My English GEER Line

(1) George GEER
b. abt 1621, Heavitree, Exeter, Devonshire, England
d. 26 Jan 1726, Preston, CT, age--abt 105
& Sarah ALLYN
b. abt 1640-42, Salem, MA
d. abt 1723, Preston, CT, age--abt 83
m. 17 Feb 1658, New London, New London Co, CT
| (2) Joseph GEER Sr.
| b. 14 Oct 1664, Niantic, New London Co, CT
| d. 10 Aug 1743, Preston, New London Co, CT--age: 78
| & Sarah HOWARD
| b. 1668-69, Norwich, New London Co, CT
| d. 31 May 1713, Preston, New London Co, CT--age: 45
| m. 7 Jan 1692, Preston, New London Co, CT
| (2) Joseph GEER Sr.
| b. 14 Oct 1664, Niantic, New London Co, CT
| d. 10 Aug 1743, Preston, New London Co, CT--age: 78
| & Susannah SILSBY
| b. abt 1683, Lynn, Essex Co, MA
| d. abt 1743, Preston, New London Co, CT,--ge: 60
| m. 18 Oct 1713, Preston, New London Co, CT
| | (3) Ezra GEER Sr.
| | b. 16 May 1724, Preston, New London Co, CT
| | d. 5 Sep 1809, Kent, Litchfield Co, CT--age: 85
| | & Elizabeth CANADA
| | b. 4 Jun 1726, Preston, New London Co, CT
| | d. Kent, Litchfield Co, CT
| | m. 7 Nov 1745, Windham, Windham Co, CT
| | | (4) David GEER
| | | b. 6 Dec 1766, Kent, Litchfield Co, CT
| | | d. 15 Apr 1857, Bridgewater, PA,--age: 90
| | | & Cynthia PARKS
| | | b. 4 Apr 1770, Kent, Litchfield Co, CT
| | | d. 10 Nov 1854, Bridgewater, PA--age: 84
| | | m. 4 Apr 1793, Kent, Litchfield Co, CT
| | | | (5) Welcome GEER
| | | | b. 4 May 1798, Kent, Litchfield Co, CT
| | | | d. 16 Sep 1833, Kent, Litchfield Co, CT--age: 35
| | | | & Sylvia BISHOP
| | | | b. 20 Nov 1799, CT
| | | | d. 30 Nov 1860, Kent, Litchfield Co, CT--age: 61
| | | | m. 16 Nov 1818, Kent, Litchfield Co, CT
| | | | | (6) Nathaniel GEER
| | | | | b. 2 Sep 1819, Kent, Litchfield Co, CT
| | | | | d. 3 Mar 1891, Grand Island, Hall Co, NE--age: 71
| | | | | & Eliza Marie CLARK
| | | | | b. 19 Nov 1825, New Milford, Litchfield Co, CT
| | | | | d. 31 Mar 1874, Nevada, Livingston Co, IL--age: 48
| | | | | m. 27 Nov 1843, New Milford, Litchfield Co, CT
| | | | | | (7) Harriet "Hattie" D. GEER
| | | | | | b. 20 May 1845, Kent, Litchfield Co, CT
| | | | | | d. 13 Dec 1937, Ottawa, LaSalle Co, IL--age: 92
| | | | | | & Samuel Bane PATTERSON
| | | | | | b. 10 Nov 1839, Amity, Washington Co, PA
| | | | | | d. 27 Mar 1910, Ottawa, LaSalle Co, IL--age: 70
| | | | | | m. 14 Feb 1867, Farm Ridge Twp, LaSalle Co, IL
| | | | | | | (8) Evaline PATTERSON
| | | | | | | b. 9 Aug 1883, Vermilion Twp, LaSalle Co, IL
| | | | | | | d. 6 Apr 1962, Streator, LaSalle Co, IL--age: 78
| | | | | | | & Lewis Walter ANTRAM
| | | | | | | b. 23 Aug 1877, Farm Ridge Twp, LaSalle Co, IL
| | | | | | | d. 20 Aug 1977, Streator, LaSalle Co, IL--age: 99
| | | | | | | m. 22 Jan 1903, Ottawa, LaSalle Co, IL
| | | | | | | | (9) Wilford Russell ANTRAM
| | | | | | | | b. 20 Jan 1906, Farm Ridge Twp, LaSalle Co, IL
| | | | | | | | d. 16 Aug 1972, Streator, LaSalle Co, IL--age: 66
| | | | | | | | & Vera Juanita KITCH (Living)
| | | | | | | | m. 6 Jan 1932, Rozel, Pawnee Co, KS
| | | | | | | | | (10) Linda Lee ANTRAM (Living)
| | | | | | | | | & Roger Francis SMITH (Living)
| | | | | | | | | m. 18 Aug 1957, Grand Ridge, LaSalle Co, IL
| | | | | (6) Nathaniel GEER
| | | | | b. 2 Sep 1819, Kent, Litchfield Co, CT
| | | | | d. 3 Mar 1891, Grand Island, Hall Co, NE--age: 71
| | | | | & Martha J. UNKNOWN
| | | | | b. 31 Dec 1835, Henry Co, IL
| | | | | d. 12 Nov 1887, Nevada, IL--age: 51

Family stories are told that George Geer and his brother, Thomas, were left as young boys under the guardianship of an uncle in Heavitree, Exeter, Devonshire, England. The uncle gave them little or no schooling and arranged to ship the boys to America in order to obtain possession of their property. The ship arrived in Boston in 1635 and the boys were put on shore without money or friends. Researchers found George Geer again when he and his friend, Robert Allyn, arrived in New London, CT. He took up land east of Allyn in 1651 in an area he named Geer Hill. Two years later he married Robert Allyn's daughter, Sarah Allyn. They had 11 children. George was reputed to have lived to age 105.

 

He was buried near the Welcome Browning farm in an old Indian burial ground (now the town of Griswold) about 2 miles from the farm where he died. The early graves were marked by flat stones. George's grave was known by a white oak tree which marked the spot. Later the tree was cut to the ground and used for ship timber, but the grave continued to be marked by the stump.

 

In the 1670 CT Census, the population of New London was 633.

 

George Geer's grandson, Ezra Geer, settled near Geer Mountain, 2 miles southeast of the village of Kent, CT, about 1750. He married Elizabeth Canada and had 14 children. After 4 generations were born, lived and died in Kent, CT, Ezra Geer's great grandson Nathaniel moved his family from CT to NY and then to IL. Nathaniel, lost his wife, 2 youngest children, and granddaughter to an unknown misfortune within months in 1874 in IL.

 

Nathaniel Geer's daughter, Harriet D. Geer witnessed the Lincoln/Douglas Debate held in Ottawa, IL in 1858 and saw Lincoln carried on the shoulders of his fans. She observed them again in debate for the Presidency in 1860. She also traced her family history to the Mayflower. Several of her descendants have joined the DAR, Colonial Dames, Pilgrim John Howland Society, and Mayflower Society through her record-keeping efforts. She was my great grandmother and she died the year I was born.