THE THOMAS GIL(L)FILLAN FAMILY

of Northern Ireland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

The best introduction to this family is a letter written by my great–grandfather, Alexander Monroe Gilfillan, to his son, Thomas M, shortly before he died in 1911, .:

Thomas Gilfillan (the writer’s grandfather) was born in Londonderry, Ireland, in 1751. He emigrated to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in 1772. His father was Thomas Gilfillan. Grandfather had two brothers [actually had three] who came from Derry at or near the same time, to wit: Alexander and Adam [and James, 1759–1836]: Alexander settled in Washington County, Pennsylvania and Adam came to what is now Ross County, Ohio, in or about 1790.
Thomas Gilfillan (grandfather) came to Ohio in the fall of 1806, where he died in 1816 at sixty–five years of age. He had five sons, to wit: John, Alexander, Matthew, Thomas, and Adam; also five daughters. All of his family were born in Pennsylvania and are now dead. His brother, Alexander, died in Pennsylvania at ninety–four years of age. His brother Adam died in Ross Country, Ohio, about 1824. Grandfather had a brother, James who was a sailor in the British Navy and who died at sea off trhe coast of British Guinea. [This does not check out, HB]
Adam, mentioned above, had one son, Adam, who moved from Ohio to Peoria County, Illinois, in 1836, and died there in 1840. He left a large family, a part of whom are still living near Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois, and part of them near Brazil, Indiana.
Grandfather’s eldest son died a bachelor.
Alexander, my father, had five sons, to wit: Thomas, Andrew J., Alexander M. (the writer), John, and Adam; also five daughters. All of the daughters are dead. Of the sons, Thomas and Andrew J. are dead. Thomas had three sons, all dead. Andrew J. has three sons living, as follows: Alexander, living at Bruimmade, No. Dak., Thomas M. and Andrew J. living at Milford, Illinois; one of his daughters is dead, the other, Mrs. Hattie Robertson, lives at Jamestown, North Dakota; and Mrs. Laura Crooks, living at Milford, Illinois.
Alexander M., the writer, has one son and three daughters: Thomas M., whose residence is Watseka, Iroquois County, Illinois, and traveling in Minnesota with headquarters at Minneapolis, Minn..; Mrs. Lizzie M. Brown, living at Milford, Illinois; Mrs. Jennie G. Brown [sic], living at Guthrie, Oklahoma; Mrs. Nellie G. Guild, living at Ponca, Oklahoma (with whom the writer makes his home).
John, my brother, has four sons and six daughters, all of whom are living near Watseka, Iroquois County, Illinois. Adam, my brother, moved to Albia, Jasper County, Missouri, about 1868. He has one son and three daughters, all living at same place.
To return to grandfather’s family: his third son, Matthew, had two sons: John and Alexander, both dead. His fourth son Thomas had one daughter only. His fifth son Adam had seven sons: John, Amazia, James, Alexander, Thomas, Joseph, and Adam, all of whom are dead except Adam, who lives in Ohio. A part of Amazia’s descendents live in Chicago, Illinois, Colorado Springs, Col.,and J.H. (Uncle Harvey) Gilfillan of Moquoketa, Iowa. There is a family of Gilfillans in Litchfield, Illinois.
So far as our family history goes back, it shows that the Gilfillans came originally from Sterling, in Scotland, to County Derry, Province of Ulster, Ireland, before my grandfather’s time, but how long before the writer is unable to say. But the Gilfillans were in Ireland before the memorable seige of Derry recorded in Irish history; their people taking part in that struggle, is a tradition in the family. They were always called Scotch–Irish, were “the old stock”; all Presbyterians of the old style; and all the tribe have many of the characteristics of the old Scotch; have opinions of their own, not afraid to express them; they never forget a friend and never forget an enemy.
The latter day stock have departed somewhat from the old way, and most of them are Methodists, with Presbyterian a second choice. But all have the marks of old Scotch–Irish stock; are either Presbyterian or Methodist, and vote the Republican ticket straight to a man; never saw but one who did not, and he has lived in Missouri for forty years.
The above is a hastily written sketch of what I can remember of the Gilfillan family and possibly I have forgotten some.

