I'm looking to trace the ancestry of Colonel Eli Lilly (1838-1898),
the founder of Lilly Pharmacuticals.  I've found in a book that his
father was Gustavus Lilly, but I would like to determine his ancestry
up through additonal generations.

Hello voodoomonkey-ga,

The following page, in Swedish, appears to confirm that Eli Lilly's
father was named Gustavus.

"Företaget"
Eli Lilly and Company [Sweden]
http://www.lilly.se/foretaget/allm_historia.html

A search for Gustavus Lilly on FamilySearch.com indicates that he was
born in March 1814 in Maryland and married Hester Elizabeth Kirby in
Baltimore in September 1837.

"Gustavus Kirby"
FamilySearch
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/IGI/individual_record.asp?recid=600005965096

"Gustavus Kirby"
FamilySearch
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/IGI/individual_record.asp?recid=500108044401

The first of these pages also lists Gustavus Lilly's parents.  If you
click on the name of Gustavus Lilly's father, also an Eli Lilly, you
will obtain the names of his parents.

Another record for Gustavus Lilly's father provides additional details
on his family.

"Eli Lilly"
FamilySearch
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/PRF/individual_record.asp?recid=30423542

If you sign up for a free trial at Ancestry.com, you can trace that
part of the family in some additional detail.

"Nancy Oram Genealogy - Gustavus Lilly"
Ancestry.com
http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:1955652&id=I266

Meanwhile, a record for Hester Elizabeth Kirby, born September 1819 in
Baltimore, reveals the names of her parents, as well as her paternal
grandfather and great-grandfather.

"Hester Elizabeth Kirby"
FamilySearch.com
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/AF/individual_record.asp?recid=14682206

I hope that this information is helpful.

- justaskscott-ga


Search strategy -

Searched Google for:

"eli lilly" gustavus

Searched FamilySearch and Ancestry.com for the names indicated in the
answer