James Henry Gillon b. May 19, 1824 Connecticut
Affiliated Surnames: Gillon, Brisbane, Benjamin, Hall, Plant, Hollister, Beeman
I would be very grateful for any help in ascertaining the names of my 3rd great grandparents.
My great great grandfather was James Henry Gillon, born May 19, 1824.Census data from 1850 and 1860 indicate he was born in Connecticut, and a notation on his son's death certificate indicates he was born in Norwich.
Here is a little additional background:
Family tradition says James Henry Gillon was a descendant of Commodore Alexander Gillon of Charleston, a native of Holland who settled in Charleston, SC.The Commodore had strong Connecticut ties and his widow and children resided in Litchfield duing certain periods following his death in 1794, apparently returning with some frequency to Charleston.The Commodore's family is associated with the surnames Gillon, Brisbane, Benjamin, Hall, Plant, Hollister, Beeman.
The Commodore's son and daughter-in-law, Alexander and Sarah Harriet Brisbane Gillon, were in Connecticut when she bore a child, named Brisbane Gillon, on November 11, 1824 in Middletown.Brisbane died when he was six months old and was buried in "Major Lewis' vault" in Middletown.This seems to preclude the possibility that James Henry Gillon is the son of Alexander and Sarah Brisbane Gillon, although James and Henry are the names of their respective grandfathers.It does not preclude the possibility that he is Alexander Gillon's son, however, and rumors of infidelities are said to have circulated around the Commodore's son.It is also possible, I suppose, that James Henry was adopted to assuage the grief of his parents.It is possible, of course, that he is not related at all.
Sarah Harriet Brisbane Gillon died in Charleston, SC on August 14, 1828.Her husband, Alexander Gillon, died on July 11, 1831 at Edisto Island, SC as the result of wounds sustained in a duel with one Charles Wilson.We don't know what happened to the three known children innediately after their deaths, one dies in SC in 1830 and the other two appear back in Litchfield as adults by the 1850 census.
James Henry Gillon was a railroad engineer who married Martha Elizabeth Hobbs on Mar 18, 1848 in Bibb Co. (Macon) Georgia.In 1850 he appears in the DeKalb Co. (Atlanta) census and by 1860 he is back in Macon with his family.JHG died on January 25, 1865 in Macon from inhaling coal gas while lighting or repairing the church furnace. His children were named Sarah, Elam, Martha, and Ella.
Many thanks in advance for any assistance!
--John Gillon, Lewisville, NC