These notes were copied from correspondence between several BYrd (Bird) family researchers.
Per 1880 Neshoba Co., MS, census, father b. NC, mother b. SC; for Martha, both parents b. SC.
In the Old Pearl Valley Church minutes (Neshoba County, MS), he was "recieved by experience" on October 1, 1870. In August, 1880, J. D. Bird contributed to a special offering. He was shown as a member of a special committee in April, 1878.
Notes for JAMES D. BYRD:
(Letter from Tracy Hoines, descendant of John Byrd, Lucinda's brother who is also researching this line and does have ties as well to the Breazeale and Barrett families of Neshoba County, MS--DMHOINES@aol.com)
Kathleen -
Happy Mom's Day to you, too! Nothing wrong, I've just been busy, not
checking e-mail too frequently and not getting much done in the way of
research. Work is a bit much these days.On our 'Bird's of a feather' - all I have is James & Martha in the household
of Mary Bird, Pickens Co. AL 1850. Is Mary his mother? I wonder....
Then the 1860 Neshoba Co. census - J. D. & Martha J. Bird, ages 40 & 38,
with Lucinda 10, Mary D. 8, Martha 5, and Wm S. Sanders 84. Who is William
S. Sanders? Martha's father? He owns land, James D. does not.
1870 Neshoba Co. - James D., Martha J., Mary D. 18, Martha C. 15, and John
9. Still no real estate value shown.
1880 Neshoba Co, - James, Martha, and John only.Haven't had a chance to order in other records to figure out Martha's maiden
name or James's father's name yet.Tracie
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Kathleen,I hope that one of these e-mail addresses will get in touch with you. I'll
remind you that we had exchanged an e-mail once since you are I are both
working on lines descended from James D. and Martha J. Bird/Byrd of SC,
Pickens Co., AL, and Neshoba Co., MS. I have found a few more tidbits. I
was in Neshoba County last week and looked through the church minutes of the
Old Pearl Valley Baptist Church. Martha J. Bird (all those accounts spelled
the name "Bird") was received by letter in 1852 (page 34). On October 1,
1870, James D. Bird was "received by experience" (he was "saved") into that
church. He is mentioned in August 1880 and in April 1878 in connection with
some special committees. In 1872, their two daughter, Mary Dove Bird and
Martha Bird were "received by experience" into that church. Their son, John
Richard Bird was mentioned as a special church delegate for that church in
1882. In 1887 and in 1888, he confessed intoxication, asked for forgiveness
and was given it. I, also, found the marriage record for John Richard Bird
and Sarah Frances Breazeale, January 18, 1883, in Winston Co., MS (that part
of Neshoba County) is close to the line.The second thing concerns the book by the Alabama Heritage Books on Pickens
County, AL. As you know, there was only one other "Bird/Byrd" family shown
on the 1850 census for that county. Two Bird children were listed in the
following household and I thought maybe they were the wife's children by a
first marriage to a Bird male.
W. W. Guyton, 43, m, SC; Luvina, 39?, Tenn?; Marian Bird, 13, m, Ala; and
Saphronay Bird, 13, f, Ala. The book section which mainly is focused on the
Guyton family reveals that those those children were the nephew and niece of
Mr. Guyton. The books says this about that early Pickens County, AL, Bird
family:James Calvin Bird married Mary Guyton. His parents were Lt. John Bird of
Union District, SC, and Elizabeth Faucett. Mary Guyton was born May 9, 1800,
Union Dist, SC (bunch about the Guytons if they tie in and several came into
MS). Their children as named in the book were Martha L. Bird who married
Henry Martin Lary; Abraham Guyton Bird who married Martha Dees; Tabitha Cumi
Bird who married John J. Thomas; Elizabeth "Passie" Bird who married James
Martin; Amanda C. Bird who married Robert Elhannon Nutt; Marion Evelyn Bird
(male) who died in the Civil War; and Saphronia A. Z. Bird, who married
Columbus Guyton (her first cousin), Marion's twin.What connection? I don't know, of course, but there probably is one. I'm
going to write to the person who wrote the Guyton section and see if she
knows anyone working on the Bird family or has more information. I'll let
you know.Your fellow researcher,
Karen Clark, Clinton, MSSubj: Bird family
Date: 3/8/2002 4:17:54 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: KClark969
To: Billtheekat
Now I'm the one who is forgetful. Actually, I don't think we did write. After I sent off my earlier e-mail, I started thinking that the one letter I had was from a descendant of the brother, John Richard Bird! My computer bit the dust a couple of months back and I had not printed out all my e-mails. I saw your name on genealogy.com and thought that we had written once. The events of 9/11/01 (and, how awful that you were there on the spot) have made a lot of us reach out to living family and look back at our history -- just trying to make sense of the present day, if nothing else. I have always enjoyed genealogy research and like helping others with this. I still have a lot of relatives in Neshoba County and I'm close to them. I, also, have some resources (such as the cemetery book), if you ever need a lookup.You and I are not kin (that I know of, but both of my parents were from Neshoba County). I am helping my first cousin Rod Garrison (his mother and mine were sisters) with his paternal line (his parents divorced when he was very young). I will send you what I have (the pertinent parts) by just copying it into an e-mail (time consuming for you to read, but safer for your computer than an attachment). By the way, I get tons of spam (and a lot of it of the sorriest kind) on AOL but I just delete it without opening it. Here's what I have so far (at least part one). I'm going to the Archives tomorrow, but I doubt if I'll get much more Bird info from there. I do intend to get more complete census information, but I assume you have that. I cannot help but think that our Mary Bird could very well be the Mary Guyton, widow of James Calvin Bird. Mary Dove Bird Breazeale, sister to your Lucinda and shown below, is the great-grandmother of Rod Garrison, my cousin.
Descendants of Unknown Bird/Byrd
Generation No. 11. UNKNOWN1 BYRD was born in North Carolina, and died Bef. 1850 in Pickens County, Alabama?. He married MARY. She was born Abt. 1794 in South Carolina, and died Aft. 1850.
Children of UNKNOWN BYRD and MARY are:
i. SARAH2 BYRD, b. Abt. 1812.
. ii. JAMES D. BYRD, b. Bet. 1816 - 1820, South Carolina; d. Aft. 1880, Probably Neshoba County, Mississippi.
She was recieved by letter in 1852(?), page 34, Old Pearl Valley Church, Neshoba Co., MS.
Parents are believed to both be from SC.
In 1872, joined the Old Pearl Valley Church, "by experience."
Ordained minister, Missionary Baptist, Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, Neshoba Co, MS, September 10, 1897.
- Obituary from The Neshoba Democrat, July 9, 1925.