testament records and historical references. Personal Bible Study notes.
BLOGS – see right menu bar
Planning A Family History Vacation
I just posted what I have been doing myself, as we all need vacations in our lives. What if the focus of the vacation doesn’t appeal to your partner? One hint I make that really helped our family.
Making A Wreath For Mom’s Tombstone
- How to do it! How Colour Affects Our Lives.
Memories of the Past.
I have added photos from the Wagon Train Ride I enjoyed for the 200th US Bicentennial in August 1978
Personal Note July & August
A lot of time spent on Coe Hill records. Appreciating visits by email of researchers, and chatting with a group of Coe Hill folk. A summer of family times, enjoying my grandsons who are three and now six. Getting through summer heat, tornado warnings, lots of rain, and other events. Filming tombstones in Coe Hill area again July 28, 2023. Just back from another trip to having filmed a total of 127 tombstones in three cemeteries so far. One more visit anticipated for late September 2023, Lord willing, because I live so far away.
INQUIRIES:
Someone has contacted this office seeking Adrienne Gillespie, now in her 70s, of Etobicoke (York Region) or any member of her family. Use Contact to reach me, to give you the information.
Someone who is writing a history of a neighbourhood in the City of Toronto is seeking photos and stories about Margaret Gillespie, her sister Emma, and brother from area around Georgian Bay. Possible children of James Gillespie & Emma McGann, who lived in Collingwood and formerly from Manitoulin Island/Algoma area. Kindly Contact this office if you can help.
August & September Work
More Gillespie obituaries or tributes, mainly current ones 2020-2023:
CANADA: BC, Alberta, SK, Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia = 67
ENGLAND: 2 obits
IRELAND: Donegal MR 1 (Marriage record)
NEW ZEALAND: 1 obit
USA: Obituaries for Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming =194
USA Marriages: Wyoming 24; Ohio 1
SEPTEMBER: updating record counts, not including (military records) in each country.
Africa: 597 records, (+25 military) most in South Africa. A popular place for visitors to this website. Wishing I could film those tombstones, most deaths from the Great Wars.
Asia: 479 (38 military) Afghanistan, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mynamar (Burma), Pakistan, Russia, Thailand. Some of the most dangerous places in our world.
September focus: Several projects ongoing.
- Africa (South) records; 86 deaths, 16 births. 10 Others added
- Australia: 8 obits -NSW, Northern Territory, Victoria
- Canada: 19 obits for Alberta, BC, Ontario. Newfoundland
- Ireland: 19 obits for Armagh, Belfast, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Mayo, Meath, Roscommon, Wicklow
- New Zealand: 1 obit
- Scotland: 14 obits (2 Edinburgh; 7 Glasgow, 1 Isle of Islay).
- USA: 9 obits for California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas
OUT OF OFFICE: Travelling, filming tombstones, celebrating grandson’s 4th birthday: Monday to Friday, Sept 18 to 22, 2023. Interesting people I meet. Visit with old friends, Ben & Marie Wease in L’Amable.
Just filmed many tombstones in Clydesdale Union Cemetery, Rose Island Road. Posted. Also more obituaries being added for Coe Hill, some are cottagers, pastors of the churches. People in Coe Hill are losing parents, siblings and extended family memories, and my sympathy is extended to anyone who is suffering any such loss. You may request addition of family member obits to the Coe Hill pages by sending along their obituary. Preserving their memory.
October – Canadians are celebrating Thanksgiving the first weekend of Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 7 to 9th, 2023
Solar Eclipse on weekend, October 14th, 2023.
More Gillespie Obituaries during October include:
England -1
USA: 6= Maryland, Texas, Utah, Washington, DC, Washington State.
NOTE: The comment section on postings is ending due to abuse.
Additional note: Watch out for the misuse of anything that appears to arrive using my name, as I have had a recent, personal security breach. This website remains protected, but hackers attack every day from across the world. The Contact Page at top menu bar, reaches me directly.
The world is under attack. Thank you for everyone who continues to be supportive of my efforts for family history research and more. I am trying to give back to my home town community, and anyone I meet in real need. Keep safe yourself.
Winter is about to hit us here in Ontario, and we have to be well prepared in many areas of clothing, vehicle preparation and emergency supplies. I think of newcomers arriving from countries without our climate, who may not have a clue what to suspect. Winter also means less travel and a different focus.
The Delights & Difficulties of Aging – a new posting.
A brief glimpse into my personal life, Up Close and Personal, was posted for a brief time. It has been removed, in order that the focus remain on the content of this website. Thank you for wonderful visits and inquiries this past year. Trips to Coe Hill were a special treat. . My grandchildren help keep me young at heart.
Dec broken links fixed: to North Carolina Deaths & Wyoming Marriages
Added war letter sent as condolence on death of their son, Alexander Craig Gillespie of Peterborough, Ontario, Dec 1920, World War I
Xmas is coming upon us very quickly now, and the joy of giving is our focus. Have a wonderful Holiday Season, making happy memories with those you love.
YEAR SUMMARY
Date New Records Total Records
January Balance forwarded 45, 351
January 512 45, 863
February 350 46, 213
March 363 46, 576
May 7 46,583
June 22 46, 605
August 264 46, 869
September 180 47, 049
October 7 47, 056
November 2 47, 058
Total new Gillespie records for 2023 1,707
Most popular Gillespie home pages visited in chart below as of December 27, 2023. Visitors can go directly to any page without visiting the home page.
- DNA Project 13, 456 hits
- Immigration & Passenger Lists 1,987 hits
- Africa 1,754 hits
- Ireland 1,235 hits
- Gillespie Name 1,224 hits
- Library Archives 1,130 hits
- Scotland 1,095 hits
What were for me the highlights of 2023?
The delight and freedom to film tombstones in cemeteries, some local, and most in the Coe Hill area, as I introduced a collection of memories of the people from home.
Changes are coming, now that the majority of Gillespie records in my library have been loaded to this website. Having just celebrated the 7th anniversary since I penned the first line on the first page on December 6, 2016, there are now 1,285 pages and 15 posts.
The total count of records has grown from zero to 16, 951 the first year to 47, 050 today. That growth of an additional 30,099 indicates an average of 5,000 new additions per year. I am still working on recounting every page to correct totals on this page, and eliminating some duplication of military death records, which may drop the count slightly.
What is coming up? Goals and focus are being challenged just now. Preserving history and personal memories will always remain the major theme. I am busy writing another book. Discussions with my technician are helping direct me, and the development of a U-tube channel has been axed. We will just have to wait and see what unfolds in January. We only have this moment in time, and life is very short now for some of us. But face your challenges keeping God and family first, and enjoy the journey. Thank you for visiting.
Link to Work of Previous Years
