148                     THE OLD MERCHAJVTS
 

CHAPTER XVII.

The Gerards were old merchants in this city.

William commenced business at No. 24 Broad street
as early as 1792. He was born in Aberdeen, Scotland,
in 1746. He came out to New York in 1782, imme¬
diately after the war. He did a very large business for
several years, and up to 1802. On the 27th of Janu¬
ary of that year, Wednesday morning, he was down
upon the dock on the North River side, attending to
some business on board a vessel. He accidentally fell
off the dock and was drowned. An inquest was held,
and the verdict of the coroner was " Accidental death."
He was one of the most respectable merchants in the
city, and esteemed by everybody. He had a very ex¬
tensive circle of acquaintances and friends. He was
buried from No. 85 Nassau street, where he resided at
the time of his death. He left a wife and seven chil¬
dren. Finding it difficult to support her children, the
widow, in 1806, opened a china store at No. 103 Beek¬
man street. Next year she moved it to Maiden lane,
No. 42, and remained there until 1817, when she
moved up to No. 42 White street.

Her son, James W. Gerard, became an attorney at
No. 69 William street, in 1815. He had graduated
from Columbia College in 1811, with Benjamin Haight,