Thomas Gillis

FamilySearch: Thomas Gillis (L6MX-T2V) (Accessed 10 Feb. 2024):

Brief Life History :
Thomas Arrives in Londonderry, New Hampshire on or about 1742 as he is listed as a transient in the 1742 Tax List. He buys land from the Widow Margaret Arbuckle on 8 August 1748, Sarah Arbuckle, Alexander Patterson and his wife Elizabeth (Arbuckle). Margaret is the widow of Josiah Arbuckle who received his portion of land from his father. Josiah passed away before 1748 in Londonderry. Then in 1749 Thomas Gillis and his wife Margaret sell land to Isaac Brewster of Londonderry. We find Thomas Gillis in Merrimack, New Hampshire, Bernardston, Massachusetts, Halifax, Vermont and finally Salem, Washington County, New York. He is listed as a Weaver in the land records.
We suspect that this Thomas Gillis is the father of Elizabeth Gault, Samuel Gillis, Joseph Gillis and Robert Gillis (FamilySearch ID#LHZ7-R5B) as he migrates with these family members. We also suspect that he is a brother of Hugh Gillis of Merrimack, New Hampshire, as Hugh was in Londonderry before migrating to Merrimack. [research of Arleen Craig Ellis]

Family legend says that the family was involved in the British massacre of Glencoe Scotland in 1692. Family legend also says that they fled to a local cave and a faithful dog kept them from starving as he hunted for food. Bonnie Gillis Waters of New York, wrote to the Historian of Glencoe Scotland and they could not find any Gillis family members in the area at the time of the massacre. She suggested that they changed their name to Gillis/Gilles after moving away from Glencoe.