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David Gilson |
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DAVID GILSON, farmer, post-office London, was born July 9, 1812, in
Westmoreland County, Penn., to David and Elizabeth (Wier) Gilson, natives,
the father of Westmoreland, and the mother of Adams County, Penn. William
Gilson, the grandfather of our subject, bought a large tract of land in
Westmoreland County, and at a time owned the famous "Trindle Springs"
property in Cumberland County. William Gilson had three sons: William,
John and David. Our subject attended the common schools in the log cabin.
His father died when he was nearly eight years of age, leaving seven
children: William (who lives on the old homestead in Westmoreland County),
Dorcas, Robert, James, David, Mary and Samuel. Those living are Mary and
David. The parents were strict Presbyterians, never leaving any work for
Sunday that could be done on Saturday. Because of the death of his father,
David had to do for himself while quite a boy. He, however, remained with
his mother until twenty-one years old, and in 1833 came with his
brother-in-law, Dixon Hall, to Butler County, to where his sister, Dorcas,
and her husband, Mr. Hall, lived. Here he remained one summer. July 14,
1836, he was married to Rebecca, a daughter of Thomas and Esther
(Robinson) Courtney, born September 8, 1812, and, after a short period of
renting, he went with her to his farm of 125 acres in Butler County. In
the fall of 1839 he came to London, this county, and opened the first
store in that place. He was thus engaged for a period of ten years, and
during this time was instrumental in establishing a post office, of which
he was the first postmaster, and to which he gave the name of London. In
1849 he sold his stock of goods, and engaged extensively in buying and
selling cattle, which he continued for thirty years. In 1854 he bought a
farm of 125 acres near London, and added to it until he had about 554
acres, on which he raises and grazes cattle; 150 acres of this he gave to
his son, Thomas, and 87 acres to his daughter, Elizabeth. He is one
of the wealthiest citizens in the township, and is the artificer of his
fortune. He became a member of the Center Presbyterian Church in 1857,
also his wife and eldest daughter. He has always taken a deep interest in
this organization, the financial interests of which are much benefited by
his relationship as well as otherwise. He and wife have had five children:
Melissa, Thomas, William, Elizabeth (dead), and Matilda, wife of Isaac
Ketler, president of Grove City College. Mr. Gilson cast his last
Democratic vote for President Jackson, is now a stanch Republican, and is
largely interested in the First National Bank of Mercer. In 1833 he bought
up his first drove of horses, took them East and sold them. History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present : including its aboriginal history, its early settlement and development, a description of its historic and interesting localities, sketches of its boroughs, townships and villages, neighborhood and family histories, portraits and biographies of pioneers and representative citizens, statistics, etc. : also, a condensed history of Pennsylvania. Chicago, Ill.: Brown, Runk & Co., 1888. Read this book on line - Free Trial Search Hundreds of 1880s-1890s Pennsylvania County History Books for biographies and historical information on your ancestors. View the book page images on line and print them out for your genealogy file! Free Access to the old history books - plus birth & death records, census images and ALL other records at ancestry.com.
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