Name |
Abither Bell (Abitha) Gerard |
Prefix |
Captain |
Suffix |
^ |
Birth |
10 Jun 1842 |
Bellport, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [2, 3, 4] |
|
Gender |
Male |
Census |
1850 |
Fire Place (now Brookhaven), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [1] |
Census |
1860 |
Fire Place (now Brookhaven), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [5] |
- Census records name as Bither.
|
Occupation |
1860 |
Fire Place (now Brookhaven), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [5] |
bayman |
Residence |
1860 |
Fire Place (now Brookhaven), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [5] |
in the household of his parents, Nelson and Keziah Gerard, |
Census |
1870 |
Fire Place (now Brookhaven), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [6] |
- Also in his household were his wife Georgiana and "Lennie" age 3, female. This latter person is probably his daughter Annie, misrecorded.
|
Occupation |
1870 [6] |
fisherman |
Residence |
Between 1875 and 1885 |
Fire Place (now Brookhaven), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [7] |
183 Old Stump Rd. (modern address) |
- The property was conveyed to him on 18 Dec 1875, and sold by him on 3 Jan 1885.
|
Residence |
Aft 1888 |
Brookhaven, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [8, 9] |
in a house located on the northeast corner of Beaverdam Rd. and Old Stump Rd. |
- This house has Historic Structure ID Br16.4-S and was destroyed by fire about 1977, with the loss of one life.
|
Census |
1900 |
Brookhaven, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [10] |
- In his household is his wife, Eliza, and daughter "Elisa Millett." [The census record records her surname as Millett, suggesting that she is a daughter of Eliza by a prior marriage.]
|
Occupation |
1900 [10] |
bayman |
Census |
1910 |
Brookhaven, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [11] |
- There are no family members in his household. Jennie Carter, age 52, was recorded in the household as a servant.
|
Occupation |
1910 [11] |
fisherman |
Occupation |
Aft 1910 |
Brookhaven, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [12] |
ferryman |
- "There were two ferries that ran [between Squassux Landing, Brookhaven Hamlet, NY and the Smith Point Hotel]. One was run by a Captain Gerard. It was a large sloop, the Fanny Fern. …. And the other was the Woodmere, run by Captain Frank, Frank Smith. Frank Smith (Anyone who ran a boat was called Captain in those days — Captain Frank, Captain Ed, and so forth.) Captain Frank had a big cat boat and he had the call through the boarding house, Mrs. deArcas' boarding house, which was directly opposite us now. And that was the place the people came with the families, the annual two week vacation, and it was an awfully nice place. There was a big porch with rocking chairs and it was a happy place. However, Captain Gerard was more modern than Captain Frank. Captain Frank looked like a mountaineer. He had a black hat and old baggy clothes and a beard. But Captain Gerard was rather natty. He had a blue coat with brass buttons and a captain's hat and his boat had a two-cylinder engine. Captain Frank had a one-cylinder engine. And they were rivals, no question about that. There were two docks running out where the public dock is now and there were two trips a day. They'd go in the morning and come back about noon-time and an afternoon trip. And on the trip on the ferry — I think the fare was about 25¢ and 15¢ for children, or something of that sort. Captain Gerard had a mate who did all the work, started the engine and tied the boat up and stuff of that kind, and raised the sail. It was a sloop rig. Captain Frank just depended on his passengers to run the boat. (Laughter) He didn't have anybody who had to be paid. " Alfred Nelson
|
Census |
1920 |
Brookhaven, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [13] |
- Also in the household were his daughter, Anna Miller, and his niece, Helen M. Baker, age 17.
|
Occupation |
1920 [13] |
bayman on the Great South Bay |
Death |
12 May 1922 [2] |
Burial |
Brookhaven (Oaklawn Cemetery), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY [14] |
Person ID |
I3228 |
Brookhaven & South Haven Hamlets |
Last Modified |
3 Jan 2009 |