Updated November 24, 2022
Background
Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. The county was formed from Amelia County in 1788. Its area is 308 square miles, and the county seat is Nottoway. Many county court records were destroyed or heavily mutilated in 1865.
Parishes
Nottoway County was formed after the Disestablishment.
Overview
GILLIAMs do not appear in the records of Nottoway County until the 1790's. One such GILLIAM is Reuben GILLIAM, at first glance who appears to be Reuben Meriweather Gilliam son of Robert GILLIAM and his wife, Lucy Skelton; however, a closer examination reveals that this Reuben GILLIAM is the son of Samuel GILLIAM and Martha Hunt. He appears in deed records and chancery files where his wife is listed as Elizabeth C. GILLIAM. Reuben and Elizabeth were the parents of Thomas Booth Gilliam and Ann E. Gilliam.
Cemeteries
Green Church Cemetery
WPA Survey Report, Green Church and Cemetery:
9 Mar 1936
Research made by A. L. Cole
Cemetery Location: Almost opposite Hamlin Tavern stood Southern Chapel or Green Church. Nottoway County, Virginia
DATE:
About 1740.
OWNERS:
Bristol Parish Vestry.
DESCRIPTION:
(blank)
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
On October 26, 1740, the vestry of the Bristol Parish ordered that the Southern Chapel be built at the Hurrcane, nearest the best water. Green’s Chapel was one of the first Episcopal churches in the section. Here services were held for a number of years with the rector, Parson Wilkerson, who had married in this county, was unfortunate enough to have a former wife from England appear on the
scene. This caused such sensation in his flock that further services were abandoned. The Presbyterians later used the building for their worship, until it was burned in 1827. The origin of the fire was unknown until an old colored woman confessed on her death bed that she did it, because those church people would not let her keep a dipper at her well. The site of this old church is now occupied by the house of Mr. Pryer Jones, the sheriff of Nottoway County.
Old Saint Luke’s Cemetery. (This was Green’s Chapel) was located adjoining the church on north side of Jordan Hungtown road. Also back of Pryer Jones’ house. This once cemetery is very dilapidated only a few graves with markers remain. Most of the bodies have been taken to the Blackstone cemetery. Just recently three graves have been moved and one a child known to have been over one hundred years old. This was a grave with an iron fence around it in which was a grave
with a marker with the following inscription:
Lieutenant Colonel James S. GILLIAM
Ninth Virginia Infantry
C.S.A.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
Informant: Miss Mattie Epes, Blackstone, Virginia
Court Records, Clerk’s Office, Nottoway County, Virginia
Tombstone Inscriptions
Visit by worker.
Library of Virginia. WPA Survey Report, Green Church and Cemetery
Census
1810
James S. GILLIAM
Ancestry.com. Year: 1810; Census Place: Nottoway, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: 70; Page: 1023; Image: 340.00.
1820
Reubine [Reuben] GILLIAM
Ancestry.com. Year: 1820; Census Place: Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: M33_141; Page: 54; Image: 68.
1830
Hail T. GILLIAM
Ancestry.com. Year: 1830; Census Place: Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: 195; Page: 217.
[Hail, indexed a Harl, may be a son of Reuben GILLIAM, above, for he has some of the same neighbors as Reuben in 1820 and it would be appropriate for Hail to be living on the Nottoway tract as Reuben died before 1830. In 1880 there is a Hale T. Gallion, age 1, son of W. T. Gallion, age 41.]
1840
No GILLIAMS indexed.
1850
Richard M Gallion, age 26
Seluda J Gallion, age 26
Mary J Gallion, age 24
John S Bradshaw, age 20
Martha A E Jennings, age 10
William C Jennings, age 8
Ancestry.com. Year: 1850; Census Place: Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: M432_965; Page: 367; Image: 185
1860
No GILLIAMS indexed.
1870
James S. GILLIAM, age 64, Retail Dry Goods Merchant
Elizabeth E. GILLIAM, age 37 [James’ second wife, Elizabeth Eldridge Massenburg]
Ada GILLIAM, age 20
Hanah [sic] S. GILLIAM, age 18
Elizabeth GILLIAM, age 16
Thomas M. GILLIAM, age 13
Ancestry.com. Year: 1870; Census Place: Bellefonte, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: M593_1669; Page: 92; Image: 185.
