John Alexander Gilmour/Gilmore (1794-1877)

In 1835, John brought his family from Pennsylvania to Warren County, Ohio, to manage the paper mills in Mill Grove, along the Little Miami River southeast of Lebanon and northeast of Morrow. Later, when the Erie Canal helped put these local mills out of business, he bought a farm at White Oak, still in the (Joe) Gilmour family through at least 1922. There, John and wife Mary were enumerated in the census of Union Twp in 1840, 1850, and 1860, and of Salem Twp in 1870. John's birthplace was listed as Delaware, and Mary's as Pennsylvania, and in 1880, Mary said both her parents had also born in Pennsylvania. Some family records say John was born in 1793. However, his parents were not married until Feb 1794, and his (very brief) obituary said he was age 83 when he died in Oct 1877. That and the ages given in the various census listings suggest he was born in 1794. John and Mary are probably buried near their sons in the Gilmour plot in Morrow Cemetery, although no (surviving?) headstone marks their resting place.

Until recently [2003], it had been difficult to trace John's path from Delaware through Pennsylvania to Ohio before 1835. However, with the discovery of his two daughters, one possibility is suggested by the 1820 census of Concord Twp, Delaware Co, Pennsylvania, and the 1830 census of Birmingham Twp, Delaware Co, Pennsylvania, both of which list a "John Gilmore" of the correct age, and with the right mix of male and female children. The 1820 census shows 2 females age 0-10 (third child Robert was not born until Dec 1820), as well as two older males, who could be John's father and brother(?). The 1830 census shows John Gilmore with 1 male age 0-5, 2 males 5-10, 1 male 30-40, 2 females 10-15, and 1 female 30-40, which "fits" exactly. It is my best guess that this is indeed our John Alexander Gilmour and family (see notes for father Robert for additional discussion).

[2012] The discovery of John Gilmour's pension index card from the War of 1812 appears to confirm the hypothesis presented above. This card says that John Gilmour (or Gilmore) served in that war as a private in Capt. James Lackey's Company, Pennsylvania Militia, enlisting 20 Sep 1814, and being discharged 19 Dec 1814. The card also says that he married Mary Scott 15 Oct 1815 in Chester Co PA, that he was a resident of Warren County, Ohio in 1855, 1863, and 1871, and that he died there 05 Oct 1877. His widow Mary was a resident in Warren Co OH in 1878 (PO Morrow), and that she died there 13 Aug 1880.

The 1884 History of Delaware County PA lists a "John Gilmore" as a private in the 5th company, Sixty-fifth Regiment, Pennsylvania Militia, at the time of the War of 1812, but I have not (yet) been able to verify that this was the company commanded by Capt. James Lackey.

Source: Keim, Jim. "Warren County's John Gilmour in War of 1812." E-mail from [e-address for private use], to Arne Trelvik. 2 September 2012.