Post 6 - BOOK - Chapter 1 - Introducation

Chapter 1 - Introduction

(sources:   Mastering Genealogical Proof, by Thomas W. Jones, published by The National Genealogical Society, Arlington, Virginia, 2013;  Genealogical Research, Methods, and Sources by The American Society of Genealogists, by Milton Rubicam, reprinted by Forgotten Books, October 4, 2018;  "Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree," course from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.)

 

This book about my GILMORE ancestors adheres to the international "Genealogical Proof Standard."  Those standards include:

• Research has been reasonably exhaustive.
• Information has been analyzed and correlated.
• Conflicting evidence has been resolved.
• Sources have been cited or referenced.
• A reasoned conclusion has been created.

Nearly everything in this book is supported by evidence (such as State Vital Records, courthouse records, US Census, Family Bibles, property records, church records, old newspaper articles, books, family records, tombstones, etc.)  None of my information comes from Ancestry trees, which are riddled with incorrect information about my ancestors.  Please respect my work by reporting it accurately, if you copy things which I have written.  Also, please have enough respect for your ancestors to report accurately, whatever you find on your own, about them.

 

2.  Same Name - Wrong Person!

Just because you have found someone who has the same name as the person you are looking for, it does not mean that you have found the correct person.

 

If you need instructions on how to do genealogy, which respects your ancestors, please take the free genealogy course, taught online from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland at this website.  https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/genealogy

 

Also, read some books and articles on how to do genealogy.  Please respect your ancestors enough to report on them correctly.  View the crap which you find on Ancestry, with a healthy dose of skepticism, because most of it is wrong.

3.  This book is a work in progress.

 

This edition of my GILMORE book includes the information on the descendants of Archibald GILMORE & Jane (unknown surname), which I have gathered, up to February 2019.

 

Some information on the descendants of the GILMORE family, is missing because I have not found it yet.  In other words, there is always more to discover about my GILMORE family, and this is what makes genealogy so interesting.

 

If you have information about any of the descendants of the GILMORE family members, which you would like for me to include, please contact me.  (My contact information is on the front cover of this book.)

 

As I discover new information, I will add it to the latest edition of my GILMORE book.  My GILMORE book is in my computer, and I am not a book publisher, so I cannot whip out a bunch of copies for you.  Also, because of the way that the book is in my computer, I am not able to print just the new information.

 

I have many unanswered questions about my GILMORE family.  Perhaps you can help me answer them?  If so, please contact me.  (My contact information is on the front cover of this book.) Thanks!

 

Current edition:  February 2019

 

4.  Before you begin. . .

(sources:  Genealogical Research, Methods, and Sources by The American Society of Genealogists, by Milton Rubicam, reprinted by Forgotten Books, October 4, 2018;  "Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree," course from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, My Family Tree Research Records, by Catherine Coulter, published by the author)

 

A.  Names

Before you start reading this book, I’d like to explain some things about genealogy, and how I've written up the information in this book.

1. Surnames (commonly known as “last names”) are usually written in all CAPITAL LETTERS, and in BOLD PRINT.  This helps people distinguish between a person’s surname and their given name (also known as “first name”), and their middle name.
    
2. It is also customary for genealogists to use the woman’s maiden name, rather than her married name.

B.  Pictures

Since I like pictures, I’ve included as many of them as I could find to make the (sometimes) dry, dull reading of the birth dates & death dates, a bit more interesting.  I’ve also included some history to give you a perspective on what was happening when my GILMORE ancestors lived.

C.  Three misconceptions about my GILMORE family

During my research on my GILMORE family, I have run into 3 misconceptions that need to be cleared up.

 

1.  Misconception 1 - The House of Ochiltree book

(source: History of the House of Ochiltree of Ayrshire, Scotland : with the genealogy of the families of those who came to America and of some of the allied families, by Clementine Brown Railey, published in 1916.)

