The Paternal Line of James P. Gillies (1853 - 1940)

An Eight-Hour Research Project

Subject: James P. Gillies, born circa 1850 in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

Goal: To learn the names of as many men as possible in the direct paternal line of James P. Gillies within an eight-hour research window.

Client-Provided Information: Family tales say James’ parents immigrated from Scotland to the United States or possibly Canada first, and that James was born in Canada, Minnesota, or Wisconsin. He married a woman named Bertha and they had at least two children: Archie and Millie. Little is known about James and Bertha, except the family believes they lived in or around Stewartville, Minnesota at one point.

(Note: The “client” in this report is fictional and created for the purposes of illustration only. The research findings are however authentic and the result of eight hours of dedicated research and reporting on the subject.)

Summary of Findings: James P. Gillies was born in 1853, likely on his parents’ farm, in rural Rutland, Wisconsin. He married Bertha Hutchinson in Olmsted County, Minnesota on January 2, 1894, and together they had at least six children, four boys and two girls. James died in 1940 in Rochester, Minnesota, at the age of 87. His parents, George and Gennette (McCarra) Gillies, were both born in County Fife, Scotland but married in Wisconsin, having immigrated separately to the Wisconsin Territory in the 1840s. George Gillies was born December 31, 1823 in the Auchtermunchty parish of County Fife, Scotland to James and Janet (Hutton) Gillies, who both lived their entire lives in County Fife. James, the grandfather of James P. Gillies, was the son of Walter and Margaret (Bronson) Gillies. Walter originated in Glasgow, County Lanark, Scotland, but married in County Fife and lived the remainder of his days there.

(Note: See the following section for source-cited explanations supporting this summary.)

Detailed Findings:

We find James and Bertha living in Rochester, Minnesota in 1930, along with their son Archie, age 21, and their daughter Mildred, age 17. In 1930, James is listed as 76 years of age, making his approximate year of birth 1854. [1] Rochester is located in southeastern Minnesota in Olmsted County, as is the community of Stewartville from family tales.

Tracing James and Bertha back through census records, we locate the family living in the area of Rochester, Minnesota in 1920, along with a son, William, age 16, a son, Archie, age 11, and a daughter, Mildred, age 7. [2] In 1910, we find the family in Racine Township, Mower County, Minnesota. Six children are enumerated with James and Bertha in this census: sons James, Donald, William, and Archie, and daughters Egnes [sic] and Bessie. [3] The 1900 census shows the family in Dover, in Olmsted County once again. Children James, Agnes, and Donald appear here, along with James and Bertha. [4]

James P. Gillies’ Parents

In the 1910 Census we additionally learn that James and Bertha had been married for 16 years, placing their approximate year of marriage as 1894. [5] From this, we expect to find a marriage record, but also census records prior to 1890 in which James is living with his family of birth.

We locate an index entry for the marriage of a James T. Gillies to a Bertha M. Hutchinson on January 2, 1894 in Olmsted County, Minnesota. While no parents of the bride or groom appear in this record, we’ve confirmed the date of marriage and that James was likely residing in Olmsted County at the time that he wed. [6]

With this information in hand, we turn now to older census records, hoping to determine the names of James’ parents. The 1890 Federal census was destroyed, so we will need to consult the next earliest available: 1880. There is no sign of James in Olmsted County, Minnesota in 1880. Throughout all census records reviewed so far though, James’ birthplace has consistently appeared as “Wisconsin”, so we look for a James Gillies, living in Wisconsin in 1880 instead. We find three strong candidates, all of whom were born in Wisconsin in the 1850s.

1. James Gillies, b. ca. 1850, Wisconsin, living in Union, Rock, Wisconsin, with wife, Elpha and daughter Lorane.

2.  James Gillies, b. ca. 1853, Wisconsin, living in Rutland, Dane, Wisconsin, with parents George and Gennette, and seven siblings.

3.  James H. Gillis [sic], b. ca. 1854, Wisconsin, living in Rutland, Dane, Wisconsin, with wife Bella and children Ina and Willie. [7]

Two of these candidates are married in the 1880 census, but that does not automatically rule them out. Our Subject married Bertha Hutchinson in 1894, leaving a 16-year window between his marriage to Bertha and the 1880 census. To rule out the possibility of a previous marriage, we trace each candidate in the 1880 census back through prior censuses.  

This census survey turns up no prior marriages for our Subject, nor does a search of Wisconsin marriage records. Therefore, through the process of elimination, we determine that our Subject is the son of George and Gennette Gillies and that the family lived in the town of Stoughton, in Rutland Township, Dane County, Wisconsin in the 1860s. [14]

The Gillies Brothers of Dane County, Wisconsin

Notably, in the 1860s, there was a cluster of Gillies families in Dane County. In fact, each of our three strong candidates for James in the 1880 census have their roots in Dane County, Wisconsin, indicating they were likely first cousins. Working under the assumption that they were cousins, we now turn to their fathers, who would have been siblings: George, David, and James, and we search for these men in pre-1860 records in Wisconsin.

