There have been three baronetcies created for descendants of the ancient Lancashire family of Gerard.
The Baronetcy of Gerard of Bryn Lancashire was created in the Baronetage of England in 1611 for Thomas Gerard, Member of Parliament for Liverpool, Lancashire, and Wigan who was a direct descendant of the family of Bryn.[1] From him derived a line of baronets that was elevated to the peerage in 1879, when the baronetcy was merged with the title of Barons Gerard of Bryn,[2] with which it descends to the present holder, the seventeenth baronet.
The Baronetcy of Gerard of Harrow on the Hill was created in the Baronetage of England on 12 April 1620 for Gilbert Gerard of Flambards, Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex, ( the nephew of Gilbert Gerard, Attorney General 1559–81, of Gerards Bromley, Staffordshire) who was Member of Parliament for Wigan 1614, Middlesex 1621–48 and Lancaster 1660. His son Francis, the second Baronet represented Seaford 1641–48, Middlesex 1659 and Bossiney in 1660. His son Charles, third Baronet, was the member for Middlesex 1685–95 and Cockermouth 1695–98. His two brothers followed as fourth and fifth Baronets but the Baronetcy was extinct on the death of the latter in 1716. The Flambards estate passed to the daughter of the third Baronet and was sold off in 1767.[3]
The Baronetcy of Gerard of Fiskerton, Lincolnshire was created on 17 November 1666 for Gilbert Gerard a great-grandson of Gilbert Gerard, Attorney General. His second wife was Mary Cosin, daughter of John Cosin the Bishop of Durham. Sir Gilbert acquired an estate at Gateshead Durham and was elected Member of Parliament for Northallerton in 1661. He was appointed by his father in law as High Sheriff of Durham in 1665. He was buried in York Minster in 1687. He was succeeded by his son Gilbert Cosin-Gerard on whose death in 1730 the Baronetcy was extinct.[4]