Gilmer family

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Gilmer Family This article is about the Albemarle political family as described by Edgar Woods in his 1901 book Albemarle County in Virginia: Giving Some Account of what it was by Nature, of what it was Made by Man, and of Some of the Men who Made it.

George Gilmer, immigrant, was a native of Scotland, who after a short sojourn in London, came to this country. He settled in Williamsburg, and practised his profession as a physician. His son Peachy, a fellow student of Nicholas Meriwether in William and Mary College, paid a visit to his friend in Albemarle, and fell in love with and married his sister Mary. This led to his brother George visiting the county, and ultimately marrying Lucy, daughter of Dr. Thomas Walker.

George Gilmer, like his father was a physician. He settled in Charlottesville, and his first residence was on Main Street, near the present store of T. T. Norman. He seems afterwards to have lived on Jefferson Street, on the south end of the lot facing the west side of the Square. He was a man of great activity and public spirit. The agitation preceding the Revolution had already begun when Dr. Gilmer came to Charlottesville, and from the first he displayed the liveliest concern in the questions involved. Allusion has already been made to the prominent part he performed in the earliest movements towards independence. In 1777 he purchased from John Harvie Pen Park, which he made his home for the remainder of his life, the home of intelligence and refined hospitality graphically described by John P. Kennedy in his Life of Wirt. About the same time he purchased land on Mechunk, until he owned more than two thousand acres in that section. He was appointed a magistrate, served as Sheriff in 1787, and was a member of the House of Delegates. He died in 1796. His children were Mildred, the wife of William Wirt, George, Peachy, John, James, Lucy, the wife of Peter Minor, Harmer, Francis W., and Susan, the wife of Zachariah Shackelford.

Pen Park continued to be the home of the family during the life of Mrs. Gilmer. That part of the plantation called Rose Hill, where the children of John D. Craven now reside, was given to Mr. Wirt, and there he built a house; but having no family, he and his wife lived for the most part with her mother. The mother and daughter both died in 1800, and the next year Mr. Wirt removed to Richmond. The homestead was soon after sold to Richard Sampson, and still later to John H. Craven, whose residence there many yet remember. George married Elizabeth, daughter of Christopher Hudson, of Mount Air. He became the owner of the Mechunk lands, which some years after were sold under deeds of trust to Dabney Minor. He died in 1836. His children were Thomas W., George Christopher, John H., Sarah, the wife of Dr. Samuel W. Tompkins, Georgiana, the wife of Colin C. Spiller, Maria, the wife of Samuel G. Adams, Ann, the wife of Peter McGee, Martha, and Lucy, the wife of Edward Pegram. Thomas W. was a lawyer, member of the Legislature, Governor of Virginia, member of Congress, Secretary of the Navy, and lamentably perished on board of the United States ship Princeton in 1844. His wife was Ann Baker, of Shepherdstown, Va. In 1826 he lived on Park Street where Drury Wood now resides, in 1831 bought from W. B. Phillips the brick house and lot at the west end of Jefferson Street, where John C. Patterson lives, and in 1836 purchased from John W. Davis the property on the hill recently occupied by John T. Antrim. G. Christopher married first Leana Lewis, of the Scottsville neighborhood, and secondly Mildred, daughter of Richard Duke. He died in 1887.

Peachy was admitted to the bar, and practised in Bedford County. He and Lucy were two of the devisees of the Farmington estate, Mrs. George Divers being their mother's sister. Peachy died in 1836. John was a physician, married Sarah Gilmer, a distant kinswoman, and lived at Edgemont, where he died in 1835. Francis adopted the profession of law, but was cut off in early life. He was a young man of fine endowments and rare culture, and gave promise of filling a distinguished position in his generation. He was a close friend of Mr. Wirt and Judge Dabney Carr, and a great favorite of Mr. Jefferson. The implicit reliance Mr. Jefferson had in his penetration and judgment, was manifested in his being entrusted with the selection of the first professors of the University. He himself was designed for the professorship of law. In his modesty, which was as great as his ability, he thrice declined the place. At length he accepted, but before entering upon its labors, was removed from the scene of all earthly activities in 1826. [1]

History

  • George Gilmer: immigrant, was a native of Scotland. He settled in Williamsburg where he practised his profession as a physician.
    • Peachy Gilmer (d. 1836): a fellow student of Nicholas Meriwether in William and Mary College, paid a visit to his friend in Albemarle, and fell in love with and married Meriwether's sister Mary. Admitted to the bar, and practised in Bedford County. He and Lucy were two of the devisees of the Farmington estate, Mrs. George Divers being their mother's sister.
    • George Gilmer (d. 1795): Thomas Jefferson's friend and physician, he was an influential Albemarle County landowner in the late 18th century. In 1777 he purchased land which became the Pen Park estate where he made his home for the remainder of his life. He was appointed a magistrate, served as Sheriff in 1787, and was a member of the House of Delegates.
      • Mildred Gilmer Wirt (d. 1899), wife of William Wirt, she and her husband inherited part of the Pen Park plantation called Rose Hill.
      • George Gilmer (d. 1836): married Elizabeth, daughter of Christopher Hudson, of Mount Air. He became the owner of the Mechunk lands, which some years after were sold under deeds of trust to Dabney Minor.
        • Thomas W. Gilmer (d. 1844): a lawyer, member of the Legislature, Governor of Virginia, member of Congress, Secretary of the Navy, and lamentably perished on board of the United States ship Princeton in 1844. His wife was Ann Baker, of Shepherdstown, Va. In 1826 he lived on Park Street where Drury Wood now resides, in 1831 bought from W. B. Phillips the brick house and lot at the west end of Jefferson Street, where John C. Patterson lives, and in 1836 purchased from John W. Davis the property on the hill recently occupied by John T. Antrim.
        • George Christopher Gilmer (d. 1887): married first Leana Lewis, of the Scottsville neighborhood, and secondly Mildred, daughter of Richard Duke.
        • John H. Gilmer
        • Sarah Gilmer Tompkins: wife of Dr. Samuel W. Tompkins
        • Georgiana Gilmer Spiller: wife of Colin C. Spiller
        • Maria Gilmer Adams: wife of Samuel G. Adams
        • Ann Gilmer McGee: wife of Peter McGee
        • Martha Gilmer
        • Lucy Gilmer Pegram: wife of Edward Pegram. Lucy and her brother Peachy were two of the devisees of the Farmington estate, Mrs. George Divers being their mother's sister
      • Peachy Gilmer
      • John Gilmer
      • James Gilmer
      • Lucy Gilmer: the wife of Peter Minor,
      • Harmer Gilmer
      • Francis W. Gilmer
      • Susan Gilmer: the wife of Zachariah Shackelford.

References

  1. Albemarle County in Virginia: Giving Some Account of what it was by Nature, of what it was Made by Man, and of Some of the Men who Made it By Edgar Woods · 1901

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