Hugh Gillespie
1774 - Abt 1848 (73 years)
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Name Hugh Gillespie Born 19 Nov 1774 Lecropt, Perthshire, Scotland 
Gender Male Baptism 20 Nov 1774 Lecropt, Perthshire, Scotland Occupation 1819 Wright, Deanston Works Occupation 1820 Cotton Millwright at Deanston Cotton Works, Deanston, Doune, Perthshire, Scotland Occupation Aft 1820 Foreman and mechanic, Deanston Mill, Deanston, Kilmadock Perthshire, Scotland Died Abt 15 Feb 1848 Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada Person ID I6880 Brown Genealogy Last Modified 22 Nov 2024
Father James Gillespie, b. Between 1736 and 1741, Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland , d. UNKNOWN Relationship natural Mother Catherine Reid, b. 22 Jan 1746, Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland , d. UNKNOWN Relationship natural Married 6 May 1765 Lecropt, Perthshire, Scotland Family ID F1882 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Mary Reid, b. Abt 1780, Scotland , d. UNKNOWN, Ontario, Canada Married Abt 1800 Probably Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland Children 1. James Gillespie, b. 1805, Denny, Stirlingshire, Scotland , d. UNKNOWN [natural]2. Margaret Gillespie, b. Abt 1805, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland , d. 1848, Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada (Age ~ 43 years) [natural]3. John Gillespie, in Deanston, b. 18 Jul 1807, Bridge Of Turk, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland , d. 12 May 1884, Deanston, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland (Age 76 years) [natural]4. Jean Gillespie, b. 18 Jul 1809, Brig o' Turk, Callander, Perthshire, Scotland , d. 2 May 1893, Kirkwall, Beverly, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada (Age 83 years) [natural]5. Mary Gillespie, b. 12 Jul 1811, Deanston, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland , d. Feb 1848, Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada (Age 36 years) [natural]6. Thomas Gillespie, b. 6 Jun 1813, Deanston, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland , d. Between 1840 and 1881, Ontario, Canada (Age 26 years) [natural]7. Hugh Gillespie, b. Abt 1814, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland , d. UNKNOWN [natural]8. Helen Gillespie, b. 3 Nov 1816, Deanston, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland , d. 5 May 1880, Egremont Township, Grey County, Ontario, Canada (Age 63 years) [natural]9. Janet Gillespie, b. 20 Apr 1819, Deanston, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland , d. 3 Jun 1887, Cambridge, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (Age 68 years) [natural]Last Modified 22 Nov 2024 Family ID F1878 Group Sheet | Family Chart
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Notes - Hugh Gillespie was born in Lecropt parish, just east of Kilmadock and west of Dunblane in Perthshire, Scotland. As he grew up in Scotland he worked as millwright, first in Bridge of Turk and later at the Deanston Works Company (a.k.a. James Finlay and Co.) in Deanston, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. He worked under the management of the illustrious James Smith whose innovations in farming and milling revolutionized both industries and made James Smith famous around the world. Hugh rose to the level of senior foreman under James Smith and the following note is recorded about him:
"Some of the credit for the great work done at Deanston in [James] Smith's time must go to the fine team of men he gathered round him, [including]...Hugh Gillespie, foreman and highly skilled mechanic...." (Doune Historical Notes, Moray Mackay (c) 2003).
Hugh Gillespie married Mary Reid sometime around 1800, but no record of that marriage has yet been found. They began their family in Bridge of Turk, but the baptismal records for their first two children have not yet been found. It is strongly suspected they had another as yet unfound daughter named Catharine Gillespie who was also probably born in Bridge of Turk.
Sometime around 1834 Hugh Gillespie, along with his wife and several (but not all) of his children emigrated from Scotland and came to Puslinch, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. The story of their journey can be found in the notes of Hugh's relative, Catharine McNaughtan.
Why would a man in such secure and successful employment leave everything behind for the unknown and uncleared wilderness of Upper Canada? We don't know why the Gillespies left Deanston, but it must be noted that Hugh would have been 60 years old at the time, so he may have been retired and the impetus may have come from his adult children. We can only speculate.
As to their life in Ontario, what is known about Hugh Gillespie can only be pieced together from secondary source documents. Early census records show the Gillespies arriving in Puslinch in 1835 with their daughter Mary's in-laws, the Stewarts. They initially shared adjacent farms with the Stewarts, with the Gillespies occupying Con. 3 Lot 19-front and the Stewarts occupying (and later owning) the rear of the same lot. (Note: early census records show "Galespie" and "Glasby" as variant spellings.)
In 1841, Hugh is found residing in Puslinch, Wellington, Ontario, Canada sharing the property with his son-in-law, Robert Stewart. Hugh has not been found in 1851.
