BARD/BEARD Family Citations in Virginia

 

 

20 Oct 1769    Deed: Matthias Funk to Alexander Stockslager of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 85a. (Frederick County Deed Book 13, p226)

This adjoined the land patented two years later by Zacharias Beard. Stockslager’s land was on the east side of the Beard tract, bordering the river. Note that Funk deeded the land. Because of the disputes between the landowners and Fairfax over title, Alexander Stockslager’s son John perfected the title by patenting the same land in 1780 [Northern Neck Grant Book S, p134.]

 

31 Mar 1770   “Paid to Zacharias Bard 0–16–0”. (St. Paul’s Lutheran Church financial records, p1, courtesy Calvin Sonner.)

This is the first mention of Zacharias in Virginia. Zacharias is probably being paid for some service related to the building, which the church was probably just completing on a lot in Strasburg sold by Peter Stover to the church trustees on 1 November 1768 (Frederick County Deed Book 12, p524.) Interesting that he is in the area of Strasburg two years before patenting land there.

 

4 June 1770     Jonas Lotz and Christina Barden sponsors to baptism of Margaretha, daughter of James and Christina Murdock. [St. Paul’s Lutheran Church records, p14, from Strasburg Lutheran German Records 1768-1829, Strasburg, Virginia, Klaus Wust, editor, (Shenandoah History Publishers, 1997), p15.]

Wust’s book is a translation of the surviving Kirchenbuch, or church record, of the church that was later known as St. Paul’s Lutheran. There are slight variations in the spelling of names between this translation and one published on the web by Calvin Sonner.

It seems likely that Christina was Zacharias Bard’s wife. Sponsors were required to be adult members of the church, and were typically family members, close friends, or neighbors. James Murdock was a neighbor of Zacharias Bard (see the Snapp patent), while Jonas Lotz was a both a neighbor and a witness to the assignment to Zacharias Bard by Matthias Funk. (Both Murdock and Lotz were on Machir’s militia list in 1775.) Five years later, Martin Barth and Margaret Lotz (wife of Jonas) would witness another baptism. Christina Bart/Bardt would later witness the baptism of one of Christian Beard’s children and would give consent for the marriage of Elizabeth Beard. [These minutes are written in German, in which “Barden” or “Bartin” was the feminine form of the name “Bard” and “Bart”. The minutes before the late 1780s were written by visiting pastors who were not familiar with the names of the congregation.]

 

28 Oct 1771    Among the names of persons confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Strasburg:

                        Martin Barth, age 20…Christian Luz, age 16…Clara Lutzen, age 14½, Margaretha Lutzin, age 14½… (St. Paul’s records, p192, from Wust, p40)

This was the son of Zacharias Bard/Barth, born in late 1750 or in 1751according to this record. Confirmations were for persons joining the church for the first time either by baptism or by transfer from another congregation. This is the earliest record of confirmations at the church, performed by a visiting pastor since the church did not have a resident pastor. Note that Martin’s two younger sisters, Catherine and Elizabeth, were confirmed in 1776. His sister Margaret Hemp was a member of the church by 1775 (see below). There is no record of confirmation for his parents or for his brothers Christian or Jacob Beard, but adult confirmations are rarely noted in the records. Christian was clearly a member of the church by 1777 when he appears as a baptismal sponsor. There are few church records; minutes from the first several years are either lost or are damaged beyond reading.

 

23 Dec 1771    Matthias Funk to Zacharias Bard, assignment of warrant for 180 acres on west side of North River adjacent Alexander Stockslaker (sic) and Lorence Shnaap (sic). Witness: Leonhard Balthus, Jonas Lotz. [From a letter in the patent file from Mathias Funk to “The agent of the proprietor’s office”. Below the letter is a statement by J. Hite that both witnesses proved the document on 14 July 1772. This is also abstracted in Abstracts of Virginia's Northern Neck Warrants & Surveys: Dunmore, Shenandoah, Culpepper, Prince William, Fauquier & Stafford Counties, 1710-1780, Peggy Shomo Joyner, p7]

Funk had owned the land for over 25 years, though the title was in dispute with Fairfax. Funk’s original survey was made on 1 December 1753 and returned to the proprietor’s office, but a patent was never issued. He had sold part of the same original grant outright in 1769 but the warrant was a sign that he was in the process of obtaining a clear title for the remainder from Fairfax. Funk sold the warrant to Bard, who then used it to obtain his patent.

 

15 Jan 1772     Grant to Zacharias Bard of Frederick County, 180 acres on “westerly side of the north river of Shenandoah” and on the south bank of Tumbling Run. “Surveyed by Robert Johnson for Matthias Funk on 1 December 1753…forfeited by virtue of an advertisement issued from my office…but on the application of the said Zacharias Bard assignee of the said Matthias Funk I have allowed a deed to issue to him…” (Northern Neck Grant Book P, p105.)

Zacharias Bard’s land was part of a 2030 acre grant originally made in 1734 by the Crown to Henry Willis, a land speculator, when the area was still Orange County. In 1735, Willis sold the entire grant to Jacob Funk who sold part of it to his brother John Funk. John Funk sold the portion containing the Beard tract to his son Matthias Funk on 16 January 1744. Mathias Funk then sold part of the land to Alexander Stockslager and part of it (via warrant) to Zacharias Bard.

The Crown had granted the same lands to Lord Fairfax as part of the Northern Neck Propriety; but the westernmost part of the Propriety was poorly defined by rivers whose sources were unknown at the time. A lengthy dispute between Fairfax and other grantees erupted over the conflicting titles, which was not truly settled until long after the deaths of the principals. But the initial court decision, in 1745, was in favor of Fairfax. While a few continued to pursue the matter in the courts, the majority of landowners found it prudent to have Fairfax issue his own title to their lands.

Virginia did not seize the Fairfax lands at independence, as it did with other grants, because the Fairfax family were longtime residents. But when Fairfax died in 1781, leaving heirs in England, the new state seized the lands and enacted a law which passed title to the current patent holders and authorized the state to collect tax from them.

 

                        The land was located between the river and the current roadbed of US 11. The point at which the tract intersected Tumbling Run was no more than 100 yards east of where US 11 crosses Tumbling Run. The boundary between Bard and Stockslager was roughly the path of Funk Road. In modern times, the Bard grant is undeveloped – there are no crops or houses on it.

 

Feb 1772         Act of Virginia Assembly forms Dunmore County from Frederick County, effective 24 March 1772. [The Statutes at Large of Virginia, William Waller Hening, (University of Virginia Press, 1969 reprint), Volume 8, p597-9.]

 

25 June 1772   Viewers appointed to view a road “..from Peter Black’s to Martin Rowler’s from thence to Zachy Barb’s to Trusk Run…to Alexander Strutzligar’s to Lawrence Snapp’s mill…” (Shenandoah County Order Book 1772-1774, p51, abstracted in Order Book 1772-1774 Shenandoah County, Virginia, Amelia C. Gilreath (1986), p32.)  

The road they laid out appears to be what is now called “Funk Road” on modern maps, which runs exactly as described through the lands of the five named people. A portion of this road ran almost exactly along the boundary line between Zacharias Beard and Alexander Stockslager. It was described in later patents to Snapp (1799), Reese (1815) and others which help to pinpoint its path. The modern roadbed runs roughly along the old Beard-Stockslager boundary to meet US 11 at Tumbling Run.

 

1772                Zacharias Bard on Fairfax quit rent roll for Dunmore County – and for 1774, 1776. (from abstracted index.)

 

2 Jan 1773       Marriage bond: Christopher Hemp to Margaret Bard [Shenandoah County Marriage Bonds, 1772-1850, John Vogt & T. William Kethley, Jr. (Iberian Press, 1984), p237.]

Vogt gives his name as “Kemp”.

 

5 Jul 1774       Marriage bond: Simon Harr to Eve Printzler. [Vogt, p110.]

Wayland has the marriage date as 2 July and her name as “Prantzler”. Vogt has the bond date as 5 July and her name as “Brouzler”. A later record (see below) shows she was Eve Beard, the daughter of Zacharias Beard and widow of Frederick Printzler.

 

9 Apr 1775     Communicants at St. Paul’s included Christoph Hemp and Margaretha Hempin. (St. Paul’s p16 from Wust, p40.)

This is Margaret Bard. It is clear from the record that Christopher Hemp and his wife were already members of the church, as first-time communicants at this communion were separately listed. Communions were held infrequently. This is the only communion record before1795.

 

1775                List of Alexander Machir’s company of militia in Dunmore County, dated simply “1775” includes: Christian Beard, Martin Beard, Simon Harr, Christopher Hemp, James Murdock, Alexander Stockslager, Christopher Gisterer (Sr. and Jr.), Alexander Hite, two children of Jacob Lotz, and several others. [Revolutionary War Records, Virginia, Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh, 1936, Vol 1, p606]

This list contains 129 names, presumably comprising all males aged 16-60 in the district. All of the immediate neighbors of Zacharias Beard are included, as are essentially all names of men over 16 appearing in the records of St. Paul’s church for the same period. The absence of Zacharias Beard may indicate that he was too old for inclusion, and the absence of Jacob Beard indicates he was probably under 16. Note that this list is not a roster of volunteers, but rather is in the nature of a census of men of eligible age. Males of the prescribed age had no choice in the matter at this time – in fact, Machir made the notation that “there are several in this list that never appeared at musters”.

 

22 Sep 1776    Confirmations at St. Paul’s included Elisabetha Bartin “going on 19 years” and Catharina Bartin “going on 18 years”. (St. Paul’s, p227 in Wust, p41.)

This was the next set of confirmations after the April 1775 entry above. Again, the name is the feminine form of “Bart”.

 

30 Mar 1777   Mart. Barth and Margaretha Lotzin sponsors for the baptism of Margaretha, daughter of Heinrich Spohr and his wife Catherina. (St. Paul’s, p18 from Wust, p19.)

 

8 Jun 1777      Christian Barth and Eva Gisterin sponsors for the baptism of Eva, daughter of Christopher Gisterer Jr. and his wife Catherina. (St. Paul’s, p18 from Wust, p19.)

