Two early pieces of research on the Gallaudets have served as the basis for virtually everything that has been written about them since.  The first is “The Gallaudets of New Rochelle, New York,” an introductory overview, mostly focused on the first three generations, by Rev. Horace Edwin Hayden, published in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society “Record,” Vol. XIX, in 1888.  The second is “Account of the Gallaudet Family,” by Jean Taylor Kimball Wilson (1953).  This work goes into much greater detail than does Hayden’s, and offers information on several generations.  Unfortunately, only one public copy was apparently left, that being at the New York Public Library.

Having carefully studied both efforts, and being able to locate additional records previously unknown to Hayden and Wilson, I have been able to uncover several important new facts, as well as a pair of important eliminations.

We have to start with the eliminations, as they have a great effect on piecing together the rest of the early family.  Very simply, “Colonel Peter Gallaudet” and “David Gallaudet,” “sons” of Pierre Elisee Gallaudet, the immigrant, never existed.  Colonel Peter was “created” out of a confusion begun by a historian named Robert Bolton, Jr. author of “History of Westchester County, New York” (1848).  Somehow Bolton took Peter Wallace Gallaudet, son of Thomas, a private during the Revolution in “Lee’s Legion” in New Jersey, and made him a Colonel.  The increase in rank then resulted in an increase in age for those trying to figure out where and how he fit into the family, resulting in a new son for Pierre Elisee.  Aside from the fact that there is absolutely no other piece of evidence supporting the existence of this man, the most damning ditty is the fact that he was the only “brother” not to sign the 1769 petition attesting to the character of Paul Gallaudet, who had been indicted for perjury.

That is, unless you count “David Gallaudet.”  “David Gallaudet” was given life by Hayden when he mistook the May 7, 1776 New York marriage between Rebecca Banks and David Gallatian (or Galatian) for “David Gallaudet.”  This error was later repeated by Wilson.  Other records prove the existence of David Galatian.  None can be found of “David Gallaudet,” other than the infant son of Thomas Gallaudet, who died in 1761.

The good news is, these two boys have not “died” in vain!  Two sisters have definitively arisen from the ashes.  They are Maria and Elizabeth.  Information on their connection will be found in this new revised history of the early generations.

The most important aspect of the elimination of Col. Peter and David is that it now becomes much easier to identify which members of the next generation belong to which child of Pierre Elisee.  And while some of these associations are still somewhat difficult to work out, the possibilities of “who fathered who” have been greatly reduced.

Please consider this a work in progress.  Whatever errors I begin here should not continue on for over a hundred years!  Please feel free to email me with comments, corrections, or additions.

 Best regards,

 William “Scott” Fisher

Salt Lake City, Utah

Fishfamman@aol.com

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