A.M. Gilfillan, Ponca City, Okla. R.R. #3

The first confusion is over the spelling of the name. I had always seen it spelled “Gillfillan,” but here is great grandfather spelling it with one “l.” We know that it is the same name, and so I will spell it whichever way it appears in the record I am studying.
There are so many Thomases and Alexanders I adopt the convention of numbering the first Thomas and his generation as 0,
The first generation in America, Thomas, Alexander, James & Adam will be 1, and so on.

FACTS ABOUT DESCENDANTS OF THOMAS GILLFILLAN (bold names are author’s line)

THOMAS GILLFILLAN 0 of Londonderry, Ireland, had four sons who emigrated to America about 1772.

ALEXANDER 1
b 1744 Londonderry
d 9/6/1836 Allegheny Co Penn
m 11/29/1781 Martha Boyd
emigrated ca 1772 to Peters Twp Washington Co Penn now Upper Sinclair Twp
Served in Wash Co Militia 1782
Children:
Jennie 2 1782
John 2 1784
Margaret 2 1786
Andrew Boyd 2
Mary Ann 2
Martha 2
Elizabeth 2
Rachel 2
Sarah 2
Alexander (Alexander) 2

THOMAS 1
b 1751 Londonderry
d 1816 Ross Co Ohio
m Agnes High of County Down
emig ca 1772 to Allegheny Co Penn
moved to Ohio in Fall of 1805 or 1806
Children:
1. Alexander (Thomas ) 2 1785 Al Co Pa–1863
m. 1 Eliz Monroe 1813 2. Mary Camelin
2. John R. 2 18 Jan 1782/85?–1850
3. Mathew 2 23 Dec 1789–
m Magdalen Peacock 16 Jul 1829
4. Thomas 2 18 Feb 1791–
5. Adam 2 7 Nov 1792–22 Feb 1876
m Eliz. Depoy 18 May 1814
6. Agnes 2
7. Jane 2
8. James 2
9. Mary Anne 2
10. Elizabeth 2
11. Rachel 2

JAMES 1
b 11/29/1759 Londonderry
d 2/5/1836 ?at sea off coast of Br Guiana?
Children:
1. John 2 1 Aug 1783–
2. Alexander (James) 2 22 Dec 1784–
3. Isabel 2 15 Aug 1786–
4. Sarah 2 Mar 1788–
5. James (James) 2
6. Thomas (James) 2 9 Sep 1792–18 Mar 1840
m Elizabeth–

ADAM 1
b 1760 Londonderry
d 1824 Ross Co Ohio
Never married. Was a scout with Nathaniel Massie on an expedition from Kentucky to Paint Creek was wounded in the knee by Indians in 1795 during a fight nr Reeves Crossing where is now the Seymour Bridge. He limped thereafter. Was first schoolteacher in Twin Twp.
Now (v.i.) it appears that he may have had a child with Agnes McCormick:
1. Adam (Adam) 2
b?–d 28 Jul 1841 Peoria Co Il
m Sarah Moates (b 1795 d 1874) 1815
10 ch

CHILDREN OF ALEXANDER 2 (THOMAS 1)
13 Nov 1786–25 Dec. 1863
& ELIZABETH MONROE: 15 Apr 1794–30 Apr 1839
1. Sally 3 1814– m John McMullin
2. Thomas 3 (Alexander 2 Thomas 1) 1816
3. Andrew Jackson 3 1818
4. Nancy 3 1821
5. Harriet 3 1823–1897
6. Jane 3 1826–1883
7. Ruth Ann 3 1828–1894
8. Alexamder Monroe 3 (Alexander2 Thomas1)
8 Aug 1832–4 Sep 1911 m Maria Storm 1854
9. John 3 1834–1912 m. Sarah Ann Storm ‘57
10. Adam 3 (Alexande 2 Thomas1)

CHILDREN OF ALEXANDER MONROE GILFILLAN 3 AND MARIA STORM
1. Elizabeth M. 4 1855–1928
2. Jane (Jennie) 4 1 May 1858-8 Jan 1934
m Robert W. Browne 22 Mar 1881

By Mary McLellan
3. Thomas M. 4 1865–1929
4. Nellie Amy 4 1870–1948 m Wilbur Guild



I have a letter in my mother’s handwriting containing infotrmation she got from my grandmother Browne:

