(1) Gabriel Gerald was a Baptist Minister of Irish descent. His Father’s name was Fitz-Gerald, an Irish Patriot who, being sought by the British, emigrated to America and settled in North Carolina. To avoid detection (The colonies were still under British rule) he dropped the “Fitz” part of his name and was known as Gerald, which has since been the Family name. 
His Mother was of Irish descent but American born. His wife, (2)Elizabeth White was of Welch descent, her ancestors having some to this country from Wales in 1670. Rev. Gabriel Gerald moved his wife and other members of his family by covered wagon from North Carolina to “Amite County, Mississippi in 1810. 
He resided about five miles south-east of Centerville, Mississippi where the Old Family burial ground is located. 
My source says that his wife and sons. Drs. Robert H. Gerald and Samuel Gerald, along with other members of his family, are buried there. Although it does not say, I assume he is also. 
Gabriel Gerald had advanced ideas regarding Christian observance of the Sabbath.  For putting into practice some of these ideas, he was tried by Church Officials and temporarily silenced from preaching. He also published a pamphlet on his views, which no doubt did not help his case. 
There were 13 children born to them: 
(A)Benjamin - 2/23/1774 
(B)Gabriel Jr.- 1/13/1775 
(C)William  -  7/10/1776 
(D)Elizabeth R. -12/ 22/1777 
(E)Richard L. -3/ 25/1779 
(F)Mildred -1780 
(G)James - 12/25/1781 
(H)Jessie -6/ 30/ 1783 
(I)Samual- 1/ 2/ 1785 
(J)Charles-11/ 18/ 1786 
(K)George 11/18/1786 
(L)John- 5/ 21/1788 
(M)Robert H -10/ 23/1791 
(N)John G -10/ 23/1797 

Of these thirteen children the following record can be given: 

      (C)William married Elizabeth Richbourgh and to them was born three children: 
            (C-1) James Gerald 
            (C-2)Sumpter Gerald 
            (C-3) Emma Gerald 
They lived five miles south east of centerville and was buried at the family burial ground there. 
             (C-3) Emma married David Pemble and to them were born two sons 
             (C-3-1)Thomas Pemble 
             (C-3-2)Robert Pemble 
             (C-1) James was a soldier under General Jackson and fought at the battle of New Orleans where he was wounded. He resided in Louisiana and was buried there. 
William and Elizabeth engaged in Farming and the records of Amite County show that he owned 
considerable land. 
             (C-2) Sumpter Gerald, son of William Gerald and Elizabeth Richbourgh, and grandson of Rev.      Gabriel Gerald. 
Married three times: 
          Elizabeth Haynes, (Who died and is buried near Cappell in Amite County, Mississippi)Married in Amite County, Mississippi.  to them were born four children: 
              (C-2-1)Robert 
              (C-2-2)William 
              (C-2-3)Emily 
              (C-2-4)George 
These three boys volunteered in the beginning of the Civil War and were all in the Army of Virginia. 
      (C-2-4)George was enlisted from Amite County, Mississippi, killed at Gettysburg, Pa. and his name appears as one of the heroes of that war on the first monument ever erected to a confederate soldier and which is now standing at the county site, Liberty, Mississippi. He was killed inside the Union lines in Picketts famous charge. 
    (C-2-1)Robert enlisted from the state of Texas and went through all battles with the Army of General Lee, taking an active part in 48 battles and numerous skirmishes and was never wounded. He later died in Texas. 
He married Laura Huff and to them was born five children, 
                  (C-2-1a)Jerome 
                  (C-2-1b)William 
                  (C-2-1c)George 
                  (C-2-1d)Lillie 
                  (C-2-1e)Elizabeth 

    (C-2-2) William was engaged in the mercantile business at Moscow, Texas at the outbreak of the Civil War. enlisted and killed at Sharpsburg, Virginia. He rose to the rank of First Lieutenant and was shot in the trenches by a sharpshooter and buried there. He was not married. 