Christian is clearly a member of the congregation, and is surely over 21 since sponsors were nearly always adults. Eva Gisterer was the sister of Christopher Gisterer.

 

Oct 1777         Dunmore County renamed "Shanando" by an act of the State Legislature, to be effective 1 February 1778. [The Statutes at Large, William Waller Hening, (University of Virginia Press, 1969 reprint), Volume IX, pp420.]

Former Governor Dunmore was by this time distinctly unpopular, and the new state’s government acted quickly to remove his name. The spelling of the new county eventually became “Shenandoah”.

 

7 Oct 1778      Estate sale of Alexander Stockslager. Among the purchasers was Martin Beard (1 hand saw and 1 Dutch scythe, for 4 pounds, 2 shillings). (Shenandoah County Will Book A, p288.)

The price paid reflects the rampant inflation afflicting Virginia at the time.

 

13 Oct 1779    Patent recorded to Laurence Snapp for 632 acres on Tumbling Run adjoining Zacharias Bard. The patent included two adjacent parcels, one by warrant dated 30 May 1770 to James Murdock, and one by warrant dated 14 December 1771 to Lawrence Snapp. Murdock’s parcel was adjacent Alexander Stockslager and Lawrence Snapp. Snapp’s warrant for land adjacent Alexander Stockslager, Martin Roller, Peter Black, and “a recent survey of Zacharias Bard”. Murdock caveated the land in 1777 but lost. (Northern Neck Grant Book R, p309.)

The northern part of this tract was roughly bisected by the present roadbed of US 11, and it lay on the west side of the Beard farm.

8 June 1780     Deed: Simon Harr to Frederick Segchrist (Secrist), transferring tracts of land he had held in trust for Segchrist, who had now reached the age of 21. Segchrist being the heir of Frederick Printzlar, who died intestate. This deed mentions that "Simon Harr intermarried with Eve Harr widow & relick of the said Frederick Printzlar.” (Shenandoah County, Virginia Deed Book Series, Volume 1: Deed Books A, B, C, D 1792-1784, p365.)

 

June 1782        Shenandoah County personal property tax list (listed consecutively)
Zachariah Beard – 1 taxable, 3 horses, 3 cows
Christian Beard – 1 taxable, 3 horses, 3 cows
Martin Beard – 1 taxable, 3 horses, 6 cows

This is the first personal property tax list for Shenandoah County – the Virginia Legislature had authorized both personal property and land taxes in late 1782. I have labeled these entries “June” because the property owners reported their taxable property and people as of June. All the Beards are apparently living on Zacharias Bard’s tract.

 

28 Jan 1783     Marriage: Christian Beard to Mary Grim, performed by Simon Harr. [A History of Shenandoah County, Virginia, John W. Wayland (1969), p744.] The marriage bond is dated 25 January 1783 by Christian Beard, Frederick Bosserman and John Grim. A permission note dated the same day is attached to the bond, signed by Catherine (x) Grim.

The bondsman may have been the Frederick Bosserman who married Catherine Beard, but it may have been his father. If it were the son, it implies he was already Christian’s brother-in-law by 1787. The father of the bride, Jacob Grim is already dead.

 

1783                State census for Shenandoah County, list of Alexander Hite (for Strasburg and vicinity):

                        Zachariah Beard - 11 whites
Christly Hamp – 5
Frederick Posserman Sr. (sic) – 7
Simon Harr – 7
Esther Stocksleger - 8

 

June 1783        Shenandoah County personal property tax list (listed consecutively)
Zachariah Beard – 1 taxable, 3 horses, 6 cows
Christian Beard – 1 taxable, 3 horses, 5 cows
Martin Beard – 1 taxable, 3 horses, 3 cows

 

                        Both the census and the tax list are roughly alphabetical, compiled by merging, by the surname initial letter, persons from several separate lists. Taxables were white males who were over 21 as of June 1783. Note that Jacob Beard is missing from this list, apparently because he was under 21 (he later gave his birth date as 29 August 1762 making him under 21 as of the effective date of the tax.) Note also that, given his absence from the militia list of 1775, Zachariah Beard may have been aged enough to be exempt from the tax. With regard to this question, it is important to note that the tax list is actually a sort of “first draft” rather than the actual list of taxes due. The compilers of the lists invariably listed all males over 21 because they could be fined for omitting taxables - exemptions for age were made by the court after the lists were compiled. (As proof, there were no males listed as exempt on any of the thirteen separate 1783 tax lists other than those who were non-residents of the county.)

                                   

June 1784        Personal property tax:
Zachariah Bard – 1 taxable, 1 horses, 8 cows
Christian Baird – 1 taxable, 3 horses, 4 cows
Martin Baird – 1 taxable, 3 horses, 9 cows

Note that Jacob Beard does not appear as a taxable until 1785. If he was correct in his birth date of 29 August 1762, he should have been subject to the tax for the first time this year, as Shenandoah was taxing males aged 21 or older. Note also that Zachariah is listed as “Bard” while his sons are “Baird”.

 

25 Sep 1784    Baptism of Sarah, daughter of Christian Barth “& wife”, born 23 November 1783. Sponsor: Christina Bardtin. (St. Paul’s, p21 from Wust, p21.)

