Part of our family history begins with Richard Gildersleeve who was born in 1601 in Suffolk, England, may have married Jo Anna Appleton in 1620 in Suffolk, England, emigrated to Massachusetts before 1635, and died in 1680/1681 in Hempstead, Nassau, on Long Island, NY. Descendant, John Gildersleeve was born in Hempstead, Suffolk Co. New York in 1791, married Martha Jones in Newbern, Craven Co. North Carolina in 1821, moved his family to Autauga Co. Alabama before 1837 and died 1873 in Air Mont, Clark Co., Alabama.

John Gildersleeve had relations with one of his two slaves (that were purchased prior to moving to Alabama) at the age of 21 and fathered our great great grandfather Phillip Gildersleeve. It is believed that these slaves were purchased in the New York area.

John had an unusual relationship with his slaves in the then "confederate south". John is burried in Clarke Co. Alabama, along with his wife, children, and the mixed Gildersleeve offspring of Phillip Gildersleeve of which we are fond of.

Unfortunately, due to lack of documentation (result of the times) no further trace can be made of our African heritage or our pure inidian heritage (grandmothers side).

Thanks to the research by the Boddie family whose research took me into John's specific lineage back to England
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/3150/gildersleeve.html

And the great book "GILDERSLEEVE PIONEERS" which is no longer in print (I do have a copy).

I took these pics during my visit to the burial site in Clarke Co. Al summer of 2003.

Others are screen shots from the Boddie's website preserved here in memory of our heritage.