Randy, et al- I happen to have some info on the Gillespies you have written about. This can serve as CLUES for you. I received much of this long ago and there is little "documentation". Unfortunately, I have been unable to connect "my" Gillespie line (to anyone...) An acquaintance of mine is descended from this line and we exchanged info. According to "Ancestral File" (contributed data) the parents of Mathew Gillespie, b. 23 Jul 1788 - d. 16 May 1871, were John Gillespie and Jane Harvey Gillespie. He was born in Greenville Co. SC and died S. Mills River, Henderson Co. NC. That same file lists Botetourt Co. VA as the POB of both parents. They married 13 Aug 1779 at Botetourt Co. VA. Jane d. 26 Apr 1808 and John d. 7 Apr 1822. They are both buried East Fork Private Cemetery, East Fork Community, Transylvania Co. NC. Mathew's siblings were: Rebecca, Mary, William, (Mathew here), Robert Harvey and Isabell. The record includes the name/s Simon or William for John's father and William Harvey as Jane's. I downloaded this record in 1992. The submitter's name and address will be in the data base. I have a copy of a newpaper article from the Times-News, Hendersonville, NC, March 24, 1979. The article is titled The Gun That Won Western North Carolina, Guns and Gillespies, Settler and Sittons. It relates family connections and their rifle making. My friend shared with me, an eight page sketch of the family and three photo copied pages of a family bible record and front (and back?) of an additional sheet of paper. The names are the children of John and Jane and the family of Robert H. Gillespie and Sarah Aiken Gillespie. I expect that you already have much of this info, however, if you have questions I'll try to answer. Mary Peterson