The Gaylord name originates with Chateau Gaillard in Normandy, France. The chateau was built by Richard the Lion Hearted (Richard Coeur de Lion) to defend his northern frontier. Protestants from this area carried the Gaillard name to England to escape religious persecution. The first Gaillards arrived in England during the reign of king Edward VI, which began in 1541. The name was anglisized to Gaylord at some point in England.

William Gaylord and his brother, John, emmigrated from Exeter, Devonshire, England in the spring of 1630. They arrived in Boston Bay on the ship Mary & John on May 30, 1630. William Gaylord lived in Dorchester, Mass. for about 8 years. He then moved to Windsor, CT with Warham's company, where he lived until his death on July 20, 1673.

Pictures of the children of David Gaylord (born: 1814) are shown in the Gaylord family photo album below. David Gaylord was a farmer in Wallingford, CT. After David Gaylord's death, his children did not wish to run the farm any more. The eldest son, Charles W. Gaylord, was a doctor in Branford, CT. He had the farm developed into a tuberculosis sanitorium to treat TB patients. This may have been done, at least partially, because of the TB that Charles's brother William and William's wife contracted. This farm is now the site of the Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, a hospital with about 120 beds devoted to spinal injury and rehabilitation.

• Gaylord Family Photo Album - Here are some pictures of our Gaylord relatives, dating to just before 1900.
• William Gaylord's descendants - Here are all the Gaylord relatives that we know about now. If you are also descended from William Gaylord, send a gedcom file that I can add here.
• The Wyoming Massacre - Aaron Gaylord moved to Pennsylvania in 1777. He was kill in the Wyoming Massacre in Wyoming Valley, PA on July 3, 1778. His wife and children returned to Connecticut after his death. Here's the story of the Massacre by his granddaughter.
• Gaylord Family Organization - 12/17/00 - Here is a site by Barry Wood with as lot more Gaylord family information than is available here at present. Barry has provided a lot of well documented information about the descendants of William Gaylord.
• Colonial Branford, CT - John Feagin has a wonderful site focusing on colonial Branford and the families that lived there.
• The genforum Gaylord Family Chat - A place to ask questions and discuss Gaylord family history.

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Last Updated: 12/17/00

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