Background
Alexander Gillon was born on August 13, 1741, in Rotterdam, Holland. He was the son of Mary Gillon.
Alexander Gillon was born on August 13, 1741, in Rotterdam, Holland. He was the son of Mary Gillon.
Gillon was educated in London.
In December 1764, Gillon commanded the brigantine Surprize, owned in Philadelphia, and the next year in this and other vessels was engaged in British trade out of Charleston, and with his stepson, John Splatt Cripps and Florian Mey established a mercantile business which in ten years gained him an estate worth £30, 000.
A hot revolutionist, he was a member of the provincial congress, 1775-77, and captain of the “German Fusiliers”; and in June as volunteer officer with the Connecticut privateer Defense and sloop Volant, which he helped fit out, he aided in capturing two British privateers off Charleston.
In 1775-76, he imported munitions for the Continental Congress and was about to close a larger contract when he was made Commodore in the South Carolina state navy, February 16, 1778, with authority to sell products and borrow money abroad and purchase three frigates.
He reached France in January but his schemes aroused Franklin’s suspicions and hostility.
Finally, May 30, 1780, on promise of one-fourth share in prizes, he secured from the Chevalier Luxembourg, as French agent, the new frigate L’lndien, built in Holland for American use and first promised to Paul Jones, which he renamed South Carolina and manned with Americans from British prisons and French marines.
In June 1780, he was enticing seamen from Jones’s ships at L’Orient and intriguing with Arthur Lee to keep Landais in command of the Alliance, declaring himself “senior naval officer in Europe” and hoping ultimately to secure this vessel also.
Jones, intensely indignant, called him “the Red Ribboned Commodore, ” and through Franklin balked his plan. The South Carolina was interminably delayed.
Gillon was overwhelmed by debts, and to secure funds sold part of his purchase of naval stores to J. Laurens, agent of Congress, for £10, 000. The money, however, was not paid, and the goods, not yet on board, went across later.
John Adams, a diplomatic representative in Holland, declared the whole affair villainously ill-managed, though earlier he had said Gillon’s “industry, skill, and perseverance merited every assistance”.
At last, August 19, 1781, the South Carolina left the Texel. There was much confusion on board, and during a storm Capt. Barney, a passenger, had to take command.
The frigate captured three prizes in the North Sea, stopped at Corunna, and reached Havana January 12, 1782, with five sugar prizes worth $91, 500.
Gillon now joined Gov. Cagigal of Cuba in an expedition against the Bahamas, with the South Carolina, sixty-one Spanish transports, and three Philadelphia privateers. The islands surrendered May 6 without resistance, but Gillon never received the $60, 000 promised for his aid.
Arriving in Philadelphia on May 28, he was detained through court proceedings by Luxembourg’s agents. His ship, sailing for Charleston in December, was captured by the British.
On the whole venture the Commodore, his backers, and his creditors lost heavily. South Carolina was long vexed with the “Luxembourg Claims, ” not settled till 1814.
He died on his estate, “Gillon’s Retreat, ” on the Congaree River.
In 1786-88, Gillon was a member of the South Carolina Assembly.
Gillon was no doubt overweening, extravagant, and self-seeking, but not demonstrably corrupt.
Quotes from others about the person
According to Joseph Johnson, who knew him, he came of a well-to-do family, had some mercantile training in London, spoke several languages, and was “a man of a very fine personal appearance and of a very acute, well-cultivated mind. ”
Henry Laurens called “his fervor for accomplishing everything by force of his own powers”.
Alexander Gillon married Mary Cripps, a Charleston widow, on July 6, 1766.
After his first wife’s death in 1787, he was married again, February 10, 1789, to Ann, daughter of Henry Purcell, rector of St. Michael’s, Charleston, and had a son and two daughters.
