Lancaster County | Gilliams of Virginia

GILLIAMs of Lancaster County
Updated November 25, 2022

Background
Lancaster County was named for the English County.  It was formed from Northumberland and York Counties in 1651.  Its area is 136.5 square miles, and the county seat is Lancaster. 
[Old Rappahannock County was formed in 1656 from Lancaster County. It became extinct in 1692 when it was divided in into Essex and Richmond Counties. Information on the GILLIAMs of Old Rappahannock County may be found on the Essex and Richmond County GILLIAM pages.]


Parishes
Christ Church Parish, 1666
Great Christ Church Parish, 1670
Lancaster Parish, 1651-1654, 1657-1666
Lower Parish, 1654-1656
Piankatank Parish, 1657-1666
Poropotank Parish, bef 1661-1666
Saint Mary's Whitechapel Parish, 1669-1752
Trinity Parish, (Parish name used but parish not officially established), abt 1670-abt 1724
Upper Parish, 1654-1656



Overview
In on 18 Sep 1665 George GILHAM receives a patent with John Symmonds for 65 acres on the northside of Lancaster County. Earlier that same year George witnesses a deed for George Vezey. It appears that this George is the George transported by George Taylor and claimed in headrights dated 5 Sep 1650. Others claimed along with this George were Alice Beedle, John Greenes (or Greeves) Thomas Athanes, Wm. Anderson, Eliza Collison, Samll Alcock, Richd. Fidings, Tho Crucksance, Eliza Firby, Eliza Potter.

It is unclear whether the George Gillin of Nansemond and Isle of Wight Counties of the same time is related to or is the George GILHAM of Lancaster. The George of Nansemond was transported by Lt. John Upton and claimed in headrights in 1638. It should be noted that in 1667 a Symon Symmonds is mentioned in the patents of Nansemond and that George GILHAM of Lancaster patented land with a John Symmonds in 1665. It is not known whether there is any connection between the two Symmonds.

The name George is used by the GUILLIAMs of North Farnham Parish, Richmond County.

Also, in Lancaster County one finds a Zachariah GILLAM as a witness for John Halloway to Henry Corbyn. Halloway is indebted to Corbyn and his heirs of Barbados for eight hundred pounds of the best sort of muscovadoes sugars. It appears from the reference to Barbados and sugar that Zachariah GILLAM is Capt Zachariah GILLAM whose home port appears to have been Boston, but who is known to have traded in the West Indies and Albemarle Sound, NC. He was involved in the Culpepper Rebellion. There are no other known references to Zachariah GILLIAM in Virginia. Later a Zachariah GILLIAM leaves an estate in Bedford County in 1772.

Another, and later Gilliam, is Dr. James Skelton Gilliam of Petersburg, the son of Robert GILLIAM and Janet Colquhoun, his wife. Dr. Gilliam settled in Northumberland County but practiced in both Lancaster and Northumberland Counties. James married Elizabeth Bates Hudnall and had several children. The family is buried at the GILLIAM Farm on GILLIAMs Road in Heathsville, Northumberland.


Census
1860
E W Bates, age 66
F Bell, age 28
E B Hudnall, age 20
[Eliza Bates Hudnall, future wife of James Skelton GILLIAM]
M E Hall, age 17
A B Ball, age 9
J S GILLIAM, age 24, Doctor of Medicine.
Ancestry.com. Year: 1860; Census Place: Eastern District, Lancaster, Virginia; Roll: M653_1357; Page: 616; Image: 195.


Court Orders
Toby Smith of Nansemum in the collony of Virginia Gent. for certain considerations received "of my brother in law More Fantleroy" of Reyes rest in the County of Nansemum, Gent., and for natural love and affection for "my sonne Toby and daughter Phoebe" about last April gave the children 3 cattle, etc., The boy under 21 and the girl under 19, only children and their mother living.
29 Sept 1647
Wit: Anthony Buck, George Gwilliam, Sarah Parsons
Rec: in Lanc. Co. 10 Oct 1653.
Phebe Smyth states the 3 cattle were in exchange for a parcel of land situated at Nutmeg quarter made over for her and her children and is with consent of her brother More Fantleroy
10 Sep 1653
Wit: John Carter, David Fox, and Rowland Lawson
pages 81-82
.
Ancestry.com. Lancaster County, 1652-1655 [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. Original data: Fleet, Beverley,. Lancaster County, 1652-1655. Front matter Title page Index Lancaster County records Lancaster County court orders 1652-1655 The levy 7 Decbr. 1655 Back matter. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub., Co., 1961.


