It is timely during our celebration of our nation's independence, that SJGD member Sue Gaither Vanzant alerted us to an updated and expanded biography of Revolutionary War Captain, Colonel Henry Chew Gaither. The biography and an excellent account of Colonel Gaither’s life written by Burkely Herman is located on the Maryland State Archives site dedicated to the Maryland 400. Mr. Herman is a 2016 Maryland Society of the Sons of American Revolution Research Fellow. The blog and biography provide valuable insight into the times in which Colonel Gaither lived and his service to our country.

According to the biography on the Maryland State Archives site, Gaither participated in the Battle of Brooklyn, in which the Maryland First Regiment, later known as the Maryland 400, held off the British while the rest of the Continental Army escaped Long Island to safety. He served throughout the War, including Cowpens (1781), Guilford Courthouse (1781), spent the winters at Valley Forge, and Morristown, and rose in rank from Ensign to Captain. After the War, he rose in rank from Captain to Lieutenant Colonel, serving two years on the Western frontier in Ohio, seven years on the Georgian frontier, and two years in the Mississippi Territory. Colonel Gaither retired from the Army in 1802.

He was a successful plantation owner with land holdings in Washington, D.C.; Montgomery and Alleghany Counties, Maryland; and the Northwest Territory. Colonel Gaither died on June 25, 1811 at 61 years of age. His passing was “well honored” by the military and citizens alike.

Society member, Sue Vanzant, through her own research, played an important role in expanding the biography of Colonel Gaither. She said, “When researching the war and finding that the Battle of Brooklyn was Henry's first battle and the part the "400" [Maryland 400] played in it led me to the new site at the MSA [Maryland State Archives] regarding the 400. Seeing Captain Bowie's letter on the MSA "Finding the Maryland 400" and seeing Henry Chew Gaither's name as witness on the letter was the thing that confirmed that he was part of the battle.” Colonel Gaither was a witness to Captain Bowie’s last will prior to his death in the Battle of Brooklyn. Sue forwarded her research of War Department records to the team researching the “Maryland 400” at the Maryland State Archives, which resulted in the updated biography.

“I really like doing research and this is fun for me. I have finished Vol. I of my line of Gaithers up to the time we leave Maryland for Cincinnati. My next problem is finding all the people that I need permissions from to cite or quote their work,” said Sue Vanzant.

We'd like to hear about any family history research that you're doing.  Please add to the comments below.

Long-time member and Society Director, Catherine Gaither Allison of Cape Girardeau, Missouri was recently recognized in the Southeast Missourian newspaper for her work in preserving the oral histories of the greatest generation, the veterans of World War II.  You can read the complete story HERE.  The idea came to Catherine while attending an American Legion barbecue in 2015 and talking with veterans about their experiences.  She joined fellow friends interested in history and began recording sessions at a local library.

Catherine is no stranger to the military.  Her late husband, Paul, spent 20 years serving in the U.S. Air Force.  Catherine is the daughter of Emmit Gaither, granddaughter of Ernest Floyd Gaither, and in the line of Christopher Columbus Gaither, Silas Thomas Gaither, Dr. Abner Gaither, Rezin Gaither, Benjamin Gaither IV, and John Gaither IV.

For a limited time, Family Tree DNA is offering 20-25% savings on all Y-DNA tests and upgrades. This End of the Summer Sale ends 9/3/2014. Join the other SJGD members who have been tested and store their results on Family Tree DNA by CLICKING HERE. Remember, Y-DNA tests for paternal ancestry, father to son, and make wonderful gifts for the Gaither male in your family.  Family Tree DNA is the world's largest Y-DNA database.

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Have you ever wondered how many Gaithers there are in the United States and where they live? Today, there are over 318 million people in the United States. From the 1995 and 2000 censuses, the U.S. Census Bureau published a list of surnames occurring 100 times or more.  The 2000 census found a little over 150,000 unique surnames.

The top 10 surnames and the number of occurrences, in order, are:

1. Smith - 2,376,206
2. Johnson - 1,857,160
3. Williams - 1,534,042
4. Brown - 1,380,145
5. Jones - 1,362,755
6. Miller - 1,127,803
7. Davis - 1,072,335
8. Garcia - 858,289
9. Rodriguez - 804,240
10. Wilson - 783,051

To check the ranking and number of occurrences of other surnames, you can view or download the list as a PDF file by clicking here or as an XLSX file by clicking here.

The Gaither surname ranked 3,202 on the list. The census found that there were 10,255 Gaithers in the U.S. or 3.8 Gaithers per 100,000 people. Continue reading →

Robert and Patricia Dyson of Poneto, Indiana recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Robert is the great grandson of Martha Ann Gaither, daughter of Eli and Nancy Comer Gaither of Davie County, North Carolina.

The Gaithers and Dysons moved to Madison County, Indiana prior to 1850. Patricia is currently serving on the SJGD Board of Directors. Robert and Patricia have five children, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Genealogists of all skill levels will meet at the NGS 2014 Family History Conference in Richmond,Virginia,7‒10 May 2014. The program features ten tracks per day covering a broad array of topics including records for Virginia and its neighboring states; migration into and out of the region; military records; state and federal records; ethnic groups including African Americans, Germans, Irish, and Ulster Scots; methodology; analysis and problem solving; and the use of technology including genetics, mobile devices, and apps useful in genealogical research.

For more information, visit http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/