Ernest Benjamin Gillis Family History
William Gillis[1, 2]
1765 - -
Name William Gillis [3, 4] Born 1765 Tullaree, Glaslough, Co. Monaghan, N. Ireland 
[4] Gender Male Alt. Birth 1765 [4] Alt. Birth 1766 [4] - Tullaree, Glaslough, Co. Monaghan, N. Ireland
Alt. Birth 1770 [4] - Glaslough, Co. Monaghan, Ireland
_UID AD2FA505F757439E8C72B0F2E5A0C7751624 Died Y [4] Person ID I66 Ernest Benjamin Gillis Last Modified 26 Mar 2023
Father Maj. Robertus Oliver Gillis, b. 1745, Glaslough, Monaghan, Ulster, Ireland , d. 1836, Ireland (Age 91 years) Mother Olive Rebecca McNab, b. 1749, Glaslough, Monaghan, Ulster, Ireland , d. Ireland Married Bef 1765 Tullaree, at Glasslough (in N. Ireland) Family ID F16 Group Sheet | Family Chart
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Notes - William, the son of Robertus Oliver Gillis and Olive Rebecca McNab (1-3)b Gillis , became a wealthy man by the linen trade. He raised a mill on the Callan River, Armagh, and made a great fortune. He retired and went by the name of McCumb but to this day*, that mill, though four times the size, is known and goes by the name of "Gillis Spinning Mills". At his death, the bulk of William's large mill went to the McMasters, McKens, and McCrumbs, people overloaded with wealth*.
The Callan River is located in County Armagh, it joins the River Blackwater 1.6 km upstream from Bond's Bridge. It is navigable by dinghy or canoe for 2 km to Fairlawn Bridge. It flows in a generally northerly direction from Tullnawood lake, past Darkley, passing within a few miles of Keady town, through Tassagh and on to Armagh. The Callan River, flowing by the city of Armagh, and the Tall River, running by Richhill, join together, and the united steam enters the Blackwater one mile below Charlemont.
The area upstream of Armagh has many former linen mills that were built to use the waterpower of the river. There is also a viaduct at Tassagh that once carried the railway line from Armagh to Keady.
Family lore held that William never married. We now know that that is not true and that William had several children.
* These statements were related by Mr. Fred McKen (a grandson of William's brother Robert ) when he was 84 years old, as told to Robert Gillis of Tandragee, Ireland, who gave it to Ben Gillis, his cousin who visited him in 1910.
Also, SEE notes under John William Gillis for more Benjamin Cole Gilli s notes from Robert Gillis about William. [3]
- William, the son of Robertus Oliver Gillis and Olive Rebecca McNab (1-3)b Gillis , became a wealthy man by the linen trade. He raised a mill on the Callan River, Armagh, and made a great fortune. He retired and went by the name of McCumb but to this day*, that mill, though four times the size, is known and goes by the name of "Gillis Spinning Mills". At his death, the bulk of William's large mill went to the McMasters, McKens, and McCrumbs, people overloaded with wealth*.
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Sources - [S75] Marriage Certificate - Ezra Healy Brown & Catherine McNab Gillis.
- [S92] Marchand GEDCOM 2009, compiled by Frederick J Marchand.
- [S2] Jim Marchand Gillis GEDCOM, compiled by F. J. Marchand [(E-ADDRESS) FOR PRIVATE USE\,].
- [S228] Public Member Trees, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2 006;) (Reliability: 0).
Record for Olive Rebecca McNabb
- [S75] Marriage Certificate - Ezra Healy Brown & Catherine McNab Gillis.