Kate’s notes: I have combined the bios of both William and Jacob Gilliland into this single document in order to highlight just how many discrepancies can exist in records provided by members within a single family. Of course, most of these discrepancies are minor, e.g., a year or two difference on just when a family migrated or settled in one place or another, or the exact spelling of a surname. I have transcribed the text as it was published, with one exception for sake of clarity – in the biography for William it was stated that his parents had ten children though eleven names were actually given.  The nature of the error was revealed in Jacob’s biography. What in the first biography were the names of two children, John and Madison,  appeared correctly in the second bio as but one child, who was “John M.”
   One other discrepancy that I did not change from the text still needs to be noted here. In William’s biography his parents are given as James and Susan Stewart Gilliland; in that of Jacob, they are given as James and Susan Steward Gilliland, “of Scotch and Dutch lineage”.  Since neither Gilliland nor Stewart are Dutch names such a lineage must refer to another branch of the family. Also, in the records I have examined, Susan’s family name was Stewart, as it appeared in William’s biography.

THE
HISTORY
OF
WYANDOT COUNTY
OHIO,

CONTAINING

A HISTORY OF THE COUNTY; ITS TOWNSHIPS, TOWNS, CHURCHES
SCHOOLS, ETC.; GENERAL AND LOCAL STATISTICS; MILITARY
MEN; HISTORY OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY;
HISTORY OF OHIO; MISCELLANEOUS
MATTERS, ETC., ETC.
_________________

ILLUSTRATED.
_________________

CHICAGO:
LEGGETT, CONAWAY & CO.,
1884

******************

WILLIAM GILLILAND was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, April 3, 1836. He is a son of James and Susan R. (Stewart) Gilliland, natives of Jefferson County, Ohio and Maryland. They removed from the former locality to Tuscarawas County in 1834, and to Crawford County in 1846, entering 240 acres and soon after purchasing 100 acres more. There were ten children in the family – Lucinda, Jacob, Edward, David, Susan, William, James L., John  Madison, Margaret and George. Three are deceased – David, shot in the battle of Bull Run Second, 1862; George, who died in 1847; and Susan, who died in 1875. The death of the father occurred November 13, 1877. William Gilliland was married May 6, 1855, to Catharine Thoman, a native of Saltzenheim, Germany, and daughter of Coonrod and Magdalene (Bucher)Thoman, also natives of Germany, where the latter died between the years 1840 and 1843. They had six children  -- Mary, Catharine, Magdalene, Ann M., Coonrod and Henry; all living but Ann M., who died in Germany; the others emigrated to America in 1842, and settled in this county with their father, who subsequently married a Mrs. Hess, by whom no children were born. William and Catharine Gilliland have nine children – James, Susan M., Levi, Henry, Madison, Jacob, Lucinda, Elizabeth and Alby. In 1864, Mr. Gilliland enlisted for one year, or till the close of the war, in Company C, Seventy-eighth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and remained in the service till July 11, 1865, when he was honorably discharged at Louisville, Ky. After several transactions in the purchase and sale of small tracts of land, he secured eighty acres in this township, where he now resides. In political sentiment Mr. Gilliland is a Democrat; his wife is a member of the United Presbyterian Church.

JACOB GILLILAND is a native of Jefferson County, Ohio, born August  11, 1827. He is a son of James and Susan (Steward) Gilliland, natives of Ohio and Maryland respectively, and of Scotch and Dutch lineage.  His parents married in Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1823, moved to Tuscawaras County in 1833, and to this county in 1845, purchasing 200 acres of land in Eden Township. There were ten children in the family – Lucinda, Jacob, Edward, David, Susan, William, James L., John M., Margaret A. and George W.  The latter died in infancy; David was killed in the battle of Bull Run in 1862; Susan died in 1875. The father  died November 13, 1877, and was interred on the home farm in Eden Township. The mother is now in her eighty-second year. Jacob Gilliland remained at the old home till twenty-two years of age. He was married, January 17, 1850, to Miss Hannah Savidge (see sketch of Foster Savidge), and two children, James F. and Rebecca A., were born to them. The former died in infancy, the latter is now the wife of Mr. Gleadhill, of Crawford County, Ohio. Mrs. Gilliland passed away March 26, 1860, and Mr. G. was married, June 6, 1861, to Miss Mary Hale, a resident of this county, born in York County, Penn., May 2, 1837, daughter of John G. and Lucy (Millard) Hale, who were born and married in York County, Penn. Her parents came to this county from Pennsylvania in 1854, and located in Crane Township. Their children were Mary, Jonathan I., Samuel and Phoebe C.  Samuel is deceased. The father was killed by the falling of a tree February 18, 1855. The mother is now in her seventy-seventh year. By this latter marriage Mr. Gilliland had eight children – Corrilla E., Susan L., Lacy E., John H., Florence I., George W., Mary A. and Alburtis G. The only deceased is George. Mr. Gilliland began business by renting a farm in Crawford Township. In 1851, he purchased forty acres in Eden Township, adding twenty acres in 1856, and twenty-five acres in 1868. In 1871, he sold out, and purchased 117 acres in this township, the farm on which Matthew Brayton was stolen by the Indians. He has since purchased 110 acres in Crawford Township. In former years, Mr. Gilliland was a broom-maker by trade. He has served as Trustee, Assessor and Justice of the Peace, always discharging his duties satisfactorily. Both he and Mrs. G. are members of the United Brethren Church, his former wife having been a member of the same denomination. In politics, Mr. Gilliland is a Democrat and a Prohibitionist.

-transcriptions by Kate Maynard, 2012