Gerry Family

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From Devon, England to Ontario, Canada and on to the West

Overview:

Our Gerry Family history starts in 1644 when Benjamin Gerry was born in Ashwater, Devon, England. He was the first child of Samuel Gerry & Maria Cubitt.

Benjamin married Elianor Langdon and had four children.

We can trace Benjamin back further all the way to Erland Lakae Gere in 1364 in Sweden but there is not much detail. Benjamin’s Grandfather Henrie Gerry (1578) was born in Sweden and died in Denmark. Benjamin’s father Samuel Gerry (1602) was born in Hertfordshire, England.

Although many of the descendants remained in the Devonshire, England area, Benjamins’s great-great grandson John Gerry 1798 and his wife Sarah Symons emigrated to Canada in the early 1840’s after two of their 4 children had died. Another great-great grandson Oliver Gerry 1808 also emigrated to Canada.

This document is laid out by generation with Benjamin Gerry as G1 (first generation), his children as G2 and his grandchildren as G3.

My grandmother was Pearl Alberta Gerry. She died in 1933 when my dad was only 10 years old. The youngest child was less than a year old and my grandfather, John George Shiels raised his kids on his own with the help of his older children.

Although I never knew many Gerry family growing up, through my research, I feel I have gotten to know the Gerry family.

Enjoy reading…  Dan Shiels  dan@shiels.ca

 

G1: Benjamin Gerry 1644-1711 & Elianor Langdon

Benjamin Gerry was born in 1644 in Ashwater, Devon, England. He was the first child of Samuel Gerry & Maria Cubitt.

He married Elianor Langdon on Feb 20, 1672, in North Petherwin, Devon, England. Elianor was born in Jan 1654 in Hellescott, Devon to Richard Langdon & Katherine Blagdon.

Benjamin & Elianor had four children. Ambrose, Leonard, Christian and William Joseph.

  • G2: Ambrose Gerry was born on Feb 22, 1672 in North Petherwin, Devon. He married Agnes Giles on Jul 24, 1700 in Broadwoodwidger Parish Church. They had three children, Catherine Sept 22, 1713, Benjamin Feb 21, 1715 and John Jan 26, 1719. Ambrose passed away on May 6, 1739 at the age of 67.

  • G2: Leonard Gerry was born on Jan 4, 1673 in North Petherwin, Devon. He married Edith Beare on Nov 27, 1701 in the Broadwoodwidger Parish Church in Devon. They had nine children together. Edith passed away on May 10, 1717 and Leonard married Charity Christy Littlejohn on Jan 26, 1718 in Ashwater, Devon, England. Leonard and Charity had three children together. This line is traced in detail below.

  • G2: Christian Gerry was born on Jan 16, 1676 in North Petherwin, Devon. She never married and passed away in 1704 at the age of 28.

  • G2: William Gerry was born on Sept 10, 1682 in North Petherwin, Devon. He married Sarah Jane Richards on Apr 23, 1699 and they had 5 children, John Mar 1, 1700, Joan Aug 7, 1703, Joseph 1705, Jane Oct 15, 1706 and Mary 1710.

Benjamin died on Oct 9, 1711, in North Petherwin, Devon at the age of 67. Elianor passed away Aug 19, 1720 in North Petherwin, Devon.

G2: Leonard Gerry 1673-1759 & Edith Beare & Charity Littlejohn

Leonard Gerry was born on Jan 4, 1673, in North Petherwin, Devon, England. He was the second child born to Benjamin Gerry & Eleanor Langdon.

He married Edith Beare on Nov 27, 1701 in the Broadwoodwidger Parish Church in Devon. They had nine children together. Johann, Benjamin, Leonard, Edith, Leonard, Samuel, Thomas, Mary & Thomasin.

Edith passed away on May 10, 1717 and Leonard married Charity Christy Littlejohn on Jan 26, 1718 in Ashwater, Devon, England. Leonard and Charity had three children together. Leonard, John and Richard.

  • G3: Johann Gerry was born Feb 22, 1701. Unfortunately, we have no other info.