 

Over and over, some researchers of other GILMORE families have pointed me to a 90+ year-old publication, which contains information on some of the GILMORE families of Scotland and Ireland, who migrated to Virginia.  The book is:

 

History of the House of Ochiltree of Ayrshire, Scotland : with the genealogy of the families of those who came to America and of some of the allied families,

by Clementine Brown Railey, published in 1916.

 

Those researchers have insisted that my GILMORE family must be part of the GILMORE families in the “House of Ochiltree” book.

 

But, I have read the Ochiltree book, and my research shows that my GILMORE family was NOT related to the GILMORE families in that "House of Ochiltree" book.

 

So, I have eliminated the Ochiltree book as a source for my research.  The book is available at some public libraries, for sale on Amazon, and is available to read on-line.  If you find that I’m wrong about my conclusion, please let me know.  (See cover of my book for my contact info.)  Thanks!

 

2.  Misconception  2 - Other GILMORE families in Rockbridge County, Virginia

(source: John and Agnes Gilmore of Rockbridge County,Virginia  by Freda STRAMPE, located at Rockbridge Co, VA public library, and The Historical Society, Lexington, VA.)

 

The first GILMOREs, who settled in Rockbridge County, Virginia, seem to be John GILMORE (born about 1690 in Scotland – died October 19, 1759 at Kerr’s Creek massacre, in Rockbridge County, Virginia) and his wife Agnes (ANDERSON) GILMORE.  After they married in 1709, they came to Rockbridge County, Virginia.  (The exact date is unknown.) 

 

They had several children, including:

1.  James Gilmore, born 1710; died before 11 Feb 1783 in Rockbridge Co. VA.
2.  John Gilmore II, born about 1715; died about August 1781 in Rockbridge Co. VA.
3.  William Gilmore, born about 1724; died after 1776.
4.  Thomas Gilmore, born about 1725; died July 1763 in Kerr's Creek, VA.
5. Jane Gilmore, born about 1726.
6. Agnes Gilmore, born about 1731.

The members of that GILMORE family have been well-researched, and many things have been published about them, both in books and on the Internet.  They were fairly wealthy, owned slaves, and held prominent positions in Rockbridge County, Virginia.  Some of their family homes are still occupied.

CONCLUSION - I am not related to the John GILMORE and Agnes ANDERSON family.

(sources:  Ancestry DNA test - Sandy Gilmore;  GEDmatch kit # 678015 - Sandy Gilmore;  Family Tree y-DNA test # 828003 - James Lee Gilmore)

Both a paper trail, and DNA evidence indicate that my GILMORE ancestors and I are NOT related to the descendants of John GILMORE and Agnes ANDERSON.

 

No one from the John GILMORE and Agnes ANDERSON family, who has had their DNA tested with Ancestry, or with Family Tree-yDNA, is a match to me, and is not a match to my male cousin Jim Gilmore.  So, my conclusion is that my GILMOREs and John GILMORE (who died in the Kerr's Creek massacre in Rockbridge County, Virginia) are not related to me.  Just because the surname is the same does not always mean that 2 people are related.

 

Another interesting difference between the 2 GILMORE families who lived in Rockbridge County, Virginia, is that my GILMOREs were poor farmers, who did not own slaves, did not own large plantations, and in some cases, did not even own the property they lived on!  I can't say that about the John and Agnes GILMORE family!  Please look them up online if you want to know more about the other GILMOREs in Rockbridge County, Virginia..

 

3.  Misconception 3 - Gilmore’s Mill, Rockbridge County, Virginia

 

My research shows that Gilmore's Mill was not settled by my GILMORE family.  The other GILMORE family (in Misconception #2, above) settled and lived in Gilmore's Mill..

 

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I hope this clears up the 3 major misconceptions about my GILMORE family.  To summarize,

          1.  My GILMORE family is not in the Ochiltree book.

          2.  My GILMORE family is not related to John GILMORE and Agnes ANDERSON.

          3.  My GILMORE family did not settle, or live in, the village of Gilmore's Mills.

 

If you have information which differs from what I’ve said here, please contact me because I want to be accurate in what I say about my family.  Thank you!

(End of Chapter 1 - Introduction)