General Notes

William was a soldier in the Revolutionary War.  He is listed in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Index, Vol. II.  He lived in 2 counties in North Carolina over a period of 35 years before moving to Newberry, SC in 1787.  There he first resided in Granville (later Bute, now Warren) County from the early 1750's till about 1775 when he moved to Wilke's County, NC.  At least three of William's sons remained in Bute County for a few years but by 1790 they had also moved to Wilke's.

In 1787 William, his wife Mary, and their four youngest children moved to Newberry, SC leaving the older ones behind in NC.  After William died in 1795 his two youngest sons, George and Jesse, moved to Greenville, SC where they bought adjoining farms and remained the rest of their lives.

Most likely William's heritage was of Scotch/Irish as was most of the settlers in NC in the 1750's.

He is listed in the 1755 Tax list of Greenville County, NC as well as the 1771 Tax list of Brute County, NC.  He is listed on the Wilke's County, NC 1782 Tax List as having 250 acres of land, 5 mules, 11 cattle, and no slaves.

On September 22, 1785, William recorded (NC Grant No. 628) "200 acres of land on the middle fork of the Little Cub Creek at ford where Montgomerys old path crosses."

On December 23, 1799 (NC Grant No. 1953) William recorded 509 acres on Brushy Mountain as well as 50 acres on Cub Creek (NC Grant No. 1952).

William Gilreath came to Granville County, North Carolina from Virginia
in about 1750. He is listed as "William Gilcrees" on a 1754 roster of
the local militia of Granville County, a private in Captain Richard
Coleman's Company of Colonel William Eaton's regiment. This list of
militia members was, in effect, a census of the male population of
Granville County at thattime.
In 1760 he received a Granville land grant of 680 acres which was proved
in court on February 1, 1761 (Granville Co NC DB-D, p. 169). This tract
was located on a branch of Hawtree Creek adjoining William Young, in the
area where Benjamin Jones Jones' lived. On August 4, 1761, William
Gilreath sold 340 acres of that tract, including land where he lived, to
William Smith for thirty pounds (op. cit., P. 330). The deed described
the land as located between Hawtree and Six Pound Creeks on Robertson's
line. It was proved in Granville court on August 11, 1761.
On March 6, 1780, after he had moved to Wilkes County, he sold the
remaining 340 acres to Richard Inge of Dinwiddie County, Virginia for
1,500 pounds (Note: the price sounds too high). The tract was described
as being on a branch of Hawtree Creek adjoining John Ellis, Adams
Williams, John Thompson, Wm. Russell, Wm. Call (Keel?), Henry Fittes and
Ephraim Ellis. The deed, signed with a flourish by Gilreath, was
witnessed by Thomas Dance, John Inge, Benj. Perkins, acknowledged by
Dance in the May 1780 session of court and registered on July 17, 1780
(Warren Co. NC DB-7, p.320).
The DAR Centennial Edition of the Patriot Index lists the following
Gilreaths:
1. William Gilreath, Sr. b. 1730 d. ca 1795 .. CS (Civil Service) SC
2. John Gilreath b. 1750-56 d. Dec 1802 .. Soldier NC
3. William Gilreath,Jr. b. 4-28-1753 d. after 1833 .. Capt. NC
PNSR (Pensioner)
4. Alexander Gilreath b. 11-15-1755 d 1838 .. Sergeant NC PNSR
In February 1778, the Bute County Court ordered Justices of the Peace in
each District to administer a loyalty oath, pledging allegiance to the
State of North Carolina and against King George 3rd, to qualify persons
to vote in a coming election. Only five persons in the County refused to
take the oath with William and his son John being two of the five. In
August of 1779, William was ordered by the Court to show cause why he
refused to take the oath. There is no record of his appearance in court
but the challenge was moot because by November 1779 he had movedto
Wilkes County where sons William, Jr. and Alexander were already living.
Three of his sons r