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From: "Lilly" <>
Subject: McGilliard family of Ardrossan
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 12:59:10 +0300

Dear fellow researchers,

Thank you sincerely for each and everyone who responded to me.

I want to present what I have found so far and ask for advice further.

I am researching Gideon Delos McGilliard b. 5-29-1864 in Scotland. He came to America in 1882 as a sailor, and stayed in Los Angeles lifelong and married an America woman and had 11 children there.

He died 9-16-1936 in Los Angeles, CA and his eldest son said he was born in Ardrossan, Scotland.

However, in 1944 another younger son stated his father was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

www.scotlandspeople.com website does not have a birth record for him.

Bill Copland has looked at the Ardrossan births for the year 1864 and says that he does not appear there.

Charles and Ruth Houston sent me the 1881 Census of Ardrossan, Ayr, Scotland which shows a family of:
James Mc Galliard b. 1844 Ireland
Mary " 1845 "
with the following kids:
Andrew b. 1875, born at Ardrossan, Ayr Scotland
Mary 1876 " " "
Catherine 1878 " " "
James 1880 " " "

Hamilton Young b. 1858 Ireland, this man appears to be the brother of Mary, wife of James McGalliard.

I think there is a good chance that James and Mary are the parents of Gideon Delos McGilliard. It appears that James is working on the docks at Ardrossan, and Gideon left Ardrossan as a sailor from those same docks.
The family were poor, and Gideon left the family to earn a living and left his family in Ardrossan.
When Gideon told his own children stories of his childhood, he must have impressed upon them the fact that he was FROM Ardrossan, and that is where he left his family .

Regardless of where he was born, he identified with Ardrossan as his hometown in Scotland. Perhaps he was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, or even perhaps he was born actually in Ireland, as were his parents?
I don't know.

I am hoping that a fellow researcher who has offered to look up his birth in Edinburgh will be able to answer my questions.

Apparently both James and Mary died in 1898 in Ardrossan, according
www.ayrshire-roots.com I would like to persue research on them.

According to the 1881 census, the James and Mary McGalliard family was in Ardrossan from at least 1875 onward. And they may have older children not on that census.

The name McGilliard and McGalliard seem to be located both in Scotland and in Northern Ireland, especially in County Tyrone.

The name McGillard/McGalliard seems to have some connection with a ancient religion of the area called ASATRU, and perhaps that is the basis of the name in gaelic, "son of a boy servant of a Saint up on high".

The name Mc Galliard is found in America starting with John McGalliard b. 1700 Scotland d. 1832 North Carolina, America.
James McGalliard b. 1-27-1755 Scotland d. 6-7-1831 West Windsor, New Jersey, America

It appears these 2 men were among the earliest Scots named McGalliard to leave Scotland and settle in America.

There was a Gideon McGalliard b. 1853 Fifeshire, Scotland who in 1881 found work as a gardeners assistant in England, according to the census.

Perhaps someone can explain to me WHY the 1881 census on www.familysearch.org does NOT show the Scotland results?
I was wondering where the 1881 census for Scotland can be seen online?

The British 1881 census, when searched for the name McGilliard returns ZERO results.
However, when the name McGalliard is searched, you do get results.

I believe that Gideon D. McGilliard of California chose to spell his surname with an "I" instead of an "A" and that is the only difference between the name of McGilliard and McGalliard. That spelling variation could have occured in California when he arrived, and once paperwork is mispelled, alot of persons just stick with the mispellings.

I would appreciate any ideas for further research in Ardrossan for this family.
Best regards,
Lillian Kathleen Martin
Lattakia, Syria

This thread:

• McGilliard family of Ardrossan by "Lilly" <>