Stoney–Gaillard family memorandum and Gaillard descent chart, with two oval portraits

The page is heavily inscribed in cursive. Two oval sepia photographs are pasted at the upper left and upper right, beneath each a small handwritten ink caption. The center, left column, and lower portion carry running prose; the right side holds a handwritten genealogical chart.

Captions beneath the portraits

Beneath the left-hand oval portrait (a man):

John Stoney — (my Great, Great, Grandfather)

Beneath the right-hand oval portrait (a woman):

Elizabeth Gaillard. — My Great, Great, Grandmother.

Top center — genealogical block (ink)

John Stoney — B. 1779 — D. 1838

M. 1805

Elizabeth Gaillard — B. 1785 — D. 1857

Their children, listed in a horizontal bracket beneath:

Elizabeth Porcher Stoney — m. Christopher FitzSimons (2nd)

Peter Gaillard — m. Anna Maria [Porcher] Gaillard

Samuel Gaillard — m. Harriet Gaillard

Edgar George — m. Anne Bryan

Theodore — m. Rosa [Mills?]

Eugenia — m. Murdoch Matheson

Beneath the genealogy, a short ink paragraph:

Elizabeth Gaillard and John Stoney were married at the “Rocks” plantation Dec. 1805 by the Reverend O’Farrel of St. Matthew’s Parish. Mr. John Stoney was a merchant in Charleston. Their children were Elizabeth Porcher [Stoney, m.] Christopher FitzSimons — Peter Gaillard Stoney B. 1809 — m. Anna Maria Porcher […]

Left column — biographical narrative, in pencil

The parents of John Stoney, who married Elizabeth Gaillard, emigrated from Ireland. They possessed little property. They arrived in America, but by economy and good management were wealthy.

John Stoney commenced a mercantile business in Charleston with John Williamson (brother of the President of [S.C.?]) under the firm of Williamson & Stoney. In the course of time, [Williamson] retired, and the latter continued the business in his own name. The house was that of a foreign commission [house], and in a few years his correspondents became extensive in the United States, England, Holland and France. He was the confidential agent of Stephen Girard of Philadelphia.

He was the first [merchant] in Charleston who received [news of] the Treaty of Peace in 1815; and, having availed himself of the opportunity of engaging in extensive [trade] and [profitable?] speculations, but, he said, he would not take advantage of the ignorance of others. — “What a conscientious [and honest?] man he must have been.”

He made a public announcement [of] the Treaty of Peace. He was [always] one of the wealthiest merchants in Charleston. His business continually extended and [he] invested a large portion of his capital from time to time in Sea Island lands, and Negroes. At one time he was owner of [several?] valuable plantations, and about [600?] Negroes. He was a man of sympathetic affections — and in all his transactions [acted] with implicit confidence in others. He possessed a large portion of human kindness…

Center column — character sketch and obituary clipping (ink)

…sincerity of those who made profession of [friendship] and was easily accessible by all who approached to his sympathy. He had not the fear of a favor; and would lend the [credit of] his name under all circumstances. His [liabilities, or “abilities”], arising from indiscriminate [endorsements] [illegible], absorbed his entire estate. So [drafts?] upon his capital [ruined?] [illegible] his [affairs?] and embarrassed his affairs.

He died Nov. 6th 1838 aged 59 years. In the [settlement?] of his estate his family [were left?] destitute, and thrown upon their own [resources]. “He was a model of [influence?] and un[selfishness; they?] were a remarkably noble and unselfish family.”

[The character sketch closes with an attribution:]

The above was written by Thomas, [illegible — surname], brother-in-law of John Stoney.

Beneath the character sketch, a transcribed newspaper obituary for the subject’s father:

The City Gazette, Oct. 19th, 1821. —

Died, on the 12th inst. at his residence on Head Island, John Stoney, Sen., in the 73rd year of his age, a native of oppressed Ireland, [from?] which he emigrated in 1774. He found in Carolina a sphere more congenial to [his] active and enterprising genius, and [had] just embarked in a successful career, [when?] his prospects of wealth were involved by the storms of the Revolution; but it was such [a] firm, intrepid, and persevering spirit, as [that?] could not [be made to abandon?] the public cause in South Carolina —

He fought with the little faithful band, [and] maintained a resistance in spite of [ruin and?] threatened death. When peace and liberty [at] length came to smile upon the country [he] would call his own, he betook himself with his accustomed energy, to the [life] of a planter. Prosperity attended his [efforts, and] the evening of his days saw him in the enjoyment of well-earned riches, and [of] affectionate and grateful friends, whom he [had] endeared by a sincerity and liberal generos[ity] that knew no bounds. — A patriot and philanthropist, a patron of industry, he ha[d] the disposition and ability to be useful and [continues; the closing lines run into the lower margin].

Right side — Gaillard descent chart, in pencil and ink

A hand-drawn patrilineal chart of the Gaillard family. Reading top to bottom:

Jean Gaillard — m. — Marie Gaillard of Montpellier

Their son:

Joachim Gaillard — m. — Esther Paparel Born in Montpellier 1625. Came to S.C. about 1685; died there after 1690. Esther Paparel was daughter of André & Catharine Paparel of Bourg-en-Forêt.

Their three sons:

Jean — m. (1) Susanne Le Serrurier; (2) Marie Esther Page.

Pierre — d. about 1711.

Bartholomew Gaillard — born before 1670, d. 1718 — m. Elizabeth [?] (b. 1716 — d. 1781).

A bracketed sibling row beneath Bartholomew:

Frederick · Theodore · Alcimus · Helen Jacintha

Descent continues, most likely from Theodore:

Theodore — m. (1) Margaret Serré, 1735; (2) Lydia Peyre (b. 1720 — d. 1786), daughter of [Maud?] Peyre, immigrant.

Peter Gaillard (B. 1757 — D. 1833) — m. 1782 — Elizabeth Porcher (B. 1760 — D. 1804).

Elizabeth Gaillard (B. 1785 — D. 1857) — m. 1805 — John Stoney. (the woman in the right-hand portrait above)

Elizabeth Porcher Stoney (B. 30 Aug 1806) — m. 1824 — Christopher FitzSimons (B. 1802).

Dr. Christopher FitzSimons (B. 1826 — D. 1866) — m. — Susan Milliken Barker (B. 1827 — D. 1900).

Samuel Gaillard FitzSimons — m. — Mary Ann Perry.

Amy Perry FitzSimons (B. 1888) — m. — James Pickens Walker.

A separate annotation, bracketed to the Jean / John line:

John Gaillard — U.S. Senator 1804–1826 — [many?] years President pro tempore of the Senate.