James Gilliland was born between 1791 and 1800.1 He was the son of John Gilliland and Sarah Berry. (Some people say that James's first wife was Margaret McFerrin but show no date of marriage or source). James was witness to a land transaction between Wm. McFerrin and Charles Demet recorded on July 29, 1819. The land was located on a fork of Cripple Creek in Rutherford County, Tennessee.2 James Gilliland appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Rutherford County, Tennessee, with a household listed as one male under 10, one male 10-15, one male 26-44, two females under 10, and one female 16-25, with two persons engaged in agriculture.3 On November 15, 1820, James Gilliland and Burton L. Smith, both of Jackson County, Alabama, sold 30 acres of land situated on Brawley's Fork of the East Fork of Stones River in Rutherford County, Tennessee to John Barnes for $225. (Today, Brawley's Creek is in Cannon County, Tennessee.) This land appears to be about 2 miles east of Cripple Creek.4 It is not known why James was listed as being from Jackson County, Alabama. Although Joseph Sagely, brother-in-law to James, who appeared just a few households away from him on the 1820 census, would wind up living in Jackson County by 1830.5
James Gilliland appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of Haywood County, Tennessee, with a household listed as one male under 5, two males 5-9, one male 20-29, one male 30-39, one female under 5, one female 5-9, two females 10-14, and one female 50-59 (probably his mother).1 He married Anna Farris in 1831.6,7 James Gilliland died before 19 June 1835 at Haywood County, Tennessee.7 His brother Samuel was appointed guardian of his three sons.8
Children of James Gilliland
◦James L. Gilliland8
◦Fletcher McClure Gilliland+8 b. 1 Jan 1824, d. 5 Oct 1905
Child of James Gilliland and Anna Farris
◦John F. Gilliland+8 b. 14 Sep 1832, d. 11 Jan 1895
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~elsinger/gilliland/p98.htm#i2986