Gaskin

 GASKIN/GASKINS 

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Information on Cathrine Gaskin/Gaskins


The Gaskin name is a geographic or place name. The first Gaskins were Gascons who came from Gascony in Southwestern France. The Gascons were descended from the Basques, an ancient and mysterious race, who have lived in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain as long as history has been recorded. The Gaskins name began to evolve in England in the 12th century when Gascons began moving there. There are many variations of the name, but Gaskins and Gasciogne is the most common. 

The first Gaskins to come to America, as far as is known, was Thomas Gascoigne, who came in 1636. His name eventually became Gaskins. His descendants married into the Lee family of Virginia. An oral tradition among Gaskins today is that the ancestor of the Williamsburg, Florence, and Kershaw County Gaskins came to South Carolina from Scotland with a brother (or brothers) and that they received grants of land from the King. 

Records show that only two Gaskins received grants from the Crown before the Revolution. Ezekiel Gaskins received 100 acres on the Northeast side of Lynches Creek (now called river) in what was then known as Georgetown District, Prince Frederick's Parish, and Craven County. (The early Gaskins settlement was in Craven County, then in Williamsburg, and finally in Florence County.) The Gaskin cemetery at Hanna is believed to be the present-day site of that grant, though no proof has been found. The other grantee was one Amos Gaskins whose grant of 150 acres was situated on High Hill Branch. It would seem that he was a brother of Ezekiel Gaskins. Both had names from the Bible, something that was peculiar to almost all members of that family. 

During the American Revolution Ezekiel Gaskins gave supplies of crops, food, and livestock to the Patriots, but apparently did not join in the fighting. Because of his contributions, his name is listed today in the Patriot Index of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Amos Gaskins, on the other hand, served the King's forces as a captain. Francis Marion’s group at Tear Coat Swamp killed him in 1780 while sitting around a campfire playing cards. 

After the Revolution, in the 1780's, Ezekiel and his sons received state grants of land totaling around 2000 acres. These grants were located on the southwest side of Lynches Creek (river) on Lynches Lake (Lake Swamp), Camp Branch, and High Hill Branch. The greatest concentration of Gaskins settlement appears to have been in the area on Lynches Lake near the present-day sites of the Gaskins, Lee, Cockfield, and Carter cemeteries. Ezekiel appears to have moved there from the northeast side of the creek. Records show Ezekiel and his sons having lands adjacent to Josiah Cockfield and near Charles McAllister and the Kennedy family. Two of Ezekiel's daughters married into the McAllister and Kennedy families. 

Ezekiel appears to have been married as early as 1764, or earlier. His wife's name is unknown. Their known children were Vinson, Samuel, Ezekiel, Jr., Catherine, Charity, and Maith (Faith?). Their dates are not know, but Vinson and Ezekiel, Jr., are on the records of landowners in 1786, making them adults at that time. 

These male Gaskins are the ancestors of the Williamsburg and Florence Gaskins of today. Due to the loss and destruction of public records, little is known about them. Samuel seems to have moved away. Ezekiel's will made it seem that Vinson and Ezekiel, Jr. were both dead by 1810. His will left money only to their heirs. Vinson may have been the oldest son. He already had land when Ezekiel, Jr., was receiving a state grant. Vinson and his family seem to have been the wealthiest group. Practically nothing is known about Ezekiel, Jr. For some reason, the Williamsburg Gaskins seldom got on the census records. Their father, Ezekiel, was always listed all his life. Neither Vinson nor Ezekiel, Jr., left wills. 

Ezekiel Gaskins' first wife died around 1780. He then married Tallitha _______. Their known children were Daniel, David, Dennis, John, Thomas, Margaret, and Darling Monroe. There is some doubt among some people that Ezekiel had two wives, but the records are pretty clear. In his will he speaks of his first children by name as "my children". In speaking of his younger children by name, he called them "my children" and "her children" (Tallitha's). In her will Tallitha does not mention the older children at all, but the young children are all referred to by name as "my children". 

