A Register of Slave Births in Gillilan Households of 
Greenbrier and Pocahontas Counties, West Virginia, 
1853-1860

From the old tax records for Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties of West Virginia it is known that the Gilliland and Gillilan families owned a number of slaves and according to various histories, some members of these families were reported to be slave traders. One of these was John C. Gillilan of Greenbrier County who, despite his reputation as a trader in horses and slaves, opposed Virginia's secession from the Union and became a delegate to the first West Virginia Legislature in 1863.

Details on slave births are difficult to obtain; in tax records they are often simply listed by number. West Virginia's Division of Culture and History does have a searchable database and using this research tool I was able to find a few records for slave births in the official registers. Unfortunately few details were recorded, including names, and these births were listed according to the surname of the master or owner.

The entries below were found in a search for state-wide WV births to families with Gilliland, Gillilan, Gilleland, Gillelan and similar surnames, though the only records found for slave births were for Gillilans of Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties. Most of the birth records available from the database cover the span between 1850-1900 and almost no records exist for the Civil War years, which explains why the records found for slave births cover only a short span from 1853-1860. After 1865 I could find no birth records for Gillilands/Gillilans of color, so we must assume that either none of the individuals below took the Gillilan name or that their families left the state.

Any additional slave records for Gilliland families of West Virginia would be appreciated.

-- Kate Maynard, 2009.

Register of Slave Births

1. Gillilan
born December 12, 1853 at Greenbrier Co.
Male slave
Birth registered by Richard H. Gillilan, listed as Master

2. Gillilan
born December 12, 1853 at Greenbrier Co.
Male Slave
(Either a twin or duplicate of record#1)
Birth registered by Richard H. Gillilan, listed as Master

3. Gillilan
born December 2, 1855 at Greenbrier Co.
Female slave
Birth registered by R. H. Gilliland, listed as Owner

4. Gillilan
born October 1855 at Greenbrier Co.
Female Slave
Birth registered by R. H. Gillilan, listed as Overseer

5. Gillilan
born July1859 at Greenbrier Co.
Male slave
Birth registered by R. H. Gillilan, listed as Owner

6. Gillilan
born October 1860 at Greenbrier Co.
Male slave (of twins); mother’s name: Mary
Birth registered by R. H. Gilliland, listed as Owner

7. Gillilan
born Oct 1860 at Greenbrier Co.
Male slave (of twins); mother’s name: Mary
Birth registered by R. H. Gilliland, listed as Owner

8. Jim 
born March, 1855 at Little Levels, Pocahontas Co.
Male slave; mother’s name: Mary
Birth registered by Nathan Gillilan or Gillelan but relationship unclear (register difficult to read)