 

June 1785        Personal property tax:
Zachariah Beard & Jacob Beard – 2(?) taxables, 3 horses, 3 cows
Christian Beard – 1 taxable, 4 horses, 8 cows
Martin Beard – 1 taxable, 3 horses, 9 cows

 

1785                State census for Shenandoah County, list of Samuel Porter (consecutive):

                        Zachariah Baird - 4 whites, 1 dwelling, 1 other building
Martin Baird – 5 whites, 2 dwellings, 1 other building

                        Christle. Baird – 3 whites, 1 dwelling

Zachariah’s household is apparently himself, his wife, and children Jacob and Elizabeth. Martin apparently has three children and Christian has one by mid-1785. Frederick Posserman, Joel Reese (who had married Esther Stockslager), John and Jacob Grim, and all the neighboring landowners are also on this list. Christopher Hemp has apparently moved to Augusta County.

 

June 1786        Personal property tax:
Zachariah Beard - 2 taxables, 2 horses, 1 cow
Christian Beard – 1 taxable, 4 horses, 8 cows
Martin Beard – 1 taxable, 3 horses, 7 cows

June 1787        Personal property tax:

                        Zachariah Beard – 1 male>21, 3 horses, 6 cows
Jacob Beard – 1 male >21 (Tax charged to Zachariah Beard)
Christian Beard – 1 male >21, 4 horses, 6 cows
Martin Baird – 1 male>21, 3 horses, 9 cows

Land tax: Zachariah Beard – 180a

The published “census” was not a state census, but rather was compiled later from the 1787 tax list. Shenandoah taxed males aged 16-20 starting this year but none of the households are charged with any. (See Hening's Statutes at Large, Vol. 12, pp243-255 for the text of the law governing tax for 1787.) All the Beards are apparently still living on the Zacharias Bard grant. Jacob is apparently still a member of his father’s household.

5 Apr 1788     Marriage: Henry Bittenhelser to Elizabeth Beard, performed by Simon Harr. [Wayland, p749.] The original marriage bond, dated 3 April 1788, has Jacob Beard as bondsman. On the back side of the bond, the clerk wrote “the brother of the within girl being present saith she is of lawful age & she is given her consent to the same.” A paper attached to the bond, dated the same day, has the signatures (all by mark) of Zach. Beard, Christina Beard, and Elizabeth Beard – this is written in a different hand and appears to be a consent by Elizabeth and her parents.

Elizabeth apparently died soon after, as Henry remarried five years later, on 6 August 1793 to Barbara Durst. [Wayland, p756.]

 

June 1788        Personal property tax:
Jacob Beard, Zachariah Beard, Henry Bittenhelzser – 3 males, 4 horses
Martin Beard – 1 male, 4 horses

Land tax: Zachariah Beard – 180a

Christian Beard probably is in Augusta County by now. From this point onward, there is a single column for “horses, mares, colts & mules”.

 

June 1789        Personal Property tax:
Jacob Beard, Zachariah Beard, Henry Bittenhelzser – 3 males, 4 horses
Martin Beard – 1 male, 4 horses

Land tax: Zachariah Beard – 180a

Land was first taxed in 1787. Zachariah Beard appears in each year 1789-1797 on the land tax lists. Probably just overlooked his entry for 1787-8.

June 1790        Personal Property tax:
Jacob Beard, Zachariah Beard – 2 males, 3 horses
Martin Beard – 1 male, 1 horses
Frederick Bosserman Jr.& Henry Boyer – 2 males, 2 horses

Land tax: Zachariah Beard – 180a

April 1790      Augusta County personal property tax:
Christofer Beard – 1 male, 3 horses
Stophle Hemp – 1 male, 2 horses

 

June 1791        Personal Property tax:
Zachariah Beard, Jacob Beard – 2 males, 3 horses
Martin Beard – 1 male, 4 horses

Land tax: Zachariah Beard – 180a

4 Apr 1792     Marriage: Jacob Beard to Mary Stockslager, performed by Simon Harr. Bond dated 1 April. (Original marriage bond.)

“Stockslager” is spelled four different ways in the bond, for which Mary’s brother Daniel Stockslager was bondsman. Esther Reese, Mary’s mother, gave consent via a note attached to the bond dated 31 March 1792. He signed the bond as “Jacob Beard”.

 

June 1792        Personal Property tax:
Zachariah Beard, Jacob Beard – 2 males, 3 horses
Martin Beard – 1 male, 4 livestock

Land tax: Zachariah Beard – 180a

 

June 1793        Personal Property tax:
Jacob Beard, Zachariah Beard, Isaac Miller – 3 males, 3 horses
Martin Beard – 1 male, 4 horses

Land tax: Zachariah Beard – 180a

 

June 1794        Personal Property tax:
Zachariah Beard, Jacob Beard – 2 males, 3 horses
Martin Beard – 1 male, 4 horses

Land tax: Zachariah Beard – 180a

 

7 Jan 1795       Birth of Christian, son of Martin Barth and wife Elisabeth. (Baptismal record, date omitted.) Witness: Jeremias Eberly and wife Catherina. (St. Paul’s, p30 from Wust, p25.)

