The above signature is carved into a marble ledger marker located at Waverly Hall Cemetery in Harris County, Georgia. A little research led me to Mr. Michael Gannon. Census records suggest he was born between 1812 and 1820 in Ireland. He was naturalized in Charleston, South Carolina in the year 1847. Michael and family are found in the 1860 US Federal Census for Charleston, South Carolina. They are in Ward 3, enumerated on page 9, dwelling 58, family 54 (lines 5-12): Michael Gannon / age 40 / male / occ: Stone Cutter / b. Ireland Mary Gannon / 35 / F / b. Ireland John Gannon / 17 / M / South Carolina Michael Gannon / 15 / M / South Carolina Mary Ann Gannon / 13 / F / South Carolina William J. Gannon / 7 / M / South Carolina Thomas F. Gannon / 2 / M / South Carolina James Gannon / 28 / M / occ: Stone Cutter / b. Ireland By 1870, the craft was being passed on to his son, as both the elder and younger Michael were listed as Stone Masons. A second son, William, joined in as ...
Telling the Tales of Tombstones