[6]
One of William Luther Brown's comments in his book, MY ANCESTORS
AND THEIR DESCENDANTS, is the assertion that some historians do not
believe Mary Wilkin's husband, Thomas Gillenwaters, settled in Hawkins
Co., TN., believing instead that the Thomas in Hawkins was the son of
Joel and , therefore a nephew of the Thomas who went to Spartanburg,
South Carolina. William Luther thought that this latter Thomas
returned to Amherst and that he purchased the 120 acres on the North
branches of Porridge Creek (now Mundays' Mill Creek) from John London.
Having read the wills of Thomas Sr. (1841), his wife Mary WILKINS
(1855), and Thomas (1864), I am convinced that there should be no
confusion between these two Thomases. Thomas Sr.
(Amherst/Spartanburg/Hawkins) and Mary WILKINS had a daughter Polly
who explicitly married a Thomas Gillenwaters. In the will of 1841,
Thomas Sr. lists his daughter as Polly GILLENWATERS, not simply as my
daughter Polly. Mary talks of her "beloved son-in-law Thomas
Gillenwaters". I believe that Polly married Thomas, the son of Joel
and her first cousin.
The following copy of a letter from Robert Wilkins is on file in
the H.B. Stamps Memorial Library, Rogersville, Hawkins, Tennessee.
This letter was reproduced in a book , GILLENWATERS and RELATED
FAMILIES, privately printed by Mrs. Barbara R. Brown, who credited it
to Mrs. Vera Boyatt of Marysville, TN. According to Mrs. Brown, the
original letter is now deposited in the Reuel B. Pritchitt Collection,
Bridgewater, College, VA.
____Mary Gillenwaters, Tennessee, Hawkins County, living on Cain
Creek, 5
miles of Rogersville 1847 Spartanburg Dst. So. Ca. December 20
-----Sister Mary Gillenwaters
____I now take up my pen to rite you a few lines as it has been a
long
time since I have heard anything form you I do not no whether you
are
a living or no but if living I want to hear from you I am
enjoying
reasonable portion of health at present thanks be to god for his
mercies
hoping these times may find you enjoying as good health as your
age may
afourd you. I am old and my health has not been as good of late
as it
has formerly been tho i am quite stout of my age I am still
living at
the old fort plain and has made a good living I lived a seavin
years a
widdowd live and thought I never could find a woman that would
suit me
but my Daughter Died and it looked like my troubles was greater
than I
could bare which caused me to look out for a wonan that wanted
Suit my
circumstance which I think I have found She is among the finest
women in
the world She was about forty years old when I married her Hand
never
Been Married her self was Tempy Gordon I have but two children
living
one is married Russell and has 4 children. Wm is yet single I
want you
to rite to me about all your children how they are and where are
they as
I am desires to no I will give a small history of the connection
heare
Brother Terrill and Brother Aaron and Brother Moyer is all Dead
There is
but 3 Brother out of 7 that is a living Sister Nancy Draper is
also Dead
Sister Milly Grandelock is yeat a living is quite infirm Sistor
Keymor
Tollison is living and well and her family Her daughter Betsy is
here at
this time. I want you to give my love to all your children and
to old Mr
James Simmons and all his children anyone of the connection
gitting this
letter I want you to rite to me as soon as you can Direct your
letter to
the Harrison Shole on Packlett River Spartanburg Dst So I
Reamain yours
until Death Mary Gillenwater____________________Robert Wilkins
Since the above letter is authentic, then the theory that Thomas
Gillenwaters moved from Amherst County to South Carolina and then on
to Hawkins County is given additional support. One can suppose that
Thomas went to Spartanburg District especially to marry Mary Mallory
Wilkins. It is also possible that Thomas married Mary in Virginia.
She is believed to have been born in Culpeper County, about one
hundred miles northeast of Anherst County. She and Thomas could have
met when her family was emigrating to South Carolina. To be sure, his
presence in South Carolina was not long. The supposition that he
returned to Amherst County and purchased additional land in 1804
cannot be refuted; however, by that time his presence and that of his
brothers Joel and Elijah was well established in Hawkins County.
Robert Wilkins mentions "old Mr. James Simmons". This Simmons,
who is thought to have come out of North Carolina, was father-in-law
to Mary's daughter Sally. Thus Thomas Gillenwaters, Robert Wilkins,
and James Simmons were more or less contemporairies. Although Robert
Wilkins complains that he has not heard from his sister in a long
time, he apparently is aware that Mary's husband was dead for he does
not send a greeting to Thomas, who had died in 1841. By the same
token Robert knows that James Simmons is still alive. James did not
die until 1851.
Although slight, further evidence supporting the claim that the
elder Thomas Gillenwaters of Hawkins County is the same Thomas who
passed through South Carolina was the naming of three of his children,
William Terrell, Nancy, and Robert. It would appear that Mary named
her firstborn, William Terrell, after her husband and gave him her
patronamic as a middle name. She then gave two of her sons and one
daughter the same names of two of her brothers and one of her sisters.
The only evidence that I have seen that Thomas Gillenwaters may
have taken along any of his sibling when he left Amherst County
appears in the 1790 South Carolina census. Thomas is listed as the
head of household with two additional males over the age of 16 and
three females. If Thomas were born in 1771, in the 1790 South
Carolina census, Thomas would have been but 19 years old. I find it
difficult to believe that he would be responsible for so many people
at such a young age and so far from the Virginia farm. By this time
his sister, Elizabeth had married James Simmons, who was mentioned in
Robert Wilkins' letter.
Assuming Elizabeth accounts for one of the minor females, what
happened to Thomas' other sibling. After marrying Mary Wilkins and
moving on to Hawkins, did Thomas leave them with relatives or to fend
for themselves.? This is another mystery that Gillenwaters
researchers have yet to answer.
Given the propensity of the Gillenwaters to call their sons
Thomas and the lack of recorded middle names, I am at a loss to
discern which Thomas was involved in the 1804 transfer of Porridge
Creek property. I wouldn't doubt that the forgotten John of Amherst
begat the Thomas involved in this deal!