The ancestry of our Gilman family of Massachusetts and New Hampshire relates to one Edward (1) Gilman who was born ca 1525 in Caston, Norfolkshire, England. The earliest Gilman record in the Norfolk area concerns one Geoffrey Gilman on the Norwich, 6L.R. No.9 ca 1300-1310 who was keeper of Canterbury Castle in Canterbury, Kent. Reginal Gilman and his wife Cecila were parties in 1333 to a fine (a conveyance of land thru a court decree) of land in Shipdhom, a village about six miles north of Caston. An early will, dated 1426, in the Consistory Court of Norwich relates to Alice Gilman of Upton which is about twelve miles northeast of Norwich. Of interest is the will of one Thomas Gilman of Norwich which was proved 19 July 1536 wherein he is described as a wool and worsted manufacturer. This industry was prevalent at this time in Norwich, Norfolk area. It is possible that our early Gilmans could have been involved in this industry, i.e., being a farmer and raising sheep for the wool cloth. These above mentioned Gilmans are probably ancestors of our Gilmans of Caston.

Our Edward Gilman, who was born ca 1525, died after 05 February 1573, the date of his will and prior to 07 July 1573, the date that his will was proved. Edward(1) Gilman married, at Caston on 21 June 1550, Rose Rysse whose birth and ancestry is unknown. She survived her husband and married, as a second husband, at Caston on 03 April 1578, John Snell with Rose being buried at Caston on 03 October 1613. Edward (1) Gikman in his will devised his houses and land in Caston to his eldest son, John; his other estates and land in Saham Toney were divided among his other three sons and five daughters. The fact that our Edward(1) had multiple houses and lands would indicate that he was a person of some means.

Edward(1) and Rose Rysse Gilman had nine children, i.e., four sons and five daughters, all born in Caston, Norfolks. The eldest, John, was born ca 1552/53 was the principal recipient of Edward (1)’s; Edward (2), bp 20 April 1557, to come. Son three, Robert, was bp 10 July 1559 and died 06 March 1631 in Caston; he married ca 158x Mary (–). Son four, Laurence, was bp 03 November 1561, died 21 August 1629 at Caston. His will was dated 01 August 1629 and was proved 08 December 1629. Laurence first married on 20 June 1588 at Caston, Elizabeth James; he married second Joan Sponer who outlived him. The five daughters, data unknown, were Margaret, Katherine, Rose, Joan, and Elizabeth.
References: PH87:1019; Fh128:77; FH134: A413/425:5; FH142: 9,31-32; FH143:141-146; TAG: V11-1:137.

Edward (2) Gilman, the second son of Edward (1) and Rose Rysse Gilman, was bp 20 April 1557 at Caston and died at Hingham, Norfolk subsequent to 04 December 1604, the last date relative to Edward (2) in the Hingham, Norfolk parish records. Edward (2) moved to Hingham, Norfolk probably late ca 157x or early ca 158x. He married at Hingham, prior to 1582, an unknown wife, who was born ca 155x and died after 1604. Edward (2) inherited the house and lands in Halwicks in accordance with his father’s will. Data lacking to te contrary, we can assume that Edward (2) was a farmer who raised sheep and an investor in houses and lands.

Edward (2) and (–) Gilman had six children, i.e., two sons and four daughters all of whom were born at Hingham, Norfolk. Daughter Mary, who was born ca 159x to come. Son Edward (3) was born 1587/88, to come. Daughter Bridget was born 1582 and married ca 1599 Edward Lincoln. Son John was born ca 159x an married, on01 October 1626, Ann Guerney; they immigrated to Exeter, NY and subsequently removed to Piscatoway, NJ. Daughter Margaret was bp01 August 1602 and daughter Sarah was bp 04 December 1604.
References: FH122:77; FH134: A413/A415:5; FH142:10; TAG: V11-1: 137-138.

Mary Gilman, the second daughter of Edward (2) and (--) Gilman, was born ca 159x at Hingham, Norfolk and died 15 June 1681 at Hingham, Ma. She married, ca 1629 at Hingham, Norfolk, Nicholas Jacobs, who was born ca at Hingham, Norfolk and died 05 June 1657 at Hingham, Ma. He was the son of Richard and Winfrede Chamber Jacobs of Hingham, Norfolk. Nicholas and Mary Gilman Jacobs came to New England on the ship Elizabeth Bonaventure, John Graves, Master in 1633.
References:PH7:414; FH50:249; FH134: A413/A425:5; TAG:V11-1:138.

Edward (3) Gilman, the first son of Edward (2) and (–) Gilman, was born ca 1587; he disposed to be 50 years of age in 1637 and he died 10 April 1655 at Exeter, NH. In earlier genealogies, Edward (3) Gilman was noted as being the son of Robert Gilman, the third son of Edward(1) and Rose Rysse Gilman. Reference: “The Gilman Family in England and America” by Arthur Gilman, 1869 and “Searches into the History of the Gilman Family” by Alexander W. Gilman, 1899. Both of these.respected genealogies reflected Edward (3) Gilman being the son of Robert Gilman. However, the late Col. Charles Edward Banks, in his ongoing research, found a disposition, made in 1637, of Edward(3) Gilman, wherein he stated “to be 50 years of age and specifically referred to his father Edward” which has to be Edward (2) Gilman. Edward (3) Gilman married, on 03 June 1614 at Hingham, Norfolk, Mary Clark who was born in 1590 at Hingham, Norfolk and died 22 June 1681 at Hingham, Ma. She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (–) Clark of Hingham, Norfolk.

