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We recently began to researching our family’s genealoby and have found it both extremely interesting and exciting. Fortunately, for us, both the Gillespie and Price sides of the family have already done extensive research into the family’s lineage, which makes our research so much easier. The work that has been accomplished thus far is no small task and takes many years to compile. For us, at this point, it is a fairly simple task in comparison to what has been accomplished thus far; the trunk of the tree has been built, our task is to research our ancestors and expand the tree. With the internet access we have today, that process is much easier than it was 10 - 20 years ago.
There are quite a number of surprises in which we have already begun to run across and most likely we are just scratching the surface. For instance, our Dad (Kevin) grew up in Madison Connecticut and we recently have discovered that he had a number of Grandfathers and Grandmothers who lived, actually settled, that part of the country. Ironically, some of the Inns and Taverns that he and his friends would visit as young adults were established by his Grandfather’s 350 years earlier. In fact, Connecticut was full of Gillespie kin in the first few hundred years that it was settled.
Another great experience has been in learning of the lives of our great, great, great grandparents as they emigrated to the west from points east. Either via the Oregon trail or around Cape Horn via a Californian Clipper ship, it has truly been amazing, almost as if we were there with them.
We also have found that we have a lineage to William Bradford of the Mayflower, which has been a real “neat” thing for Brittany, as she loves the story of the Pilgrims. This is somewhat ironic due to the fact we also know that the founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, is a great grandfather from the Price side of the family and he too arrived by ship shortly after the Pilgrims. We’ve also found that our 12th great grandfather Thomas Tracy traveled from England on the ship, “The Supply,” the companion ship to the Mayflower. (This ship landed in Virginia 20 days later) And, we have lineage to passengers on the “Speedwell” as well, the sister ship to the Mayflower that had to turn back due to leakage but eventually made the voyage to America.
Our very first grandparents to the new world, however, were Governor William and Mary Tracy. William was the Governor of the Virginia Colony in 1620, (Jamestown, Pocahontas). Jamestown was the first English settlement in the new world. His wife, Mary, our great grandmother and their daughter Anne, were killed by in Indians very near what is today Norfolk Virginia. William and Mary are Brittany and Alicia’s 13 great grandparents.
Three of our of our more notable ancestors up to this point have been King Charlemagne, the first Holy (Christian) Roman Emperor (born 742), England’s King William (born 1027) and King Henry (born 1068). King Charlemagne is Brittany and Alicia’s 42nd Grandfather. King William, known as England’s first king, (also by William the conqueror), is Brittany and Alicia’s 32rd Grandfather and King Henry their 31st.
Without doubt, our Family Heritage, will be an enjoyable work in progress for many years to come and will serve as a great learning experience for all of us.
Please contact us via e-mail with any additional information or requests for information.
Thank you,
The Gillespie family
http://kjgillespie.com
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