In the 1850 Federal Census, we find David and James, both of whom were already married and running their own farms in Dane County. Both are listed as Scotland natives, with David being born around 1820 and James around 1812. We additionally find what is likely another brother: Andrew, born circa 1825 in Scotland.

The State of Wisconsin was formed in 1848, so earlier census records for the area are enumerated under the Wisconsin Territory. No members of this Gillies family appear to have been in Wisconsin during the early territorial period (1836 - 1840); however, there is one Gillies that appears in later territorial census data. A James Gillies was in the Eastern Division of Grant County in 1842 according to available online census index records. The minimal information that appears in this record makes it impossible to know if this James Gillies was part of our Subject’s family or not. [15]

Since the brothers — George, David, James, and Andrew — were among the early white settlers of the Wisconsin Territory, we hope to find reference to one or all of them among the holdings of the Wisconsin State Historical Society. As luck would have it, we find index entries for short biographies on three of the brothers: Andrew, George, and James. These biographies appear within History of Dane County, Wisconsin, published in 1880. [16]

We now seek a digitized copy of this volume and find one online. From the biographical sketches within this book we learn the names of the Gillies brothers’ parents: James and Jennett, and the county in Scotland from which they hail: Fifeshire (or simply “Fife” in modern terms). The biographical sketch for James states that he married an Elspit Hume in Fifeshire, Scotland. Additionally, Andrew’s biography states that he married Hannah McClaren in Auchtermuchty, Fifeshire, Scotland. Unlike some parts of the world in which marriages traditionally took place in the home parish of exclusively the bride or exclusively the groom, marriages in Scotland may have occurred in either the home parish of the bride or the groom, so there is a 50-50 chance that Auchtermuchty is the home parish of the Gillies family. [17]

Auchtermuchty Parish, County Fife, Scotland

Armed with all of this information, we make the leap back to Scotland, to the County of Fife, and the parish of Auchtermuchty, in search of James and Jannett Gillies and their sons, George, James, Andrew, and David.

Within the indexes of the Old Parish Registers of Births and Baptisms in Scotland we find only one likely couple in Auchtermuchty Parish, County Fife having children in the early 1800s: James Gilles [sic] and Janet Hutton. We find six children born to this couple being baptized in the parish: David, James, John, Walter, William, and Janet. [18]

A paid search of two digitized records was undertaken in an effort to determine if James Gillies and Janet Hutton are in fact the appropriate couple.

The first record accessed was for their son David who was baptized in April of 1817. Unfortunately, this record contains no other information aside from the names of the parents and the child. No place of residence is listed, nor any witnesses. This leaves us with no new leads to pursue. [19]

The second record reviewed was the Auchtermuchty Parish register entry for the marriage of James Gillies (our Subject’s great-uncle) and Elspeth Hume. Again, the record does not report the town of residence for the bride or groom, nor does it list the names of their parents. The one new piece of information it does offer is the home Parish for Elspeth: Collessie. [20]

James P. Gillies’ Great-Grandparents

One additional piece of information obtained during this extensive records search might indicate that James Gillies and Janet Hutton of Auchtermuchty Parish, County Fife, Scotland are actually the correct couple to include in the family tree of our Subject.

While researching the different candidates from the 1880 Federal Census in Rutland, Dane, Wisconsin who were all named James, we came across a record for a James Hutton Gillies, [21] who was born in 1853 to James Gillies and Elspeth Hume. This James Hutton Gillies is the first cousin of our Subject, and may well have received his middle name from his paternal grandmother, Janet Hutton.

The practice of passing on the name of a mother or grandmother to a male offspring is a means of preserving matrelineal surnames, but it also serves another purpose, which is easily distinguishing members of a single generation that have the same given name from one another. In other words, when several cousins living in close proximity to one another all possess the same given name, the use of a matriname as a middle name easily distinguishes one cousin from another, as is the case with James Hutton and his two cousins also named James. [22]

To test the validity of the theory regarding James Hutton Gillies as the grandson of James Gillies and Janet Hutton of Auchtermuchty Parish, we go back to census data from Dane County, Wisconsin, and review male members of all the Gillies families in the area. Specifically, we’re looking for other instances where matrinames were utilized within the extended family. We don’t have to look very far before finding the first instance.

James Hutton Gillies married an Arabella May Newman, and they had a son named William Newman Gillies. [23] The continuation of the matriname practice is evidence, albeit circumstantial, of James Gillies and Janet Hutton of Auchtermuchty Parish, Fife County, Scotland being the correct progenitors of the Dane County, Wisconsin Gillies lines, including of course, our Subject.

