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I managed to get in contact with an American Gilchrist via a website and he sent me this history info on the Gilchrist name: In the latter part of the Fourth Century, Ninian, an inspired young Scottish cleric addressed himself to the fact that the state of Christianity amongst the Celts was in a deplorable condition. He was well-born (circa 350 A.D.) and well educated, both his parents were Christians and his father was a king, a term used loosely to describe the leader of a clan or sect, in Galloway, Scotland, on the Irish Sea. Christianity, still in its infancy amongst the various Celtic tribes, was being pulled and pushed by the very strong influences of the earlier, well entrenched, cultural mores such as Druidism, tribalism and even paganistic echoes of the recent past. Instead of coalescing as it should be, Christianity was fragmenting. Information came to Ninian through the Roman occupiers of his section of Scotland that in Rome, a new and strong approach to the practice of Christianity was in the process of forming and, although the process was still malleable, it was taking good directions and enthusiasm amongst Roman Christians was high. He decided to take advantage of his family’s position of rank and fortune and travel to Rome. While in Rome he made the acquaintance of Martin of Tours and came under his tutelage. Martin’s enthusiasm worked its way into Ninian and he accepted many of the concepts that Martin was pursuing. One of the most interesting was a concept from the Middle East, probably originated by a sect of Jews, possibly the Essenes, who formed a group of self-sufficient religious enthusiasts into a community for the purpose of preserving, recording and teaching the Holy Scriptures and living a holy life. Martin felt that this approach would work well for Christians as well. Ninian was convinced. On his return to Scotland (circa 385 A.D.), Ninian gathered as many willing Christians around him as he could and, with his family’s help and on family property in Withorn on the Irish Sea, embarked upon the construction of a monastery. The project, called Candida Casa, (conceivably, House or Place of Light or Enlightenment or a form of Whithorn or White House), followed according to Martin of Tour’s leanings, tempered by Ninian’s own feelings. Word of the project spread and interest in it built throughout the area. When the project was ready for teaching to begin, Ninian let it be known that anyone who was interested in learning more about Christianity, particularly about Roman Christianity, was welcome to come to Candida Casa. The call went to the Celts in Scotland, Ireland, Britain, Wales, the Isle of Man and along the north and west coast of France, anywhere there were Christians wanting to participate. The call went to the Christian Norsemen in the area as well. The response was uneven at first but gradually built to a steady flow. It’s difficult to ascertain what the curriculum was or how lengthy the course of study but, judging from Ninian’s experience, zeal and obvious perspicacity, it must have been well-structured and interesting enough to draw the numbers that it did. What is of particular interest, though, is the fact that when a participant completed the course of study at Casa Candida, he was awarded an honorific, that of Giolla (or Gilla) Criosd, Servant of Christ. It is interesting, too, that the original title was written in Irish. Many of the bearers of this distinctive appellation returned to their native lands to spread the word of the new Christianity, bringing with them the beginnings of the name Gilchrist. It is entirely possible that the concept of Christian monasticism, engendered by a Jewish community, was further developed and fostered at Candida Casa. The exact meaning and origin of the name Candida Casa as well as the date of its rededication as the Monastery of St. Martin remain to be discovered. St. Martin’s Parish still exists in Whithorn, Galloway, Scotland. In the ensuing years, Martin of Tours became a saint, Ninian became a saint and we, accordingly, became Gilchrists.