Ernest Benjamin Gillis Family History
William GILLIS[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
1803 - 1889 (86 years)-
Name William GILLIS [6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14] Born 20 Aug 1803 Glaslough, Monaghan, Ulster, Ireland 
[6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14] Christened 4 Sep 1803 Glaslough, Monaghan, Ulster, Ireland Gender Male Baptism 4 Sep 1803 Glaslough Monaghan Eire William son of Robert & Catherine Gillis - 4/9/1803 William son of Robert & Catherine Gillis, Glaslough
per Donagh Records held by Ethne (Mar 2019)
Note: this likely means that he was born in 1803?
Fact 1 1826 [6] Fact 1 Emigrated to Canada with brother James. Emigration 12 Jul 1826 [6] Ship "Bolivar" Quebec, Canada 6 weeks 3 days at sea Fact 2 12 Jul 1826 [6] Arrived at Quebec 3 weeks after the brig Caledonia had landed. alt. Marriage 4 Mar 1832 Residence 1861 M?gantic, Canada East, Canada [11] Residence 1871 Quebec, Canada [13] Residence Abt 1881 M?gantic, Quebec, Canada [12] Buried 1889 Boutelle Cemetery, Inverness, Megantic Co., Quebec [6, 7, 15] Died 20 Dec 1889 Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec, Canada (Gillis Corners) [6, 7, 8, 16, 17] Alt. Death 28 Dec 1889 _UID 8FCFFB7A2AAC42FAB1B2E0D448EA22ACFC4F Person ID I43 Ernest Benjamin Gillis Last Modified 31 Mar 2019
Father Robert GILLIS, b. 1771, Monaghan, Monaghan, Ireland , d. Nov 1857, Church of St. Salvator, Donagh County, Monoghan, Ireland (Age 86 years) Mother Catherine McDOWELL, b. 1774, Monaghan, Monaghan, Ireland , bur. Glaslough, Monaghan, Ulster, Ireland Family ID F13 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Nancy ROBINSON, b. 5 Aug 1815, Armagh, Ireland , d. 5 Jul 1887, Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec (Boutelle Cemetary) (Age 71 years) Married 4 Mar 1833 Ch. Of England, Leeds, Megantic, Quebec, Can [6, 7, 9, 10] - It was a very stormy day and the wedding party walked up to their knees in snow from the bride's father's home, Samuel Robinson, on the Dublin Range,
to the same place that another couple were also be married that day. There were no roads there in those days so they had to walk. After the wedding, the party walked back to Samuel Robinson's home.
They were married at the home of Alexander Learmoth, a Church of England minister, on Grays Road, near the present town of Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec.
Note: Repertory of Births, Marriages, and Burials, "The Anglo-Protestants of Megantic County", 1826-1991, from the LDS Family Library, lists William Gillis and Nancy Robinson's marriage date as March 4, 1833; in Church of England, by Leeds, witnesses: Alexander Learmoth and William Stele. [6, 7, 15]
Gillis Clan
Rochester, MN
Front L-R: Rev. Wm. Gillis, Tom Gillis, Rev. Ben Gillis
Back L-R: Rebecca "Rae" (Gillis) Garvin, Catherine (Gillis) BrownGillis Family
L-R: Rebecca "Rae" Gillis (?); Ezra Healy Brown, Catherine McNabb (Gillis) Brown; Mary (Parmalee) Gillis w/o Ben Gillis; Rev. Tom Gillis; Rev. Ben GillisChildren 1. Ellen GILLIS, b. 23 Nov 1833, , Inverness, Megantic, Quebec, Can , d. 28 Jul 1921, , Inverness, Megantic, Quebec, Can (Age 87 years)2. Elizabeth GILLIS, b. 20 Jun 1835, d. 29 Aug 1875, Inverness, Quebec, Canada (Age 40 years)3. James GILLIS, b. 26 Feb 1837, , Inverness, Megantic, Quebec, Can , d. 19 May 1921 (Age 84 years)4. John GILLIS, b. 14 Mar 1839, , Inverness, Megantic, Quebec, Can , d. 1 May 1911, , Inverness, Megantic, Quebec, Can (Age 72 years)5. Hannah GILLIS, b. 11 May 1841, Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec, Canada (Gillis Corners) , d. 30 Dec 1874, , Nelson, Megantic, Quebec, Can (Age 33 years)6. Martha GILLIS, b. 7 May 