Alexander Gillon

Alexander Gillon (August 13, 1741 – October 6, 1794) was an American sea captain, merchant, politician, and military officer who became a prominent figure in South Carolina’s commercial and political life during the Revolutionary era and the early years of the United States. He represented South Carolina in the United States House of Representatives in 1793 and 1794, serving one term in Congress during a formative period in the nation’s history and participating in the democratic process on behalf of his constituents.

Gillon was born on August 13, 1741, in Rotterdam, in the Dutch Republic, to Scottish parents. He was educated in London, where he lived for a time before going to sea. Trained in maritime pursuits, he became a sea captain and, in 1765, sailed the brigantine Surprize to Charleston, South Carolina. While in Charleston he married Mary Cripps, a widow from Kent then residing in the city. In 1766 he sailed back to England in the brigantine Free-Mason, but returned to South Carolina later that same year, establishing his permanent connection with the colony.

After resettling in Charleston in 1766, Gillon built a substantial mercantile business and emerged as an important figure in the city’s commercial community. His success in trade and shipping led him into civic affairs, and he became the founder and first president of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, reflecting his leadership in promoting the port’s maritime and commercial interests. By the mid-1770s, as tensions with Great Britain deepened, his business prominence and local standing naturally drew him into the political life of South Carolina.

Around a decade after his arrival in Charleston, Gillon became actively involved in politics and military affairs. In May 1775, the men of the German Fusiliers of Charleston elected him captain, marking his first formal military role. He served as a delegate to the Second Provincial Congress of South Carolina in 1775 and 1776 and was a member of the first General Assembly of South Carolina in 1776, participating in the colony’s transition toward independence. In 1778, the state appointed him commodore of the South Carolina State Navy and sent him to France to procure vessels for the state’s naval forces, a mission that placed him at the center of Revolutionary War maritime strategy.

Gillon’s most notable naval enterprise came in 1780, when he chartered the large frigate Indien from the Duke of Luxembourg on behalf of the South Carolina State Navy, agreeing to a quarter-share of her prizes. He renamed the vessel South Carolina and, in 1781, sailed her across the Atlantic, manned by American officers and a mixed crew of European seamen and marines, intending to reach Charleston. Finding the city already in British hands, he diverted to the Caribbean. Between August and October 1781, under his command, the South Carolina captured a cutter, a privateer, the brig Venus, and seven other vessels, contributing to the American and allied war effort at sea.

The South Carolina arrived at Havana, Cuba, on January 12, 1782. There, after negotiations between Gillon and Spanish authorities, the frigate joined a combined force of 59 vessels assembled to capture the British-held Bahamas. The expedition sailed on April 22, 1782, and by May 5 the fleet had reached New Providence. On May 8 the colony surrendered, marking the third capture of New Providence during the American Revolutionary War. After this campaign, the South Carolina sailed north and arrived at Philadelphia on May 28, 1782, where she remained for nearly six months. During this period, the Duke of Luxembourg dismissed Gillon and replaced him as captain with John Joyner. Shortly thereafter, the British warships HMS Diomede, HMS Quebec, and HMS Astraea captured the South Carolina in the Battle of the Delaware Capes, ending Gillon’s direct command of the vessel.

Following the war, Gillon continued to play a role in both state and national affairs. In 1784 he was elected to the Continental Congress, although he did not attend its sessions. He remained influential in South Carolina politics and public life, and in 1788 he served as a delegate to the state convention that ratified the Federal Constitution, helping to shape the framework of the new national government. That same year he was a candidate for election to the First United States Congress, reflecting his alignment with Anti-Administration views that opposed certain policies of the emerging federal leadership, although he was not elected at that time.

On February 10, 1789, Gillon married Ann Purcell, daughter of Reverend Henry Purcell, rector of St. Michael’s Church in Charleston, further cementing his ties to the city’s social and religious establishment. A substantial landowner and planter as well as a merchant, he owned 106 slaves, a fact that underscored his participation in and benefit from the slave-based plantation economy of South Carolina. His economic interests spanned commerce, agriculture, and maritime trade, and he remained a prominent figure in the state’s elite circles.

Gillon was subsequently elected as an Anti-Administration candidate to the Third United States Congress, representing South Carolina in the House of Representatives. As a member of the Unknown Party representing South Carolina, he contributed to the legislative process during his single term in office. He served from March 4, 1793, until his death on October 6, 1794, taking part in the early deliberations of the federal legislature at a time when the young republic was defining its institutions, policies, and party alignments. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, as he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his South Carolina constituents on the national stage.

Alexander Gillon died in office on October 6, 1794, at his plantation, known as “Gillon’s Retreat,” in the Orangeburg District of what is now Calhoun County, South Carolina. He was buried in the family burial ground at the plantation. His career as a sea captain, naval commodore, merchant, and legislator linked the maritime world of the Atlantic with the political development of South Carolina and the early United States, and his name appears among the members of the United States Congress who died in office between 1790 and 1899.