Jeremiah Eberly was a neighbor.

 

26 Apr 1795   List of communicants at St. Paul’s included Martin Bart and “Elisabetha, his wife”, listed consecutively with Christina Bartin. (St. Paul’s, p230 from Wust, p41.)

Zachariah Beard’s wife is apparently still alive.

 

June 1795        Personal Property tax:
Jacob Beard – 1 male, 4 horses
Martin Beard – 1 male, 4 horses

Land tax: Zachariah Beard – 180a

 

June 1796        Personal Property tax:
Jacob Beard – 1 male, 3 horses
Martin Beard – 1 male, 4 horses

Land tax: Zachariah Beard – 180a

 

June 1797        Personal Property tax:
Jacob Beard – 1 male, 3 horses
Martin Beard – 1 male, 6 l horses

Land tax: Zachariah Beard – 180a

 

25 Jul 1797     Deed: Heirs of Zacharias Bard to Jacob Bard, for 100 pounds, 180 acre tract granted to Zacharias Bard in 1772 . “Zacharias Bard died intestate leaving no will… at the time of his decease leaving issue of his body Martin Bard, Christian Bard, Jacob Bard, Eve Harr wife of Simon Harr deceased who leaving issue David Harr, Margaret the wife Christopher Hemp, and Catherine the wife of Frederick Bosserman ... Martin Bard and wife Elizabeth of Shenandoah County, Christian Bard and wife Magdalene of Augusta County, Christopher Hemp and wife Margaret of Augusta County, Frederick Bosserman and wife Catherine of Shenandoah County… Witness” Nicholas(x) Pittman, John (x) Pittman. All parties signed by their marks. (Shenandoah County Deed Book L, p40.)

Jacob Beard was evidently the only member of the family who could sign his own name.

 

June 1798        Personal property tax:
Jacob Beard – 2 males, 4 horses
Martin Beard – 1 male, 5 horses

Land tax: Jacob Beard (of Martin Beard &c) – 180a

The second male in Jacob Bard’s household is unknown, but he was apparently aged 16-20 since the name is not given. One wonders if it could have been David Harr.

 

17 Feb 1799    Baptism of Appolona, daughter of Martin Bardt (sic) and wife Elisabeth, born November 1798. Sponsors: parents. (St. Paul’s, p33 from Wust, p26.)

This is apparently Martin Barth, the entries written by a different hand than earlier pages.

 

4 Apr 1799     Deed: Jacob Bard and Mary his wife to Esther Reese, for 275 pounds, the 180a Zacharias Bard tract. “… Zacharias Bard died intestate…the representatives of said deceased conveyed their rights and title in said estate to the said Jacob Bard by their deed…” Witness: Wm. Aylett Booth, John Colvill, Alexander Hite, Martin Zea. Signed Jacob Beard, Mary (x) Beard. (Shenandoah County Deed Book M, p28.)

Note that the signature is spelled differently than the name in the body of the deed.

 

1799                Personal property tax:
Martin Beard – 1 male, 4 horses

Land tax: Jacob Beard (of Martin Beard &c) – 180a

Jacob Beard apparently moved to Frederick County about the time he sold the land, prior to the effective date of the property tax.

 

June 1800        Augusta County tax list:
Christ. Beard – 1 male, 5 horses
Stophle Hemp – 1 male, 2 horses

The 1800 census of Virginia is lost.
The 1800 tax list for Shenandoah County is unreadable.

June 1801        Personal Property tax:
Martin Beard – 1 male, 6 horses

18 July 1801   Shenandoah County Marriage Bond: Elizabeth Beard to Elijah Green. Elizabeth the daughter of Martin Beard. (Vogt & Kethely, p240.)

Elijah Green later appears in 1810 and 1820 Washington County censuses quite near Martin Beard. It appears there were no children.

 

21 Aug 1801   Augusta County Marriage Bond: William Link, son of John Nicholas Link, to Sally Grim, daughter of Jacob Grim decd. late of Shenandoah County… Christian Beard swears Sally Grim is of age. (Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, Lyman Chalkey, Vol. II, p341.)

 

June 1802        Personal property tax list:

                        Martin Beard – 1 male

(Did not check tax lists after this date.)

 

27 Jun 1803    Christian (x) Beard a witness to will of John Summers in Augusta County. (Chalkey Vol. III, p223)

A John Sommers had earlier been a neighbor of the Beards in Shenandoah.

 

1805                Martin Beard on tax list of Washington County, Virginia.

 

20 Oct 1807    Deed: Peter Minnech and wife Catherine to Martin Beard, for $1,100, 144 acres in Washington County. (Washington County Deed Book 6, p389.)

This is in the eastern part of present-day Washington County, a few miles above the Tennessee-North Carolina border.

 

21 Aug 1808   Friedrich Baserman and wife Catharina sponsors for baptism. (St. Paul’s p46, from Wust, p35.) Also sponsors a month later on 17 September 1808 (Wust, p35.)

