John Gaither

Bef 1646 - 1702  (~ 56 years)

• Name	John Gaither  [1, 2]
  Born	Bef 1646	Virginia   [1, 2]
  	It is traditional that the progenitor of the family was from Virginia and as a dissenter removed from that Colony to Maryland at the invitation of Governor Stone. The compilation entitled "List of Early Maryland Settlers from 1634 to 1680" now at the land Office at Annapolis fails to conatin the name of a Gather. As the list was compiled by virtue of the settlers demanding land, it is probably that John Geather died before he had exercised his rights. It is believed that this John Gather of Abington was the son of John and Mary Geather and was an infant at the time of his father's death sometime before 1652. As a consequence John Gather was unable to hold land until he reached his marjority. Another point which goes to prove that John Gaither of "Abington" was not of the first generation in Maryland is through a law suit which devloped over the boundary of "White Hall". John Gaither Sr. testified that "John Gaither was one of the first seaters at the head of South River". As he did not say that he, himself, was the first seater, it is evident that the John Gaither to whom he referred was of a generation other than his. At the same time his son, John Gaither Jr., giving his birth year as 1677 made a deposition.
  Gender	Male
  Move	Abt 1652	South River Hundred, Anne Arundel, Maryland   [3]
  	Virginia with his parents
  History	1662	Maryland   [4]
  	the following record was made
  	"Then came John Gaither and demanded the renewment of a warrant for 450 acres – renewed."
  Land Grant	26 Jan 1662/63	'Abington', Anne Arundel County, Maryland   [2, 3, 4]
  	a grant with Robert Proctor of 875 acres known as Abington
  	It was at the head of South River and adjoined Freeman's Fancy, Freeman's Stone, and Freeman's Landing. John Gaither and Robert Proctor surveyed the land themselves. Abington was held by the Gaithers for several generations.
  History	1674  [5]
  	John Gaither and Robert Proctor were named executors, and legatess of the entire estate of Joseph Morley
  	"These three settlers were sons-in-law of Joseph Morley, whose will, of 1674, made Robert Proctor and John Gaither his executors, and legatees of his whole estate." "The sold Morley's Lot and Morley's Grove to Colonel William Burgess. Robert Proctor and Elizabeth, his wife, late widow of John Freeman, and daughter of Joseph Morley, sold Freeman's lands to Captain George Puddington, which were later bought by John Gaither from Captain Edward Burges, executor of Captain Puddington."
  Political	Nov 1681	Anne Arundel County, Maryland   [6]
  	awarded 580 pounds of tobacco by the Assembly for services rendered the Province
  History	1690  [5]
  	John Gaither buys 300 acres
  	"Captain John Browne, mariner, of London, sold, in 1690, to James Finley, three hundred acres out of Abington; said land laid out for John Dearing. And during that same year, Captain John Browne sold to John Gaither, lands that had been laid off for Mr. Chapman out of Freeman's Fancy. Captain Browne, also, sold to John Gaither, lands in Abington, recently held by Robert Proctor."
  Military Service	1696	Anne Arundel County, Maryland   [6]
  	as an officer
  Died	1702	Anne Arundel County, Maryland   [2, 6]
  	John Gather died intestate thereupon the court named his widow the administratrix of his estate.
  Religion	12 Nov 1702	All Hallows Parish, Anne Arundel County, Maryland   [6]
  	Catholic
  	Although it is an assured fact that the Gathers were Puritans when they settled in Maryland, they soon returned to the Established Church and in the ensuing generations one finds the Gaithers holding important posts in the church. In 1702 the records of All Hallow's Parish show the burial of John Gather Sr. from the church on November 12.
  Buried	12 Nov 1702	All Hallows Parish, Anne Arundel County, Maryland   [1, 6, 7]
  Alt. Death	1705  [5]
  	At the time of his death, in 1705, John Gaither held all of Freeman's lands and all of Abington, except that held by William Ridgely and Elizabeth, his wife. Hiw widow, Ruth (Morley) Gaither, married again, Francis Hardesty. Dying intestate, a commission consisting of John Howard, John Hammond and John Duvall, divided the estate. His heirs were, John Gaither, Jr., born 1677; Ruth, born 1679 – John Warfield (of Richard and Elinor Browne Warfield); Benjamin, born 1681; Rachel, born 1687 – Samuel White; Mary born 1692; Rebecca, born 1695; Susan, born 1697.
  Biographical	contributed liberally to the defense of the settlers against Indian invasions  [5]
  Name	John Gaither  [7]
  Person ID	I32995	If the Legends Are True...
  Last Modified	19 Aug 2011

  
  

