115
S
USANNA
G
ERARD
S
LYE
C
OODE
T
HE
R
EBEL
'
S
D
AUGHTER
Susanna, the oldest daughter of Thomas
Gerard and Susannah Snow Gerard, born to wealth
and privilege, ended life suffering frequent and
public attacks of madness. The judgment of her
contemporaries: Who wouldn't be mad living with
the likes of John Coode?
Susanna was about four years old when her
father, Dr. Gerard, left for the Maryland Colony to lay
claim to the land that would build his fortune and
provide for his family. She was 17 when the family
finally left old England for the proprietary colony of
Maryland.
Sometime after arriving in Maryland Susanna
met and married Robert Slye, merchant seaman.
Her father gave the newlyweds Bushwood as a
wedding present. Robert, no doubt under the tutelage