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 |
Additional all Scotland 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
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
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
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, witer 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 iwas n 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
SELKIRKSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
SHETLAND
STIRLINGSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
SUTHERLAND
Births Marriages Deaths
WEST LOTHIAN
Births Marriages Deaths
WIGTOWNSHIRE
Births Marriages Deaths
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)
Total Records: 4