Post 10 - BOOK - Chapter 5 - Archibald Gilmore (born about 1755 - died ???)

Chapter 5 - ARCHIBALD GILMORE & JANE (unknown surname) (born about 1755 - died ???)

 

Archibald GILMORE and his wife, Jane (unknown surname), are my great-great-great-great-grandparents.  (4x great-grandparents is another way of identifying their relationship to me....or saying "4 times great-grandparents.")

 

I don’t know exactly when Archibald GILMORE and his wife Jane were born, but based on other evidence, I estimate their births to be about 1755.  There's no evidence of their birth or death dates and locations, so we make a guess, based on their son's birth..... which is documented.

 

Their son, Robert GILMORE, was my great-great-great-grandfather (3x great-grandfather).  More about him in the next chapter.

 

As of today, I’ve traced my GILMORE family back to Archibald GILMORE and his wife, Jane (unknown surname), who lived in the mid-to-late1700s, and perhaps were living in the early 1800s. 

The reason I used the phrase “as of today” is because, every few weeks, I discover more information about my GILMORE family.  Hopefully, I will soon discover more information about Archibald Gilmore and his wife Jane.

 

There isn't much accurate information about them, either online, or in courthouse records, or in Ireland, or in Scotland.  Based on many documents I've collected on their son, though, I've concluded that Archibald Gilmore and his wife, Jane, probably lived in Ireland.  Their son, Robert GILMORE, was born in Ireland.  At least Jane Gilmore was probably in Ireland at the time of his birth.  LOL!!!

 

 

Corrections to what you will find online:

 

Some folks, who think they're doing genealogy, are actually just "collecting names," and don't care if they've found the right person or not.  I'm willing to help those folks gather accurate information for their family tree, if they want.

 

That said, please be aware that there is much wrong information about my Gilmore family, posted on several Ancestry trees.  If you want to know who is posting the "crap" online, so you can avoid those trees, please send me an email, and I'll alert you to which Ancestry trees to avoid.  (TracingMyRoots@comcast.net )

 

Here are 4 facts, which have been misreported on some Ancestry trees.

 

Fact 1.  Archibald Gilmore and his wife Jane were NOT born in Orkney, Scotland.

 

Several Ancestry trees show a birthplace for this couple.  One tree owner claims to have a "source" but I've checked the source, and it's just plain wrong.  Here's why.  That source, on that Ancestry tree, is actually connected to a different man who has the same name.  Same name, wrong person!  Several other tree owners have copied from that fictionalized tree, perpetuating  false information about my Gilmore family.  Bottom line..... There is NO evidence as to where Archibald Gilmore and his wife, Jane were born and died.

If you disagree, please contact me, and share your sources.  Thank you!

 

 

Fact 2.  Father of Archibald Gilmore was NOT Ephraim Gilmore.

 

Again, the same tree owner has posted "made-up" information, and has provided no source to back up her claims.  And, others have copied the fiction.  Beware of trees which don't have a source attached to each fact.  Ancestry trees are not accurate sources, because the tree owner can say anything, whether it's true or not.  Bottom line.....  There is NO evidence who Archibald Gilmore's father was.

If you disagree, please contact me, and share your sources.  Thank you!

 

 

Fact 3.  Son of Archibald Gilmore and wife Jane was NOT named Robert "Addison" Gilmore.

 

Addison Gilmore is a different person, and not related to my Robert Gilmore.  Again, someone has posted "made-up" information, and others have copied it.

 

My Robert Gilmore had no middle name, as evidenced by the many records I've gathered on him, at the Rockbridge County, Virginia Courthouse.  Those sources will be shared with you in the chapter on Robert Gilmore.  Bottom line.....  My Robert Gilmore had NO middle name.

If you disagree, please contact me, and share your sources.  Thank you!

 

 

Fact 4.  My Archibald Gilmore is NOT buried in the graveyard of Moneydig Presbyterian Church Cemetery, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

 

There is a man named "Archie Gilmore" who is buried there, but he is not the Archibald Gilmore in my family.  I've contacted 2 genealogists in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland who have done extensive genealogy on the Gilmore family in that area of Ireland.  Both genealogists have confirmed that this "Archie Gilmore" is not one of my ancestors.  The "Archie Gilmore," who is buried in that cemetery, belongs to a totally different Gilmore family.  Bottom line..... There is NO evidence as to where my Archibald Gilmore and his wife, Jane, are buried.

If you disagree, please contact me, and share your sources.  Thank you!

 

 

Conclusions:

So, what seems to have occurred, is that one tree owner has done lots of "name-collecting," and ignored whether or not she has the correct person, and she supplied no sources (or used  sources which don't relate to that person).... then, other tree owners have copied the wrong information, without looking for sources, themselves.

 

I've sent the correct information to the owners of these fictional trees, but they haven't made the corrections.  One tree owner replied that it was too much trouble to look for sources for the things she posts on her tree!  Sad, sad, sad, that these folks have so little respect for their Gilmore ancestors!

 

What you can do to help.