1843, , Inverness, Megantic, Quebec, Can , d. 28 Feb 1925, , Montreal, , Quebec, Can (Age 81 years)7. Baby Boy GILLIS, b. 1845, d. Yes, date unknown 8. Rev. William McNab GILLIS, b. 20 May 1845, Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec, Canada (Gillis Corners) , d. 1 Jul 1928, Windom, Cottonwood, Minnesota, USA (Age 83 years)9. Samuel Robinson GILLIS, b. 8 Apr 1848, , St-Sylvester, Lotbiniere, Quebec, Can , d. 16 Aug 1900, , Inverness, Megantic, Quebec, Can (Age 52 years)10. Nancy GILLIS, b. 25 May 1850, , Inverness, Megantic, Quebec, Can , d. 25 Mar 1867, Inverness, Quebec, Canada (Age 16 years)11. Robert Brown GILLIS, b. 11 Jun 1852, , Inverness, Megantic, Quebec, Can , d. 19 May 1946, Bienfait, Saskatchewan, Canada (Age 93 years)12. Rebecca GILLIS, b. 17 Jun 1854, , Inverness, Megantic, Quebec, Can , d. 16 Nov 1934, Inverness, Quebec, Canada (Age 80 years)13. Thomas Scott GILLIS, b. 11 Jul 1856, Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec, Canada (Gillis Corners) , d. 25 Mar 1947, Ottawa, , Ontario, Canada (Age 90 years)14. Rev. Benjamin Cole GILLIS, b. 19 Mar 1859, Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec, Canada (Gillis Corners) , d. 2 Nov 1932, Rochester, Olmsted, Minnesota, USA (Age 73 years)15. Catherine McNabb GILLIS, b. 6 Dec 1862, Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec, Canada (Gillis Corners) , d. 12 Mar 1947, Toronto, , Ontario, Canada (Age 84 years)Last Modified 26 May 2014 Family ID F12 Group Sheet | Family Chart
- 4/9/1803 William son of Robert & Catherine Gillis, Glaslough
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Photos John William Gillis
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Notes - William and brother James emigrated to Canada aboard the same ship in 1826. Unknown to John, his future wife, Nancy Robinson, also was on that ship; they married 6 years later in 1832 (reported by B.C. Gillis).
NOTE: See later notes in this section provided by Mrs. Shirley Aabjerg in April 2001; until these notes, it was thought that William John was John William, and that there were only 4 children of Robert Gillis and Miss Mac Dole. However, these notes cite statement by Robert Gillis (a son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Riddle) Gillis, to B.C. Gillis (William's son) in 1910 that there were in fact five children: William; Andrew; John; Rebecca; and James. He further said that William and James emigrated to Canada, and that Andrew purchased a small holding, and married Elizabeth Riddle, Robert's mother.
The book "Annals of Megantic County" (D. McKillop, 1902) says that John (William) was born at Glaslaugh, Monaghan County, Ireland and arrived in Quebec on July 12, 1829.
NOTES FROM Mrs. Shirley Aaberg APRIL 2001, AS RELATED BY THOMAS GILLIS OF OTTAWA TO HIS SISTER KATIE BROWN (GILLIS) IN 1943:
William, our father, was born August 15, l806. He came out to Canada on the good ship "Bolivar" which landed at Quebec July 12, l826, after being six weeks and three days at sea. On this ship also came Samuel Robinson, born 1782, and died June 14, l872, age 92. His wife, Ellen McCammon died Apr. 20, l852, age 70 and they had six children- William, who later went to Ohio; Thomas who stayed on the 5th range, Inverness and died March 5, l917 at age 105; James, who went west; Martha who became Mrs. McCammon and our mother Nancy who married William Gillis. Mother was born August 5, l826 after the ship landed in Quebec. William Gillis had intended to go to western Canada but he met some people who told him many people were dying of fever and ague and the country was low and swampy. He stayed four years in Quebec, worked for Bonnom Ray, a tobacco manufacturer.