    (C-2-3) Emily Gerald married John Sudduth and they were blessed with three children: 
        (C-2-3-a)William Sudduth who resides at Eden Texas and is engaged in Farming. 
        (C-2-3-b)Eugene Sudduth who died at 18 
        (C-2-3-c)Pauline Sudduth who married John Johnson and resides at Mc Comb, Mississippi. Her husband is a carpenter and also engaged in Mill-work 
After the death of his first wife Sumpter married Elizabeth Shaw of Captain, R. J. Shaw who lived five miles south of Liberty Mississippi. To them were born two children: 
      (C-2-4) James Elmer Gerald 11/9/1849 and who died at Smithdale in Amite County, Mississippi on June 8, 1924. He married Louisa Adaline Wilson, daughter of Malissa and Napoleon Bonaparte Wilson on February 6, 1878. She was born May 6, 1861 and died December 26, 1917. to them were born six children: 
         (C-2-4-a)Thomas Eugene Gerald July 30, 1882 
         (C-2-4-b) Ella Elizabeth Gerald Feb. 25/1879 died April 13/1920 
         (C-2-4-c)James Howard Gerald May 27/1884 died March 23/1925 
         (C-2-4-d) Maude Malissa Gerald May 24/1886 
         (C-2-4-e)Esther Addie Gerald October 7/1892 
         (C-2-4-f) Carey Napolean Gerald Aug. 5/1888 
    (C-2-5)Thomas Sumpter Gerald May 25/1848, married Callie Baterman August 1, 1872 in Texas. He was in Farming in Goldthwaite, Texas he had four girls and five boys. Thomas died March 3, 1937 
Elizabeth Shaw Gerald died in Halletsville, Texas on March 22, 1851 and was buried there in a marble tomb and iron fence now marks the grave, which is located on the farm where Sumpter Gerald formly lived and is now owned by an Austrian. 

After the death of his second wife Sumpter Gerald returned to Amite County, Mississippi and married Nancy Terrell and settled near Smithdale, Mississippi, in Amite County, and to them were born ten boys and one girl: 
        (C-2-6)Daniel T. Gerald Sept. 25/1856 
        (C-2-7)Emmett W. Gerald Aug. 26/1858 
        (C-2-8)Richbourgh J.Gerald Dec. 13/1859 
        (C-2-9)Jefferson Davis Gerald June 9/1862 
        (C-2-10)Charles J. Gerald August 3/ 1866 
        (C-2-11)Albert Sidney Gerald 1870 
        (C-2-12)Elizabeth Gerald 1867 
        (C-2-13)Elisha Duncan Gerald May 20, 1872 
        (C-2-14)Son-died young 
        (C-2-15Son-died young 
Sumpter Gerald at the time of his death was a large land owner near Smithdale, Mississippi and was engaged in both farming and the mercantile business. A Part of the old home still stands there and he with his last wife Nancy Terrell is buried in a family cemetery back of where the old home now stands. On the tomb I find that he was born December 24, 1813 and died May 30, 1872. 
 

   (D) Elizabeth married Jacob Boatner and to them was born One child. 
        (D-1)C. Lawrence Boatner 

   (F)Mildred Gerald, married Jessie Moore and to them were born six children: 
       (F-1)John Gabriel Moore 1810 
       (F-2)Charles Gerald Moore 1812 
       (F-3)Elizabeth Jane Moore 1814 
       (F-4)Cynthia Hanovia Moore 1815 
       (F-5) Rufus James Moore 1818 
       (F-6)Laura Aman 1820 

   (H)Jessie Gerald married Louisa Pope and three children were born to them: 
       (H-1)Vide Gerald 
        (H-2)Erin Gerald 
        (H-3)Emmett Gerald 

    (I) Dr. Samuel Gerald married Elizabeth Norman and to them were born four children, 
         (I-1)Orlando Gerald 1813 
         (I-2)Amanda Gerald 1815 
         (I-3)Langdan Gerald 1816 
         (I-4)Glanville Trezevant 1818 

