Contents [hide]

Gillson History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Gillson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Gillson family

The surname Gillson was first found in Dumfriesshire and in Warwickshire at Gilson, a hamlet that dates back to 1232 AD. Gilston is a village near Harlow in the county of Hertfordshire. It dates back to 1197 when it was first listed as Gedelston and literally meant "farmstead or village of a man called Gedel or Gydel," from the Old English personal name + "tun." 1

Early History of the Gillson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gillson research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1150 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Gillson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gillson Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gillson, Gilson, Gillieson and others.

Early Notables of the Gillson family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Gillson of Dumfriesshire

Migration of the Gillson family to Ireland

Some of the Gillson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gillson migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gillson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Doctor Gillson who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1764

Gillson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Gillson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Gillson, (b. 1800), aged 33, English farmer who was convicted in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England for life for forgery, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died on board in 1833 2

Gillson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gillson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Nicholas Gillson, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1873
Helen Gillson, aged 20, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1873

Contemporary Notables of the name Gillson (post 1700) +

Carol Gillson, American producer, known for her work on Narc (2002), Airwolf (1984) and Poolhall Junkies (2002)
Deborah Gillson, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 1972 3
Roy Gillson (1953-2013), British former chief investment officer at AXA Investment Managers, first CEO of Universities Superannuation Scheme Investment Management
Jane Gillson Langton (b. 1922), American writer and illustrator of children's literature

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html