  • G3: Benjamin Gerry was baptised on Mar 14, 1702. He married Mary Alpha on Jul 25, 1726 in Ashwater. They had a son Benjamin in 1735 and 2 daughters, Edith in 1725 & Cordelia in 1728. Two of the children died in infancy. Their daughter Edith married Hugh Cann and they had 8 children.

  • G3: Leonard Gerry was born Feb 5, 1704 and died the very next day on Feb 6, 1704.

  • G3: Edith Gerry was born Mar 10, 1705. She married Stephen Jory on May 7, 1731 and they had 2 sons and 3 daughters. Edith died in childbirth with their youngest child in 1738.

  • G3: Leonard Gerry was born Nov 5, 1707 and died Nov 26, 1708 soon after his first birthday.

  • G3: Samuel Gerry was born on Oct 9, 1709. He never married and died in 1739.

  • G3: Thomas Gerry was born on Dec 14, 1712. He married Ann Ball on Oct 10, 1744 and they had 5 sons and 2 daughters. Thomas passed away in 1776 when he was 64.

  • G3: Mary Gerry was born Oct 7, 1714. Unfortunately, we have no other info.

  • G3: Thomasin Gerry was born Jan 2, 1717. She married John Facey on Dec 15, 1762. Unfortunately, we have no other info.

  • G3: Leonard Gerry was born on Oct 9, 1720. He married Mary Pearce on Feb 27, 1749. They had 2 sons and three daughters.

  • G3: John Gerry was born on Apr 20, 1723. This line is traced in detail below

  • G3: Richard Gerry was born on Oct 16, 1727. He married Rebecca Short on Jul 7, 1755. They had 4 sons and 3 daughters.

Leonard died on Jul 28, 1759, in Ashwater, Devon, England, having lived a long life of 86 years.

G3: John Gerry 1723-1796 & Katherine Harris

John Gerry was born on Apr 20, 1723, in Devon, England. He was the 11th child of Leonard Gerry and the second child of Charity Littlejohn. Leonard had married Charity after his first wife had passed away.

John married Katherine Harris on Apr 4, 1749, in Ashwater, Devon, England. Katherine was born Apr 1, 1729 in Devon to Henry Harris & Elizabeth Kempthorne.

John & Katherine had six children in 12 years. Samuel, Mary, John, Leonard, Catherine and Richard.

  • G4: Samuel Gerry was born in Dec 1748. He married Mary Searle and they had 4 sons and 2 daughters. Samuel died Apr 6, 1821 in Hampshire, England.

  • G4: Mary Gerry was born on Jan 2, 1752. She married Peter Spry on Jul 5, 1784 and they had 2 sons and a daughter. Mary died Feb 26, 1817.

  • G4: John Gerry was born on Apr 17, 1755. This line is followed in detail below

  • G4: Leonard Gerry was born on Feb 13, 1757. He married Grace Rowland on Feb 6, 1778. They had a large family with 5 sons and 4 daughters. Their children all raised large families. Leonard passed away Aug 30, 1834.

  • G4: Catherine Gerry was born on Jan 11, 1759. She never married and passed away on Feb 5, 1776 at the age of 17.

  • G4: Richard Gerry was born on Feb 18, 1761. He passed away on Feb 5, 1763 just before his second birthday.

John Gerry died on Aug 5, 1796, in his hometown of Devon, England at the age of 73. Katherine lived for another 6 years and died Oct 13, 1802 also in Devon.

G4: John Gerry 1755-1825 & Elizabeth Parsons

John Gerry was born on Apr 17, 1755 in St Giles in the Heath, Devon, England. He was the 3rd child of John Gerry and Katherine Harries.

John married Elizabeth Parsons on Aug 2, 1785, in Ashwater, Devon, England. Elizabeth Parsons was born on Jan 4, 1765, in Devon, England. She was the youngest of 7 children of William Parsons and Susanna Quick.

John & Elizabeth had ten children in 22 years; Catherine, Richard, Elizabeth, William, Thomas, John, Mary, William, Leonard and Oliver.

The family remained in the Devon area their entire life. One son, William, died in infancy. Two of the children never married and the other seven children married and produced 40 grand-children for John & Elizabeth.

