REMINISCENCES IN ROBESONIAN 
By Rev. John Monroe - Aug. 4, 1887

	The first Scotch settlers that I have any authenic record or history of where Gilbert and Christian McMillan ("Chriosdian Ban") 
who emigrated in 1770. Gilbert McMillan died in 1772, two years after his arrival in America, leaving his wife, with one son and seven 
daughters in what was then almost a wilderness. She seems to have been equal to the occasion, as she has left a history which has been 
handed down for four generations, that far surpasses the history of any other woman that has ever lived in this section.  Her son 
Archibald McMillan, married a Miss McArthur, and was the father of "Old Duncan McMillan, of Florida;" of John McMillan and Christian 
McNeill, the mother of Henry McNeill. Mary married Archibald Sellars; one married McKay; one married Hughes or McEwen; one McAllister;
one--Effie--married John Gilchrist, Sr., the father of John Gilchrist (lawyer.) I do not know at this writing who the others married. 
Besides raising and educating to some extent this large family, she was sent for by the Scotch in sickness and in trouble as far as 
sixty miles. Of this I was told by her grandson, lawyer John Gilchrist, who recollected her well. She was a member of the Presbyterian 
Church, and, after a long and useful career, died on the 15th day of June, 1811, in the 84th year of her age. She is buried at D.P. 
McEachern's, beside her husband, where an anchient-looking marble slab, with inscriptions almost defaced, mark their graves. Her daughter 
Effie, who married John Gilchrist, Sr., had nine or ten children, and died in 1794, in the 46th year of her age. John Gilchrist afterwards 
married a Miss Currie, an aunt of grand-aunt of Hector Currie, deceased, father of "Bud" Currie, deceased, formerly of Maxton. By 
this union he had a daughter named Effie, who married Col. John Blue and was the mother of Col. John G. Blue of Marion, S.C.; of Mrs. Milton 
McIntosh, and of Mrs. Wm. Buchanan, of Richmond County, NC. John Gilchrist, Sr., was the first to institute the study of the classics, 
and started schools generally amon the Scotch settlers. He died in May, 1802, aged 62 years. It will be proper here to correct a mistake 
made in a former number by the copyist, relative to John Gilchrist, lawyer, as being the first to institute the study of the classics. &c. 
it was the father of the lawyer, John Gilchrist, Senion, who first introduced schools generally, &c. The lawyer, being a graduate himself, 
was doubtless as much in favor of education as was his father.
	On the tombstone which marks the grave of John Gilchrist, Sr., is found the following inscription: "He had a vigorous mind, much 
improved by education and travel; he was a patron of learning; often a legislator; a Presbyterian in faith; in morals circumspect, and 
fond of piety."
	Angus Gilchrist, Sr., owner of the Gilchrist bridge, was en elder brother of the lawyer, and died in 1834. He was said to be an 
excellent surveyor.
	Counting six children to each human pair, which I believe is considered the average, and, as far as my information extends relative 
to this family, there are, or have been, no less than 100,00 of this Gilbert and Christian McMillan's descendants. They are to my own 
knowledge in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, 
Ohio, Michigan, California and of course in other places unknown to me. They are the progenitors of the Bakers, one family of the McMillans, 
McNeills, McBrydes (Thomas), McArthurs, Sellars, McKays, McEacherns, Purcells, Gilchrists and others. I have often thought of this when 
I heard men doubtful about all the human family springing from one pair. If, when the average of human life is about thirty years, 100,000 
persons could spring from one couple in 100 years, haow many could multiply from one pair when the average of life was 500 years? Likewise, 
as this unwritten history is handed down for over one hundred years and believed to be authentic, doubting Thomases ought to think that 
Adam could have related the history of creation and the early history of his life, for 690 years, to Enoch, and Enoch to Noah. Hence Noah 
would have the information second-handed (see Bible Dictionary) for four channels through which Noah could have received it second-handed.
	Over two hundred years ago (1660) three Purcell brothers emigrated from Ulster, Ireland, to America. They were Scotch-Irish. One of 
them settled in Pennsylvania, one further down the Ohio, near the mouth of the Scioto river, and the other in West Virginia. The Pennsylvania 
Purcells are descended from the Pennsylvania brother; those of that name in Kentucky and Tennessee, from the one who settled on the Scioto. 
Likewise, the Virginia and North Carolina Purcells from the Virginian. (James G. Blaine is a descendant of this West Virginia brother.)
	Malcomb Purcell, one of the Virginia family, emigrated to North Carolina about 1760, settled near Fayetteville, on the Cape Fear river. 
He married Beatrice Torry in 1772, and was killed by the Tories during the Revolutionary War, in trying to make his escape from them across 
the Cape Fear. His widow, Beatrice Purcell, with her then 4 or 5 year-old son, John Purcell, Sr., came to Robeson county, I suppose to be 
under the protection of her brother, David Torry, who lived on Saddle Tree Swamp, near the present town of Lumberton. Here Mrs. Purcell 
married Daniel mcEachern, and by this union had two childr4en, Col. Arch. McEachern, Sr., deceased, and Mrs. Sallie Patterson, also deceased,
--the grandmother of John T. Sinclair.
	About the year 1792 David Torry moved to upper Robeson, and bought the place where Archibald Purcell formerly resided. his nephew, 
John Purcell, and sister, Mrs. McEachern, came with him, or soon afterwards (Mr. McEachern being deceased.)
	In 1798 John Purcell married Mrs. Mary McKay, the widow of Col. Archibald McKay, of the British army, the daughter of John Gilchrist, Sr., 
and the granddaughter of Christian and Gilbert McMillan. This Col. McKay fought on the side of Great Britain during the revolutionary war. 
After the war he returned to England, where he remained several years. he came back to America and married Mary Gilchrist. I presume that 
he was acquainted with her and her father before they left Scotland. They were natives of Cantire. He purhased 4,000 acres of land, including 
the place on which I now reside, where one son, Hector McKay, was born. he died of fever in 1794, As before stated, in 1798 his widow married 
John Purcell, Sr. They had seven children. The sons were Malcom, John, Alexander, Archibald. Miss E. Purcell married Graham. Miss Mary Purcell 
married Rev. Hector McNeill. They had all passed away except Mr. Gilchrist.
Source: "First Scotch Settlers" Fayetteville Observer [Fayetteville, North Carolina] 4 Aug. 1887