On 26 April 1638, the ship “Diligent of Ipswich”, Capt. John Martin, Master, left Gravesend, England for New England and arrived at Boston, Ma. on 10 August 1638. Among those who composed the Pilgrim band were Edward Gilman with his wife, three sons, two daughters and three servants; also we find John Folsom with his wife and two servants. As we will see, John Folsom’s wife was Mary Gilman, daughter of Edward (3) and Mary Clark Gilman. The Gilman and Folsom families had a close long term relationship. Our edward (3) Gilman became the ancestor of nearly all the Gilman families in America.

Edward (3) Gilman settled in Hingham, Ma. where he was granted land. In 1641, a tract of land of eight square miles, then called Seeknok, now Rehoboth, was granted to Edward (3) Gilman and some associated by the Plymouth Colony. Edward (3) sold his portion of this grant in 1650 to Joseph Peck the younger. Edward (3) , whose estate was 300L in 1643, was living in Hingham, Ma.; soon following, he removed, with his family, to Ipswich, Ma. where he was a selectman in 1649. On 18 September 1648, Edward Gilman (4) sold to his father, Edward (3), the barn given to him by his father-in-law, Richard Smith. Edward (3) bought land in Exeter, NH on 08 May 1652 from Thomas Briggs at the Lamprill river. The records of the town of Exeter, NH show that “on 10 May 1652, Mr. Edward(3) Gilman and his son Moses with Edward Colcord, upon their request to become townsmen, were accepted to become inhabitants and to come and live amongst us”. On the 8th of July 1652, there was granted “unto Mr. Edward Gilman, Sr, John Legat, John Gilman and Moses Gilman, amongst them in general, 200 acres of swamp towards Mr. Stonyan’s meadow lying about a brook that way, in distance two or three miles from town”. On 14 October 1652, Edward (3) conveyed his house and land in “Batchelor’s Rowe”, Hingham, which he had previously purchased of Nicholas Jacobs, together with other lots of land granted to him by the town or had obtained by purchase, to his son-in-law Daniel Cushing. On 14 January 1655, he, Edward(3), deeded his entire estate to his wife Mary except for 30L each to his sons John and Moses. Wife Mary Clark Gilman administered Edward (3)’s estate on 10 April 1655 with the sons and sons-in-law agreeing to the distribution according to his, Edward (3), deed. Following the death of Edward (3), his wife Mary removed to Hingham, Ma to live with kinfolk; she died in Hingham, Ma. on 22 June 1681.

Edward (3) and Mary Clark Gilman had a total of eleven children, i.e., seven sons and four daughters, all of whom were born and baptized in Hingham, Norfolk. The first daughter, Mary, bp 06 August 1615 to come. Edward (4), a twin of second daughter Sarah, was bp26 December 1617, died at sea in 1653, and married in 1647, Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Richard Smith of Ispwich, Ma. The second daughter, and a twin of Edward (4), was Sarah who was bp 26 December 1617 and died prior to 1622. The second and third sons were also twins, i.e., Moses and Joshua, who were bp 15 September 1619 and were buried four days later, i.e., 19 September 1619. The third daughter, Lydia, was born ca1620 and died at Hingham in 1689; she married Daniel Cushing who was born 1619 and died 1700. Daniel was the son of Matthew and Nazarth Pitcher Cushing of Hingham, Norfolk and Hingham, Ma. The Cushings came to New England on the ship Diligent with the Gilmans. The fourth daughter was a second Sarah who was born in 1622 and was bp 19 January 1633; she married Deacon John Leavitt, as his second wife, on 16 December 1646. Sarah died 26 May 1700. The fourth son of Edward (3) and Mary Clark Gilman was John who was bp 23 May 1626 and died 24 July 1709 at Exeter, NH where he married on 30 June 1657, Elizabeth Treworgye. Elizabeth, the daughter of James and Catherine Shapleigh Treworgye, was born in1638 and died 08 September 1719. The fifth son was Jeremy who was bp 17 November 1628 and was buried in1635. The sixth son was a second Moses who was bp 11 November 1630 and died in 1702 with his will being proved 16 August 1701; he married, ca1658 at Exeter, NH, Elizabeth Hersey who was born ca1635 and was the daughter of William and Elizabeth (–) Hersey. The seventh son was Daniel who was born ca 1632 and died 21 April 1634 at Hingham, Norfolk.
References:PH7:304; PH13:262; PH49:274-275; PH87:1019-1020; PH97:187; FH108:46; FH128: 77; FH134:A413-A425:1-5; FH142:12,13,36; FH143:213-214; TAG:V11- 1:137-138.

Mary Gilman, the first child of Edward and Mary Clark Gilman, was bp 06 August 1615 at Hingham, Norfolk and died 1689/1691 at Exeter, NH. She married, on 04 October 1636 at Hingham, Norfolk, John Folsom who was bp 1615 at Hingham, Norfolk and died 27 December 1681 at Exeter, NH. John was the son of Adam ad Alice (–) Folsom of Hingham, Norfolk. Mary Gilman Folsom came to New England, with her husband John, on the ship Diligent, Captain John Martin, Master, which arrived at Boston, Ma. on 10 August 1638.
References: PH7:273; PH13:262; PH49:275; PH87:1019,2181-82; PH197:187; PH208:1068-70; FH 130:25-37; FH131:5-17; FH142:38-40; FH143:213-214; NEHGR:V30:207-212.