Elizabeth passed away Aug 12, 1821 in Churchtown, Devon, England, at the age of 56. They had been married 36 years.

John Gerry died on Feb 16, 1825 in Ashwater, Devon, England, at the age of 70.

G5: Catherine Gerry was born on Dec 18, 1785 in Ashwater, Devon, England. She was the 1st child of John Gerry and Elizabeth Parsons. 

Catherine had a son John Perkyn Gerry born Sept 9, 1810. 

She married Nathaniel Hambly on Aug 10, 1817, in Tetcott, Devon, England.  They had five more children; Arscot in Jan 1818; Elizabeth in Mar 1820; Maria in Jan 1822; Harriot in Aug 1824 and Mary Ann in May 1827. Their daughter Harriot died on Nov 18, 1825 and Mary Ann died on Jan 7, 1828, both about 1 year old. 

Catherine & Nathaniel Hambly lived their entire life in the Devon, England area. Catherine was listed as 74 years old in the 1861 census for Devon and she passed away in Jan 1863. Mathaniel died in Oct 1866 in Holsworthy, Devonshire.

G5: Richard Gerry was born Mar 2, 1788. He was the 2nd child of John Gerry and Elizabeth Parsons. 

He married Mary Abbott on Feb 22, 1818. They had 5 sons and 5 daughters.  

G5: Elizabeth Gerry was born on Jun 20, 1790, in Ashwater, Devon, England. She was the 3rd child of John Gerry and Elizabeth Parsons.

She married Thomas Hicks and they had two children together; Thomas Hicks 1814-1890 and Thomasin Hicks in 1817. 

Thomas Hicks died in 1817 and Elizabeth married John Lane in 1818. They had eight children together; Charlotte Lane 1819; Elizabeth Lane 1820-1822; Richard Lane 1821-1823; John Lane 1823-1823; Elizabeth Lane 1824; William Lane 1825-1908; Mary Anne Lane 1830-1896 and James Lane 1833-1852. 

Elizabeth died in Oct 1862 in Holsworthy, Devon, England, at the age of 72. John died on Feb 20, 1874, having lived a long life of 79 years.

G5: William Gerry was born Nov 29, 1795 and died shortly thereafter.

He was the 4th child of John Gerry and Elizabeth Parsons. 

G5: Thomas Gerry was born Feb 19, 1797. He was the 5th child of John Gerry and Elizabeth Parsons. 

He married Ann Brook on Mar 29, 1824 and they had 5 sons and 1 daughter.

G5: John Gerry was born Jan 13, 1798.

He was the 6th child of John Gerry and Elizabeth Parsons.

He married Sarah Symons and had 2 sons and 2 daughters. 

G5: Mary Gerry was born Nov 17, 1799.

She was the 7th child of John Gerry and Elizabeth Parsons.

She married Henry Friend on Jul 2, 1822. They had 1 son and 5 daughters. Mary died in Oct 1886 when she was 86 years old.

G5: William Gerry was born in Apr 1802 in Ashwater, Devon, England. He was the 8th child of John Gerry and Elizabeth Parsons. 

He married Elizabeth Knight on Dec 5, 1826, in his hometown. They had four children during their marriage, William Gerry 1829; Elizabeth Gerry 1831; Mary Jane Gerry 1833 and Eliza Gerry 1838. William died in Jan 1872 in Barnstaple, Devon, England, at the age of 69.

G5: Leonard Gerry was born in Jun 24, 1804 in Ashwater, Devon, England. He was the 9th child of John Gerry and Elizabeth Parsons. Leonard never married and he died in Jan 1880 in Torrington, Devon, England, having lived a long life of 75 years.

G5: Oliver Gerry was born Dec 3, 1808. He was the 10th child of John Gerry and Elizabeth Parsons.

He married Frances Baskerville on May 5, 1835. They had 3 sons and 2 daughters. In the 1851 census, he was listed as an agricultural labourer living at 15 Lower Galford in Lewtrenchard. Oliver died Jan 19, 1886 when he was 77 years old.