Capt. Abraham Bird

DAR A 010298, Capt. VA

At about the same time, a family member moved across the Mississippi Riv

er to the area which became known as Bird's Point in what is now Mississip

pi County, Missouri, but which was then on the boundary between the Spani

sh districts of New Madrid and Cape Girardeau.

In 1798 Abraham Bird received a Spanish grant to land in Missouri opposi

te the mouth of the Ohio River. He established a plantation on the gra

nt in l805, living there until the flood of 1814-1815. Bird left the ar

ea after the flood, moving to Baton Rouge, La., and leaving the Missouri a

nd Illinois lands to his sons. The settlement which grew up at Bird's Poin

t, known variously as Bird's Landing, Bird's Orchard, and Birdville, was w

ell-known as a steamboat landing and supply point during the peak of the M

ississippi River's steamboat era.

The town of Bird's Point was platted in l889, only to be devastated by a t

ornado in 1896. Fire destroyed much of what remained in 1905. The town con

tinued to dwindle after that date, primarily due to encroachment of the la

nd by the river.

Shenandoah County, Va. Deed Book I, page 183, "22 May 1793 Indenture in wh

ich Abraham Bird and Mary, his wife; John Bird and Elinor, his wife; Jo

hn Moore and Sarah, his wife; Isaac Goare and Ingobo his wife; Cornelius N

ewman and Mary, his wife, John Taylor and Magdalene his wife; of one pa

rt — all being heirs of Mounce Bird, deceased, late of County of Shenandoa

h, Virginia, to William Bird and Mounce Bird, Sons of Mounce Bird, decease

d, of said County of Shenandoah of the other part for L1000, two trac

ts of land in County of Shenandoah on Smith’s Creek containing 360 acre

s, the other tract of 250 acres on east side of Smith’s Creek, etc.

Page 187 acknowledgments of the above deed were signed by Abraham Bird a

nd Mary, his wife, of The State of Kentucky, John and Sarah Moore of Rocki

ngham County, Virginia; Isaac Goare and Ingobo, his wife, of Shenandoah Co

unty — dated 22 June 1793.

November 26, 1808, William T. Redmon paid $800 to John Byrd and wife Elino

r

Byrd and son John M. Byrd for 109 3/4 acres of land on Flat Run. The tra

ct was adjoining to land owned by John Shaw, Jese Claypole, William Byrd a

nd Lewis Ashby and beginning at the comer of a survey of Benjamin Forsythe

.

Bourbon County Deed Book F, pp. 476-78

John Ardery deposeth, at tavern of Henry Timberlake in Paris, that when he

came to Kentucky in year 1785 and Abraham Byrd was settled on land of Moun

ce Byrd who by reputation was his father, on waters of Hinkson, now in dis

pute.

John Byrd, brother of Abraham, succeeded Abraham in possession of another

part of said tract, and one Martin Rodney immediately succeeded in

possession of another part of said tract. John Byrd and John Shaw now live

on the land Rodney improved, that Byrd purchased land where he now lives i

n

claim of Mounce Byrd, and succeeded Rodney and continued in possession.

John Byrd settled in said claim under Mounce Byrd where William Redmon n

ow lives about two years after Abraham Byrd settled and William Redm

on or those who claim under him followed John Byrd in possession and conti

nued since.

Abraham and John Byrd were settled under their father, and John Byrd put A

lexander Rader in possession of place where George Hughes lives, and sa

id Hughes succeeded said Rader and has continued since--all under said Mou

nce Byrds patent', that the place on which Jesse Claypool lives was settl

ed by Jonathan Huling about two or three years after Rodney settled at oth

er place aforesaid, under John Byrd, and enclosed ground and raised corn a

nd Claypole succeeded him in possession and has since.

Further states the place Isaac Cook lives on was settled when deponent ca

me to Ky.

in 1785, by John Cook, who tended corn and enclosed ground and continued

there until his death, under Isaac Ruddell's preemption, and at his dea

th said John Cook, and Isaac Cook succeeded him, that John Cook, son of J

---

Abraham Bird Sr Abraham Bird was born in 1756 in Shenandoah County, Virginia. He was the son of Mounce Byrd, Sr. (DAR# 405212) and Clara "Clarissa" Ann Ruddell. Abraham Bird died 22 Dec 1820 at Bird's Plantation, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Note that the date of his death is documented in the Baton Rouge Gazette, 23 Dec 1820, pg 2. He married Mary Jones 03 June 1781 in Shenandoah County, Virginia. She was born 01 Nov 1761 in Virginia and died 1844, while visiting her son, John Bird (1795-1868). Abraham was a Revolutionary War Lieutenant/Captain (DAR# A010298)

The Six (6) children of Abraham Bird (1756-1820 and Mary Jones: MARGARET BIRD b. Bef. 1797 Missouri, USA, d. 15 Jun 1854 Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Some have said that her name was Nancy or Delia. Her will says otherwise. WILLIAM THOMPSON BIRD b.1791 Shenandoah, Virginia; m. Nancy Black, Abt. 1819, Fayette, Kentucky, d. 21 Sept 1830 ABRAHAM BIRD JR. b. 1784 VA; m. Mary Bowie, 1809, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, d. 15 Oct 1860 [SEE MEMORIAL #134995700-I do not control his memorial & requests to link have been ignored] THOMPSON JOSEPH BIRD b. 08 Feb 1789 Virginia, m. 14 Jun 1821, Louisiana, Elizabeth G Byrd (daughter of Stephen Byrd; granddaughter of Amos Byrd) , d. 07 May 1835 Missouri. JOHN BIRD b. 26 Nov 1795 Kentucky, m. Ingabo Byrd, 1842. Shenandoah, Virginia, d. 20 Dec 1868, Bird's Point, Mississippi, Missouri; Ingabo Byrd is the daughter of Abraham Byrd (1722-1857)(note spelling) and Elizabeth Gillespie (1781-1868). Abraham Byrd's father was Amos Byrd (1737-1818). MARY BIRD b. 1794 TN or Illinois, m. Samuel Vail 19 Apr 1818 Louisiana, d. 12 Aug 1848, Vail Plantation, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Secondary proof that this Abraham Bird (1756-1820) is the son of Mounce Bird is contained in the following:

• Shenandoah County, Virginia Deed Book E, pg 435
• Shenandoah County, Virginia Deed Book F, pg. 187
  • Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Dec 15 2020, 20:58:18 UTC