Rev Stephen Gano

Stephen Gano was the third son born to Rev. John Gano, a prominent Baptist evangelist, and Sarah Stites. Gano was born in New York City while his father was pastoring Gold Street Baptist Church (First Baptist Church in the City of New York). Stephen Gano planned on attending Brown University where his uncle, James Manning, was President, but the Revolutionary War prevented him from enrolling. So at the age of thirteen Gano went to study medicine with his uncle, Dr. Stites. At age 17 in 1779 Gano served briefly as a surgeon's mate in the American army, then resigned to become a surgeon's mate on a privateer. Shipwrecked, marooned, and then taken prisoner by the British, he was confined in leg irons on a prison ship for some time.

His father had previously joined the military as a chaplain, and a Gano family legend holds that John Gano baptized George Washington. No historian or biographer of Washington accepts this tale.

He was admitted as an honorary member of the New York Society of the Cincinnati on July 4, 1784.

After the Revolution, Stephen Gano practiced medicine in Orangetown, New York and in 1782 married Cornelia Vavasour, daughter of a British officer in New York City. In 1783 he had a conversion and turned to the ministry, and in 1786 he was ordained in the Gold Street Church by his father, Dr. Manning, and other clergy. He served as a Pastor of the Baptist Church at Hillsdale, NY and then Hudson, NY. In Hudson, his wife died leaving Gano with several young children, and in 1789 he married Polly, daughter of Colonel Tallmadge in Stamford, Connecticut. They had several more children.[1] Gano then served as a missionary to the Old Northwest Territory and is credited with establishing a church at Columbia, Ohio, near present-day Cincinnati, the first Baptist church in the territory.

In 1792, Dr. Gano became the pastor of the First Baptist Church in America in Providence, Rhode Island where he remained until his death. Many revivals took place throughout his tenure at the church with expanding church membership and baptisms.

In 1797 Polly died, and in 1799 he married Mary Brown, daughter of Professor Joseph Brown, of Brown University, but Mary died in December 1800. Next Gano married Mrs. Joanna Latting, of Hillsdale, New York, but they separated permanently in 1803 when she accused him of being a worshiper of the Devil because he was a Free Mason.

Dr. Gano received the honorary degree of M.A. from Brown University in 1800 and was an Overseer of Brown University from 1794 until his death. He also served on the Providence School Committee for many years. Gano published several of his sermons and other writings. Gano Street in Providence takes its name from Gano's surname.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Gano

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Info added @ Mary S Lockwood's "Lineage Book of the Charter Members of the DAR.

Stephen Gano was a surgeon in the American Army.

Son of Rev. John Gano and Sarah Mary (Stites) Gano. His mother Sarah was Rev John Gano's first wife.

At the time of his birth, his father was pastoring Gold Street Baptist Church (First Baptist Church in the City of New York).

It was his father's intention to have him placed under the care of his uncle, Dr James Manning, first President of Brown University. But the revolutionary war prevented this, and having studied medicine with his uncle, Dr.Stites, he spent two years in the American army as a surgeon. At age 17 in 1779 Gano served briefly as a surgeon's mate in the American army, then resigned to become a surgeon's mate on a privateer. Shipwrecked, marooned, and then taken prisoner by the British, he was confined in leg irons on a prison ship for some time. While practicing at Orangetown, NY, his mind was turned to the Christian ministry, and, on Aug. 2,1786, he was ordained at The Gold Street Baptist Church by his father.

He acted as a missionary in several of the settlements on the Hudson, and was pastor, successively, at Hillsdale and Hudson,NY. He then served as a missionary to the Old Northwest Territory and is credited with establishing a church at Columbia,OH, near present-day Cincinnati, the first Baptist church in the territory. In 1792 he received a call to the First Baptist Church in Providence, and continued to minister to that church during the remainder of his life. His ministry was a very prosperous one, for he was an instructive and eloquent preacher as well as a devoted pastor. Brown University, of which institution he was a trustee for thirty four years, conferred on him, in 1800, the honorary degree of M.A.

Dr. Gano was married four times: first, on Oct 25,1782, to Cornelia, daughter of Capt.Jonah Vavasour, an officer in the British Navy, and then a resident of New York.

His second wife was Mary, daughter of Col.Tallmadge, and sister of Col.James Tallmadge, of New York. They were married on Aug 4,1789 at Stamford,CT.

His third wife, married on Jul 18,1799, was Mary, daughter of Professor Joseph Brown, the second of the "Four Brothers" Brown.

His fourth wife, married on Oct 8,1801, was Mrs. Joanna (Morehouse) Latting, of Hillsdale,NY, who survived him many years. They separated permanently in 1803 when she accused him of being a worshiper of the Devil because he was a Free Mason.

Children(by first marriage): Cornelia Vavasour Gano Holroyd, Daniel Gano, Margaret Hubbell Gano Benedict, and John Stites Gano.

Children(by second marriage): Sarah Stites Gano Ludlow, Maria Tallmadge Gano Jackson, Clarissa Ann Gano Robbins Ludlow, and James Tallmadge Gano.

Children(by third marriage): Eliza Brown Gano Rogers.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Mar 24 2020, 19:30:46 UTC

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Slight ambiguity if this is the Sarah that Stephen married, since this reference... http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njmorris/passaicvalley/stites.htm states that it was another daughter, but other records have it as "Sarah Stites"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Gano FATHER - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gano