Records show that Ezekiel left Williamsburg in 1795 and moved to Sumter District (now in Lee County) where he purchased 455 acres on Horse Pen Branch and Scape Ore Creek. Highway 34 from Camden to Bishopville crosses Scape Ore at that point today. He seems to have lived there with his younger children until at least 1803, farming and operating a gristmill. Between 1795 and 1803 he purchased several hundred acres of land along the north prong of Black River near the site of present-day Wilsacky, SC. In 1803 he sold all of his Black River holdings and purchased hundreds of acres in Camden District near Westville, between Camden and Kershaw. The land on Horse Pen Branch was kept until 1810. At Westville, Ezekiel continued to farm and to operate another gristmill. In several of his land transactions in Sumter and in Kershaw District, he is referred to on record as a miller. Almost every piece of land he acquired in that area either had a millpond or a place suitable to build one. At least one of the pieces of property in Williamsburg had a millpond in later years, indicating that he may have been a miller even before going upstate. 

Ezekiel Gaskin is said to have died on July 18, 1811. He left a fairly large estate for a man with no education and poor origins. It totaled more than $5,000 in disposable property (including seven slaves) and about 2,000 acres of land. On all his deeds and papers in lieu of signature he made a big "E" or "X". Tallitha made her "T". Tallitha lived on until May 1840, when the Camden Journal gave her age as 85-90. Ezekiel and Tallitha lie lost in unmarked graves in the woods on property belonging today to the Herb Young family. Very few Gaskins live in the area today. 

Above article written by James M. Gaskin and used by his permission. 

First Generation 

Ezekiel E. Gaskin b. ca. 1745. d. ca. 1811. Married (1) ? and (2) Tollitha ____, b. ca. 1750. d. May 22, 1840 . 

It is believed that Ezekiel left a family by his first wife in Williamsburg County, SC and moved to Kershaw Co., perhaps about 1800 where he purchased a tract of land. 

Second Generation 

The children of Ezekiel E. Gaskin are: 

Vinson Gaskin d. ca. 1811. m. Jane Howell, daughter of Joshua Joseph Howell. 

Samuel Gaskin b. July 11, 1796. m. Mary Graham, daughter of Hugh Graham and Sevil Heath. 

Ezekiel Gaskin, Jr. 

Catherine Gaskin 

Charity Gaskin 

Maith Gaskin 

Daniel Gaskin 

David Gaskin d. 1856. m. Isabella Peach, b. 1786 and died 1857. She was the daughter of John and Rebecca Peach of Kershaw County, SC. 

Dennis Gaskin 

John Gaskin b. Nov. 8, 1789 and died January 3, 1855 . m. Elizabeth ___(b. 1/22/1791 and died 11/20/1852 ). They are both buried in Bethany Cemetery in Pickens County , AL. John Gaskins served in the War of 1812, joining on Nov. 17, 1814 and was discharged March 5, 1815 at Charleston , SC. He served as a private in Company G, Capt. Chapman Levy's Co. of Riflemen, Reg't South Carolina Militia commanded by Lieutenant Col. Adam McWillie, S.C. 

In 1818, John Gaskin purchased a Negro girl and tools from the estate of Ezekiel Gaskins. 

The Federal Census of 1830 shows the John Gaskin family in Kershaw District. 

In 1840 John Gaskins and brothers Daniel, David, Thomas, and Darling and sister Margaret Coates and mother, Tallitha Gaskins, transferred 1500 acres to John, Jr. John Gaskin and wife, Elizabeth, made their marks (X) in lieu of signature. 

Sometime during 1840's, John and Elizabeth Gaskin left Kershaw Co., SC and moved to Pickens Co., AL where they lived until their death. 

Thomas Gaskin b. March 19, 1796. d. October 10, 1874 . m. Sarah Drakeford 
about Dec. 31, 1818 . (She was the daughter of William Drakeford. William Drakeford 
came down from Virginia in 1753 and that year got a grant of land from George the Second.) They lived in Kershaw Co. and for 17 years lived on the "House Piece", a small tract of land about a mile from their later home. 

Margaret Gaskin 

Darling Monroe Gaskin b. 1801. m. Mary (or Polly) Nelson, the daughter of John Nelson, Sr. and Ruth Stratford Nelson. 

THIRD GENERATION



The children of Vinson Gaskin and Jane Howell Gaskin are:

Samuel J. Gaskin b. July 11, 1796.
Howell Gaskin 
Elisha Vinson Gaskin b. 1801. m. Ann H.