DOCUMENT IN MAY MELVIN BROWNE’S HANDWRITING

My name is Jane Gilfillan Browne. I am the mother of Howard Storm Browne and the grandmother of Howard Storm Browne, Jr. who is applylng for membershlp ln the CA.R.
I was born March 1, 1858, in Ohio, married to Robert W. Browne March 22, 1881.
I am the daughter of Alexander Monroe Gilfillan born August 9, 1832-- died September 4, 1911, and his wife, Maria Storm born August 17 1835, married October 10, 1854, died May 13, 1861. This can be proved by my own D.A.R. papers through Thomas Gilfillan who fought in the Revolution. My mother, Maria Storm, was the daughter of John Storm born October 27, 1790, at Winchester, Virginia, the second child of Peter and Barbara Freshour Storm. Died in Ross County, Ohio July 21, 1889. He served 13 months in the War of 1812 and was body guard of Gen. Wm. H. Harrison. Came to Ohio in 1802, His wife Diana DeHart born January 31, 1796, in Ross County, Ohio died March 31, 1866, married March 2, 1815.
I remember my grandfather John Storm--he has told me himself things concerning my grandmother Diana DeHart Storm. My sister Elizabeth Gilfillan (married Henry Brown) inherited our mother’s (Maria Storm Gilfillan) share of his (John Storm's) estate at his death. I attended a reunion at his home in Ohio in---- at the time of his -- birthday.
Diana DeHart was the daughter of Samuel DeHart born 1744--died May 21, 1824-- and his wife Nancy--. Samuel DeHart is said to have come over to fight in the Revolution in the same ship with LaFayette (no documentary evidence for this.)
'Diana DeHart, daughter of Samuel DeHart oldest resident of Ross andPike County--owner of grist mill on North Fork of Paint Creek--near Old Town or Frankfort.'
Diana DeHart Storm is buried in Ross County, Ohio, on her husband’s (John Storm’s) old farm. I myself have seen her grave..
All dates and information given concerning Samuel DeHart, Diana DeHart, John and Maria Storm copied from tombstones in Ross County, Ohio, and from John Storm's bible.. I copied them from the tombstones and bible myself, This bible in 1922 was in possession of Milton Jones of Bourneville Oho-- He has since died.
These statements are correct.
signed, Jane Gilfilan Browne


Ralph D. and Virginia Moore of Watseka, Illinois, compiled a history of the Gillfillan Family in 1980. Excerpts from this follow.