    (K) George Gerald was born May 21, 1788 in Santee Orangeburg, South Carolina . He lived in Yazoo City, Mississippi and was in the Indian Wars. At one time he and some companions were surprised by Indians while in a skiff on the Mississippi River. All were killed except him. He was wounded by an arrow in his shoulder. but escaped by swimming to shore. 
George married Elizabeth Pope and to them were four sons; 
          (K-1)Robert Gerald 
          (K-2)George Jr. Gerald 
          (K-3)  Bruce Gerald 
           (K-4)-Baby 

         (K-3)Bruce, the son of George went to the Civil War from Yazoo City Mississippi and rose to the ranks of Colonel. He was at the battle of Gettysburg and General Humphreys, who was Governor of Mississippi, speaks very highly of the support given him by Gerald in his diary. Now in the possession of his grandson, W.Y. Humphreys,Greenville, Mississippi 
After the war Bruce went to Waco, Texas where he engaged in the practice of law, became Judge of the District (County) Court and was a leader in the early life of that state. He was known for his fearlessness and stood for civic righteousness in every way.After the death of Brann at Waco he edited for awhile “Brann’s Iconoclast” and while so doing was attacked by an opposing faction and killed single handed by two men named Harris.  He took a prominent part in the reconstruction days in Texas following the Civil War. One incident was, E.J.Davis was defeated for Governor by Richard Coke but refused to surrender the office. Bruce Gerald and several others went from Waco to the State Capitol, walked into the Governor’s office and gave him(Davis) fifteen minutes to vacate. He did and Coke was installed and all returned home before dark. He was involved in a gun fight in Waco in which he killed both his attackers but lost an arm in the process. He did at Waco, Texas at the age of 86. 

    (K-1)Robert Gerald 
    Robert is the ancestor from whom the Florida Gerald’s come from. Although we know very little about him it is known that he was a farmer and resided in the vicinity of Silver City, Mississippi. Family tradition says he is buried at Little Rock, Arkansas. There is no reason why?? 
He married Louisa Byrd in Madison County, Mississippi August 3, 1849. 

           (K-1-1)John William Gerald- 
Family Tradition says that John William Gerald was born at Silver City, Mississippi. He was a farmer and married the daughter of William Bentley and Eliza Ann Brantley Thomasson. They were married in Yazoo Mississippi in 1873.  in 1884 they were  living in or close to Yazoo City, Mississippi. When he lost two of his children (Probably with Malaria or Yellow fever) within a matter of days. He decided to move from Mississippi to a healthier climate and picked Waco, Texas where his Uncle Bruce Gerald lived and worked as a Lawyer. While waiting at the station for the train to Texas to arrive, he was offered a job in Florida as an orange grove farmer. Whoever he talked to must have been very persuasive as he cashed in his Texas ticket for one to Leesburg, Florida. He lived in and around Leesburg until the freeze of 1895-96that killed all of the citrus in Florida except what little was along the south west coast below Sarasota. He moved his family to the community of Buckingham, a few miles east of Fort Myers, Florida where he was again engaged in Citrus farming. He remained there until his death on August 31, 1903. He was buried in the Fort Myers Cemetery. 
John stood Six feet tall and weighed about 180. He had beautifully wavey  reddish hair , a  rather  lang narrow head and was always clean shaven. 

He was an outdoorsman and thoroughly enjoyed hunting and fishing, which he did a great deal of . He was a social man who enjoyed parties and gatherings. He was well educated but not formally. He was an avid reader. Patience, which being coupled with a strict disciplinary charter, caused some harsh words at times, Particularly when pertaining to is children’s table manners. He was extremely protective towards his family, especially his daughters which at times led to embarrassment of his girls and their gentlemen callers. He was opinionated and allowed little, if any, argument with his decisions. Fortunately, his mind was quick enough to analyze  a problem or situation and arrive at a correct conclusion in a minimum of time. He was religious, but seldom attended church. He saw beauty and harmony in Nature, and the great outdoors was his cathedral. He never forgot a wrong or a favor. he had a keen sense of humor and thoroughly enjoyed a good story or joke. He had a progressive nerve disease which left him in his later years an invalid in body. but not in mind. He died suddenly with an apparent heart attack. He is buried in the Hibble plot in Fort Myers Cemetery. Fort Myers, Florida 

Cathy Bartleson Hilley

cathy@targetmarketadv.com