The Gilliam Family can be found in colonial Virginia during the 1600s and 1700s, and I've found more than one branch of Gilliams who has married a Harris. The best source I've found regarding my earliest Gilliam ancestors has been The Douglas Register, a book found in most genealogy libraries with records kept by a Rev. Douglas who was over some of the Parishes where my Harris and Gilliam families lived. It includes the marriage of James Gilliam and Frances Hopkins and a number of other relatives in my line. It also has reference to my John Gilliam who married Sarah Farris/Ferris/Fairies.
Other spellings of the surname include GILLAM, GILLHAM, GUILLAUME, etc.
Here is my GILLIAM lineage (*Note that the generations prior to John Gilliam who married Sarah Farris are not proven to my satisfaction, although others have posted this possible lineage in various places on the internet):
If you have queries concerning the GILLIAM surname, you may post these at the Gilliam Family Genealogy List which is a part of the Rootsweb e-mail discussion lists. It offers free queries and discussion on the Gilliam surname and variant spellings. The list manager is Anna Hanson.
To subscribe, send an e-mail to:
[email protected]
Leave subject line blank (This will be ignored).
In the body of the message type: subscribe
Then a welcome message will be sent telling how to post messages. Once you are subscribed, you may send a query to everyone on the list by sending e-mail to:
[email protected]
Archived postings to the GILLIAM e-mail list can be found on the WEB at:
Also, if interested in the variant spelling of GILLAM, there is a separate surname list for the GILLAM spelling. That e-mail discussion list is also managed by Rootsweb and the list manager is Mary A. Old.
To subscribe, send an e-mail to:
[email protected]
Then a welcome message will be sent telling how to post messages. Once you are subscribed, you may send a query to everyone on the list by sending e-mail to:
[email protected]
Leave subject line blank (This will be ignored).
In the body of the message type: subscribe
There are several Message Boards on Rootsweb which are set up for the GILLIAM surname. These boards are for posting information in the following categories: BIBLE, BIOGRAPHY, BIRTH, CEMETERY, CENSUS, DEATH, DEED, IMMIGRATION, LOOKUP, MARRIAGE, MILITARY, OBITUARY, PENSION, QUERIES, and WILLS. The search perameters and drop down screen on the main page allow you to do a key word search or to view all postings according to one of the above categories. Click on the icon below to access the Gilliam Message Boards.
Post a query (or information from any one of the above categories) on any GILLIAM name or related family. Please give dates, and locations they lived. Try to give as much information as possible.
An online genealogy forum for posting queries has also been set up specifically for the GILLIAM family on GenForum. It can be found at the following address:
An online genealogy forum for posting queries has also been set up specifically for the GILLAM family on GenForum. It can be found at the following address:
An online genealogy forum for posting queries has also been set up specifically for the GILLUM family on GenForum. It can be found at the following address:
***Note***During the Fall of 1998, GenForum combined with Family Tree Maker, which means that all queries and information posted to that site becomes the property of Family Tree Maker. This is still a good site to look up information and get contact names for the GILLIAM/GILLAM/GILLUM lines you are searching, but be advised that if you now post a new query or a response to something on that site, chances are that sometime in the future Family Tree Maker will include that information on a CD-ROM which they will sell for profit to anyone who is interested. I do not like the idea of someone else using my hard researched information and ideas and selling them for a profit without my knowledge. This same practice is evident on all of the Family Tree Maker pages which are found on the internet, if you will read the disclaimer notices on those pages. I recommend the Family Tree Maker pages as good look up pages, but I don't recommend posting information there. Similar things can be said for Ancestry.com and MyFamily.com which are connected to each other and seek to make a profit from genealogical materials on the internet.
Mary A. Old also publishes a quarterly newsletter called Gillams Galore which covers all Gillam/Gilliam/Gillham families in the U.S. and Canada.
Last updated November 10, 2004.
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