The first Gillfillan of our branch of the family of whom we have any record is Thomas Gillfillan of Ulster. He was the father of four sons: Alexander, Thomas, James, and Adam, all born in Derry. The sons came to America before the Revolutionary War. Alexander, Thomas, and Adam settled in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, but James remained on the eastern coast. He was a sailor and was impressed by the British in the War of 1812 and was drowned off the coast of Africa.
Alexander Gillfillan lived out his life in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and had children. How many and their names we do not know...[we do because he was our progenitor]
Thomas Gillfillan served in the Revolutionary War as a private in Captain John van Meter’s company, Fourth Battalion, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Militia (PA 6th series, Vol 2. pp 288 & 351). The federal census of 1790 and 1800 show him living in Allegheny County.
In 1803 he brought his family to Ross County, Ohio, settling in Twin Township in Haller’s Bottom on Black Run, southwest of Chillicothe. There he was a farmer and schoolteacher, being the first teacher in adjoining Huntington Township. His school was near Ralston’s Run. He had married Agnes High, or Kelly, back in Pennsylvania, and they had eleven children, six boys and five girls. Thomas purchased land in Twin Township and raised his family. He died in 1816 and his wife in 1828. They are buried in the Shoults Cemetery in Twin Township.
Adam Gillfillan never married. He bacame a scout and surveyor for General Nathaniel Massie who was developing a tract of land at Buckeye Station on the Ohio River in Adams County. Massie founded two towns, Manchester, just west of Buckeye Station, and Chillicothe in Ross County. Adam Gillfillan purchased lots 206 and 222 in Chillicothe from Massie. He sold them in 1810 to John Gillfillan, his nephew, a son of Thomas. Adam joined Massis and Simon Kenton in fighting the Shawnee Indians of the region. On an expedition into Ross County in 1795 they met the Indians at the big bend of Paint Creek near Reeves’ Crossing, bear where the present Seymore Bridge is located. In tghe fight Adam was wounded in the knee and as a result was afflicted with a limp the rest of his life. He became the first schoolteacher in Twin Township, teaching a subscription school in a log schoolhouse in Haller’s Bottom on Black Run.
The book Ross County Ohio Families, Bicentennial Edition, 1976, says that James Gillfillan settled in western Pennsylvania and had children. We have no records to prove this statement. He might have come there after the War of 1812. [or washed overboard HB]
In politics the Gillfillans were Whigs, as were most of their children, and most Gillfillans are Republicans today. Many of the men were members of the Masonic fraternity.
Alexander Gillfillan, second son of Thomas, Married Elizabeth Monroe. They were the parents of ten children,five boys and five girls. Alexander became a big land owner in Twin Township and served as Justice of the Peace. Elizabeth died in 1839 and Alexander married Mary C. Camelin in 1846. They had no children. Alexander died in 1863 and is buried in the old Bournville Cemetery beside Elizabeth. Mary C. Camelin Gillfillan died in 1898 and is buried in the Twin Township Cemetery.
The ninth child of Alexander and Elizabeth Monroe Gillfillan was John. John Gillfillan was born in Twin Township, Ross County, in 1834. He married Sarah Ann Storm, the youngest daughter of John Storm, the biggest landowner in Twin Township. They had three children, two boys and a daughter. The daughter died in infancy. John Gillfillan was a farmer. He and his brother Adam must have inherited land from their father, for in 1865 John bought the undivided half–interest of Adam in 453 acres that he and Adam had inherited for the sum of $4,000. Sarah Ann Gillfillan died and was buried in the Storm Cemetery at Spargursville, beside her daughter. John then married Rebecca Ellinor McCracken of Bournville. They had eight children, two boys and six girls. The last three of the children were born in Iroquois County, Illinois, for in 1874 the family moved there from Ohio.
John Storm, the father of John Gillfillan’s first wife, owned 120 acres of land three miles east of the town of Watseka. John and his family lived on this land for several years before moving to another farm southeast of the Belmont church. In a few more years the family moved to a farm a mile north of the village of Woodland, and a few years later to a farm three miles southeast of Woodland on Coon Creek. From there the younger members of the family married and left home. John Gillfillan died on the farm in the fall of 1912. In the 40 years he lived in Iroquois County he did not own any of the land he farmed. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity and a power in Republican party politics in Belmont Township.
Rebecca went to live with her stepson, Andrew Jackson Gillfillan, who then lived on the John Storm land east of Watseka. She died there in teh spring of 1914. John and Rebecca Gillfillan are buried in the Belmont Cemetery, Watseka, Illinois.

WILL OF THOMAS 1 GILLFILLAN

Ross County, Ohio January 10, 1816
W–78–73 (1488–1504) Case #2852

In the name of God, Amen. I being weak in body but sound in memory and judgement knowing the uncertainty of life first I leave my soul to God who gave it and my body to be decently buried and all lawful debts and funeral expenses to be paid.
I hereby bequeath to my true and loving wife all of my estate both real and personal only such as shall hereafter be mentioned. I give and bequeath to my oldest son, John, fifty cents, to my second son, Alexander, fifty cents. The whole of my land property at the death of my wife, Agnes, to be equally divided betwixt my third son, Matthew, and my fourth son, Thomas, and to my fifth son, Adam, I bequeath one dollar. As for my personal property I leave to the disposal of my aforesaid wife, Agnes, to be disposed of as she thinks proper amongst my five daughters: Agnes, Jean, Maryenn, Elizabeth, and Rachel. I do hereby appoint my aforesaid wife, Agnes, and my son, Alexander Gillfillan administrators of this my last will and testament. Given under my hand and seal this tenth day of January one thousand eight hundred and sixteen.

witnesses: Obadiah Northcutt and Adam X Gilfillan

I have many bits of information about the family and have corresponded with many people about it. No one has succeeded in finding Thomas Gillfillan in Derry, or proving the link with the Scottish Gillfillans. I even wrote to every Gillfillan in the Ulster phone directory; those who answered really had no clue about their family history.
I engaged a searcher at the Ulster HIstoricalFoundation and got back the following reply:

Although the surname Gillfillan is not by any means a common one here lack of the precise location for your ancestors proposes an obvious problem in research particularly since the Christian names used were not in any way distinctive.
Even if we had a precise location for the family in Co. Londonderry or even in the city of that name we would face an insuperable obstacle in that in Co. Londonderry there is probably only one Presbyterian church with registers dating back to the period 1742–1760; is was thinking of Magherafelt but I note that they only have baptisms of the year 1703-06 and 1771-80 and marriages 1769-1782.
For the city of Londonderry the early Presbyterian registers only date from 1815 and marriage registers from 1827.
...however unless we are exceptionally lucky I cannot see how we will be able to establish a documented link with your ancestors. I am also very doubtful about the possibility of documenting a link back to Sterling or Perthshire.” /s/ B. Trainor (DR)

The inability to find record of the family is disappointing and frustrating. Back in 1975 I corresponded with Dr. John W. Blake, of Limavady, professor of history at the New University of Ulster. He wrote to me when one of my phone book contacts brought my letter to him for help. He did leave me with the following tantalizing clue which I haven’t followed up on:

A friend of mine – in fact , one of my former students – happens to be the Deputy Keeper of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, and from him I have got a whole lot of information about the Gilfillan family. It seems that they did a Gilfillan search some years ago, and a Gilfillan pedigree was compiled from information contained in a privately printed book Genealogy of the Gilfillan Family by one Alexander Gilfillan. Unfortunately this book is missing and we cannot get a copy....


Another version obtained from William Gilfillan Gavin, compiler and date unknown:
Data on the descendants of James Gilfillan, the 4th of the brothers who came from the north of Ireland, County Derry, District of Ulster, in 1772
The Gilfillan family was a "sept" or branch of the clan Macnab, their "native heath" was near Comrie,Perthshire, Scotland
. Thomas Gilfillan and his father went to Londonderry, county of Londonderry, the north of Ireland. The Macnab clan had supported Prince Charles against the government in 1745, so many Scotchmen emigrated to the north of Ireland following his defeat. The persecution of the Presbyterian church in Scotland caused many to seek refuge in Ireland and later in America.
We do not know whether it was Thomas or his father who emigrated to the north of Ireland. Thomas had four sons who emigrated to America about 1772. There was Alexander, Thomas, Adam and James .
Alexander settled in Yohogania county, district of West Augusta, Virginia. It was claimed by the Penns as part of Pennsylvania;1784 it became Peters township, Washington County, Pa. It is now upper Sinclair Township, Allegheny County, Pa. He was in the Washington County militia 1782. Alexander Gilfillan received a warrant Feb. 10, 1785 for four hundred acres in Washington County paying 17 pounds nine shillings for this four hundred acres called "Cato" which rents to reserve one-fifth part of all gold and silvsr ore for the use of the Commonwealth.
Alexander Gilfillan was born 1746, died 1836. He was married to Martha Boyd Nov.Z3,1781. She was born 1759 and died 1840. Their children were
1- Jennie born Oct. 23d, 1732, was married to James Cubbage, lived in the vicinity of Carnegie, Pa.
2- John Gilfillan born June 21, '784 married his 1st cousin Margaret Fife.
3 - Marget ( Margaret Gilfillan) born August 16, 17a6, married James Greer, lived near Elizabeth, Pa., Allegheny County, Pa.
4- Mary Ann married James McBride, lived in Shelby County, Indiana, then in Wisconsin.
5- Martha married Hugh Fergus, of Elizabeth, Pa..
6- Elizabeth married William Wallace who had a farm in South Fayette township, Allegheny County,Pa.
7- Rachel, married Archibald Bryant of Liberty, Pa..
8- Sarah Gilfillan born 1798 died in 1818.
9- Alexander Gilfillan born 1794
Andrew Boyd, date of birth unknown was an early child , possibly the 4th. He married Ann Caldwell. He and his brother John built houses on different sections of the original farm.

Alexander1 Gilfillan left an interesting will [v.s.] regarding dividing his land into two halves for his two sons John Gilfillan and-Andrew Boyd Gilfillan. His own son Alexander having died early he left 18 acres to his grandson Alexander son of John Gilfillan and in case of his death and Andrew Boyd should have a son named Alexander it would go to him.
Alexander Gilfillan, a descendant, has been a very prominent lawyer in Pittsburgh. He had two sons and a daughter who lived on the original grant of land which has become very valuable. The two Gilfillan men are in business in Pittsburgh.