 

1810 census    Jacob Baird                20101-02010               Shenandoah County, p256 (in Strasburg)
Frederick Bosserman  01101-11001               Shenandoah County, p204
Martin Beard            01201-01101               Washington County, p229
Christⁿ. Beard           10401-22101-1           Augusta County, p319
Stophel Hemp             01301-01011               Augusta County, p349

 

5 Jul 1811       Christian (x) Beard a witness to will of Frederick Hanger in Augusta County. (Chalkey, Vol. III, p240.)

 

9 June 1814     Survey for Esther Reese. Jacob Bard and Martin Zea chain carriers. (Northern Neck Surveys Book “A”, p211.)

The survey was for a grant made a year later, on 22 June 1815, for 27 acres adjoining both the original Beard and Stockslager tracts. This is a little odd, for this additional land had already been patented by her son John Stockslager after his father’s death. John Stockslager’s 1780 patent was for the original 85 acres, estimated at 80 acres in that survey, plus 49 acres of adjoining land on the south side of the Beard tract. This is the apparently the 136 (sic) acres on which Esther Reese was taxed from the 1780s through the mid-1810s. This survey and grant by Esther Reese was for that same 49 acres, surveyed at this time as 37 acres.

 

21 Feb 1815    Will of Martin Beard proved in Washington County, Virginia. Will is dated 13 January 1812 in Washington Country. “…to my loving wife Elizabeth all my landed estate so ling as she may continue a widow and no longer…and all the moveable property during her natural life and then at her decease the whole of my estate to fall into the hands of my two sons John and Jacob Beard. To my daughter Catherine twenty pounds… in trade… when my son Christian arrives to the age of maturity. To my daughter Elizabeth twenty pounds… in trade… two years after the above mentioned payment is made to her above named sister for the schooling of her children. To my daughter Christiana twenty pounds… in trade… two years after her second sister’s payment is made. To my daughter Susana (sic) twenty pounds…in trade… two years after her third sister’s payment. To my daughter Eve…twenty pounds…in trade…two years after the payment is made to the fourth sister. To my daughter Rebecca twenty pounds…in trade… two years after her fifth sister. To my daughter Abbigal (sic) twenty pounds…in trade… two years after her last mentioned sister. To my son Christley seventy five pounds to be paid in trade to be paid in three different payments two years between every payment, the first payment to him to be made after all his said sisters is paid off their parts… My two daughters Eve and Abbigal shall each of them have a bed a cow and a spinig (sic) wheel…” Executors: “my beloved friends” Jacob Miller and Michael Hickman. Witness: Ephraim Smith, John Shaver, Jacob Barb. (Copy of original courtesy Robert L. Beard.)

 

20 July 1817   Deed: Samuel Hensley to John Beard and Jacob Beard, all of Washington County, for $30, 10 acres adjoining Martin Beard’s line… (Washington County Deed Book 6, p389)

 

19 Sept 1818   Will of Esther Reese. Proved 12 October 1818. Names “my daughter Mary wife of Jacob Beard… her share shall be vested and paid to Martin Zea in trust for her during her natural life and after her death the remainder be divided amongst her children if living and heirs of those dead.” (Shenandoah County Will Book L, p2-3)

 

18 Nov 1818   Esther Reese estate sale. Buyers included Mary Beard (1 wool wheel, 1 side saddle, 6 milk pots), and Esther Beard (1 frying pan, 1 old trunk, 1 walnut chest). This was not recorded until 10 August 1824. (Shenandoah County Will Book M, p474)

 

18 Aug 1819   Second estate sale of Esther Reese. Buyers included Mary Beard (6 mill pots). This was not recorded until 10 August 1824. (Shenandoah County Will Book M, p474)

1820 census    Jacob Beard                     000001-20100       Shenandoah County, p148 (Hawkinstown)
Christian Beard              001102-01100-4   Augusta County, p6
Frederick Bauserman Sr    000001-00001       Shenandoah County, p138

                        John Beard                      200010-01010       Washington County, p918

                        Elizabeth Beard              100200-10101       Washington County, p916

Four Hemps are in Augusta County, all of whom appear to be sons of Christopher Hemp. It is not clear whether the 1820 census for Jacob Beard was taken before or after the marriage below. The 1820 Shenandoah census was not begun until 7 August and was not generally completed until early 1821. From the household, however, this appears to have been taken before the marriage. The two Beards in Washington County are the widow and son of Martin Beard.

 

3 Sep 1820      Marriage: Jacob Beard to Rosanna Wiseman. (Original marriage bond, Shenandoah County.)

The bond is dated 2 September. Her name in this bond is written “Rosanna Windle” with “Windle” struck out and “Wiseman (widow)” substituted. The marriage return by Jesse Smith states that Jacob Beard and “Rosana Wendel” were married on 3 September 1820 “according to the rules of the Presbyterian church.” She was the daughter of John Wendel, whose will dated 27 July 1814 mentions both his daughter “Rosina” the widow of Paul Wiseman, deceased, and his granddaughter Juliana Wiseman, “being a lame child of my daughter Rosina Wisman.”

