Robert GILMORE & Sarah Ellen BEATIE

This Robert Gilmore is attributed to be the son of James Gilmore. However, Robert is not named in the will of James Gilmore, nor are his children: Martha, Eleanor and James.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~qvarizona/gilmore.html

Many researchers identified the Gilmore whose death in 1777 at the hands of Indians precipitated the murder of Cornstalk, as James. This is now thought to be incorrect, and many Gilmore genealogists now agree that the following notation by Thwaites and Kellogg's Frontier Defense on the Upper Ohio p. 158 is correct:

"Ensign Robert Gilmore killed by Indians near Ft. Randolph. His tragic death led to the murder of Cornstalk. NOTE: Ensign Robert Gilmore must have been connected with Capt. James Hall's Company; he may have been Hall's brother- in-law."

Note: Capt. James Hall was married to Robert's sister, Martha Gilmore.

Dr. George Dielh's Defender of Cornstalk, Ch III, pg 217, states:

Nov 10, 1777- Robert Gilmore and a Hamilton, members of Capt James Hall's
company... crossed the Kanawha River in a canoe with the hope of killing a deer for fresh meat.... Two Indians...seeing Gilmore and Hamilton approach drew a bead and fired. Hamilton fled...crying out that Gilmore had been killed.

Note: Dr. Diehl cited as one of his sources, a Howe's History of Virginia, in which Howe cites a report by eyewitness Colonel John Stuart.

Additonal evidence (below) strongly indicates that Robert Gilmore was (1) the son of James and Martha Gilmore, (2) the first husband of Sarah Ellen Beatie, and (3) the father of John Beaty's "Gilmore granddaughters", Elinor and Martha.

Nov 10, 1777-Robert Gilmore killed by Indians on the Kanawha River.

1778- Rockbridge County, Tithables of 1778 include a Sarah Gilmore. Source: A History of Rockbridge County, Virginia by Oren F. Morton, Staunton, Virginia, 1920.

1779- Feb 2: Robert Gilmore's estate: Sarah Gilmore, James Gilmore, Jr., James
Gilmore, Sr. and John Gilmore made bond in the sum of $10,000 as executors of the estate of Robert Gilmore. Source: Rockbridge Co. Will Bk 1, p 43. [This was an extraordinary amount of bond for the times!]

Jun 1780. Sarah Gilmore, widow, made a marriage bond to marry James Logan. James Hall is listed as surety. Source: Rockbridge Co. Marriage Records. James Hall was the husband of Martha Gilmore, d/o James and Martha Dennison Gilmore.

1790 Will of John Beattie written -John Beattie mentioned his granddaughters -
Elinor and Martha Gilmore, daughters of Sarah Logan,and stepdaughters of James Logan.

30 December 1795 Martha Gilmore married Samuel Porter
"Bond of Samuel Porter to marry Martha Gilmore, with James Gilmore as surety.
Consent of John (sic) Logan, who stated that Martha Gilmore was in his care."

14 November 1797 Eleanor Gilmore married John Webster Gilbert.
In the later record, there is the statement signed by James Logan that Eleanor is above the age of 21.