JOHN BIRD

Collections of

Danny  and Glenda

Dbyrd000@aol.com

ladyg1063@charter.net

 The Journey with our Bird/Byrd family begins with John Byrd of the Gunpowder and Bird Rivers

of Old Baltimore County, Maryland. “A History of Baltimore County" states that " John Bird,

another early adventurer, settled near the river that bears his name in the 1680s ". John

probably immigrated to the Colonies in America sometime before that from one of the United

Kingdom countries of England, Ireland or Scotland. It is through John’s presumed son or more

probable grandson Joseph Bird of the Gunpowder River area that this Byrd/Bird line appears to

descend.

John Bird held his land at the confluence of the Gunpowder and Bird Rivers where they flow

together into the Chesapeake Bay. This land today is a part of the Gunpowder State Park in

Maryland and is situated along the border of Harford and Baltimore Counties.

John, a tobacco planter was first noted in history when he came to the aid of his neighbor,

Thomas Richardson, who had been attacked by Indians.

 http://www.msa.md.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000015/html/am15--293.html 

It is interesting to note, that the Richardson descendants still live on some of this

land today. According to a Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin, John had at least one

daughter, Elizabeth, who married another of John’s neighbors, Walter Bosley. Another

possible daughter, Elinor is mentioned in a will of John Scott of Baltimore County in

1703.  It is unknown at this time how many children John and Elizabeth may have had and

the assumed connection to Joseph Bird, also a Gunpowder River tobacco planter in the 1730s,

is based upon geographical location as our research continues. There are several records of

John Bird of Maryland and of the Gunpowder River area of Baltimore County. 

When researching this John Bird, it should be noted that some previous research has confused

a John Bird of Anne Arundel County, which was next door, with the John Bird of Gunpowder

River as one and the same. Both men at times had interactions with associates that crossed

county borders. John Bird of Gunpowder River died by 1691 while the John Bird of Anne Arundel

County eventually moved on to Talbot County sometime after 1703.

The Early Settlers of Maryland
An Index to names of Immigrants Compiled from Records of Land Patents 1633-1880 in the Hall

of Records, Annapolis, Maryland.  Edited with Introduction by Gust Skordas, Genealogical

Publishing Co., Inc.  Baltimore 1974 GEN 929.3 M393a
 

Name,          Book,Page,  Remarks

Bird, John,      4, 61,    Immigrated 1659 with his wife and three children
Bird, Elizabeth, 4, 61,    Transported 1659, wife of John
Bird, John       6, 135,   Transported 1663

Bird, Francis,  12, 391,   Transported 1669
Bird, John,     16, 435,   Transported 1671
Bird, Judith,   16, 435,   Transported 1671
Bird, John,     17, 463,   Transported 1673

Bird, William,  17, 420,   Transported 1673

1677 John Bird administered the estate of Joseph Pearce of BA Co., on 8 Oct 1677.

(INAC 4:337)

Colonial Families of Maryland, 1600s-1900s,
The Bird Family Refrence. A: Scisco.  Baltimore County Land Records, 1665-1687. 
Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co.

1681 Aug Michael & Jane Judd of Gunpowder River, Baltimore Co MD to John Bird

of same, 2000 pounds of tobacco, 50 acres..line of Thomas Preston, Edward

Reeves and Lodwich Williams..part of 200 acres patented by John Collett

1683 April 27 John and Elizabeth Bird of Bush River, Baltimore Co MD to Benjamin

Bennett of Gunpowder River, Baltimore Co MD, 50 acres ..Gunpowder River..line of

Thomas Preston, Edward Reeves and John Collett. Signed John Bird (x) and Elizabeth

(x) Bird. Wit: Thomas Long and John Boring.

1686 May 26 Thomas Richardson, of Gunpowder River, Baltimore Co MD, bound to John

Bird, of same, for 4,000 pounds of tobacco for deed. Signed Thomas Richardson

1692 Nov 3 John and Sarah Bevan's, of Gunpowder River, Baltimore Co MD, to William

Galloway of same, 7,200 pounds of tobacco, 50 acres...Elk Creek. Willed to said

Sarah Bevan's, by her late husband, Benjamin Bennett, who purchased 27 April 1683

from John & Elizabeth Bird

1693 Aug 1 William & Margaret Gallaway, Boatwright, of Baltimore Co MD to Thomas

Preston of same 7,000 pounds of tobacco, 50 acres.. John and Elizabeth Bird, late

of Baltimore Co MD, sold April 20 1683 to Benj. Bennett, who devised to his wife

Sarah Bennett, who then married John Bevan. 
 

"BOOK T. R. #A, FOLIO 333, TRANSCRIBED FROM LIBER 15, FOLIO 296-71: "John Greer to Walter

Bosley: This Indenture, 4 March 1714, John Greer, of Baltimore County, Maryland, planter,

has received rent from and sells to Walter Bosley 75 acres, being part of Arthur's Choice

in Baltimore County, on the South side of Gunpowder River, called Bird's Run,

About 1680, Elizabeth, wife of John Bird, administered the estate of Henry Lewis, Gent, of

Anna Arundell Co.  She was extrx of the estate. (INAC 7)

Bird died by 7 April 1691, when his estate was inventoried by William Ebden and Lawrence

Richardson, and valued at F20.12.8.  His estate was administered on 1 May 1694 by James

Phillips, who reported the above inventory and additional assets of F 24.16.9.  Payments

were made to Mr. Hedge, Madam Long, Joseph Sanders, and Timothy Dawson (A; INAC 12:134)

Posted on Gen Forum by: Ron Cofiell, Date: May 31, 2001

"Richardson's Prospect," a 100-acre tract in Baltimore County, Md., was not originally

bought by the Hills from the Richardson’s. On 1 June 1686 John BIRD, planter, was conveyed

"Richardson's Prospect" by Thomas RICHARDSON, planter, of Gunpowder River (Baltimore County

Land Records 1665-1687, by Louis Dow Scisco, originally published as a series in the Md.

Historical Magazine, reprinted as one booklet in 1992, p. 85). This is corroborated by the

following books:

1. Baltimore County, Maryland DEED ABSTRACTS 1659-1750, by Robert Barnes, 1996, p. 177.
2. Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759, by Robert W. Barnes, 1989, p. 44.

By the way, Mary BOSLEY, widow, sold 50 acres, being one half of that tract in 1726 to Philip

TRAPNALL JR.

Posted on Gen Forum by: Paul Smith, Date: December 17, 2000

1. Walter BOSLEY was born before 1670. He died in 1715 in Baltimore Co., MD. He signed a will

on 29 Jul 1715. He had an estate probated on 2 Nov 1715 in Baltimore Co., MD. He was married

to Mary Elizabeth Bird (daughter of John BIRD) before 2 Aug 1699. Mary Elizabeth Bird died

after 25 Jul 1726. Walter BOSLEY and Mary Elizabeth Bird had the following children:

  James BOSLEY.
  John BOSLEY.
  William BOSLEY.
  Joseph BOSLEY.
  Charles Bosley.