Hi Janet, it seems your Rich family was the closest neighbor of the Gerald
family that I'm sure I descended from but haven't proved a link or two. Have
you seen the Mills Atlas on the Sumter Co webpage? Several of my ancestors
are on this map, Thames, Conner, Benbow (paternal) and Gerald (maternal).

https://sites.rootsweb.com/~scsumter/maps/sumtermillsmap.jpg

Rich and Gerald families are located on Summerville to Nelson Road. (It's
toward the bottom of the map just right of center and just below the
CLARENDON name to the left.) The map is dated 1825; this is the year my
great-grandfather, John G. Gerald was born. Family members state my
great-aunt said his father's name was Thomas Gerald. I have his obituary but
it doesn't have his parents. "He was a gentleman of education and refinement
and graduated from Columbia College in South Carolina". He was in Chambers
Co. AL in 1850 and married Susan Coleman (Daughter of Richard Coleman and
Lavina Hodge from Union Co. SC?). He died in Stewart Co. GA about 1893 and
is buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery near Lumpkin, GA.

Can you or anyone help me in determining who his parents may have been or
just what or where "Columbia College in South Carolina" was?  Any
information at all would be very much appreciated.
                                                          Vivian, South
Bend, IN

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