Dent family connections
Gerald Beere was born 1836 at Ballynacarrigy, Westmeath, Ireland and educated in Dublin. He was the son of a prebendary. Prior to service in New Zealand he was in the 62nd Regiment (5 Jul 1855 to 30 Sep 1858) and the 15th foot (1 Oct 1858 to 7 Apr 1863). He served 2 years 7 months in North America and 4 years 6 months in the Mediterranean. Abt. 1862 Gerald married Matilda Sophia Wright (nee Brady). Gerald, his brother Daniel and Matilda emigrated, leaving Gravesend aboard the "Helvellyn" on 14th Jul 1863. The ship called in to Dartmouth and sailed from there on 19th Jul.
On arrival in Auckland, New Zealand, 16 Nov 1863, the ship was met by recruitment officers asking for volunteers for the local militia and thirty of the disembarking men volunteered. On 18 Feb 1864 Gerald was given the commission of Captain, No.1 Company, 4th Waikato regiment and, later, in accordance with the terms of his enrolment he was granted an acre in Victoria Street and a 300 acre country block on the outskirts of the town. He was struck off pay 11 Feb 1870.
Although Colonel Winfield of the 15th foot described him as a remarkably steady and active person and well qualified for any appointment requiring steadiness and attention Beere's time with the 4th Waikato regiment was not without problems.
Beere under arrest
On 1 Jun 1865 Colonel Moule advised that he had put Captain Beere under arrest for overstaying his leave from 27th to 31st May, stating that Beere rarely came back on time. Gerald explained that he had business in Auckland on the day his leave expired and could not get to Hamilton before the 31st. He had applied to Col. Moule for leave of absence, by telegraph.Col Moule received the following reply:
"Having laid your letter together with Capt. Beere's explanatory letter before Col. Commandant I am directed to request that you will express to that officer the Colonel's surprise that he could have so far forgot his sense of the duties appertaining to his position as one of the senior officers of the Regiment as to have remained absent without leave from his post upon grounds which I am directed to say cannot be characterized otherwise than as most unsatisfactory - the second plea being in the Colonel's opinion a frivolous excuse for his own neglect in not making his arrangements so as to enable him to reach Hamilton before the expiration of his leave of absence.
You will after reading these remarks to Capt. Beere and cautioning him that a repetition of said conduct on his part will be taken most serious notice of release him from arrest and direct him to return to his duty."
Gerald was put in charge of making roads in the district and was responsible for the first Hamilton-Ngaruawahia road. He managed the Kiwi Flour Mill as well as farming his allocated 300 acres, which he had named Beeresfort. The locality is now an inner suburb of Hamilton named "Beerescourt".
Gerald and Matilda's first child was born in Auckland in 1864, a year after their arrival in New Zealand. They had 7 more children. Gerald left Hamilton about 1880 and was living in Devonport in the 1890's, where he had relatives. He died there in 1914.