Our grandfather in Ireland had a farm and several looms and more linen raisers, lots of flax on his farm. That is where our father (John William) learned to weave. William moved up from Quebec to Upper Ireland, P Q where he bought 200 acres of land, about six miles from Thetford Asbestos Mines. He built a log house which he gave to his son Robert, who sold it to Ben. Ben sold it to Tom who sold it to Charlie Canning. They then bought the 100 acre farm which was given to John, who sold it to Mr. Granklin.
James Gillis (John Mooney's uncle) came from Ireland about this time and bought the farm we lived on. Before selling this, father had 600 acres and seven sons. Father got all this land for very little money.
William Gillis and Nancy Robinson were married in the home of Alexander Learmouth at Craigs Road, Megantic County by Rev. Alexander, a Church of England minister on March 4, l832 with Mrs. Deraney as bridesmaid. They had 15 children, one dying in infancy. Uncle Andrew, the eldest son had two sons, Robert and Thomas. Robert was the man who trailed and caught Crippen on a boat at Quebec. He was the Inspector of Scotland Yards and either he or Thomas recovered with the "queen's Gold Lace." In l9l9, Edgar (Kate Gillis Brown's son) visited them when on leave at Tandragee. Robert's son Sidney, invalided home, badly wounded. Both Robert and Thomas traveled extensively in Canada and Australia. Robert was in Toronto when it was still called York. His son stayed one winter with Marsha Gillis in Inverness.
OTHER NOTES PROVIDED BY MRS. AABJERG IN APRIL 2001:
In l996, Donald Mooney contacted a descendant of Andrew Gillis, Valerie Gillis Harvey of Rockhampton, Australia. She submitted the following about her family:
The Gillis Family as I know it:
Robert Gillis married Isabella Haire, who was a milliner, on the 22 Dec. l870 at Navan in the County of Meath, Eire. Isabella (known as Bella) was the daughter of Thomas and Jane Haire. Thomas, a Royal Irish Constabulary member was Head Constable in Navan at the time of the wedding. Thomas Haire died in l874 after a fall from his horse, and is buried, together with a daughter Malda, who died in her teens, in the graveyard of St Mary's Church of Ireland in Navan.
A little time later Jane (nee Noble) whose family were jewellers in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, N.I., took her children Sadie, Emily, Lucy, Minnie, James, Alfred and William to the U S to start a new life. They settled in Maynard, Mass. Two of the boys later moved to Canada - William to Montreal and Alfred to Toronto. Bella, Margaret (known as Maggie) and Joseph stayed in Ireland. Joseph later went to live and work in England.
According to Maggie, our Haire and Noble ancestors came from Ayrshire, Scotland in the 17th century. This ties in with the Plantation of Ulster.
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Descendants of George Mooney and Mabel Grace Jamieson have held a biannual Mooney reunion at Minter Gardens since the mid-nineties. Don Mooney of Brockville discovered that Mabel's descendants, who attend the reunion as well, are related to us through the Gillis side. William Gillis who emigrated to Megantic county in l829 had a daughter Ellen who married Robert Kean. One of their children, Mary, married William Alfred Jamieson and their daughter was George Mooney's wife.
!MARRIAGE: Leeds Anglican Church Register; 1833; M210/2, frame
001547, National Archives of Quebec; Federation of Quebec Families, Case
postale 6700, Sillery, QC, G1T 2W2, Canada; NOTE: (from disk)
"Gillis 12. seventh leaf
Married William Gillis, of the township
of Inverness, farmer, being a
bachelor and Nancy Robin-
son of the same township, spin
ster, were married after banns
duly published, on the fourth of
March, one thousand Eight
Hundred & thirty three
by me, J.S.Alexander, Mission^y
for Leeds &c.