 

7 Feb 1825      Jacob Beard Sr. administrator of Jacob Beard Jr., files appraisal. (Shenandoah County Will Book N, p60.)

 

25 Jan 1826     Deed: Jacob Beard one of the heirs of Esther Reese decd in right of my son Jacob Beard Jr. decd. late of Shenandoah County, for $220, to Joseph Stover, all his interest in the estate of Esther Reese. (Shenandoah County Deed Book EE, p201.)

Joseph Stover was a grandson of Esther Reese, having married Margaret Zea, the daughter of Martin Zea and Ann Stockslager. Stover was living on the Stockslager-Beard tract, and bought the interests of all the other heirs.

 

10 Mar 1826   Joseph Beard mortgage to Joseph Gaw for $75, pledging three beds, furniture, two chests, two tables, one kettle, one pot, one oven, two tubs, two buckets, shovel and tongs, half dozen knives and forks, all his earthenware, all his tinware, one dozen spoons, three Windsor chairs. Amount due 13 March 1827. Trustee: Phillip Williams Jr. (Shenandoah County Deed Book EE, p224.) Recorded the same day as the deed below.

 

13 Mar 1826   Joseph Beard, one of the heirs of Mary Beard, dec’d, who was one of the legatees and heirs of Esther Reese, decd, sells to Joseph Stover for $175 all his interest in the estate of Mary Beard, decd to which she was entitled as heir of Esther Reese decd. (Shenandoah County Deed Book EE, p224.)

 

1 Feb 1828      Settlement of estate of Jacob Beard Jr. Earliest entry is dated 1824. $8.75 paid out on clerks notes and to Phillip Williams Jr. March 1825… $72.29 paid out to Jacob Beard Sr….$130.93 received of Martin Zea 19 March 1825… $215 from Joseph Stover 9 January 1827… Balance due the estate totals $147.67. (Shenandoah County Will Book O, p234.)

Jacob Beard Sr. had probably already moved south to Hawkinstown, since the two persons (Isaac Allen and Isaac Samuels) appointed to settle this estate in 1827 were both residents of Hawkinstown, about 23 miles southwest of Strasburg.

 

28 May 1828  Henry & Christina Leonard of Licking County, Ohio to Jacob Beard of Shenandoah County, for $90, two lots in the Town of Hawkinsburg, each containing 1/2 acre, adjoining each other and bounded on the north by Benjamin Hawkins, on the south and west by Israel Allen, and on the east by the Main Stage Road. (Shenandoah County Deed Book EE, p224.)

Hawkinsburg is now called Hawkinstown. The Main Stage Road is the Valley Pike.

 

10 Nov 1828   Accounting for Esther Reese estate:
Postage paid on letter from Lewis Floyd, June 8, 1828 (Shenandoah Will Book O, p472)

 

7 Aug 1829     Deed: John Dull and Elizabeth his wife “the late Elizabeth Beard and one of the heirs of Mary Beard decd who was one of the heirs and legatees of Esther Reese decd” to Joseph Stover, for $200, their rights to estate of Esther Reese. (Shenandoah County Deed Book HH, p272.)

 

1830 Census   Jacob Beard                           20000001-1110001     Shenandoah County, p97.
Christian Beard                    01012000001-10101   Augusta County, p67

Sons of Martin Beard in Washington County:

                        John Beard                            2110001-0110001       Washington County, p226

                        Jacob Beard                           00001-00001 (sic)       Washington County, p226

                        Christian Beard                    010001-311001           Washington County, p226

 

9 Aug 1831     Settlement of Esther Reese estate. (Shenandoah County Will Book R, p39) Includes:

                        Postage paid on letter from Esther Floyd on 29 May 1829 – on estate business
Postage paid on letter from Isaac Beard dated 13 Nov 1829 – on estate business
Postage paid on letter from Esther Floyd dated 9 Dec 1829 – estate business
Paid Elizabeth Beard in part of her legacy per receipt $5.00
Paid John Dull (Doll) and wife in part of her legacy per receipt $81.33, $17.25, $46.00

This accounting contains several interesting items. A “German Bible” was among the items sold, and $45 was received “for rental of the Beard Farm” each year from 1822 to 1831. The adjoining Stockslager farm, though half the size, rented for three times as much.

11 Aug 1831   Jacob Beard & Rosina his wife, of Shenandoah County, to Sarah and Rutha Ozburn, for $175, two lots of ½ acre each in Hawkinsburg…(same description as in 1828). (Shenandoah County Deed Book KK, p499.)

 

5 Oct 1833      Deed: John Beard and Elizabeth his wife and Jacob Beard to Peter Hickman, all of Washington County, $1,000, two adjoining parcels, one of 144 acres and one of 10 acres. Witness: Christian Beard, Zach. Jordan, William Wolford. Signed John Beard, Elizabeth Beard, Jacob (x) Beard. (Original copy courtesy Robert L. Beard.)

Sons of Martin Beard, apparently preparing to leave Washington County. They are selling Martin Beard’s land purchased in 1807 and their own adjoining parcel purchased in 1817.

 

12 Nov 1833   Jacob Beard application for Revolutionary pension in Clinton County, Ohio. (Pension file #W-25224 and Ohio pension record #25719.)

He states he was born 29 August 1762 in Shanadore (sic) County, Virginia. Elsewhere he states that he was “born and raised in Shanadore County”. He declared that he was drafted in Shenandoah County for a tour of six months on 15 April 1781 and served as a private in Captain Jonathon Pugh’s company in Colonel Andrew Byrd’s regiment and was transferred to Captain Awl’s company and Colonel Darke’s regiment. His battalion went to Fredericksburg, then Williamsburg, and then to Yorktown where he was discharged a few days before the surrender of Cornwallis. The deposition also states he returned to Shenandoah County after the war and lived there until about 1802 or 1803 when he removed to Frederick County for 12 or 13 years until returning to Shenandoah, where he lived until he removed to Clinton County about 2 December 1832.

13 Nov 1833   Deed: “Isaac Beard one of the heirs of Mary Beard decd and also one of the grandchildren of Esther Reese decd” to Joseph Stover, for $220, all his interest in three tracts of land devised in the will of said Esther Reese. “…two tracts of land lying on the North River of Shenandoah now in the possession of said Joseph Stover” and another tract in Hampshire County on the North Fork of the Potomac River. Proved by Isaac Beard. (Shenandoah County Deed Book NN, p184.)

 

4 Nov 1834     Settlement of Esther Reese estate recorded. (Shenandoah Will Book M, p474) Entries, some with earlier dates, included the following:
Mary Beard for Joseph Sonnstine, $20.00 (in 1818)
Cash paid Mary Beard legatee as per receipt, $457.00 (in 1819)
Jacob Beard Jr. as per receipt, $4.10 (in 1820)
Paid Esther Beard for housework, $1.36 (in 1820)
Cash paid Esther Floyd heir of Mary Beard decd. as per receipt, $210.92
Cash paid Mary Dull as per receipt, $86.33
Cash paid Joseph Beard as per receipt, $69.22

Joseph Sonnestine was Mary Beard’s nephew-in-law: he was married to a daughter of Catherine Beard and Frederick Bauserman.

 

2 Feb 1835      Joseph Beard and Martha Ann his wife, of Rockingham County, an heir of Mary Beard decd who was one of the heirs of Esther Reese decd, to Joseph Stover for $250 all his interest in the estate…in two tracts on the North Fork of the Shenandoah near Strasburg…also one other tract in Hampshire County on the Potomac River near Frankford… (Shenandoah County Deed Book OO, p8.)

It is not clear why this second deed was necessary. I note that this was the last deed to Stover, suggesting that perhaps his title was flawed in some way that necessitated a new deed from Joseph Beard.

 

3 Sept 1834     Ohio land entry by Jacob Beard - #6956 for 40 acres. A second entry is dated 8 October 1734 - #7351 for 40 acres.

 

26 Sep 1832    Will of Christian Beard Sr. in Augusta County (proved August 1834). “… to my son Jacob Beard… the sum of eight hundred dollars to make him equal with what my other children have received or will receive, no advance having been heretofore made to him… to my son Phillip Beard… the sum of fifty dollars having advanced for him the sum of six hundred dollars to aid him in the purchase of land & he being indebted to me one hundred & fifty dollars for rent… to my son Jonathan Beard… seven hundred dollars, having heretofore advanced to him one hundred dollars… to my son Christian Beard Jr…. the sum of eight hundred dollars… to my grandson Benjamin Franklin Hoilman the son of my daughter Sally Ship the sum of seventy five dollars… having advanced to him in slaves seven hundred and twenty five dollars…on the express condition that he shall pay to his mother the said Sally Ship the wife of James Ship the sum of fifty dollars one yea after my decease… to my daughter Betsy Wade the wife of John Wade… the sum of six hundred and seventy dollars having heretofore advanced to the said John Wade one hundred & thirty dollars… to my daughter Drusilla Hudson the wife of John Hudson… the sum of two hundred dollars having heretofore advanced to her & her said husband slaves estimated at five hundred dollars… to my granddaughter Angelina the eldest child of my daughter Betsy Wade the sum of two hundred dollars… I have sold to my son David Beard & my daughter Polly Firebaugh the wife of Peter Firebaugh & Catherine Strouse the wife of Peter Strouse for which deeds have or will be executed in which sale I have allowed each of them the sum of eight hundred dollars… my black girl Judy after my decease be permitted to select a master for herself…” All other estate to be equally divided among “my said sons” Jacob Beard, Philip Beard, Jonathon Beard, Christian Beard Jr., David Beard and “my said daughters” Betsy Wade, Polly Firebaugh, Catherine Strouse & Drusilla Hudson, and to Benjamin Hoilman. Friends Washington Swoope and David Summers executors. Signed Christian (x) Beard. Witness: Henry Imboden, Hugh Hamilton, W. Clarke. (Augusta County Will Book 20, p70.)

DAR Application National #279254 of Leota Fullenlove Bahls in 1932 states that the son Jonathon Beard was born 31 January 1790 and died in 1871; his wife was Elizabeth Wheelis. DAR Application National # S05538 of Reba Clemmer Dunlap in 1975 states that son Jacob Beard was born on 15 December 1784 and died 28 December 1869.