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Thomas Gillespie (c. 1719 – December 13, 1786) was a large plantation owner 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 but 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 that 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. Thomas was probably a member of the Tinkling Springs Presbyterian Church. 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". 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 (c. 1745 – 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. 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. 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. 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 Carolina 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 Fl.... Discover the Ann Hazelwood popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Ann Hazelwood books.