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Below is a family biography included in The History of Bedford County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887. These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary. Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more. There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.
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J. S. GILLIS, a leading merchant and enterprising citizen of Shelbyville, was born April 12, 1840, in New York State. He was the younger of two children born to the marriage of James Gillis and Isabella Stalker, natives of Scotland. His parents removed to Canada from New York, and he was reared there, receiving a common school education. In 1859 he went to Trenton, Ky., and engaged in the pursuit of farming till 1871. He then removed to Shelbyville and opened his merchandising establishment, which he has continued very successfully. He now carries a stock of about $20,000 and does an annual business of about $35,000 to $40,000. He was married September 25, 1864, to Eliza Bradley, the result of this union is one son — George D. Mr. Gillis is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, and has been superintendent of the Sunday-schools for about twelve years. His wife is also a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. Mr. Gillis is of old-line Whig ancestry, but he is now a Democrat. He is one of the leading citizens of Shelbyville, and bears the highest esteem of his fellow-citizens.
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This family biography is one of the numerous biographies included in The History of Bedford County, Tennessee published in 1887 by Goodspeed. The History of Bedford County was included within The History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford & Marshall Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Beford and Marshall Counties of Tennessee
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