Adventurer; Colonist; Planter; Gentleman; Progenitor of practically all Gaithers in America; Believed born in England.

We believe John Gater I, born 1599, died circa 1651, was the first Gater/Gaither in America, arriving on the ship "George" in Jamestown, VA, in 1620. There he appeared on the List of the Living and the Dead in 1622/3, sixth on the list under Sir Francis Wyatt, Governor, and again in the Muster of 1624/5 on Mulberry Island at Cpt. William Pierce's plantation. He returned to Virignia in 1636 on the Assurance",  where he settled in Lower Norfolk County.  In 1649 as a result of religious differences with Gov. Berkley, he resettled with a group of other Puritans in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. There he patented the Gaither family seat of "Abington", initially comprising 875 acres. Abington remained in the Gaither hands for more than 200 years, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The history of the Gaither family is the history of our nation as descendants of our first John Gater settled frontiers across our great nation, becoming the "first families" of many states.   We believe the Gaither family in America can trace their ancestry back to John Gater I, in most instances. Our goals and interests are the continued preservation and documentation of the history of the Gaither family.

It is believed his first wife was named Joan and died in Virginia prior to 31 Oct 1642 when he married Mary Walters/Waters in St Luke's Church, Chelsea, Middlesex, London. Their son  John, born circa 1646,  married Ruth Beard, daughter of Richard and Rachel (Robbins) Beard. The family remained in Maryland until about the time of the Revolutionary War when some members moved south or west.