James P. Gillies’ Great-Great-Grandparents

Having exhausted the available parish records for the Gillies family in Auchtermuchty, Scotland, we turn our attention back to the U.S., hoping a broad internet search for the grandparents of our Subject (James Gillies and Janet Hutton of Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland) will yield more information. As chance would have it, James Gillies (b. 1815), the great-uncle of our Subject, was profiled in an 1893 volume of biographical sketches of early Wisconsin settlers. This biography confirms some our previous findings in addition to relating intriguing new details.

The biography states James Gillies and Janet Hutton of Auchtermuchty Parish are the parents of James Gillies (b. 1815), and additionally offers the names of all of his siblings including “newly-found” brother, Robert, and sister, Margaret. Other details related in this sketch include:

1. The birthplaces and death dates and locations of our Subject’s great-grandparents:

• James Gillies, b. Fifeshire, Scotland, d. 1837, Fifeshire, Scotland

• Janet Hutton, b. Kingstettle [sic], Fifeshire, Scotland, d. 1845, Fifeshire, Scotland.

2. The names and birthplaces of our Subject’s great-great-grandparents:

• Walter Gillies, b. Glasgow, Scotland, d. Fifeshire, Scotland

• Margaret Bronson, b. Fifeshire, Scotland, d. Fifeshire, Scotland. [24]

With this new information in hand, we return to Scottish records, seeking a marriage ban or church registration for the marriage of Walter Gillies and Margaret Bronson and birth and baptism records for any children of this couple. A search in Glasgow yields no results, nor does a search in the County of Fife. No census records are located, nor are any legal records, including wills or other probate documents.

Notably, there are known gaps in census data and in parish registers and other church documents in County Fife and in the area of Auchtermunchty, specifically. The 1841 census has not survived, [25] and there are lengthy sections of church registers in the area that are blank, likely intended for recording births and baptisms later, but which were never penned. [26]

Once again, we turn back to the U.S. and conduct one last, wide-reaching online search, this time for any references to our subject’s great-great-grandparents: Walter Gillies and Margaret Bronson of County Fife, Scotland, but find no new records or sources.

Gillies Pedigree

Recommendations for Additional Research:

1. Further remote research on the women in the paternal line, including the Subject’s mother (Gennette McCarra), grandmothers (Janet Hutton and Unknown), and great-grandmothers (Margaret Bronson and Janet Thompson). Estimated scope of project - five to ten hours, dependent upon findings.

2. Additional remote research on the immigration stories of all Scottish-born individuals on the paternal side. Estimated scope of project - ten or more hours.

3. Onsite research in Wisconsin, arranged remotely via email or phone, related to potential records held by the Wisconsin State Historical Society and/or Dane County or other local genealogical and historical organizations. Other opportunities for onsite research in Wisconsin include a review of church records associated with the Congregational Church in Dane County, Wisconsin. Project scope unknown at this time.

4. Onsite research in Scotland, arranged remotely via email or phone, related to potential records among the Kirk Session registers held by the National Archives of Scotland and associated organizations. These registers exist for many parishes throughout Scotland, including Glasgow and County Fife, and may contain information on the Gillies and other surnames within our Subject’s pedigree, including information that is missing from the Old Parish Registers in Auchtermuchty. Recommend waiting to request onsite searches until more information has been discovered through remote research on the women of the paternal line, thereby economizing the use of an onsite researcher’s services. Scope of project unknown at this time.

5. Remote research to build out the family tree of the Gillies family, including all discoverable descendants of Walter and Margaret (Bronson) Gillies, the great-grandparents of our Subject. Project scope unknown at this time, but would likely require at least fifty hours.

Sources:

[1] James P. Gillies household. Year: 1930; Census Place: Rochester, Olmsted, Minnesota; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0026; FHL microfilm: 2340845, digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.
[2] James P. Gillies household. Year: 1920; Census Place: Rochester Ward 1, Olmsted, Minnesota; Roll: T625_847; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 114, digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

[3] James P. Gillies household. Year: 1910; Census Place: Racine, Mower, Minnesota; Roll: T624_712; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0094; FHL microfilm: 1374725, digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

[4] J P Gillies household. Year: 1900; Census Place: Dover, Olmsted, Minnesota; Page: 6; Enumeration District: 0102; FHL microfilm: 1240778, digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

[5] James P. Gillies household. Year: 1910; Census Place: Racine, Mower, Minnesota; Roll: T624_712; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0094; FHL microfilm: 1374725, digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

[6] James T Gillies. Minnesota Official Marriage System. Accessed 31 Jan 2021 from https://moms.mn.gov/Search?S=1

[7] James Gillies. George Gillies household. Year: 1880; Census Place: Rutland, Dane, Wisconsin; Roll: 1422; Page: 317D; Enumeration District: 087 digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

