b. February 08, 1784, Botetourt County, Virginia; d. Bet. 1826 - 1827, Hamilton County, IL

Moved across mountains with his father Francis who appears on Fayette Co. Ky. Tax List 1789,1790, Woodford Co. (formed from Fayette) 1790-1791, & Scott Co. (formed from Woodford) 1794,1795, 1800-1804.

John was baptized in Scott Co. Ky at "Great Crossings Baptist Church in 1800.

John probably married in Kentucky but no record has been found and record may have been lost in fires at Scott Co. court house. 1st marriage wife's name presently unknown.

John has a son Wesley Gholson b. Abt. 1804 probably Scott Co. Ky. Another son James b. Abt. 1806 possibly in Ky. but a death record mentions James as born in Tennessee.

A son Ely is born April 22, 1808 probably Maury Co. Tennessee, then a daughter Polly Gholson b. 1810. A daughter Lydia Gholson b. abt. 1812.

John Gholson is in the War of 1812 and discharged in April of 1814 in Tennessee. He appears on a Gallatin Co. Illinois Jury with other Hamilton Co. Surnames in November of 1814.

It is believed that Francis & children came to Illinois 1818/20. Francis & family appeared on the 1820 U.S. Census for Illinois as did John.

John has another son Francis b. March 09, 1821 Hamilton, Co. IL.

John married again Dec. 25, 1823 to Polly Dinsmore.

In 1824 John was appointed Justice of Peace by the Illinois Legislature as a Justice of the Peace for Hamilton County Illinois.

Last record found of John was a church record in March 1826 and was still living. It is thought that John died sometime later between 1826 - 1827 as Polly marries again in 1828 to John Braden.

GOOD REASON FOR COMING TO ILLINOIS

I was told that the men that were cutting sections lines for the survey of Illinois territory were finished and returned to their homes in Kentucky and Tennessee in about the spring of 1814. These men went home and told stories of this new land with huge trees great for building cabins and the wild game so plentiful that you didn't have to hunt for it that it was all around.