Thomas Gilpin

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Thomas suffered a rough childhood, his father dying when he was about 6 years of age and his mother dying 9 years later, leaving he and 4 siblings orphans. Thomas was 15 at that time. As a very young man he made his way to London to “apprentice to a tallow chandler" before entering the English Civil War.

In the “Memoirs of the Gilpin Family of Philadelphia,” it is stated that Thomas was a Colonel in Cromwell’s Army and fought at the Battle of Worcester on September 3, 1651. Thomas fought against the prince who was to later become King Charles, II. Cromwell’s Army won this battle and Charles only narrowly escaped. After the war, Thomas Gilpin settled in Warborough, Oxfordshire, England and was married prior to 1651 to Joan Bartholomew, daughter of Thomas Bartholomew.

About 1654, while on a trip to London, Col. Thomas Gilpin converted to the new doctrines and faith of the Society of Friends, and when he returned home, established a meeting at his house in Warborough, which was held there for many years. About 1662, he entered the Ministry of the Society although Quakers in England suffered for their beliefs. At times he was severely persecuted for his Quaker testimonies, and was arrested twice and imprisoned in Oxford Castle, and once in Newgate, London. In May of 1670, he was fined 20 pounds for having a meeting in his house, but did not discontinue the Friends' meetings, within a month having "another Meeting at the said Thomas Gilpin’s” which led to officers of the law coming - “broke open his door and took away his household goods, leaving him not a bed to lie on, nor a pot to boil his food in.” Some time soon afterward, he harvested 3 acres of his corn and the officers came and took that also, along with two pigs, all valued at 11 pounds.

Thomas & Joan (Bartholomew) Gilpin had 7 children listed in the Monthly Meeting register: Mary, Thomas, Isaac, Sarah, Rachell, Joseph, & Richard. Mary and Richard appear to have died young. The others all married with issue, Joseph Gilpin immigrating to PA.

“The day before he died, viz. the 2nd of the 12th month, some friends visiting him, he desired one of them to supplicate the Lord on his behalf, to put an end to his days, and make his passage easy. After some time the friend prayed to that purpose; when he had done, Thomas Gilpin lifting up his hands, said, “The Lord grant thy request which thou hast made to him this day.” Though at that time to outward appearance he seemed likely to have lived some days, yet he quickly altered, and the morrow, about the fifth hour in the afternoon, he departed this life, being the 3rd day of the Twelfth month, 1702. He left behind him three sons and two daughters, and all of them had children.”

Excerpt From: Piety Promoted, Volume I, The Friends Library. This material may be protected by copyright.

Thomas’s death received a full page in the Monthly Meeting of Reading and Warborough Register in additional to his biography in Piety Promoted.