1870
Ruben GILLIAM, age 60
Sarah GILLIAM, age 40
Charles GILLIAM, age 13
Jack GILLIAM, age 11
Reuben GILLIAM, age 9
Joseph GILLIAM, age 7
Asa GILLIAM, age 5
Nancy GILLIAM, age 3
Julia GILLIAM, age 1
Ancestry.com. Year: 1870; Census Place: Haytokah, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: M593_1669; Page: 204; Image: 412.
[This African American family is likely a family of former slaves of Reuben GILLIAM or his brother James S. GILLIAM. Though this Reuben is the age of Reuben (mulatto), son of Reuben Meriweather GILLIAM, Reuben son of Reuben Meriweather GILLIAM in 1870 is found in the Prince George census with wife Patience. ]
1870
Jiles [Giles] GILLIAM, age 43
Lucy Jane GILLIAM, age 17
Frances GILLIAM, age 12
Maria GILLIAM, age 10
Nancy GILLIAM, age 8
Jiles [Giles] GILLIAM, age 2
Richard Todd, age 18
Ancestry.com. Year: 1870; Census Place: Bellefonte, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: M593_1669; Page: 109; Image: 219.
1870
Jesse GILLIAM, age 55
Prudence GILLIAM, age 17
Rhoda GILLIAM, age 15
Jesse GILLIAM, age 13
Ancestry.com. Year: 1870; Census Place: Blendon, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: M593_1669; Page: 152; Image: 306.
1870
Thomas Farrar, age 22
Armistead Farrar, age 21
Richard Hardaway, age 23
James A Cousins, age 25
William GILLIAM, age 17, farm laborer
Parshal GILLIAM, age 14, farm laborer
Ancestry.com. Year: 1870; Census Place: Haytokah, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: M593_1669; Page: 198; Image: 400.
1880
G. S. Wink, age 29
Ada Wink, age 39
J. S. GILLIAM, age 79
Ancestry.com. Year: 1880; Census Place: Bellefonte, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: T9_1382; Family History Film: 1255382; Page: 104.1000; Enumeration District: 151; .
[Name should read Wing, not Wink.]
1880
Rubin GILLIAM, age 67
Sarah GILLIAM, age 41
Jack GILLIAM, age 20
Rubin GILLIAM, age 19
A. Jane GILLIAM, age 16
Adam GILLIAM, age 12
John GILLIAM, age 10
E. Lewis GILLIAM, age 8
Nancy George, age 77 (sister of Rubin)
Ancestry.com. Year: 1880; Census Place: Haytokah, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: T9_1382; Family History Film: 1255382; Page: 173.3000; Enumeration District: 154; .
[This African American family is likely a family of former slaves of Reuben GILLIAM or his brother James S. GILLIAM.]
1880
W. T. Gallion, age 41
Sarah Jane Gallion, age 35
George Anna Gallion, age 12
John W. Gallion, age 10
Maggie May Gallion, age 8
Louisa C. Gallion, age 6
Captolia H. Gallion, age 4
Hale T. Gallion, age 1
Ancestry.com. Year: 1880; Census Place: Bellefonte, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: T9_1382; Family History Film: 1255382; Page: 98.2000; Enumeration District: 151; .
1880
Giles GILLIAM, age 53
Lucy Jane GILLIAM, age 26
Maria GILLIAM, age 16
Nancy GILLIAM, age 15
Giles GILLIAM, age 12
Ancestry.com. Year: 1880; Census Place: Bellefonte, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: T9_1382; Family History Film: 1255382; Page: 105.3000; Enumeration District: 151;
[This African American family is likely a family of former slaves of Reuben GILLIAM or his brother James S. GILLIAM.]
1880
Richard Gallion, age 50
Mary Jane Gallion, age 22
Charly Gallion, age 4 months
Ancestry.com. Year: 1880; Census Place: Bellefonte, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: T9_1382; Family History Film: 1255382; Page: 108.2000; Enumeration District: 151; .
1880
Jessee GILLIAM, age 23
Clarence GILLIAM, age 20
Ancestry.com. Year: 1880; Census Place: Bellefonte, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: T9_1382; Family History Film: 1255382; Page: 112.1000; Enumeration District: 151; .