)
In presence of) Alex^r Learmonth
) William Stele
We hereby declare that we
were married as afore-
said by mutual consent
Contracting) William Gillis
Parties ) Nancy Robinson"
!MARRIAGE: Paul Vachon, THE ANGLO-PROTESTANTS OF MEGANTIC COUNTY, Repertory of
Births, Marriages, and Burials; 1826-1991; Societe Genealogigue de la region de
l'Amiante, Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada, 1992, Publication Number 5;
Marriages p52;US/CAN 971.4575 K2r,Fiche 6125775,LDS FHL Salt Lake City UT;NOTE:
"04/03/1833 GILLIS, William (farmer) Inverness
ROBINSON, Nancy Inverness
Church of England (Leeds)
witness: Alexander Learmonth and William Stele"
!DEATH-BURIAL: Cemetery Recordings of Megantic County, Quebec; 1838-1993;
Records in poss of Gladys Patton, Lennoxville, QC, Canada; p6, Boutelle
Cemetery, Inverness, QC, Canada; NOTE: Headstone Inscription
"William Gillis died Dec. 28, 1889, age 86 yrs. / his wife /
Nancy Robinson born Aug. 5, 1814 - July 5, 1887"
!CENSUS: 1861 CAN,PQ,Megantic County, Inverness Township; 1861; ED 2,
p 15946, lines 20-33; Public Archives Canada Film C-292; LDS Film 0517394,
FHL Salt Lake City UT; NOTE:
William Gillis, farmer, and his family lived in a one-story, one-family log
house.
William Gillis Farmer Ireland W.M. 54 m b c1807
Nancy Gillis do do 44 m b c1817
James Gillis Labourer L.CanB. do 24 b c1837
John Gillis do do do 22 att sch b c1839
Hannah Gillis do do 20 att sch b c1841
Martha Gillis do do 18 att sch b c1843
William Gillis do do 16 att sch b c1845
Samuel Gillis do do 13 att sch b c1848
Nancy Gillis do do 11 att sch b c1850
Robert Gillis do do 9 att sch b c1852
Rebecca Gillis do do 7 att sch b c1854
Thomas Gillis do do 5 b c1856
Benjamin Gillis do do 2 b c1859
1871 census page 42 ed 156 subdis 2 Inverness
line 16 122-142 Gillis, William m 64 Ireland W. Meth. Irish Farmer M
Nancy f 56 " " " M
John m 32 Q " " Farmer
Robert m 19 " " " "
Rebecca f 17 " ' "
page 43
line 1 Gillis, Martha f 28 Q W. Meth Irish
Thomas m 15 " " " in school
Benjamin m 12 " " " in school b c1859
Catherine McN f 9 " " in school b c1862
find 1881 census
!BIOGRAPHY-RELATIONSHIPS: Dugald McKenzie McKillop, ANNALS OF MEGANTIC COUNTY,
QUEBEC; 1828-1966; D. McGillop, Lynn, Mass., 1902, Third impression ... 1966;
p 137; copy in poss of John W.Wark, Menlo Park, CA; NOTE:
"GILLIS. William Gillis, born at Glass Laugh, Monaghan County, Ireland,
arrived at Quebec, July 12, '29, or three weeks after the Caledonia had landed.
Mr. Gillis was accompanied by his mother whose maiden name was Nancy Robinson.
The Robinson family remained in Quebec till '32, when they came to Inverness.
The Gillis family, near Inverness Corners, is well-known in the locality.
Samuel R. who succeeded to the homestead, died Aug. 16, 1900, aged 52. William
M., born at Inverness in '45, studied three years at Montpelier, Vt., and in
'78 received the degree of B.A. from Middletown, Ct., Wesleyan College.
Received by the Vermont Conference in '77, and in '91 removed to Minnesota.
Benjamin C. (the fourteenth child) was born March 19, '59. Graduated B.A. from
Boston University in 1891. Ordained same year. In '97 was married to Mary L.
Palmerlee. Resides in Minnesota."
