John Hillsman

Joseph married Elizabeth Moore on 17 Dec 1790 in , Amelia, Virginia, USA. Elizabeth was born in 1770 in , Amelia, Virginia, USA; died in 1858 in , Smith, Tennessee, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Matthew married Ann Gillintine in 1746 in , Amelia, Virginia, USA. Ann (daughter of Nicholas Gillintine and Eleanor Echols) was born in 1719 in , Amelia, Virginia, USA; died in 1780 in , Amelia, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Ann Gillintine, the daughter of Nicholas Gillintine and his Echols wife, inherited £20 from her father. She married Matthew Hillsman [208].

Notes:

In the Fall of 1772, Nicholas Gillintine, of Halifax County, Virginia, composed his last will and testament. He wrote “... being weak in body but in sound mind & perfect sence & memory... do consider that what of our affairs are not settled in this life cannot be settled hereafter... “ He then went on to describe how he wished his earthly property to be distributed among his heirs. Nicholas must not have been living in Halifax County very long because he had written a will in Amelia County 2 November 1771. It was recorded there but not probated. He was evidently an old man for some of his granddaughters had married.
According to Milner Echols, the nineteenth century Echols family historian, Nicholas was an “outlandish” Englishman who married a daughter of John Echols, Yet no record reveals her name. They were the parents of five known children he named in his will.

Records spelled “Gillintine” different ways including “Gillenton,” “Gillington,” “Gillinton,” “Guilintine,” “Guillintine,” etc. The name may originally have been the French “Guillotin.” By 1782 the Gillinton name had disappeared from Virginia. Nicholas received a patent for land in King William (later Caroline) County on 16 June 1714. It was 200 acres “about a mile back in the woods from Rowells Ford.” Nicholas's name appeared often in the Caroline County order books. He obtained a patent for 997 acres next to Abraham Echols on Flat Creek in Amelia County 28 December 1736. On 17 June 1743, he gave a 397-acre portion of this land to his son John. The deed of gift described the land as on the upper side of Flat Creek, called the “Great Bent.” The same day Nicholas lent 200 acres of land on the upper side of Flat Creek to John and Eleanor Chisum, his son-in-law and daughter, for the rest of their natural life. The three appear to have sold this land to John Cook for £100 on 19 November 1754.
Almost exactly ten years later, a nearly identical deed was recorded. On 10 September 1764, Nicholas transferred 200 acres of his original patent to John Cook of Amelia for £100. They recorded this deed among others of 1766. This land was owned by Nicholas, daughter Eleanor Chisum, son-in-law John Chisum, all of Amelia County, and James Chisum of Halifax County.

Early Amelia County court records reported few crimes. Then, in 1743, Amelia County arrested Lodowick Ferguson for suspicion of felony. The court records included the reports of witnesses including Gillintines. The county alleged that Lodowick stole about £22, mainly of gold coins, from a trunk belonging to Catherine Whitworth, the daughter of Thomas Whitworth. Sadly, it seems Ann Gillintine, Catherine's friend, had earlier shown Lodowick where the gold was. Ann would later marry Matthew Hilsman. On 25 July 1743, they brought Ferguson into the courtroom. In front sat the eight justices of the peace: Edward Booker, John Burton, William Clement, William Booker, Richard Booker, Samuel Tarry, Hezekiah Ford, and Wood Jones. According to depositions, John Gillintine had seen Lodowick at his father's house helping harvest wheat Wednesday, June 29. Ferguson owed John money but declared that he then did not have any. Two days later, Ferguson arrived at the Whitworth home while Thomas was away helping others harvest wheat. He told Catherine he had work to do at Whitworth's with Samuel Martin, who was on his way. While she was on the porch sewing with her mother, Catherine heard Ferguson go to her trunk and then saw him leave the house. The next day, Saturday, the militia mustered at Scott's Ordinary. While the men were waiting about, Ferguson asked John Leonard to change a doubloon for him, claiming he owed James Scott some money. Both James Scott and Dennis Reagan also exchanged doubloons with Ferguson. After Church Sunday, John Gillintine ran into Ferguson who repaid his debt to John with some gold and silver coins he took from a purse. Additionally, Wednesday, Ferguson bought a horse from Gillintine for £3:14:0 that he said he had borrowed. Ironically, the same day, Samuel Martin arrived at Whitworth's to work yet denied he was to have met Ferguson the previous Friday. Ferguson evidently began to realize he was in a bind. He took Martin aside and asked him to rearrange his story to say that he did not arrive at Whitworth's because he lost his horse. He also convinced Martin to come with him to Warwick, Virginia. Martin later reported that Ferguson had much money on hand and made several purchases from merchants. Martin's forthrightness in the court was presumably because they had charged him with a felony and he was going to distance himself from Ferguson. The evidence was sufficient to arrest Ferguson. Fearing they would hang him, Ferguson anxiously offered to become a witness for the King and impeach Samuel Martin for the theft. This failing, he hired a lawyer, who he was clearly able to pay. John Gillintine even said in court he saw Ferguson give money to the attorney. Apparently Ferguson and his father and brother tried to negotiate a settlement with the Whitworth's. One scenario had John Gillintine, an unwitting beneficiary of the crime, helping with restitution. Although theft is common today, in Colonial Amelia County, Virginia, it was not. Nine different citizens helped guard Lodowick in the prison and the county paid them 18 pounds of tobacco per day. Lewis Vaughan got 36 pounds for two days of jailer service. The Ferguson trial directly cost the county 1,368 pounds of tobacco, more than 7% of the annual county budget of less than 19,000 pounds. Things must have looked bleak for Ferguson. A volunteer jailer reported that Lodowick tried to escape, breaking down a door and taking up several bricks from the hearth and chimney. The evidence overwhelmed the justices and they ordered Lodowick Ferguson to be taken to Williamsburg and tried at the next General Court on October 4. The Ferguson's put up a bail bond for Lodowick. To ensure they personally appeared at the court, the witnesses were bound to the King for £20. We do not know the disposition of the case because of the loss of General Court records. We do know Lodowick was back in Amelia County in May 1744 when Justice Edward Booker was awarded a judgement against him for £0:41:11 and court costs. Lodowick failed to appear in court. Perhaps his experiences there were sufficient justification to stay away. Amelia County set aside 1,288 pounds of tobacco - 322 pounds each - in its November 1744 county levy to pay John Gillintine, Thomas Whitworth, Thomas Whitworth Jr., and Catherine Whitworth.

In 1754 Nicholas became guardian of John Hurt Jr. Surety on his orphan bond was George Booker. George was guardian of John's brother, Joel Hurt, and Nicholas was his surety. Nicholas was a good citizen who served on several juries while in Amelia County. Serving with him at various times were William Craddock , Benjamin Clement, Edward Osborne, Henry Robertson Sr., William Hudson, John Gillintine, Lodowick Tanner, Jacob Seay, John Clement, and William Ligon.
Nicholas died in Halifax County about 1773 (will dated 21 Oct. 1772 , recorded 16 Dec. 1773) at ninety-seven years of age. He still had one black slave in Amelia County appraised at £36:0:10 on 29 November 1773. Nicholas appointed Thomas Mumford Sr. and George Booker coexecutors of his will, which Matthew Hilsman, James Garrett, and Robert Willson witnessed.

Nicholas married Eleanor Echols in 1714 in , , Virginia, USA. Eleanor (daughter of John Echols and Mary Cave) was born in 1698 in , King and Queen, Virginia, USA; died on 2 Nov 1771 in , Halifax, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Margaret Duckett. Margaret was born in 1638 in Grayregg, Westmoreland, England; died in 1674. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]