1880
Jessee GILLIAM, age 80
Francis GILLIAM, age 50
Eliza C. Granberry, age 13 (Stepdaughter)
Peter Granberry, age 11 (Stepson)
Ancestry.com. Year: 1880; Census Place: Bellefonte, Nottoway, Virginia; Roll: T9_1382; Family History Film: 1255382; Page: 112.1000; Enumeration District: 151; .
Court Orders
7 Jan 1819
Priscilla Hawks widow and relict of Peter Hawks dec'd against Abraham Buford admr of Peter Hawks dec'd & John hawks, Frederick Hawks, and Patrick Hawks infant children of Peter hawks dec'd by Abraham Buford their special guardian.
It is decreed and ordered that William Vaughan, Thomas Clark, Banister Shackleford and Reuben GILLIAM or any three of them do assign to Mrs. Priscilla Hawks widow and relict of Peter Hawks dec'd one equal third part of the negroes whereof the said Peter Hawks died possessed, and that after assigning the dower aforesaid, the said commissioners or any three of them do divide the balance of the negroes whereof the said Peter Hawks died possessed into three equal parts, and that they assign to John Hawks one equal part, to Frederick Hawks one equal part, and to Patrick Hawks the remaining equal part and report their proceedings to this Court for a final decree.
Nottoway County, VA, Order Book 8, page 224, 225
Deeds
1793
Deed from Samuel Baldwin of Charlotte County and Elizabeth Baldwin of Nottoway to George Baldwin of Nottoway land on West Creek bounded by John Blankenship, William Rogers, and John GILLIAM, being part of tract late the property of William Baldwin.
Nottoway County, VA, Deed Book 1, page 358,
Notes on Southside Virginia
11 Jun 1807
GILLIAM, Walter B., 808 acres in Nottoway County.
Republican (Petersburg, Va. : 1805) (Film 310).
June 11, 1807, page 1, column 3.
Bell, John et als From Walter B. GILLIAM
Nottoway County, VA, Deed Book 3, 1805-1809, page 335-338
Education
1846
Thomas B. GILLIAM, of Blackface, Nottoway, enrolled at Randolph Macon. His guardian is listed as R. H. Dance.
Early Student Body of Randolph Macon, Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume XXII, Number 4
[Richardson H. Dance married Elizabeth C. GILLIAM in Dinwiddie in 1833.]
Homes
Norborn Hill was the home of Major Robert Neblett, whose wife was Mary Eliza GILLIAM. All that is left of this old home are three enormous chimneys, twelve feet across, which bear witness to the fine old mansion that was.
[Mary Eliza GILLIAM was the daughter of Col. John William GILLIAM, Sr. of Brunswick County, VA and his wife Mary Elizabeth Coleman Goodwyn]
Walnut Hill is a short distance west of Blackstone on the Nottoway Court House road, the home first of the Epes family and later of the Fitzgeralds. After the Civil War, John McEnery, who married Hannah GILLIAM, lived at Walnut Hill for a long time.
[Hannah Sampson GILLIAM was the daughter of Col. James Skelton GILLIAM, Sr., and Catherine Birchett, his wife.]
Turner, R. W. Old Homes and Families in Nottoway. Nottoway Publishing Co., Inc., Blackstone, VA, 1932
Landowner's Directory of 1815
James S. Gilham, estate, Little Celler Creek, 11 NE
[Directions and distances are measured from the Courthouse.]
Ward, Roger G. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer) Volume 1, Central Region. Athens, GA: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997.
Taxes
1791
Personal Property
John GILLIAM, page 11
1801
Personal Property
John GILLIAM, page 11
Binns Genealogy. 1790/1800 County Tax Lists of Virginia.
Sources
- Ancestry.com. Federal Census Records
- Binns Genealogy. 1790/1800 County Tax Lists of Virginia.
- Early Student Body of Randolph Macon, Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume XXII, Number 4
- Notes on Southside Virginia
- Turner, R. W. Old Homes and Families in Nottoway. Nottoway Publishing Co., Inc., Blackstone, VA, 1932
- Ward, Roger G. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer) Volume 1, Central Region. Athens, GA: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997.
- WPA Survey Report, Green Church and Cemetery