My name is Randall Peltier and I am conducting some intensive research on the
family of William Gilson.
William Gilson was born on 4 October 1762, in Washington County, Virginia. In
1782 William married Mary Margaret McBroom. Over the course of their marriage
they had 9 children. My research is focused on their son Daniel Gilson, born
1794 in Washington County, Virginia. In the early 1800s William and his entire
family migrated to Rush County, Indiana. Daniel’s son, Samuel L. Gilson, is
my gg grandfather, born Rush County in 1830. Samuel moved to Knox County,
Tennessee circa 1854 where he married Catharine Jane Lones. Over the course of
their marriage they had 15 children. Their son John Robert Gilson migrated form
Knox County, Tennessee to Rush County, Indiana in 1901 and began farming
I am especially interested in the descendants of John Robert and Lucy Gilson.
John and Lucy Gilson are buried in Asbury Cemetery in Shelby County, Indiana.
Lucy Died in 1917 and John R. in1923. Their children are as follows:
John Robert, Jr. was 19 in 1910 and married Carrie L. Clark in September of
that year. John Jr. Died on March 29, 1912. His tombstone is inscribed "Indiana
Pvt 1CL 159 Depot Brig."
Jennie Gilson does not appear in the 1910 Indiana census. However, according
to the 1900 Knox County census she was living at home and not married at the
turn of the century. Jennie must have married some time between 1900 and 1910.
She is listed as Mrs. Jennie Darmondy in John Robert obit in the February 21st
edition of the Indianapolis Star.
William Edward was 16 in the 1910 Indiana census. He married Nina Epperson on
December 10, 1913 in Hancock County, Indiana. There is a William Edward
Gilson listed in The Asbury Cemetery census as being born 1894 and died in 1931. I
have no proof that this is the child of John and Lucy Gilson.
Margaret E. Gilson in listed as 14 years old in the 1910 Indiana census.
Margaret Married Floyd Brown on March 6, 1913 in Clark County, Indiana. The 1920
Indiana census for Hancock County, Indiana lists the Brown family as Floyd,
head of the family 25 years old, Margaret, 23 years old and Harold R., a son 4
years old. The 1930 Marion County census lists Margaret and Harold Brown living
alone in Indianapolis. Either Floyd died or the couple divorced at some point
between 1920 and 1930.
Jesse Gilson died in 1981. His wife Francis W. died in 1970. Both are buried
in Asbury Cemetery along with two of their children, Virginia M. Gilson Smith
and Jesse B. Gilson Jr. Virginia was born in 1926 and died in 1981. Jesse Jr.
was born in 1923 and died in 1970. He was a veteran of WW2 and was one of the
first Americans to enter Japan after the surrender was signed aboard the USS
Missouri. He was a Corporal in Company F of the 511 Parachute Group.
The other children that are listed in the 1910 census are Ruth and Charles.
Ruth was 2 years old and Charles was 9 in 1910. John Jr. , Jennie, Margaret,
William Edward and Jesse were all born in Knoxville, Tennessee. Ruth and Charles
were born in Indiana.
If anyone knows of or is a descendant of any member of this family, please
call, write or E-mail me at the following address:
Randall R Peltier
Route 19, Box 529
Whitfield Avenue
Savannah, Georgia 31406
Phone (912) 354-3600
E-mail RandyPel(a)aol.com
Thanking you in advance,
Randall Peltier