William Willard Beard (1740 - abt. 1801)

Born 4 Jun 1740 in Antrim, Ulster, Ireland

Husband of Eleanor (Lyons) Beard — married about 1762 in Antrim, Ulster, Ireland

Descendants

Died about 1801 at about age 60 in Nelson County, Kentucky, USA

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Biography

Provided by Patricia Thomas, PM for son Alexander Beard-3248

We think, but have not yet proved that WILLIAM BEARD, the progenitor of the American BEARD FAMILY, was born in Northern Ireland.

NOTE: Sometimes his surname is shown as BAIRD, which may indicate how it was originally pronounced. The names BAIRD and BEARD were used interchangeable in some records until well into the 19th century, sometimes appearing both ways on the same document.

Abt 1762 WILLIAM BEARD (abt 23) married ELEANOR LYONS (abt 20) in Northern Ireland.

1763 WILLIAM (abt 24) and ELEANOR (abt 21) had their 1st child: ALEXANDER BEARD * in Northern Ireland.

8 Feb 1774 WILLIAM (abt 35) and ELEANOR (abt 32) had their "2nd" child: WILLIAM BEARD JR. in Northern Ireland.

NOTE: Since there is 11 years difference between ALEXANDER and WILLIAM JR. and an 8 years difference between WILLIAM JR. and STEPHEN it might indicate additional children were born while the family lived in Ireland, and died by the time they came to America.

According to CARRITHERS family tradition, the BEARDS - CALHOUNS & McKINLEYS emigrated from Ireland with the family of JAMES CARRITHERS in 1774. However, it is clear from BEARD records that STEPHEN BEARD was born in 1782 "at sea" while the family sailed to America - 8 years after the CARRITHERS family arrived in America and settled first in Cecil Co Maryland.

It is easy to see why descendants felt they immigrated together since there is a lot of intermarriage between the BEARD - CALHOUN - McKINLEY & CARRITHER families when they settled in Nelson County, Kentucky.

1779 JAMES CARRITHERS (44) moved his family from Cecil Co Maryland to Fayette Co Pennsylvania, near Brownsville, on the Monogahala River. About 3 years later the BEARD family arrived in Fayette County also.

It isn't known if the family's knew each other in Ireland, but it's interesting to note that 2 sons of JAMES CARRITHERS carried the middle inital "B" and a grandson's middle name was BEARD.

22 May 1782 WILLIAM BEARD, (about 43) the "immigrant ancestor" of the BEARD FAMILY came to this country in 1782 (perhaps 1784) with his wife, ELEANOR (LYONS) BEARD, (40) and 3 of their children: ALEXANDER * (19) WILLIAM (8) and STEPHEN, who was born while crossing the ocean.

We are not sure exactly when the BEARDS landed in this country, nor do we know exactly where they landed. There is strong evidence, however, that they lived in Fayette County, Pennsylvania before they came to Kentucky late in the 18th century.

Records indicate they lived for a time in Menallen township and later in German township, which is adjacent to German township and touches Georges township, according to an 1830 map of Fayette County.

Abt 1785 WILLIAM (46) and ELEANOR (43) had their 5th child: ELEANOR BEARD in German township, Fayette, Pennsylvania.

1786 In the Pennsylvania state tax return of 1786, both WILLIAM BEARD (47) and ALEXANDER BEARD (23) are listed in Menallen township.

Separated from them on the tax list by a few names are those of 2 other BEARDS: MARGARET BEARD, "a widow," and MOSES BEARD, described in the tax return for the following year as "a single man." Although both may have been related to our famiy, the relationship, if any, has not yet been established.

abt 1787 WILLIAM (48) and ELEANOR (45) had their 6th child: A son, name unknown, who was born in German township, Fayette, Pennsylvania, but evidently died young. Nothing more is known about him, other than he was listed as a male child in WILLIAM'S household in the 1790 census. (see 1790 census report below)

1790 In the 1790 Census WILLIAM BAIRD (51) is shown in German township, Fayette County Pennsylvania. His son, ALEXANDER "BAIRD" (27) is living nearby in a separate household.

WILLIAM'S household included 2 males 16 & over, one of them WILLIAM, the head of the household.

The younger male would be WILLIAM JR. who was born in 1774, and would be 16 in 1790

Also included are 2 males under 16.

1 of these would be 8-year old STEPHEN. The other is unknown, and may have died young. If he was born 2 years after ELEANOR he would be about 3 years old.

Female members of the family included:

2 females, one of them his wife, the other his 4th child, ELEANOR, (5) who we believe was born about 1785.

The 1790 Fayette County census and the 1785-86 tax returns also listed various families that were, or later woud be, connected by marriage the the BEARD / BAIRD FAMILY. These included:

THOMAS COLLINS JOHN & SAMUEL DRAKE JOHN GILLILAND THOMAS HEADY and his sons THOMAS JR & JAMES HEADY WILLIAM McKINDLEY JAMES - WILLIAM & JOHN McKINLEY THOMAS & ROBERT McLAUGHLIN * JOSEPH - OBADIAH & ELIJAH STILLWELL WILLIAM TRUAX

Note: the McLAUGHLIN family name evolved into McCROCKLIN * in later years.

Families often moved in groups in those days, when travel was still perilous because of the danger of Indian attacks, and many of these families showed up later as neighbors of the BEARDS in Nelson County Kentucky.

1792 Apparently WILLIAM BEARD (53) and his family left Pennsylvania for Kentucky soon after the 1790 Census was taken, as both he and his 29-year old son, ALEXANDER, * appear for the 1st time on the Kentucky tax roll in 1792.

WILLIAM is shown with 65 acres in Nelson County with 4 cows and 1 horse.

Other family members include:

1 white male aged 21 and over

This MIGHT indicate a son not mentioned in earlier records. If so, his birth would easily fit within the 11 year gap between ALEXANDER BEARD (b. 1763) and WILLIAM BEARD JR (b. 1774)

1 white male aged 16-21 - WILLIAM BEARD JR was 18

(STEPHEN BEARD would be 10)

1794 The tax roll lists both WILLIAM BEARD SR and JR. While it must be borne in mind that the terms senior and junior were not always used in those days as we sue them today, to distinguish between father and son, this listing is interpreted to mean that the yonger WILLIAM, now about 20, had been added to the tax roll.

1799 JAMES CARRITHERS (64) and his wife MARY (59) moved with their sons to Nelson County Kentucky.

1802 Although the tax roll is not consistent in its data, WILLIAM BEARD (63) continues to be listed with his 65 acres on and off until 1802, when we see his youngest son, STEPHEN BEARD, (20) shown with the 65 acres.

The same year, the tax roll lists WILLIAM BEARD with 115 acres. But this is more likely the yonger WILLIAM (28).

1807 The Nelson County tax roll lists "heirs of WILLIAM BAIRD". This is the only indication we have of the elder WILLIAM'S death. We can only surmise that he died sometime between 1802 and 1807, since no other records pertaining to him since those years have been found.

WILLIAM BEARD thus remains somewhat of an enigma: we are not sure when or where he was born - when he came to this country - or when he died.

Children

1. Alexander Beard 1763-1833
2. William Beard 1774-1835
3. Stephen Beard 1782-1839
4. Eleanor Beard 1785-Unknown

Sources

• https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/william-beard_21211515