GREENBRIER, VIRGINIA (now WV) MARRIAGE BONDS

Part 4: 
Mary Gillilan and Andrew Edmiston
Nancy Gillilan and John McNeel
Lydia Gillilan and Mathias Fox
Mary Ann Gillilan and Andrew McClung

Introduction

The final four marriage bond records for the Gillilan women aren’t as revealing as some of the earlier records as they lack the supporting documents such as parental requests for a marriage license. I do not know if the lack of these requests is due to the fact that they were no longer required at the time these bonds were issued, or if those documents were not among those saved in the court records.

Following Part 4 of the Greenbrier Marriage Bonds I will have one final installment consisting of an afterward and some comments on revisions to my original transcriptions.

As always, addiitions and corrections are welcome. Any portions of the documents for which I have doubts are indicated by brackets.

Marriage Bond of Mary Gillilan and Andrew Edmiston, 15 January 1807
Transcribed from notarized copies of the original bonds by Kate Maynard, 2007.

You’ll notice that once again we have an example of the clerk recording a different spelling for Edmiston -- in this case, Edminson. Little wonder there are so many confusing records for this family.

Mary “Polly” Gilliland was a daughter of James Gillilan and Lydia Armstrong. She was born 4 July 1790 and died 2 January 1877. Mary is buried at the McNeill Cemetery in Pocahontas County, WV.

Document:

KNOW all men by these presents that we Andrew Edminson and James Gillilan are held and firmly bound unto William H. Cabell  Esquire, Governor of  Virginia, and his successors for the use of the commonwealth, in the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, to which payment well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators jointly and severally, firmly by these presents. Sealed and dated this1st day of January 1807 

THE condition of the above obligation is such, that whereas a marriage is shortly intended to be solemnized between the above bound Andrew Edminson and Mary Gillilan daughter of said James Gillilan of Greenbr. County, if therefore, there shall be no lawful cause to obstruct the said marriage, then the above obligation to be void, otherwise, to remain in full force and virtue.

Signed, Sealed and delivered                                         James Gillilan
   in the presence of}                              Andrew Edmiston                                                                           
   [illegible]

Marriage Bond of John McNeel and Nancy Gillilan, 19 October 1833
Transcribed from notarized copies of the original bonds by Kate Maynard, 2007.

Nancy Gillilan was the daughter of George Russell Gillilan and Martha Hill. She and husband John McNeel, son of Abraham McNeel and Elizabeth Bridger (some records have him listed as the son of Margaret Lamb), moved to Missouri along with Nancy’s parents and some of her siblings, including Lydia and John. There may have been others who moved to Missouri but my knowledge of this line is lacking; also, a number of Nancy’s siblings died young. Nancy herself died September 16, 1896  at Lafayette, Missouri, some 4 years after John’s own death.

The Greenbrier Historical Society has an excellent book on the McNeel family genealogy: 
The McNeel Family Record: Descendants of Pioneer John McNeel and Martha Davis of Pocahontas County, WV 1765-1967.
The book is currently availble for sale from the Historical Society.

When deciphering and transcribing these old official documents from Virginia and pre-1863 West Virginia, a timetable of Virginia’ governors comes in handy. Such a list, from the U.S. Government Office, is available online at http://www.nndb.com/gov/924/000051771/  Similar lists are available for all states.

Document:

KNOW all men by these Presents, that we John M  Neal and George R Gillilan of Greenbrier County  are held and firmly bound unto John Floyd Esqr  Governor of  Virginia and his successors for the use of the Commonwealth, in the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Dollars, to which payment well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our heirs executors and administrators, jointly and severally, firmly by these presents. Sealed with our seals, and dated this19th day of October 1833

The condition of the above Obligation is such, That whereas a marriage is shortly intended to be solemnized between the above bound John 
M  Neal &  Nancy Gillilan of Greenbrier County, if therefore, there shall be no lawful cause to obstruct the said Marriage, then the above Obligation to be void, else to remain in full force and virtue.