The children of David Gaskin and Isabelle Peach are:

Ezekiel Gaskin
John Gaskin b. c. 1810. Wife named Francy
William D. Gaskin
James M. Gaskin 
Isabel Gaskin m. a Mr. Baskin
Tabitha Gaskin m. a Mr. Gardner.


The children of John Gaskin and wife, Elizabeth are:

Michael L. (Mike) Gaskin b. Aug. 4, 1818. d. July 25, 1890. m. Mary Noland. They are buried in Bethany Cemetery in Pickens County, AL. They had no children, but Mike had a number of children by a slave girl.

Michael was known to have accumulated money and valuables during his lifetime. He became sick and fearing death, he hid his money afraid his relatives would steal it. On his deathbed his relatives begged him to tell them where he had buried his money. He refused because if he recovered, he would have lost his money to his relatives. As he continued to get worse, he finally gave them a clue, "the money is buried two rail lengths from the bar (meaning gap)". No one ever claimed to have found the money but for many years after his death people continued to search for it. (The story of Uncle Mike was told to me many times by my Dad.) Mike Gaskin served in 42nd Ala Regiment. The company was also known as "Lane Guards" in honor of General Joseph Lane, a strong friend of the south.

Tamzy Caroline Gaskin b. b. March 8, 1820. d. Aug. 22, 1896. m. John Peach, son of James Peach; grandson of John and Rebecca Beach of Kershaw Co., SC. Tamzy and John Peach are buried in Bethany Cemetery in Pickens County, AL. 
Tamzy was a large woman, weighing more than 200 pounds at her death. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church but later in life joined the Baptist Church. She died suddenly of a heart attack while tending to her calves in the cow lot early on the morning of Aug. 22, 1896. 

Tamzy Caroline Gaskin

Milly Louisa Gaskin d. July 15, 1844. m. a Mr. Peach.

Cynthia Gaskin

Elizabeth Gaskin

James W. Gaskin b. ca. 1830 d. 1897. m. Ann Corder. (Ann's first husband was William F. Sanders. He died in 1852 and is buried at Unity Cemetery in Pickens Co., AL.). 

In the 1870 Pickens Co., AL census at Olney is:

James W. Gaskin, 42
Ann C. Gaskin, 40
Jefferson Gaskin, 15
William Gaskin, 13
Curtis Gaskin, 10
Nancy Sanders, 20
Nealy Sanders, 10

Mary Gaskin b. ca. 1834.

Nancy Gaskin b. ca. 1833.


The children of Thomas Gaskin and Sarah Drakeford Gaskin are:

James Gaskin b. Dec. 5, 1819. d. Sept. 29, 1853. m. Elizabeth Owens.
Ann Gaskin b. June 20, 1821. d. Oct. 30, 1895. m. Archibald Owen.
Margaret Gaskin b. 1823.
Ranson Gaskin b. 1825. d. 1863. m. Cynthia Horton.
Nancy Gaskin b. 1828. m. a Mr. Click.
Mary Gaskin b. 1830.
Richard Gaskin b. 1832.
Dennis Gaskin b. 1834.
Harriet Gaskin b. 1836.


The children of Darling Monroe Gaskin and Mary (Polly) Nelson Gaskin are:

Ruth Gaskin b. Dec. 17, 1822. m. Hilton Robinson.
Sarah Gaskin b. April 15, 1824. m. Gene Sellers.
John Darling Gaskin b. Jan. 12, 1826. m. Ellen Hancock.
Elizabeth Gaskin b. Dec. 30, 1828. m. Dock Sellers.
Mary Dorsey Gaskin b. May 27, 1830. m. Jacob Rivers.
Sebron Gaskin b. Nov. 14, 1832. m. Rachael Walters.
Martha (Mattie) Gaskin b. May 26, 1835. not married.
Isabelle Gaskin b. June 1, 1837. m. Richard Dixon Robinson.
Benjamin Gaskin b. Oct. 11, 1840. d. April 25, 1906. m. Sara Jane Gilbert.
Temperance Gaskin b. July 23, 1842. Died as a child.
Daniel Monroe Gaskin b. Dec. 15, 1845. d. June 4, 1939. m. Sally Hancock.

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