James Gillies household. Year: 1880; Census Place: Union, Rock, Wisconsin; Roll: 1444; Page: 422D; Enumeration District: 200 digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

James H. Gillis household. Year: 1880; Census Place: Rutland, Dane, Wisconsin; Roll: 1422; Page: 313C; Enumeration District: 087, digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

[8] James Gillis. David Gillis household. Year: 1870; Census Place: Union, Rock, Wisconsin; Roll: M593_1736; Page: 489A; Family History Library Film: 553235, digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

[9] Jas Gilles. Dav Gilles household. Year: 1860; Census Place: Rutland, Dane, Wisconsin; Page: 866; Family History Library Film: 805404, digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

[10] James Gillis. James Gillis household. Year: 1870; Census Place: Rutland, Dane, Wisconsin; Roll: M593_1709; Page: 547B; Family History Library Film: 553208, digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

[11] Jas Gilles. Jas Gilles household. Year: 1860; Census Place: Rutland, Dane, Wisconsin; Page: 864; Family History Library Film: 805404, digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

[12] James Gillis. George Gillis household. Year: 1870; Census Place: Rutland, Dane, Wisconsin; Roll: M593_1709; Page: 548A; Family History Library Film: 553208, digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

[13] Jas Gillis. Geo Gillis household. Year: 1860; Census Place: Rutland, Dane, Wisconsin; Page: 864; Family History Library Film: 805404, digital image, ancestry.com, accessed 31 Jan 2021.

[14] Ibid.

[15] James Gillies. Ancestry.com. Wisconsin, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1820-1890 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. Accessed 1 Feb 2021.

[16] George Gillies. Wisconsin Name Index, Biographical Book Excerpt, citing History of Dane County, Wisconsin, (1880) Western Historical Company. page 1200. Accessed 1 February 2021 from https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Name/NI34180.

[17] History of Dane County, Wisconsin, (1880) Western Historical Company. printed page 1200; digital image page 1208. accessed 1 February 2021 from https://hdl.handle.net/2027/coo1.ark:/13960/t4jm2v27f?urlappend=%3Bseq=1208

[18] Gillies. Gillis. Gilles. Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland. Old Parish Registers: Births and Baptisms. Accessed 1 February 2021 from https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

[19] GILLES, DAVID (Old Parish Registers Births 406/ 10 269 Auchtermuchty) Page 269 of 394 19/04/1817. Digital Image. Accessed 1 Feb 2021 from https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

[20] GILLIES, JAMES (Old Parish Registers Marriages 406/ 30 126 Auchtermuchty) Page 126 of 195 30/04/1841. Digital Image. Accessed 1 Feb 2021 from https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

[21] James Hutton Gillies. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27552279/james-hutton-gillies, accessed 1 Feb 2021.

[22] Cox, A. (2020, July 14). A handy guide to traditional Scottish naming patterns: Blog. Retrieved February 01, 2021, from https://www.findmypast.com/blog/help/traditional-scottish-naming-patterns

[23] William Newman Gillies. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/64635292/william-newman-gillies, accessed 1 Feb 2021 from index page James Hutton Gillies: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27552279/james-hutton-gillies.

[24] James Gillies, Sr. Biographical Review Publishing Company (1997) Biographical review of Dane County Wisconsin: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens. Reprint. Originally published: Chicago: Biographical Review Publishing Co., 1893. printed page 567; digital image page 603. Accessed 2 Feb 2021 from https://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89065722522

[25] 1841 Census; Scotland’s People. Accessed 2 Feb 2021 from https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/census-records/1841-census

[26] Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland Genealogy. (n.d.). Retrieved February 02, 2021, from https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Auchtermuchty,_Fife,_Scotland_Genealogy; citing: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. Family History Library British Book 941 K23b.

[27] James P. Gillies. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Accessed 2 Feb 2021.

[28] George Gillies. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114599246/george-f-gillies. Accessed 2 Feb 2021.

[29] History of Dane County, Wisconsin, (1880) Western Historical Company. printed page 1200; digital image page 1208. accessed 1 February 2021 from https://hdl.handle.net/2027/coo1.ark:/13960/t4jm2v27f?urlappend=%3Bseq=1208

[30] Ibid.

[31] Janet Gillies. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114599301/gennette-gillies. Accessed 2 Feb 2021.

[32] James Gillies, Sr. Biographical Review Publishing Company (1997) Biographical review of Dane County Wisconsin: Containing biographical sketches of pioneers and leading citizens. Reprint. Originally published: Chicago: Biographical Review Publishing Co., 1893. printed page 567; digital image page 603. Accessed 2 Feb 2021 from https://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89065722522

[33] Ibid.

[34] Ibid.

[35] Ibid.

[36] Ibid.

[37] Ibid.