 

1.  Correct your tree.

If you have a tree on Ancestry (or on some other website), which includes any wrong information, then please correct your tree. Thank you!  I'd be happy to help you get your tree corrected.  To get accurate information for your tree, all you have to do is follow my blog, or send me an email.

 

2.  Respect your ancestors.

 Please respect your ancestors enough to report correct things about them.  If you need help, sorting out facts from fiction, please ask me.  I have lots of documented information on my Gilmore family.  My information came from valid sources, such as those listed in my blog "Post 3 - Sources."  My information didn't come from Ancestry trees.

 

3.  Cite your sources.

If you are unsure how to find reliable sources, please see my blog "Post 3 - Sources."  If you need some help with sources, please ask me.

 

4. Look for the source.

When you look at someone's family tree, first look for a source which says where they found the information.  Each fact (person's birth, marriage, death, locations for each event, parents' names, etc) should all have a source listed to support that information.  If the source is "Ancestry trees," you can conclude that their tree probably contains lots of wrong information.  Ancestry trees are not trustworthy sources.

 

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The Ancestry tree owner can say anything.  (Mickey Mouse is their grandfather, Abraham Lincoln is their great-grandfather, and Charlemagne is their 6x great grandfather!  LOL!)  Ancestry doesn't check the trees for accuracy.

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Thank you for reading my blog today!  Because I've tried to gather accurate information from original documents, about my Gilmore family, it makes me sad to see someone posting made-up crap about them, and then seeing others copy that crap.  I want to defend my Gilmore ancestors, when I see wrong information being posted about them, because they're not here to speak up for themselves!

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 (sources:  Rockbridge County Virginia Death Registers 1853-1870, 1912-1917, by Angela Rhuley, p.29; 1850 US Federal Census; DAR records for William Bradley; Linda & Sylvia (surnames withheld by request), researchers in Northern Ireland; Library of Virginia Death Register on microfilm for 1855.)

 

Sandy Gilmore

Gilmore Genealogist

If you use information from this blog post, here's how to cite it:

Blog "TracingMyGilmoreRoots" - Post 10 - Chapter 5 - Archibald Gilmore (born about 1755 - died ???), by Sandy Gilmore

Post 9 - BOOK - Chapter 4 - Rockbridge County, Virginia

Chapter 4 - Rockbridge County, Virginia

 

My GILMORE ancestors settled in Rockbridge County, Virginia.  This chapter has some background on this lovely, rural county.

1850 Virginia counties

 

Where is Rockbridge County, Virginia?

(See photos of 1850 Virginia map, and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.)

 

Funkhouser farm, Rockbridge Co, VA May 24, 2006

Rockbridge County, Virginia is located at the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and is bordered on the East by the Blue Ridge Mountains, and on the West by the Allegheny Mountains.  The valley consists of gently rolling farmland, interspersed with forested areas.

 

The 1850 map of Virginia counties (and West Virginia counties) shows the location of Rockbridge County, Virginia.  On the map, Rockbridge County, Virginia, is colored yellow & outlined in red.  See it, near the center of the map?

 

In the 1800s, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia became the destination for a large number of Protestant Scots-Irish immigrants, who were seeking refuge from the oppression of both England and the Northern Irish Catholics.  These Scots-Irish were looking for the freedom to do two things –

 

1) to practice their Presbyterian religion in a country, which was located far away from the control of the British government, and

 

2) to live in an area which was geographically similar to their native lands of Ireland and

Scotland.

Shenandoah Valley of Virginia

 

During the French and Indian War (1754 - 1763), Rockbridge County, Virginia, was the scene of several brutal Indian attacks in the Kerr’s Creek (pronounced Car's Creek) area.

None of my GILMOREs were involved in the Indian attacks; none of my Gilmore family lived in Rockbridge County, Virginia, in the 1700s.

 

Rockbridge County, Virginia, was also the home of Civil War soldiers, Robert E. LEE (born 1807 - died 1870) and Thomas J. “Stonewall” JACKSON (born 1824 - died 1863).

I’ve been to Rockbridge County, Virginia, many times, and think it’s a beautiful place.  No wonder most of my ancestors stayed in that area, rather than moving South or West!

Farm where War of the Worlds was filmed

Movie - "War of The Worlds" - starring Tom Cruise

If you want to see Rockbridge County, Virginia, but cannot travel there, then you may want to Google for photos of the county.  You might also want to watch the 2005 movie, “War of the Worlds,” starring Tom Cruise.  The farm scenes were filmed in Rockbridge County, Virginia.  But watch carefully, because the scenes are very brief.  They come after Tom Cruise and his children leave the city.

 

In the movie, you’ll see a long line of people walking through the valley, trying to escape the alien invasion.  (See the photo for what the valley looks like in the daytime, without a bunch of actors on it.)  Just over the hill, to the right of the farmhouse, is where the huge battle scene (in the movie) happened, in which dozens of people and vehicles charged up the hill and confronted the aliens.

 

The farm in the movie is located in Rockbridge County, Virginia, about 15 miles north of Lexington, Virginia, and a few miles South of the Augusta County, Virginia border.