"Deeds"
Rappahannock December 26, 1659
Six days after sigh of this my first noat [sic, note] my second not being paid this shall oblige me John Halloway, Merchant, my heirs & assignes to pay to Henry Corbyn his heirs or assignes in Barbados eight hundred pounds of the best sort of muscovadoes sugars which I do acknowledge to have received full satisfaction for and am justly indebted to him & assignes as witness my had the day & year above sd.
Sig: Jo: Holwey
Test: Zachariah GILLAM, Richard Cholmley
Recordat in Cur com Lancr: 13d Febr 1659
Lancaster County, VA, Deeds and Wills, 1654-1661, page 203
[Though this item reads "Rappahannock, December 26th, 1659. It was found in the Lancaster County records. This appears to be Capt. Zachariah GILLIAM of Boston.]

14 Mar 1665
To all Xtian people to whom these p:sents shal come I George Vezey, Taylor, of Lancastr do assigne over unto Nathaniel Browne his heirs Exrs or assigns all my right & title of this Patent herafter menconed [sic] from me, my heirs, exrs, or assigns & do appoint Stephen Tomlin to acknowledge it in Lancstr court as Witnes my hand this 25d of February 1665
Sig:George Vexey
Test: John Curtys, Geo. GILLAM

Lancaster County, VA, Deeds and Wills, 1661-1702, page 334
[This George appears to be the George that was transported by George Taylor, see below.]


Marriages
12 Mar 1808
Jane M. GILLIAM and Armistead Currie, Ellyson Currie, Sec.
[Jane is the daughter of Robert GILLIAM and Lucy Skelton, his wife. Ellyson married Anne GILLIAM, the sister of Jane on 15 Sep 1803, in Petersburg]


Patents, Headrights and Bounds
5 Sep 1650
George Taylor, 530 acs. 5 Sep 1650
lyeing on N side Rappa River in Coritomen River up the Eastermost br. & on the S side thereof bounded along the land of Henry Lee 5 Sept 1650.
Trans of 11 pers: George GWILLIN, Alice Beedle, John Greenes (or Greeves) Thomas Athanes, Wm. Anderson, Eliza Collison, Samll Alcock, Richd. Fidings, Tho Crucksance, Eliza Firby, Eliza Potter.
Cavaliers and Pioneers, Volume I, page 201
[Though the county is not stated it is most likely Lancaster County, Old Rappahannock was not formed until 1656. Land would most likely fall in present-day Richmond County which was formed from Lancaster.]

18 Sep 1665
Jno. Symmonds & George GILHAM (GILLAM), 65 acs. on N. side of Lancaster Co. 18 Sept. 1665. Trans of James Jnoson
Cavaliers and Pioneers, Volume I, page 526


Sources
  • Ancestry.com. Lancaster County, 1652-1655 [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. Original data: Fleet, Beverley,. Lancaster County, 1652-1655. Front matter Title page Index Lancaster County records Lancaster County court orders 1652-1655 The levy 7 Decbr. 1655 Back matter. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub., Co., 1961.
  • Nugent, Nell Marion. Cavaliers and Pioneers: A Calendar of Virginia Land Grants, 1623-1800. Vol. 1:1-7. Richmond, VA: Dietz Printing Co.
  • Sparacio, Ruth. Deed & will book, Lancaster County, Virginia, 1654-1661, Antient Press, 1991.
  • Sparacio, Ruth. Deed & will book, Lancaster County, Virginia, 1661-1702, Antient Press, 1991.