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The Gearing Family

HENRY CHALFANT GEARING SR. CDR

HENRY CHALFANT GEARING SR. Was born June 9, 1855 in Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He married Ellen Smith Tucker daughter of Colonel George W. Tucker and Charlotte Ann Smith Tucker. Charlotte Smith Tucker was born January 9, 1863 in Rockingham County, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Henry Chalfant Gearing Sr. and Ellen Smith Tucker Gearing had eight children. Charlotte Chalfant Gearing, Henry Chalfant Gearing Jr., Frederick Gearing, Mary Gearing, Micajah Gearing, Wallis Gearing, Charlotte Gearing and Hilyer Fulford Gearing. Henry Chalfant Gearing Sr. was commissioned Ensign in April, 1879, and was promoted through the grades until commissioned Commander in October, 1904. Commander Gearing served in all parts of the World and on every type of naval vessel including the U.S.S. Newark, Standish, Yumiri, Giazer, Culoga, Constellation, Essex, Monocacy and the U.S.S. Baltimore. Shore duty included the U.S. Naval Academy, first as instructor in ordnance and gunnery division, later in the mathematics department; Mare Island Navy Shipyard; Commandant of the U.S. Naval Station, Cavite, Philippine Island, and as Commanding officer of the U.S. Naval Station, Olongapo, in the Philippine Islands. He was transferred to the retired list on February 24, 1909 after thirty years service, and thereafter made his home at Charlottesville, Virginia, where he died August 16, 1926 in Albemarle County, Charlottesville, Virginia. He is buried in the Naval Academy cemetery. He held the Spanish Campaign Medal and the Philippine Campaign Medal. Mrs. Ellen Tucker Gearing died May, 15, 1947.

OBITUARY: The Daily Progress, Friday August 17, 1926 - Capt. H. C. Gearing Expires at Home Near University - Capt. Henry Chalfant Gearing U. S. Navy retired, died at his home on Rugby Road last evening after a lingering illness of several months. A simple service will be held at he house this afternoon at 5 o’clock and the interment will be at the Naval Academy cemetery tomorrow.
Captain Gearing was born in Pittsburg, Pa. in 1855 and entered the Naval Academy in 1872, Graduating fiur years later the number one man of his class. For thirty-two years he saw active service, both ashore and afloat in all parts of the world, and for over ten years was identified with the Naval Academy in the department of Mathematics. He moved to Charlottesville in 1922, where he has resided to the time of his death.
Captain Gearing is survived by his wife, Mrs. Ellen Tucker Gearing, and six children - Commander H. C. Gearing Jr., U. S. Navy; Lieutenant-Commander Wallis Gearing, U. S. Navy; Lieutenant Hilyer F. Gearing, U. S. Navy, Frederick Gearing of Omaha, Neb.; Mrs. Ward Ellis, of New York City, and Mrs. George H. Fields, of Canada.

CHARLOTTE CHALFANT GEARING: Was born January 10, 1885 in Daughter of Henry Chalfant Gearing Sr. and Ellen Smith Tucker Gearing. She married Thomas Foley.

Capt. Henry C. Gearing Jr. Capt. Henry and brother Hilyer

HENRY CHALFANT GEARING JR.: Was born January 22, 1887 in Suffolk County, Dorchester, Mass. Son of Henry Chalfant Gearing Sr. and Ellen Smith Tucker Gearing. Henry Chalfant Gearing Jr. graduated The United States Naval Academy class of 1907. He married Leonida Herman Burling of San Francisco, California. They had two children, Henry Chalfant Gearing III and Lucianuson Burling Gearing. He married second wife Olive S. (maiden name unknown) September 22, 1918. Henry Chalfant Gearing Jr. died February 24, 1944 in San Diego, California.

Henry Chalfant Gearing Jr. San Diego 1910

Henry C. Gearing III Henry C. Gearing in middle

HENRY CHALFANT GEARING III

HENRY CHALFANT GEARING III: Was born August 16, 1912. Son of Henry Chalfant Gearing Jr. and Leonida Herman Burling Gearing. He graduated The United States Naval Academy class of 1935. He was at lost at sea along with the five Sullivan brothers in the Battle for the Solomon‘s. November 13, 1942.

LUCIANUSON BURLING (LOU) GEARING: Was born November 8, 1913 in Anne Arundel County, Annapolis, Maryland. Son of Henry Chalfant Gearing Jr. and Leonida Herman Burling Gearing. He died April 29, 2007 in Cochise County, Sierra Vista, Arizona.

