Willam Merritt Gillam

[susieroe]

Hello there,
I am a descendant of William Gillam's (B. 1805) great aunt Catherine Gillam. I am living in Countesthorpe, just down the road from the old family home.

Are you all still here if I continue this thread?

Regards, Susan

[Ford1960]

Yes - I'm still here.  Was Catherine a sister of William (1746-1828)?   Regards F.

[susieroe]

Hello, Ford,
Yes, Catherine was William's older sister, baptised at Countesthorpe on 28th January 1738.

I was fascinated to read this thread about William Merritt; Hetty Schultka gave me a copy of this line the family tree some years ago, but there is nothing for William, only the date 1805. Hetty had done a lot of research into this family (she was a Gillam but descends through a branch that split off centuries ago). She showed me a Marriage Settlement, a map of the Gillam holdings. and helped prepare a presentation which toured the Family History Societies and (I think) museums /libraries.

Do you know much about the family, Ford?

[Bluehydrangea]

HI I was googling and found all the Gillam threads. Not sure if any of you will get this msg unless you are a regular to this site.

I have been studying the GILLAm family in Bristol as i have a few in my tree. I have information re Joseph maurice who married Elizabeth GILLAM in Bristol in 1787. She was the daughter of Benjamin GILLAM and Ann Fry who married at St James Bristol 1756. Benjamin was a partner at the Bank of England in Bristol, I have his 13 page will, whcih names a few of the extended family as well as a few of his children.

I am also in NZ so was hoping to make contact with 'King William' in Tauranga if possible.
I descend via a CLARKE family of Bristol who married into the Kift family who were merchants there. They must have socialised with the GILLAMS who owned property at the Quay side in Bristol and held positions in the Bank and in Customs. They were pretty wealthy lot in their day.  Ann FRY was from the famous quaker Fry family who owned the huge chocolate factory in Bristol.

I hope I hear back from someone!
Amanda, Christchurch, NZ

[susieroe]

Hi BlueHydrangea.
I have no knowledge of the Bristol Gillams or connection with Countesthorpe, sorry. Hopefully, someone else may know.
Would it be an idea to start a thread on them as it's rather buried here? Good luck with responses.

[Ford1960]

I too am unable to help with Bristol Gillams or Countesthorpe information. However, if Coils59 is still there, have discovered the name of the Lourenco Marques hotel - the Club hotel.  F.

[Coils59]

To Ford 1960 - I have been offline for sometime - I will ask a friend who lives in LM now Maputo if there is anything left of the hotel as described.
To susieroe - I lived in Clarendon Park, Leicester from 1989 - 1991 whilst working for British Shoe, I often visited a friend who lived in Sutton on the Elm. I wish I had known that Countesthorpe was where I originated from, I would have loved to have walked where they once walked. Hopefully I will be able to make it there before too long.

[susieroe]

Hello again Coils. yes, I know Clarendon Park a little, I worked at Hind's Chemist on Queens Rd. many tears ago! I knew of the BritisH Shoe, a friend of mine worked there, a carpenter/cabinet maker named Tony Snow, did you know him? He made the table for the boardroom.

I've been re-reading this thread, trying to sort it out. The reference to Thomas Meadow's children is not right, could they be William's children, I wonder? Thomas' children were: Asenath, William Jenkins, Mary Louise, Emma Keturah, Henrietta Balson, Arthur Balson, Thomas Edward, John Pretious, and Selena Elizabeth. Do these names ring a bell with anyone?

The obituary for William, son of Thomas Gillam Esq. sounds right. They were yeoman farmers, with an earlier Thomas being given the title of 'Mr.' in the registers, and 'Gentleman' in his Will. They are buried within Countesthorpe Church. Jonathan Gillam, who inherited the manor house, was the last of this line, he had one daughter who died young. I think they had sold off most of their land - which seems to have been most of Countesthorpe! - including the mill, when things became tricky for farming in the 19th century, as he is shown as a market gardener and seedsman.

I have some photos of the house, including one of the rafters carbon-dated to about 1496, but no idea which section I can put them on. two are on Genes Reunited if anyone's a member there.

[susieroe]

I think they could make a drama series about this family!
An obituary in 1946 for Mr. John Pretious Gillam, son of Thomas Meadows, reads:

 Cranbrook

OBITUARY

Late Mr. J. P. Gillam

The death occurred on Friday March 1, at the Mt. Barker District Hospital of an old and respected resident of the Cranbrook district in the person of Mr. John Pretious Gillam at the age of 86 years.

The deceased gentleman, the fifth son of the late Mir. and Mrs. Thomas' Meadows Gillam, of Al bany, was born in Albany. Febru ary 17, 1860. Soon after, the family shifted to "Bolganup," Poron gorups, and were engaged in cattle raising for many years. Ruins of the old home at Bolganup remain to this day. At the age of 21, John Gillam came to Tenterden (then known as "Round Swamp"), where he met and married Florence Toovey, the fifth daughter of the late Lomas Toovey, and opened the "Travellers' Rest" Inn. Round Swamp was in those days a staging camp for the Perth-Albany mail coaches. He conducted the inn until after the Great Southern railway was constructed through to Albany; and in 1907 came to Cranbrook where he resided until his death. His wife predeceased him in 1932 Member of the family of eight sons and five daughters reside in the district. In World War I. three sons enlisted, Syd and Hugh members of the First 10th Light Horse, were both killed at Gallipoli in 1915; and Jack (44th Batt.) was decorated for gallantry in France. In World ÍWar No. -2 four sons volunteered for service with the A.I.F., two of whom returned from the Middle East. Fourteen grandsons enlisted in World War II, four of whom made the supreme sacrifice.

A happy recollection of the de ceased gentleman was a kangaroo hunting trip in company with the ?" late King George V. (then Duke of York) and his brother. The Princes were on a tour and put into Albany and expressed the desire to hunt kangaroos. Mr. John Hassell, of Kendenup, organised a hunt, inviting Mr. Gillam to join them. On another occasion, when supplies were urgently required on the goldfields, Mr. Gillam, accompanied by Mr. G. K. Brown, also of Cranbrook, and two other companions, made the trip through to Coolgardie from Broomehill, through practically unknown country via the then little known Holland track. On another occasion he spent a week in Perth as a guest of the "Western Mail" and was loud in his praise of the attention and hospitality of his hosts.

The late Mr. Gillam was interred in the Tenterden Cemetery on Sunday, March 3. The service at the graveside was conducted by Mr. Vaughan Oborne, after a service in the Tenterden Church.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/70501305?searchTerm=gillam&searchLimits=

[I've edited the transcription a bit to make it more readable]