COMMENT: The mother's name Nancy Robinson, given for William Gillis, may be in
error. William married a Nancy Robinson in 1833. Also, the headstone in
Boutelle Cemetery states Nancy Robinson as wife of William Gillis. Who was the
mother of William Gillis ??? [6, 7, 15] - (Research):http://docshare.tips/newry-amp-armagh-directory_58856e97b6d87fe8078b4c3d.html
- William and brother James emigrated to Canada aboard the same ship in 1826. Unknown to John, his future wife, Nancy Robinson, also was on that ship; they married 6 years later in 1832 (reported by B.C. Gillis).
-
Sources - [S92] Marchand GEDCOM 2009, compiled by Frederick J Marchand.
- [S91] Wark GEDCOM file, compiled by Marcella Wark [(E-ADDRESS) FOR PRIVATE USE\,].
- [S112] Rogers: 2009 Gillis GEDCOM, compiled by Peter Rogers.
- [S162] Ancestry Family Trees, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), Ancestry Family Trees (Reliability: 3).
http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=26120745&pid=1782492041 - [S134] McKay GEDCOM 2009, compiled by Scott McKay.
- [S2] Jim Marchand Gillis GEDCOM, compiled by F. J. Marchand [(E-ADDRESS) FOR PRIVATE USE\,].
- [S68] P. Rogers GEDCOM, compiled by Peter Rogers [(E-ADDRESS) FOR PRIVATE USE\,].
- [S202] Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Original data - Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut G?n?alogique Drouin.Original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec,), 1,1091::0. (Reliability: 3).
Death date: 1889Death place: Montr?al (Basilique Notre-Dame), Qu?bec
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=drouinvitals&h=12530577&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S202] Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Original data - Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut G?n?alogique Drouin.Original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec,), 1,1091::0. (Reliability: 3).
Marriage date: 1833Marriage place: Leeds M?gantic (Church of England), Qu?bec
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=drouinvitals&h=13855866&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S202] Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Original data - Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut G?n?alogique Drouin.Original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec,), 1,1091::0. (Reliability: 3).
Marriage date: 1833Marriage place: Leeds M?gantic (Church of England), Qu?bec
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=drouinvitals&h=6641265&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S198] 1861 Census of Canada, Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009. Appreciation is expressed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for providing the 1861 Canada Census Index..Original data - Canada. "Census returns for 1861." LAC microfil), 1,1570::0. (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: 1807Birth place: IrelandResidence date: 1861Residence place: M?gantic, Canada East, Canada
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1861canada&h=793911970&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S197] 1881 Census of Canada, Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009. 1881 Canada Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ? Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limited), 1,1577::0. (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: 1807Birth place: IrelandResidence date: abt 1881Residence place: M?gantic, Quebec, Canada
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1881canada&h=1234528&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S199] 1871 Census of Canada, Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009. Appreciation is expressed to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for providing the 1871 Canada Census Index..Original data - Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada,), 1,1578::0. (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: abt 1807Birth place: IrelandResidence date: 1871Residence place: Quebec, Canada
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1871canada&h=1753868&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S196] Ireland, The Royal Irish Constabulary 1816-1921, Reakes, J., comp., (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.Original data - An Index To The Royal Irish Constabulary, 1816-1921. 1816-1921. Microfilm LDS Family History Centre, 0852088-97-0856057-2069.Original data: An Index To The Royal Irish C), 1,6087::0. (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: Birth place: Monaghan
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=royirshco1816&h=39542&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S89] Ernest Benjamin Gillis Family, Fred Marchand, (http://www.ernestbenjamingillis.com/index.html).
- [S6] Boutelle Cemetary, Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec, by Mr/Mrs VTL Harper, 1972; LDS, SLC UT 9/16/98; Roll 17114,item39;QB Fam Hx Soc Ceme/GraveList.
- [S90] Cemetery Recordings of Megantic County, Quebec, Mr. & Mrs. W.T.L. Harper.
- [S92] Marchand GEDCOM 2009, compiled by Frederick J Marchand.