FREDERICK GEARING: Was born in Pittsburgh January 20, 1889. Son of Henry Chalfant Gearing Sr. and Ellen Smith Tucker Gearing. Resident of Omaha 1961. Fredrick Gearing died December 1962 in Nebraska.

MARY GEARING: Was born December 27, 1890 in Anne Arundel County, Annapolis, Maryland. Daughter of Henry Chalfant Gearing Sr. and Ellen Smith Tucker Gearing. She married Dr George Henry Fields. Dr George Henry Fields was born about 1876. Resident of Roseneath, Ont.

MICAJAH GEARING: Was born about 1892. And died April 3. 1895.

WALLIS GEARING: Was born November 19, 1893. Son of Henry Chalfant Gearing Sr. and Ellen Smith Tucker Gearing. Graduated The US Naval Academy 1914. He married Margaret Halsey. They had Margaret Halsey Gearing born August 31, 1921 in San Diego, California. She married Henry Wickham of Richmond Virginia in Alexander Virginia. Retired as CDR. Wallis Gearing died October 26, 1958.

CHARLOTTE GEARING: Daughter of Henry Chalfant Gearing Sr. and Ellen Smith Tucker Gearing. She married Ward Ellis LT. USMC. They had Halstead Paul Ellis born March 22, 1917.

HILYER FULFORD GEARING: Was born September 23, 1898 in Anne Arundel, Annapolis Maryland. Son of Henry Chalfant Gearing Sr. and Ellen Smith Tucker Gearing. He graduated The United States Naval Academy class of 1919. He served aboard the submarine S-49. He Retired as RADM March 31, 1948. He married Nancy Stuart (Gannon) Hayes. They had two child, Sinclair Gannon Gearing and one daughter Hilyer Gearing.

S-49 (SS-160) was laid down on 22 October 1920 by the Lake Torpedo Boat Co., Bridgeport, Conn. Launched on 23 April 1921, sponsored by Mrs. Joseph E. Austin, and commissioned on 5 June 1922, Lt. Ingram C. Sowell in command
Commissioned at Bridgeport, S-49 remained there through July, and, in August, moved down to the Submarine Base at New London where she joined Submarine Division Zero, composed of units engaged in submarine research and development. Later reassigned to Division 4 and then to Division 2, she continued experimental work, including aerial visibility tests and torpedo development, and also participated in regularly scheduled exercises, primarily in the New London area into 1926. At the end of January of that year, she proceeded to Portsmouth, N.H., for a regular overhaul. On 2 April, she returned to New London; but, eighteen days later, her operating schedule was again interrupted.
At about 0750 on Tuesday, 20 April, S-49's engines were started. Seven minutes later, just as a pilot cell cover was removed to test the specific gravity of the electrolyte, the forward battery exploded. The hydrogen gas explosion destroyed the cells in the forward half of the battery and forced up the battery deck. Ten men were injured. Two others were gassed during rescue operations. Four of the twelve died of their injuries.
The battery compartment was sealed and kept shut until mid-afternoon when the outboard battery vent was opened. During the night, the submarine took on a slight list to port and air pressure was used to keep ballast. At about 0515 on the 21st, a second explosion occurred in the battery room when wash from vessels departing for torpedo practice rocked S-49. The compartment was resealed for another few hours, after which the work of clearing the wreckage was begun. Lieutenant Hilyer Gearing was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism in this tragic accident.

THE NAVY CROSS

Following repairs, S-49 resumed operations off the New England coast, and in January 1927, moved south, with S-50, for exercises and tests off Key West, Dry Tortugas, and in Tampa Bay. On 12 March, she returned to New London, whence she completed a run to Portsmouth and back before proceeding to Philadelphia, with S-50, for inactivation. Arriving on 31 March, she was decommissioned on 2 August and berthed with other reserve ships at League Island until struck from the Navy list on 21 March 1931 in accordance with the London Treaty. S-49 was sold to the Boston Iron and Metal Co., Baltimore, Md. on 25 May 1931. Reduced to a hulk by that company in 1936, but not scrapped, the hulk was apparently reacquired seven years later, "as equipment," for use in experimental work at the Naval Mine Warfare Proving Ground, Solomons, Md.

SINCLAIR GANNON GEARING: Son of Hilyer Fulford Gearing and Nancy Stuart (Gannon) Hayes Gearing. He graduated St. Johns College 1954. He married Joan Eisner born in Far Rockway, New York about 1930. She graduated St. Johns College 1955. They had one child Hilyer Gearing He graduated St. Johns College 1978 in Anne Anne Arundel County, Annapolis Maryland. After the death of his first wife Joan he married Janette Gearing (Maiden name unknown).