Thomas Gillespie ( – December 13, 1796) was the owner of a large plantation in mid-to-late 18th-century North Carolina and served as commissary of the Rowan County Regiment in the North Carolina militia during the American Revolution. He spent his early life in Augusta County, Virginia before migrating to Anson County, North Carolina in about 1750, where he lived most of his life on Sills Creek in the area that became Rowan County, North Carolina in 1753. He and his wife and son were the first white settlers west of the Yadkin River. He owned a plantation of over 1,000 acres on Sills Creek in Rowan County, as well as 6,000 acres in the area of western North Carolina that became part of the state of Tennessee in 1796. He was an early elder in the Thyatira Presbyterian Church in Rowan County, which had been established by 1750. Thomas was the great-grandfather of U.S. President James K. Polk through the lineage of his daughter Lydia, who married Captain James Knox and gave birth to Jane Gracey Knox, mother of the President.

Early life in Virginia

Thomas Gillespie was born in about 1719. The location of his birth is not documented. Still, tradition says that he was born either in Cecil County, Maryland or New London Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, which were common points of origin of those who traveled the Great Wagon Road in the 1700s. The names of his parents are not known. He migrated to Augusta County, Virginia in about 1740. There, he married Naomi Thompson on January 1, 1745, in the "Valley of Virginia" with the ceremony performed by Rev. John Craig, pastor of the Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church in Augusta County, Virginia from 1740–1764.At the time they died they had been married 51 years which figures out to be 1745. Thomas was probably a member of the Tinkling Springs Presbyterian Church., "Thomas Gillespie, 1727-1797 (sic. birth year was 1719), married Naomi Thompson, January 1, 1745.

Thomas Gillespie owned land in Augusta County, Virginia. On December 1, 1740, Thomas Glassbey (sic Gillespie) in Augusta County, Virginia received 400 acres on a draft of the north river of "Shanando" called the "Long Glade".Land Office Patents and Grants, Virginia, card 59, Patent No. 19, 1739-41, p. 902. He paid forty shillings of good and lawful money for this land. The land was bounded on the west by Long Glade and on the east by Naked Creek. This is in the northern part of Augusta County. This is the first legal document about Thomas and places him in Augusta County in December 1740. Thomas Gillespie served in the Virginia Colonial militia in Augusta County in 1742., copies of Musters of Augusta County, begin on page 507. On page 508, Captain John Smith's List: reports Thomas Gillespie. The date of the service was 1742.

Move to North Carolina Before 1750, Thomas and his wife and young son, James, moved south to Anson County, North Carolina (in the area that became Rowan County, North Carolina in 1753), perhaps because of land that he acquired for his colonial militia service in Virginia. Thomas, Naomi, and their first son (James) are reported to be the first white family to settle west of the Yadkin River in Anson County. The Gillespie plantation was located on Sills Creek. He attended church at the nearby Cathy's Meeting House (founded in the 1740s) on Cathy's Creek, which later became Thyatira Presbyterian Church. It was the first Presbyterian church in this area of western North Carolina., Thomas Gillaspie Sr, Rowan, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 346, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 7; FHL microfilm 568,147; 4 males under 4 males 15 and over, one female and 7 slaves; also included are: GILLASPIE, David 1 0 1 0 1, line 2361; GILLASPIE, George 3 3 4 0 4, line 2394; GILLASPIE, Richard 1 0 6 0 8, line 2362; GILLASPIE, Thomas 1 1 4 0 3, line 2338; GILLASPIE, Thomas, Jur. 1 2 3 0 4, line 2363Thyatira Presbyterian Church Booklet, Dec 1797, "Died at 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday the 15th of December, 1797, Mrs. Naomi Gillespie, aged 69; at 10 O'clock the same evening, Thomas Gillespie aged 76. Their six sons carried them to the grave and buried them in the same casket.

In 1752, the Province of North Carolina started issuing Granville land grants for vacant land in the Granville District, which included Anson County. After 1780, the State of North Carolina began issuing State Land Grants for vacant land., Searchable data plus 160,000 images for 216,000 land grants issued by the State of North Carolina from 1663 to 1960 During his lifetime, Thomas was granted or purchased a total of 2,570 acres of land in Rowan County, beginning with two Granville Land Grants in 1751 and 1752. The 1780 tax list of Rowan County prepared by Adlai Osborne lists Thomas Gillespie, Sen. in Captain John Cowan's District with land valued at 5,529 pounds, as well as his sons Thomas Gillespie, Jr. with land valued at 230 pounds and James Gillespie with land valued at 2,521 pounds. His son, George Gillespie, was listed in Captain George Cowan's District with land valued at 1,430 pounds., These maps are largely based on the work done in 1950 by David Rendleman, available from the Edith Clark History room in the Rowan County Public Library

North Carolina Land Records for Thomas Gillespie, SeniorCountyEnteredIssuedGrant/DeedBookPageAcreslocationAnson Countyunknown1751Granville Grant 10, Patent File 1025640on the north side of Third Creek at a branch called Buffalow (sic)Anson Countyunknown1752Granville Grant 37, Patent File 1026637on Sills creek beginning at a hickory and black OakRowan Countyunknown1758 Deed 22 6 151 578 on both sides of Back Creek, a fork of Second Creek, west side of Yadkin River Rowan Countyunknown1759 Deed 74 6 151 393 on a ridge between Sills and Cathey's Creek, being the waters of Second Creek, on west side of Yadkin River Rowan County1778 1779 Deed 10 38 397 590 on the Ridge between Thompsons Mill Creek and Sills Creek, on both sides of the road that leads from Salisbury to Sherrill's Ford.Rowan County1778 1779 Deed 18 38 405 84 lying between Back Creek and Sills Creek Rowan County1779 1786State Land Grant 1342, File 212767 104 41 on the waters of Second Creek

