Kate's Notes:
This brief 1875 profile of William Gilliland contains some misinformation and does not accurately reflect the life or person of William Gilliland. For a more accurate and thoroughly researched biography of William, please refer to Dave Glenn's biography which is also in the library's collection of historical and biographical sketches. 

From American Biographical Notes, being Short Notices of Deceased Persons, Chiefly Those Not Included in Allen’s or in Drake’s Biographical Dictionaries, by Franklin B. Hough. Albany, Joel Munsell, 1875.

GILLILAND, WILLIAM, was b. near the city of Armaugh, Ireland, of respectable parents; at an early age he emigrated to New York and formed a mercantile partnership with a merchant of wealth named Phagan, whose daughter he m. 8th Feb., 1755; he purchased largely soldier’s grants issued under the royal ordinances of 1763; he located these extensively in the environs of Lake Champlain with the purpose of establishing a baronial domain. He was the pioneer settler of the Champlain valley; introduced a colony in May, 1765, and erected, on the banks of the Bouquet river, the first civilized habitation between Crown Point and the Canada line; this was the scene of Burgoyne’s famous Indian treaty; the colony at the the opening of the war was prosperous and populous, but during its progress was entirely destroyed and Gilliland fell from large wealth into indigenee, and disordered in mind wandered into the forest and perished from exposure and starvation 2d Feb., 1796, at the age of 62. Mr. Gilliland was an eminent actor in the early history of the region, and was prominently engaged with Skeene and others in the project of forming a new province.  (Munsell’s Series Local Hist., vol. I; Watson’s Pioneer Hist. of the Champlain Valley.)

ROSS, HENRY H___, b. May 9, 1790; was son of Daniel Ross, and grandson of William Gilliland, the pioneer of the Champlin valley; was highly educated in Montreal and grad. in 1808 from Columbia Coll.; studied law with David B. Ogden; and settled on the frontier in his native village Essex, in Essex co., N. Y.; he occupied a commanding position in all the affaris of the region; was a member of of the 19th congress; was elected co. judge in 1847; was president of the electoral coll. of N. Y., in 1848; was in the campaign of Plattsburgh in 1814, acting on the staff of Gen. Macomb; was subsequently a brigadier and major general in the state militia; d. at Essex, Sept. 13, 1862. Judge Ross, on the death of Samuel Jones, was tendered and declined the office of chancellor.

Transcribed by Kate Maynard, 2009