 

Natural Bridge (tourist attraction) is located in Rockbridge County, Virginia

photo © 2006 by Sandy Gilmore Sheppard

In 1778, Rockbridge County, Virginia was formed from Augusta and Botetourt (pronounced BOT-uh-tot) Counties, getting its name from the natural rock bridge formation over Cedar Creek.  George WASHINGTON surveyed the Natural Bridge, and Thomas JEFFERSON owned it for several years.  The natural rock formation measures 215 feet high, 90 feet wide and is over 100 million years old.  It’s now a tourist attraction.

Natural Bridge in Virginia

 

I first visited Natural Bridge, Virginia, with my parents when I was 10 years old.  I have a spooky story to tell you about our Natural Bridge vacation, and my great-great-grandparents. I'll include the story in an upcoming chapter.

 

The village of Natural Bridge is located a couple of miles from this rock formation, and eleven miles south of Lexington, Virginia, at the intersection of US Route 11 and State Route 130.

 

Many of my ancestors lived their entire lives in the Natural Bridge area.  It probably looked like the photo, back then.

 

My next blog post will begin with my Irish-immigrant ancestor, Robert Gilmore and his parents.

Rockbridge County, Virginia

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(sources:  Library of Virginia archives; other photos taken by me on various visits to Rockbridge Co, VA;  A History of Rockbridge County, Virginia, by Oren Frederic Morton;  Historical Significance of Rockbridge County, Virginia, by James W. McClung; Among These Ancient Mountains: The story of Rockbridge County, Virginia, by Anne Drake McClung;  "War of The Worlds Archive," by Andrew Clem, 2004;  History Lessons from a Country Church Volumes 1 & 2, by Rev. Horace Douty

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Thank you for reading my blog!  If you use anything from my blog, please give me credit for publishing it, by saying that you found it here.  Here's the format on how to give proper reference to my blog post:

 

Blog : TracingMyGilmoreRoots, Post 9, Chapter 4 - Rockbridge County, Virginia, by Sandy Gilmore.

 

Sandy Gilmore

Gilmore Genealogist

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Post 8 - BOOK - Chapter 3 - A Bit of History

Chapter 3 - A Bit of History

1.  The name GILMORE

 

The name GILMORE supposedly originated in the country of Scotland.  The name "GILMORE" was derived from the words “Gille” and "Moire” which means “follower of the Virgin Mary,” in the Gaelic (Scottish) language.  There are various spellings of the name - Gillmore, Gilmour, Gilmor, Gilmer, and Kilmer -  but, my family seems to have always spelled it GILMORE.  (Except when the US Census taker in Louisville, KY in 1900, misspelled it!.  Took me a L-O-N-G time to find my ancestors, because of that person's mistake!)

 

2.  Scotland to Ireland relocation

 

I think that my GILMORE ancestors were Scots-Irish, so I’ve included a bit of history about the Scots who moved to Ireland, and then to the United States. (Note that the word “Scotch” refers to a beverage, and “Scots” refers to a group of people who came from the country of Scotland.) 

 

Historians seem to disagree on why some Scots migrated to Ireland, but most agree on the fact that, beginning in the early 1600s, the Scots moved from their native country, Scotland, either by choice, or by force, to the province of Ulster, in Northern Ireland.  These new residents were called Scots-Irish, Ulster-Scots, or Irish-Presbyterians. 

 

The King of England, James I, who ruled England from 1603 to 1625, wanted to control the rowdy Irish who lived in Ulster province, so he gave free land to Protestant Scots who would agree to settle there.  Ulster was the poorest province, and had been devastated by nine years of war among the Irish residents.  According to some historians, the Scots tended to settle in counties of Antrim and Down in Ulster province.

 

Many of the Scots-Irish who immigrated to the United States prior to 1750, settled first in Pennsylvania, then moved into Virginia and the Carolinas.  They tended to come to the US in groups, such as residents of the same Irish town, members of the same church, or members of the same extended family.  Sometimes, the minister of the church came along with them.

 

I haven’t been able yet to trace my GILMORE family back to where they came from in Ireland or Scotland, but I’m working on it!  If you have any family stories about that, please let me know.  My contact information is in "Post 4 - BOOK - Cover".

 

My next post will be about Rockbridge County, Virginia, where my Gilmore ancestors first settled.

 

If you use anything which is posted here, please give me credit.

Cite my blog post like this:

Blog: TracingMyGilmoreRoots, "Post 8 - A Bit of History," by Sandy Gilmore.

 

(sources:  The Surnames Handbook: A Guide to Family Name Research in the 21st Century by Debbie Kennett; Surnames of Ireland: Origin, Numbers and Distribution of Selected Irish Surnames by Edward Neafsy; A History of Ireland in 250 Episodes by Jonathan Bardon ; archives, The Library of Virginia; The Scoth-Irish: A Social History by James G. Leyburn; Discover Your Scottish Ancestry by Graham Holton & Jack Winch)

 

Thank you for reading my blog!

Sandy Gilmore

Gilmore Genealogist