What year was Lillian Gish Born?

Lillian Gish was born in Springfield, Ohio, the elder sister of actress Dorothy Gish (Some sources cite 1896 as the year she was born). The sisters' mother, Mary Robinson McConnell (an Episcopalian) began acting in order to support the family after her husband, James Leigh Gish (who was of German Lutheran descent) abandoned them. When Lillian and Dorothy were old enough, they joined the theatre, often traveling separately in different productions. They also took modeling jobs.