Gilbert Gerard (1604–1673) of Crewood Hall,
Frodsham, Cheshire, was a colonel in the
Parliamentary
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democracy, democratic government, governance of a sovereign state, state (or subordinate entity) where the Executive (government), executive derives its democratic legitimacy ...
army during the
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. They include the Bishops' Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, the Second English Civil War, the Anglo ...
and a justice of the peace during the
Interregnum
An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin '' ...
. He was active in local administration and around the county of Cheshire.
[ quotes ]
Biography
In the 1630s Gerard realised that his estate of Crewood was well located to take advantage of the salt trade. He organised the transportation of salt in flat bottomed barges from Pickering ford down the
river Weaver
The River Weaver is a river, navigable in its lower reaches, running in a curving route anti-clockwise across west Cheshire, northern England. Improvements to the river to make it navigable were authorised in 1720 and the work, which included ...
to Liverpool (this business must have been successful because in 1678 he built a salt house beside the river and his son Benjamin became a "citizen and Salter of London").
[
In the early 1640s a significant portion of Gerard's local parish congregation were puritans and Gerard was their lay spokesman. He was also served as a head constable.
At the outbreak of the Civil War Gerard joined the Parliamentary army. He was governor of the garrison at ]Northwich
{{Infobox UK place
, static_image_name = Northwich - Town Bridge.jpg
, static_image_caption = Town Bridge, the River Weaver and the spire of Holy Trinity Church
, official_name = Northwich
, country ...
, fought in the Battle of Tarvin in 1643, and he successful Parliamentary siege of Chester under the command of Sir William Brereton.[ Gerard, like several other minor gentry in the region, seems to have flourished under the patronage of Sir William,He proved not only to be a competent military officer, but also an administrator and was successful in raising Proposition money from the parishes of Bucklow, Edisbury and the Northwich hundreds.][
After the First Civil War and through the ]Interregnum (England)
The Interregnum was the period between the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649 and the arrival of his son Charles II in London on 29 May 1660 which marked the start of the Restoration. During the Interregnum, England was under various forms ...
Gerard was a justice of the peace (JP). It was as a JP that he helped in suppressing the Booth's Rebellion
Booth's Uprising, also known as Booth's Rebellion or the Cheshire Rising of 1659, was an unsuccessful attempt in August 1659 to restore Charles II of England. Centred on North West England and led by George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer, George Booth, ...
in 1659.[
At the ]restoration of the monarchy
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
*Restoration ecology
...
Gerard lost his position as JP.[ In 1665 he was arrested for treason, but no records survive of his involvement in a plot.
]
Family
Married and had seven sons and six daughters.[
]
See also
* Bunbury Agreement
The Bunbury Agreement of December 23, 1642 was a declaration of neutrality drawn up by some prominent gentlemen of the county of Cheshire shortly after the outbreak of the First English Civil War. Like similar attempts in Lancashire and other coun ...
Notes
References
* quotes:
**
* "Gerard of Crewood, Gilbert, 269; as JP., 185, 187, 224, 259; as collector of Proposition Money, 101–2; commissioned officer 81; and Puritan petitioning (1641), 36; and sectarians, 275; and the suppression of Booth Rebellion 311, 313, 325–6; and Restoration, 328"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerard, Gilbert
1604 births
1673 deaths
Roundheads