The second original brother was Thomas Gilfillan who took up a patent on land in the present Mount Lebanon township, Allegheny County, Pa. but moved to Ohio in 1805. He had five sons and five daughters and some twenty grandsons.

The third (sic) brother, Adam Gilfillan, settled in what is now Ross County in Ohio 1790.

The fourth (sic) brother, James, settled first in .West Moreland County, then moved in 1798 to Lawrence County, Pa. taking up land near Harlandsburg, Pa. which is now held by James Gilfillan 'McKissick. He was born Nov. 12,1759. Martha, his wife, was born in 1757.
Their children were:
1- John Gilfillan born August 1st, 1783
2- Alexander Gilfillan, MD., born December 22d, 1784
3. Isabella Gilfillan born August 15th, 1736
4- Sarah Gilfillan, born March 1788
5- James Gilfillan, born April 1791
6- Thomas Gilfillan, born September 9th, 1792

ADAM1, THOUGH NEVER MARRIED MAY HAVE HAD A SON

Marcus B. Elliott, 13410 Preston Road, #1305, Dallas, TX 75240-5236 writes:

"I am descended from a James Gilfillan and a Jane E. Martin who were married and lived in Peoria County, Illinois. He is almost certainly the son of an Adam Gilfillan and a Sarah Moates who moved from Ross County, Ohio, to Peoria County in the late 1830's. My challenge has been to identify his parents. With data from you and William Boyer, the following seems plausible:
1. The letter from Alexander Monroe Gilfillan says that "old" Adam, brother of Thomas Gillfillan, "... had one son, Adam, who moved from Ohio to Peoria County, Illinois, in 1836, and died there in 1840."
2. William Boyer says that "old" Adam never married, and you make the same note in your summary.
3. "My" Adam died on July 28, 1841, in Limestone township, Peoria County, Illinois, according to the Bounty Land file that William Boyer has furnished me.
4. William Boyer also sent me an extract of the will of "old" Adam. It reads as follows:

"Adam Gilfillan, Sen. of Ross Co. Ohio in perfect health. Nephew Alexander Gilfillan son of Thomas, dec'd late of Ross County. all my estate after legacies and debts. For the love and affection I bear Agnes McCormick I give her son Adam McCormick, some times called Adam Gilfillan $5. Niece Sally Gilfillan daughter said Alexander. My most worthy and trusty friends Isaac McCracken, Esq. and Alexander Gilfillan son of Thomas late of Ross Co., dec'd to be Execs. Sept. 1, 1826, present Mathew Gilfillan and William Stockton. Proved January 3, 1827. Signed with X. "

present Mathew Gilfillan and William Stockton. Proved January 3, 1827. Signed with X. "

From the above it seems reasonable t4 assume that if "old" Adam never married, he certainly had a very close relationship with a woman named Agnes McCormick. In today's politically correct world, she would no doubt be called his "significant other." The comment in the will regarding her son, Adam McCormick, seems to come about as close as I will likely find to an admission of parentage by "old" Adam. Given that the "young" Adam McCormick, has the same first name, and apparently is known as Adam Gilfillan, leads me to believe he is the "love child" of Adam Gilfillan and Agnes McCormick. The other possibility is that Adam McCormick was her son by an earlier marriage, or relationship, and the son simply "adopted" the name Gilfillan. In that case I should be researching the McCormick lineage. A DNA test might be the only way to resolve the issue.
Unless I can find some other promising lead, I tend to think the above analysis is correct. However, I would like your candid thoughts. Have you ever heard of this Agnes McCormick and her son Adam? Have you ever seen anything that indicates that "old" Adam ever married? What makes you certain that he didn't?
I recently met with my Uncle Yale Gilfillan, who just turned 80, and told him the above story, and my conclusion that our ancestor, Adam Gilfillan, may have been conceived out of wedlock. His response was that he would be surprised if that was the only one. I read somewhere that as many as 20~ of all births in colonial America may have been illegitimate, so finding an ancestor born out of wedlock should be fairly common. It just reminds us that not all that much has really changed.
I should also tell you one additional anecdotal story. A few years ago my cousin, John Gilfillan, visited Killin, Scotland and the secretary of the MacNab clan, at that time a Col. Gilfillan. When my cousin met him he was shocked to see a man who could almost have been the twin brother of my Uncle Yale Gilfillan. That convinced him there could be no doubt we are of Gilfillan parentage."