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Thomas Gilruth

Thomas Gilruth

Male 1745 - 1826  (80 years)    Has 4 ancestors and 85 descendants in this family tree.

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  • Name Thomas Gilruth 
    Birth Jul 1745  Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2
    Gender Male 
    Death 19 Mar 1826  [1, 3
    Siblings 1 Sibling 
    Person ID I320405  Geneagraphie
    Last Modified 8 Aug 2009 

    Father John Gilruth   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Mother NN Morris   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Family ID F127720  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Marion T. Ingles,   b. 14 Feb 1776, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 14 Apr 1847 (Age 71 years) 
    Marriage 7 Mar 1792 
    Children 
     1. Jane Gilruth
     2. John Gilruth,   b. French Grant, Scioto Co., Ohio, USA Find all individuals with events at this location
    +3. Rev. James Gilruth,   b. 29 Jan 1793, Belleville, Wood County, West Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Jun 1873, Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 80 years)
    +4. Mary Gilruth,   b. 24 Jan 1797, Belleville, Wood County, West Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown
    +5. William Gilruth,   b. 24 May 1799, Hanging Rock, Scioto Co., Ohio (Adams Co. at that time) Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1 Jun 1879 (Age 80 years)
    Family ID F127716  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 23 Oct 2001 

  • Notes 
    • - Linen weaver - he had the first loom on either side of the river between Big Sandy and Little Scioto

      from Scotland when old enough; went to N. Carolina

      Thomas Gilruth, b. 07-1745 met Marion Ingles on the Ohio River at Belleville (West Virginia?)

      Thomas Gilruth went to Pittsburg in 1785, floated down Ohio River to what became Belleville, Virginia (now in West Virginia) where he had bought land from government. Here they build a log fort, surrounded by a palisade. (From Thomas Gilruth Family Group Record)

      The text below is from a letter written by James Gilruth and posted in the Ironton Register, Lawrence Co. OH: "OLD TIMES - Gilruth on Early Settlers in Lawrence County", from the Ironton Register, February 1, 1872 to July 18, 1872; transcribed by Mary Ann St. Louis

      March 23, 1872

      In my former letters, I have made frequent allusions to the
      French Grant. Before proceeding any farther with the history of individual
      settlers, I think it proper to give you an account of the origin of the
      French Grant.

      Soon after the Revolutionary War, some men went over to
      France and succeeded in selling to some French gentlemen a large tract
      of land, to which they had no legal right, at a French crown an acre.
      These gentlemen bro't over a number of respectable people of the common
      class, to settle their lands; but after they came, they found that they
      had been swindled out of their money, and that they had no legal right
      to a foot of land. These emigrants settled at and formed the town of
      Gallipolis. This was the origin of Gallia County. The men who had been
      swindled out of their money all returned to France, except John B.
      JARVIS, who stayed and employed a lawyer in Philadelphia by the name of
      DEPONSAW, who drew up a statement of the case and got it before
      Congress, which then sat in that city. At the time, the American public
      felt much friendship for the French, as they had contributed material
      aid to effect our independence. Congress took up this matter and made a
      grant of 24,000 acres, amounting to 217 acres to each head of family
      that remained, and 4,000 acres to JARAVIS. This grant was made
      conditional that the grantee should settle on it by a given time and
      remain on it five years, in order to make good his title. This
      condition was afterward removed and each grantee was secured by U. S.
      patent.

      Matthew BARTLET drew lot No. 1 and wishing to return to
      France, came up to Bellville, Wood County, VA and offered it for sale
      at $2 per acre. Thomas GILRUTH, one of the original settlers of
      Bellville, who had settled there in 1775, two years before there was a
      white man settled in the State of Ohio, and maintained their station
      through the Indian War, which was closed after Anthony WAYNE'S decisive
      battle at Preskul on the right bank of the Maumee, opposite the Maumee
      Rapids, but now had lost their land by an older claim, accepted
      BARTLET'S offer, and in connection with a widow of the name of
      HEMPSTEAD, bought the lot, and immediately set about making his
      preparations to move. Putting his family, stock, and other things on
      board of a couple of flatboats and a barge periogue, set sail down the
      Ohio; and on the 8th day of April, 1797, arrived at his lot. The river
      being near full bank, he drew his boats into a cove, made a bank slide
      in ages back. This made a safe and convenient haven. He lived in his
      boats until the water left them. He then knocked the boats to pieces
      and of the boards made a camp, in which the family lived a year, or
      until there were men enough within twenty miles to raise a stout log
      cabin. His wife's maiden name was Marion INGLES. They were both
      immigrants from Scotland, but married in the United States. Their
      children's names were James, John, Jannet, Mary and William. James
      married Hannah KOUNTZ; SHE DYING, HE MARRIED Mary WESTLAKE; John died
      of croup, and Jannet of whooping cough, in their infancy at Bellville.
      Mary married William G. THOMAS; he dying she married John FASSER. He
      dying, she sold out and moved to Massac County, Illinois, where she
      still lives. William married Rebecca AUSTIN. He ultimately became sole
      owner of the old homestead farm. Thomas GILRUTH was bred a linen
      weaver, and erected the first loom on either side of the river, between
      Big Sandy and Little Scioto. This loom was made by Peter FORT, of black
      walnut timber, and manufactured in workmanlike manner, for which
      GILRUTH paid him $13 in specie. He however turned his whole attention
      to clearing and cultivating his land. He often boasted that he never
      bought but one peck of corn, and that was for seed. He exceedingly
      enjoyed, as pastime, fishing and hunting. He was raised in the Kirk of
      Scotland and remained in that faith until he met with Fletcher''
      Checks, the reading of which upset his Calvinism. In the fall of 1812,
      he invited Marcus LINSEY, an itinerant Methodist preacher who was then
      forming Little Sandy circuit, in Kentucky, to make his house a
      preaching place. Lindsey accepted the invitation, and formed a little
      society, consisting of Thomas GILRUTH, Marion GILRUTH, Rachel HAILEY,
      Rebecca POWER, and Joel CHURCH, who have all long since died in the
      faith. This was the first Methodist society from little Scioto up, and
      embracing all Lawrence County. During Thomas GILRUTH'S lifetime, his
      house was a regular preaching place, and after his death it was
      continued so by his widow until a house was prepared for it opposite
      Greenupsburg.
      Emigration - - Emigrated shortly after the Revolutionary War.

  • Sources 
    1. [S1042] History of Lower Scioto Valley, Ohio. (a biographical sketch from); Inter-State Publishing Co., Chicago, 1884.

    2. [S1043] Nelson W. Evans, A. M., A History of Scioto County, Ohio,Together With a Pioneer Record of Southern Ohio, (Portsmouth, Ohio. Published by Nelson W. Evans, 1903), 717 (Reliability: 2).

    3. [S1046] Death Records of Scioto County, Ohio 1803-1860.



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