  Father	John Gater,   b. 1599,   d. 1652, Anne Arundel County, Maryland  (Age 53 years)
  Mother	Mary,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F11624	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Ruth Morley,   b. 1655, Norfolk, Norfolk (city), Virginia ,   d. 1719, 'Abington', Anne Arundel County, Maryland  (Age 64 years)
  Married	Bef 1674  [6]
  Children	+ 1. John Gaither,   b. 15 Jan 1677/78, 'Abington', Anne Arundel County, Maryland ,   d. 4 May-20 Jun 1739, Anne Arundel County, Maryland  (Age 61 years) + 2. Ruth Gaither,   b. 8 Sep 1679, Anne Arundel County, Maryland ,   d. Aft 1728  (Age 49 years) + 3. Benjamin Gaither,   b. 20 Feb 1681/82, 'Abington', Anne Arundel County, Maryland ,   d. Between 26 Mar 1741 and 31 Aug 1741, Anne Arundel County, Maryland  (Age 59 years)   4. Rachel Gaither,   b. 19 Apr 1687, Anne Arundel County, Maryland ,   d. Aft 1742  (Age 55 years) + 5. Edward Gaither,   b. 28 Sep 1689, Anne Arundel County, Maryland ,   d. 2 Jan-10 Apr 1741, Anne Arundel County, Maryland  (Age 51 years)   6. Mary Gaither,   b. 13 Apr 1692, Anne Arundel County, Maryland ,   d. Aft 1734  (Age 42 years)   7. Rebecca Gaither,   b. 24 May 1695, Anne Arundel County, Maryland ,   d. Aft 1742  (Age 47 years)   8. Susannah Gaither,   b. 22 Jul 1697, Anne Arundel County, Maryland ,   d. 1717  (Age 19 years)
  Last Modified	19 Aug 2011
  Family ID	F11625	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  (Research): John Gaither, Senior, buried 11.12.1702 (A. H. 60), our Maryland ancestor, was, it is believed, a descendent of John Gaither, who came from England to Virginia in 1620, and settled at Jamestown. Hotten's Emigrants names 3 John Gaithers from England, 2 of whom were apparently the same John, born 1599, the other being his son John, born 1720, brought over in 1735. Part 1 (Hotten), under "Living in Virginia 2.16.1623-4", gives: Living at James Citie and with the Corporation thereof: Sir Francis Wyatt, Gov., and Lady Margaret Wyatt, Haut Wyatt, Minister, John Gaither," etc.: and Part 2, under "Muster Roll of Settlers in Virginia, 1624," states: John Gatter, came in the George 1620 This identifies the Colonial offical of 1624 as the immigrant of 1620, born probably 1600 or earlier. Part 1 in its "Register of all Passengers to America from the Port of London in the years 1634-35." gives 2 Johns who came together: Jo Gater, 26, Joan Gater, 23, Jo Gater, 15, embarqued in the Assurance, 24 july, 1635.["Jo" is Hotten for John] The fact that the elder John of 1635 was born 1599, indicates that he was the original John of 1620, born about that time, who had returned to London to bring out to Virginia his young son John, born 1620 – and at the same time, a 2nd wife (probably) Joan. Visits back and forth, for business or other reasons, were not unusual in those days, and the subsequent records have not disclosed more than the one early John Gaither family. The original Virginia Colonist was not the Maryland immigrant. "Side Lights," vol. 2, makes the statement: Ruth (Gaither) Warfield was the "daughter of John Gaither, Colonial official of Virginia, who came to Maryland prior to 1662." As John, the 'Colonial official" of 1624, was born beyond doubt as early as 1599, he was not the father of Ruth, born 1679, and her younger sister, born 1697. Nor is it probable that the 2nd John (the youth of 15, in 1635) was John I of Maryland, and for the same reason – the children of the Maryland John were all born between 1678 and 1697, and if he was in fact John Junior of Virginia (born 1620), he was 58 when his 1st child was born and 77 when his daughter Susanna was born. The probability is that John Gaither I of Maryland was John III of Virginia, son of John II (born 1620), son of John I (born 1599), the Virginia official. Luther W. Welsh – 1928

  
  

• Sources

  [S227] Fredric Z. Saunders, Fredric Z. Saunders, (Midvale, Utah: fzsaund@ix.netcom.com, 18 Nov 2006), Genealogy of Gaither Family of Virginia to Maryland to North Carolina (Reliability: 3). [S228] Ancestral Colonial Families, by Luther W. Welsh, (Independence, Missouri: Lambert Moon Print Company, 1928, 213 pages), page 200 (Reliability: 3). [S420] Anne Arundel Gentry, Harry Wright Newman, (Baltimore, Maryland: Maryland Pioneer Series, 1933), page 354 (Reliability: 3). [S34] Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, J. D. Warfield, (Baltimore, Maryland: Kohn & Pollock, 1905, 601 pages), page 107 (Reliability: 3). [S34] Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, J. D. Warfield, (Baltimore, Maryland: Kohn & Pollock, 1905, 601 pages), page 108 (Reliability: 3). [S420] Anne Arundel Gentry, Harry Wright Newman, (Baltimore, Maryland: Maryland Pioneer Series, 1933), page 355 (Reliability: 3). [S228] Ancestral Colonial Families, by Luther W. Welsh, (Independence, Missouri: Lambert Moon Print Company, 1928, 213 pages), page 199 (Reliability: 3).