Thomas Bird (1815)

Born 1815 in Rupert's Land, Canada [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Ellen (McDermot) Bird — married 21 Apr 1836 in St. Johns, Red River Settlement, Manitoba

Descendants

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Biography

Thomas Bird was a Canadian First Peoples and member of the Metis Nation.

Genealogical Proof Standard - this profile lacks all 5 proof elements. At this stage it's a profile needing further research

Thomas was born 1815, the son of James Bird and Elizabeth Montour. In 1835 he is not listed as a landowner in Red River.

1836 He married Ellen McDermot the daughter of Andrew M. McDermot Sr. and Sarah McNab. When they married a house was constructed for them in Emerald Grove (often referred to as McDermotown) on the grounds close to where Thomas would run McDermot’s mills. [1]

Children (8)

• Marie Sarah Celestine: Born 1837/ 1841 Red River
• Catherine: Born 4 February 1841 Norway House [MB]; died 3 March 1842, age 13 months
• Thomas: Born 9 February 1843 Norway House; baptized 9 February 1843 Red River; married 15 November 1860 to Elizabeth Brown
• Henry: baptized 29 December 1844 ‘colony’; died age 14/ 19 months
• John: Born 10 June 1847 St. James, Red River; with mother, listed 1870 St. James MB census; farmer, resided 1875 St. James MB METIS SCRIP [2]
• Robert Miles: Born 17 February 1850 St. James, Red River; with spouse Adelaide Morrissett, listed 1870 St. Charles MB census; farmer, resided 1875 St. Charles MB METIS SCRIP [3]
• Charles A: Born 12 September 1852 Norway House; with mother, listed 1870 St. James MB census; married 24 April 1873 Mary Adams
• Mary: Born 24 December 1854 Norway House/ St. John’s

1839 to 1849 Thomas, and his family are listed in The Red River Settlement on 25 acres of land [4]

He is said to have migrated in 1854 to Oregon in brother-in-law James SINCLAIR’s party. [5] The Bird listed with the party was said to be about 50 years old - Thomas would have been 39, by his birth records.

1870 St. James census his wife and children John, Charles and Mary are listed, but not Thomas. [6]. In his Scrip application, son John notes his mother as head of family - not Thomas. In his Scrip application, son Robert refers to his father in the past tense (was).

Further details on Thomas post 1854 (if he was with that party) are yet to be uncovered.

I am not, at this time, researching this profile further DON

Quality Sources

Record of his 1821 baptism at Red River [7]

Record of his 1836 marriage [8]

Reference to managing the McDermot windmill, page 46 [9]

Red River Settlement (Manitoba) Census 1827-1835, 1838, 1840 and 1843 (Census Records Book 2) [10]

Location of the McDermot mill (see #4) [11]

Other Sources

Red River Métis Genealogies lists James as family member [12]

COMPLETE