Jean Gery (also known as Jean Jarry, Yan Jarri or Jean Henri, circa 1638 - 1690?) was a French explorer.
He participated in La Salle's expedition to found a French colony in Texas, but in 1685 disbanded from the expedition. Subsequently he became the leader of a Coahuiltecan Indian tribe, claiming to have been sent by God to rule over them. A few years later he was taken first to Monclova and then to Mexico City by Alonso de León, the Spanish governor of Coahuila.
Gery was questioned by Spanish agents, but he could not tell a coherent story, though he had always claimed to be from a strong French in the east. Although the Spaniards had concluded that Gery was crazy, he was sent along with De León in an expedition to locate this fort. Despite Gery's mental instability, he was precious as an interpreter and guide, bringing the Spaniards to the remains of Fort Saint Louis on April 20, 1689.
After returning to Coahuila, De León sent Gery to meet with representatives of an Indian tribe at the Rio Grande. This is Gery's last known mention, which probably died before the next De León expedition in Texas. "In this journey I have painfully lost the old French," wrote De León later, "because of his knowledge of all the Indian languages of the region, he had always been faithful to me, and with his help, settlement from which it came from. " Voices correlateemodify wikitesto Links externalize the wikitesto
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