The 1850 census is one of the first documents that shows Philip and Margaret (Nolan) Gillin living at their farm on St. Albans Hill. The farm was located on the Northwest side of the intersection of Gillin Road and Rugg Road. The 1850 census also showed the household of Patrick and Margaret (Thomas) Gillen. In the 1800s there were many spelling variations that developed, probably due to the low literacy rate. In Ireland the educational system was controlled by the Anglican church and Catholics had little access to education. If they learned to read, it was usually in Sunday School, with the Bible as their textbook.
Patrick Gillen’s death record lists his father’s name as Philip Gillen, but the Philip Gillin of Fairfield was too close in age to be his father. Since many names were passed down in Irish families, it is likely that Philip and Patrick were cousins.
Patrick and Margaret Gillen’s descendants stayed mostly in the Lamoille County area while the descendants of Philip and Margaret stayed in Franklin County.
On Philip Gillin’s death record his parents are listed as Andrew and Margaret (Riley) Gillin. The Riley families of Fairfield weren’t related to Philip since the naturalization records show that Philip came from County Monaghan and Daniel and James Riley came from County Cork. There is a St. Albans death record from 1891 for Mary (Gillen) McCue that lists her father’s name as Andrew. Naturalization records show that a Peter McCue (possibly McGue) also came from County Monaghan.
Margaret (Nolan) Gillin is rumored to have come from County Louth and to have worked as a domestic (nanny) in Montreal after arriving in Canada. Since the marriage of Margaret and Philip Gillin isn’t documented in the Vermont Catholic parish records or in the surviving parish records in Ireland, they may have met and married in Quebec.
The 1850 census shows a the household of Michael and Mary (Flynn) Nolan in St. Albans. Michael and Mary were 25 years old at the time of the census, and had 3 children. Baptism records for their children from St. Mary’s church in St. Albans confirms that their household was a member of the parish. There 1850 census record also lists Ann, 26, and James, 75. The Naturalization record for James shows that he declared in 1843 at the age of 68.
The 1860 census shows Michael and Mary (Flynn) Nolan’s household next door to that of Philip and Margaret (Nolan) Gillin. By that time Ann had joined the Gillin household. James, isn’t listed and had probably had passed away before 1860.
John and Bridget (Kirley) Nolan lived in Fairfield, but don’t appear to have been related. John’s naturalization record shows that he came from County Carlow. The spelling of the surname for their descendants changed to “Nowland”. Nowland actually sounds very similar to the way that the modern Irish pronounce “Nolan”.
Philip Gillin passed away in 1883. Margaret and Ann (sisters) lived out their remaining years at the farm on St. Albans Hill. Ann passed in 1892 and Margaret in 1896. The farm was inherited by Michael and his wife, Agnes (King) Gillin. There is an interesting story about a barn that Michael built in The Barre Daily Times from July 15, 1905. The article mentions that a year earlier, the Gillin barn had been struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Michael built a new barn, only to have it struck by lightning and burn to the ground right after construction was finished.
Michael and Agnes had two adopted children, Katherine and John. John inherited the farm after his parents had passed. John never married and died without an heir.
The children of Philip and Margaret were Philip Jr, James, Michael, George, Sarah, and Margaret. (Margaret was a very popular name among Irish families and some names were passed from mother to daughter.) James passed away from cancer at age 43. Sarah married John Mullen and they settled in Fairfield. Sarah was a step-mother to John’s children from a prior marriage, but had no children of her own. Margaret married Charles Sullivan and moved to Saint Albans, on Fairfield Street.
Philp Gillin Jr. is shown on the 1880 census in Fairfax, living in the household of William and Maggie Stewart. He was married to Fannie Stewart shortly afterward and they made their home in Westford. They had two children, George and Lillian, both of whom settled in the Jeffersonville area.
George Gillin married Mary King of Westford and they had a farm in Fairfax, near the corner of West Street and Carroll Hill Road. Their Children were Charlie, Henry, Esther, Loretta, James, and Francis. Francis and James moved out of state. Charlie married Eula Sweet and they inherited the Sweet farm on Buck Hollow Road in Fletcher. Henry married Irene Mitchell and they inherited the Fairfax farm from George and Mary. Loretta never married and moved to St. Albans. Esther married Ed Kearney and they settled in Fairfield. Henry Raymond wrote an excellent article about Esther and life at the Gillin farm in Fairfax that can be found here: