The title of this article —The GILLMAN FOWLERS of Union County, South Carolina — is a little misleading.  While predominately written about the Union County Gillman Fowlers, it is not exclusively about them.

There are two Gilmer Fowlers, one Gilmore Fowler, and two Gillman Whites.  And not all of the Gillman and variations thereof lived in Union County.  They did have one thing in common: they were all descendants of the Union County Fowler family from whom I descend; they were all related, father and sons, cousins, uncles and nephews.

The first known “Gillman” Fowler — at least known to me — was Thomas Gillman Fowler (1798-1880), a son of Godfrey Fowler and the grandson of Henry Ellis Fowler.

I am not the first to wonder: where did the name Gillman originate in my Fowler family and what significance did the name carry to be used over and over again throughout the generations?

My great grandfather was named Thomas Gillman Fowler.  He is number five on the list below.  He was called, simply, Gil Fowler.

The list below does not contain all of the Gillman Fowlers, I am sure.  Gillman, Gilmer, Gilmore and perhaps other slightly different spellings were probably given to many more Fowler men than I suspect.  I’ve decided to start with the “ones I know” and expand the list as I discover more.

The ultimate goal would be finding out why the name became important to my family.

1. THOMAS GILLMAN FOWLER (1798-1880)  Son of Godfrey Fowler and Nannie Kelly; married Susannah Hames
2. GILLMAN H. FOWLER (1822-1861)  Son of Thomas Gillman Fowler and Susannah Hames
3. GILLMAN FOWLER (1852-1924) Son of Bryant Fowler and Elizabeth Wright; married Julia Ann Wood and Carrie Guyton
4. ISAAC GILMER FOWLER (1852-1938) Son of Thomas Fowler and Sarah Elender Hames; married Rebecca Trotter and Susan Katherine Wilson
5. THOMAS GILLMAN FOWLER (1858-1944)   Son of Thomas Fowler and Mary Fowler; married Lura Mabry
6. GILLMAN L. FOWLER (1862-1937)   Son of Thomas G. Fowler and Martha Owens; married Ida Petty
7. GILLMAN FOWLER (1863-after 1930)   Son of William Fowler and Charity Fowler
8. HUGH GILMORE FOWLER (1885-1964)   Son of Isaac Fowler and Susan Katherine Wilson; married Sunie Hood
9. THOMAS GILLMAN FOWLER (1919-1996)   Son of John Henry Fowler and Delia Dempsey; married Martha Moss and Callie Ruth Brown
10. THOMAS GILMER FOWLER (1922-2017)

FRANCIS GILLMAN WHITE 1869-1940

FRANCIS GILLMAN WHITE JR. 1903-1993

more to come in the next few days