Signed, Sealed and delivered                                         John M Neel
   in the presence of}                               G R Gillilan                                                                           
  John Mathews cgc

Marriage Bond of Mathias Fox and Lydia Gillilan, 19 May 1840
Transcribed from notarized copies of the original bonds by Kate Maynard, 2007.

Lydia Armstrong Gillilan (born 17 April 1819) was another daughter of George Russell Gillilan and Martha Hill. There were so many Lydia Gillilan/Gillilands in the extended family at this time that their records can be easily confused. In the LDS records alone we have a Lydia (born abt 1810) who was the daughter of James Gillilan and Margaret Boggs; a Lydia (born 1813) who was the daughter of William Gilliland and Nancy Ann Edmiston; a Lydia (born abt 1804) dauther of Samuel Gilliland and Margaret Hill; and a Lydia (born 1784), daughter of James Gillilan, Sr. and Lydia Armstrong! Perhaps this family should have considered color-coding their sons and daughters so we could tell them apart.

Like her sister Nancy Gillilan McNeel, Lydia and husband Mathias Fox moved to Lafayette, Missouri as did her parents and brother John. (There may have been other siblings who also made this move.) Nancy and Mathias were the parents of eleven children; in the 1880 Missouri census they were recorded as living with their son Calvin Fox and his wife, Lillie.

Document:

KNOW all men by these presents that we Mathias Fox and George R Gillilan & Wm Fox are held and firmly bound unto Thomas W Gilmer Governor of  Virginia and his successors, for the use of the Commonwealth, in the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Dollars, to which payment well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators, jointly and severally, firmly by these presents. Sealed with our seals, and dated this19th day of May 1840

The Condition of the above Obligation is such, That whereas a Marriage is shortly intended to be solemnized between the above bound Mathias 
Fox and Lydia Gillilan of Greenbrier County, if therefore, there shall be no lawful cause to obstruct the said Marriage, then the above Obligation to be void, else to remain in full force and virtue.

Signed, Sealed and delivered                                         Mathias Fox
   in the presence of}                               William Fox                                                                           
  John Mathews 

Marriage Bond of Andrew McClung and Mary Ann Gillilan, 23 November 1840
Transcribed from notarized copies of the original bonds by Kate Maynard, 2007.

Sadly, Mary Ann Gillilan, who was born in 1821, died a young woman. I do not have a firm date of death for Mary Ann, but her last child, Edward Marion McClung, was born in 1853. The other children of Mary Ann and Andrew were George W., Sarah Jane, and an unnamed child who died in infancy in 1842. I have virtually no information on her children and whether any of them survived into adulthood.

McClung’s second wife was Delilah A. Vincent ELLIOT, whom he married 28 November 1867 in Greenbrier Co. The 1880 census for Carter, Kentucky lists Andrew and wife Delilah sharing a household with Delilah’s three children by her first marriage, plus the three young children of Andrew and Delilah.

A family tree for the McClungs may be found at: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/3231/SamuelMcClung.html

Document:

KNOW all men by these Presents that we Andrew McClung and William George are held and firmly bound unto Thomas W Gilmer  Governor of  Virginia and his successors, for the use of the Commonwealth, in the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Dollars, to which payment well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators, jointly and severally, firmly by these presents. Sealed with our seals, and dated this23rd day of November 1840

The Condition of the above Obligation is such, That whereas a Marriage is shortly intended to be solemnized between the above bound Andrew McClung and Mary Ann Gillilan of Greenbrier County, if therefore, there shall be no lawful cause to obstruct the said Marriage then the above Obligation to be void, otherwise, to remain in full force and virtue.

Signed, Sealed and delivered                                         Andrew McClung
   in the presence of}                               William George                                                                           
  John [R Weir] 

                     -- End Part 4, Greenbrier Marriage Bonds --