GILLESPIE! June 7, 1768 at the Colden Store, Coldengham, New York

Tuesday, June 7, 1768
Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.

Gillespie

Robert Gillespie purchased sewing goods and one-half gallon of York Rum at the Colden Store on this day, 250 years-ago.  He also picked up a pair of buckles for his brother, Matthew.

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This article is one in a series of a daily accountings of Colden Store transactions. Be sure you read the first installment for an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.

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The Gillespie surname (Gillespey, Gillespy, Gillaspy, Gillaspey) appeared 91 times in the DayBook. Given names included (with # of occurances and relationships revealed) Neal (15 - son Neal, daughter, boy), Neal Jr. (16 - wife), Daniel (17 - wife, brother, sister-in-law, boys), Samuel (3), James (6 - wife),  Matthew (2 - brother Robert), William (4 - mother), Mary (1 - son William), John (10 - cousin Robert G., wife), Robert (4), George (12 - son, daughter).

Here is the genealogy that is fairly certain (thanks largely to Neal Gillespie's will of 1769 just a year from this date).   The elder Neal Gillespie emigrated in 1739 from Scotland with the Lachlan Campbell party. Neal Jr. had a wife in 1768 according to the DayBook, but other sources have him marrying Mary Van Winkle in 1770. Could they have the date wrong? Daniel (17 store visits) was also a son of Neal Sr. The other child mentioned in the will is Catty Goodjion, the wife of William Goodjion mentioned in a prior blog. These Gillespies had property in Argyle, Washington, NY where they eventually removed.

The ancestry of Samuel Gillespie (1742-1815) is provided by Gillespie family records. Their family cemetery is in Pine Bush, Orange, NY which is within the area known as Wallkill Precinct, Ulster County at the time of the Colden Store. Samuel supposedly had brothers James, William, and Matthew, which match names in the DayBook. They appear to be a line of Gillespies unrelated to Neal and Neal Jr.[http://www.yesteryours.net/gillespie/docs/CaseStudiesOct2012-Gillespie-3.pdf]

In the 1779 tax assessment for Hanover Precinct, James Sr., James Jr. and Samuel Gillespy are all located together, suggesting a relationship. Listed separately is Captain John Gillespy, mill owner. The assessment for Shawangunk Precinct contains a William Gillespy which includes the area of future Pine Bush.

John Gillespie is likely the officer of Revolutionary War reknown. The Daybook states that he is the cousin of Robert and Matthew. Does that refer to the Matthew that is the brother of Samuel above? It appears not as that line of Gillespies does not refer to a brother named Robert.

Lastly, George Gillespie's relationship to all of the others is not easily revealed by the DayBook.

Of most interest to me was the revelation in Neal Gillespie's will that he was the one who convinced Alexander Campbell to relocate to America with the Lachlan Campbell group in 1739. This confirms that this Campbell of Wallkill Precinct was NOT related to Joel Campbell (eponym of this blog) who also lived in Wallkill at the same time and whose great-grandfather emigrated from Scotland in 1685 to New Jersey.

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