The History of Presbyterianism in Puslinch records Hugh Gillespie as one of two elders of the Secession Church of Scotland in Puslinch in 1837. He was later recorded as one of the founding elders of Duff's Church after the two churches merged. Just over a hundred years earlier the Secession Church of Scotland was founded by Thomas Gillespie in 1733. One hundred years prior to that a George Gillespie was a member of the Westminster Assembly of Divines and a significant theologian in early Presbyterianism. Are they related? That question will have to be left to future research.
OCFA shows a grave for Hugh and Mary Gillespie in Ayr, Ontario, which I have not yet visited.
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Puslinch, April 1, 1846
I Hugh Gilespie Senior Mill Wright considering the uncertainty of this mortal life and being of sound and perfect mind and memory (to God be the Praise) do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following. That is to say, I leave my beloved wife, Mary Reid, the full use and benefit of my farm and house and household furniture during her natural life (if it will be her lot to survive me) subject to the care, oversight and management of John A. MacKenzie [husband of dtr Janet Gillespie] of Dumfries, William Reid [husband of dtr Helen Gillespie] of Puslinch and Thomas MacKnight [husband of dtr Jean Gillespie] of the township of Beverly, my sons-in-law, whom I hereby appoint Executors of this my last will and testament.
I will that all honest and lawful debts due by me be paid out of my effects and that my Executors do collect all debts due by me, likewise after my wifes decease I will to my daughter Jane Gilespie two small chests and to her husband Thomas MacKnight two saws, one a breaking and the other a framed saw, to my daughter Mary Gilespie I bequeath my bright blue painted chest. To my daughter Helen Gilespie I bequeath my brown painted chest and to Janet Gilespie or her husband John A. MacKenzie I bequeath my chest and tools to be given to him within one month after my decease. I will and bequeath to my daughter Margaret Gilespie in pounds currency to be paid of and in any thing that will be grown at or raised off my farm within five years after the decease of the longest survivor of either my wife or I. Then after the decease of the longest surviving of my wife or I will and determine that the lease entered into between Donald MacKinlay [McKinlay was one of the partners at the Deanston Works] and me be fulfilled on my part and after its determination my farm and stock and implements will be kept by my Executors at rent or lease until they get the land paid from the profits thereof if not paid before then when paid if any of my sons or sons-in-law will purchase it from my Executors I will that the purchaser be allowed five years to pay it, and if none of them purchase, then the stock and all other property will be sold and likewise the land the net proceeds of both to form the basis of an equal division between the following members of my family that is to say James and John Gilespie living in Scotland and Hugh Gilespie whose share if not living at the time of paying as aforesaid to be included in the amount. And my daughters Jane Gilespie, Mary Gilespie, Helen Gilespie and Janet Gilespie or their husbands or Heirs at law. I likewise will and determine that the board wages and trouble attending my son Hugh Gilespie before this date be considered as an equivalent for the twenty pounds which I borrowed of him some time ago. I will and determine that my son in law Duncan Stewart pay the amount of this account due me to my Executor of forty three pounds nineteen shillings and one half penny currency and if not able to pay it all I will and determine that at least the half of it be allowed my daughter Margaret and wife of the said Duncan Stewart for and in consideration of some services rendered me by her late son William Hutton provided she is his legal heir.
Signed Hugh Gilespie
Puslinch, April 2nd, 1846
Know all whom it may concern that in a conversation at my house about the 17th of October 1844 immediately after William Huttons funeral while talking about my intention of writing a will in addressing myself to my son in law Duncan Stewart, I made the following allusion to the debt that he owed me that I considered if I forgave the amount of the debt due by him to me, it would be equal if not more than his share of my property when equally divided between my family after my death which meaning I declare to have been in my view at the time and ever since which is correlated by the reply which he made at the time that probably the rest of the family would not agree to that to which I answered, that the will to be made would decide that. And whereas I understand that he pretends to have understood me to mean that I forgave him the debt and would give him an equal share with the rest of my family, I firmly declare the later meaning not to have been my intention at the time or ever since.
Signed Hugh Gilespie
NOTE: This will was probated February 15, 1848
- Hugh Gillespie was born in Lecropt parish, just east of Kilmadock and west of Dunblane in Perthshire, Scotland. As he grew up in Scotland he worked as millwright, first in Bridge of Turk and later at the Deanston Works Company (a.k.a. James Finlay and Co.) in Deanston, Kilmadock, Perthshire, Scotland. He worked under the management of the illustrious James Smith whose innovations in farming and milling revolutionized both industries and made James Smith famous around the world. Hugh rose to the level of senior foreman under James Smith and the following note is recorded about him: