Gerrah History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Early Origins of the Gerrah family

Early History of the Gerrah family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gerrah research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1710, 1727 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Gerrah History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gerrah Spelling Variations

Many variations of the name Gerrah were found in archives from the Middle Ages. Names during the Middle Ages were typically recorded as they sounded and in many cases, one's surname spelling changed with each record.The spelling and language in which the people's names were recorded was often up to the individual scribe. Variations of the name Gerrah found include Geary, Gara, O'Gara, O'Geary, Gearie, Gearey and many more.

Early Notables of the Gerrah family

Notable among the family name at this time was Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts Bay (now the Commonwealth of Massachusetts), signer of the American Declaration of Independence. Sir Francis Geary (1710?-1796),was an "admiral, of a family long settled in Cardiganshire...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gerrah Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gerrah family

Irish families fled the English-colonized Ireland in record numbers during the 19th century for North America. Many of those destitute families died from disease during, and even shortly after, the long journey. Although those that immigrated before the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s often were granted a tract of land, those that arrived later were generally accommodated in urban centers or in work camps. Those in the urban centers would labor in the manufacturing sector, whereas those in work camps would to build critical infrastructures such as bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Regardless of when these Irish immigrants came to North America, they were critical for the rapid development of the young nations of the United States and Canada. Early immigration and passenger lists have recorded many early immigrants bearing the name of Gerrah: John Geary, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682; Eleanor Geary, who landed in America in 1744; Mary Geary, who landed in New York State in 1822; Jeremiah, John, Michael, Patrick, who all settled in Philadelphia, Pa. between 1773 and 1858.