Rev. Cyrus Gildersleeve was born April 14, 1768, in Orange, Essex County, New Jersey. He was the son of Ezra Gildersleeve and Mary Camp.
He graduated from old Queens College now Rutgers, in 1789, received adegree of M.A. in 1792 and also from Princeton in 1792.
He was pastor from 1792 to 1811 in Midway, Liberty County, Georgia. This famous old church was founded by New England Puritans.
Because his big family of sixteen children was so weakened by the swampy and mosquito infested climate in Georgia, he moved up north to Bloomfield, New Jersey, where he was pastor of the Presbyterian Church from 1812 to 1821.
Rev. Gildersleeve was a wealthy enough man. He had married twice, both daughters of southern planters with large estates.
Later, after an illness, he engaged in pioneer evangelistic work around Kingston and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania from 1821 to about 1830 when he returned Bloomfield, New Jersey.
He died January 15, 1837, at Elizabeth, New Jersey.
His first marriage was to Amerintha "Renchy Norman" Elliot on January 1, 1793, in Midway, Liberty, GA. Their children were:
Cyrus, born 1793 in Midway, Liberty Co., GA
William Camp, born 6 Dec 1795 in Midway, Liberty Co., GA
Mary Valeria, born 1797 in Midway, Liberty Co., GA
Amarintha Keziah, born 1800 in Midway, Liberty Co., GA
Ason, born 1802 in Midway, Liberty Co., GA
Sarah Elizabeth, born 1802 in Midway, Liberty Co., GA
Unknown daughter, born 1805 in Midway, Liberty Co., GA
Hannah Caroline, born 1807 in Midway, Liberty Co., GA
His second marriage was to Frances Caroline (Kennedy) Wilkinson on May 12, 1808, in Midway, Liberty, GA. Their children were:
Unknown Daughter, born 1809 in Midway, Liberty Co., GA
Ezra Samuel, born 1810 in Midway, Liberty Co., GA
Caroline Malinda, born 1812 in Bloomfield, Essex, NJ
Francenia Ann, born 1815 in Bloomfield, Essex, NJ
Thomas Spencer, born 1817 in Bloomfield, Essex, NJ
Isabella Graham, born 1819 in Bloomfield, Essex, NJ
Francis Newall, born Jan 10, 1822 in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne, PA
Ellen Covell, born 1824 in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne, PA
Epitaph, Midway Cemetery
In Memory of
Mrs. Amarinthia Gildersleeve
wife of the Rev'd. Cyrus Gildersleeve
Who departed this life
November 15th, 1807
Aged 37 years
She who in Jesus sleeps, beneath this tomb
Had Rachel's face and Leah's fruitful womb,
Abegal's wisdom, Lydia's faithful heart,
And Martha's care, with Mary's better part.