His large plantation house was located on Sills Creek included more than five rooms. He owned farm machinery, including a cotton gin. The crops that were grown on his plantation included flax, cotton, potatoes, and wheat. He also raised horses and cattle. Thomas owned up to seven slaves to help on his plantation but must have relied extensively on family to help run his large plantation. In 1790, there were 1,742 slaves in 2,432 families in Rowan County. The largest plantation, owned by Richmond Person, had 101 slaves and there were 31 families with ten or more slaves. There were six slaves mentioned in his will and seven slaves enumerated in the 1790 Census in Rowan County for Thomas Gillespie, Sr.Based on wills and inventories of Thomas and Alexander's estates.

Family Thomas and Naomi Gillespie had ten children. Only the oldest son, James, was born in Augusta County. The others were all born in Rowan County, North Carolina. Four of his children died in Tennessee, where Thomas had extensive land holdings.

James Gillespie ( – before 1787): He died in Rowan County, North Carolina. He married Jane Graham (before 1747 – 1823) on January 9, 1765. He served in the Revolutionary War., p. 343 Martha (Gillespie) Allison (c. 1747 – after 1796): She died in Rowan County, North Carolina. She married Thomas Allison, Sr. (1746–-1751 – about 1780) in Rowan County on January 20, 1770. She had a son, Thomas Allison, Jr. Isaac Lemuel Gillespie (March 28, 1750 – December 24, 1826): He died in Williamson County, Tennessee and was buried in the Moses Steele Cemetery on the land he inherited from his father on Flat Creek, Duck River. He married Mary Ann McGuire (February 13, 1770 – September 20, 1845) on April 12, 1791, in Rowan County. He served as a private in the 3rd North Carolina Regiment in Captain Alexander Brevard's Company during the American Revolution., Isaac Gillespie, 26 Sep 1782; citing Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina, United States, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh. George Gillespie (July 22, 1751 – August 31, 1818): He died in Gallatin or Bethpage, Sumner County, Tennessee and was buried at the Old Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in Sumner County. He married Mary Graham (May 32, 1751 – 1815) on April 8, 1771, in Rowan County. He provided patriotic services during the Revolutionary War. He may have fought at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.North Carolina Revolutionary War Pay Vouchers, #59, 76, 188, 297, 382, ROLL #S.115.90 Lydia (Gillespie) Knox Wallace (1753–1828): She died in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. She married Capt James Knox (c. 1752 – c. 1794) on November 4, 1772 in Rowan County. James was a Captain in the Mecklenburg County Regiment during the American Revolution. Lydia and James had three children: Robert Knox (1774–1869), Naomi Knox (1775–1854), and Jane Gracy Knox (1776–1852). Jane Gracy Knox married Samuel Polk (1772–1827) on December 25, 1794. While living in a log cabin in Pineville, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Jane and Samuel had ten children. The first child was James Knox Polk (1795–1849), the 11th President of the United States. Lydia later married Ezekial Wallace on March 19, 1797 in Mecklenburg County, North CarolinaGoodman, Hattie S. The Knox Family: A Genealogical and Biographical Sketch of the Descendants of John Knox of Rowan County, North Carolina, and Other Knoxes. Richmond, Va: Whittet & Shepperson, 1905. Print. Page 118 Thomas Gillespie, Jr. (c. 1755 – c. 1830): He died in Williamson County, Tennessee after moving there after 1805 and was buried in the Moses Steele Cemetery near Flat Creek in Williamson County. He married Mary Jane Luckey (c. 1763 – unknown) on September 5, 1785 in Rowan County.; Captain John Cowan's District: Thomas Gillespie, Sen (5,529 pounds, 2 pence); Thomas Gillespie, Jr. (230 pounds); James Gillespie (2 521-2-6). Captain George Cowan's District: George Gillespie (1 430 pounds) Alexander Gillespie (c. 1759 – before December 15, 1800): He died in Rowan County. He did not marry. David Gillespie (1763 – September 18, 1834): He died in Williamson County, Tennessee and was buried on the land on Flat Creek, Duck River that he inherited from his father. He married Mary Luckey (1770/80–1814) in 1785 and later married Mary Marlin/Martin on February 12, 1814, in Tennessee. He was employed by his father during the American Revolution, hauling supplies in a wagon for the troops. John Gillespie (c. 1762 – c. 1825): He died in Alabama. He married Margaret Kerr (c. 1769 – c. 1843) on January 31, 1786 in Rowan County Robert Gillespie (1772–1843): He died in Rowan County, North Carolina. He married Sarah "Sally" Thornton (1781–1850) before 1808 in Rowan County.

Military service

During the American Revolution, Thomas served in at least 1780 and 1781 as a commissary under General Griffith Rutherford, commander of the Rowan County Regiment (active from 1775–1783), which was under the Salisbury District Brigade (active from 1776–1783). General Rutherford lived near Gillespie on Grants Creek