George Washington Flowers 
 Memorial Collection 
 
 DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 ESTABLISHED BY THE 
 FAMILY OF 
 COLONEL FLOWERS 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2015 
 
 https://archive.org/details/historygenealogy01byrd 
 
Colwell P. Byrd, Aged 79 Years 
 Pocomoke City, Md. 
 
HISTORY AND GENEALOGY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 BYRD FAMILY 
 
 From the early part of 1 700 A. D., when they 
 first settled at Muddy Creek, Accomack 
 County, Virginia, down 
 to A. D. 1907 
 
 BY 
 
 COLWELL P. BYRD 
 
 OF POCOMOKE CITY 
 MARYLAND 
 
 1908 
 
Copyrighted 1908 
 By F. W. Byrd. 
 
Q ^ a 
 
 This brief volume which has been a pleasurable 
 calling to the writer, is dedicated to 
 his devoted grand-daughters 
 
 ELIZABETH GRACE OLDHAM 
 
 HALLIE JOHNSON BYRD 
 ELIZABETH FRANKLIN BYRD 
 
 as a token of appreciation of the tender and 
 gentle affection manifested 
 toward me. 
 
 COLWELL P. BYRD. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 HIS little book, containing a brief 
 sketch of the buried history of this 
 worthy family, it is hoped will be a 
 source of gratification to many who may read 
 it, and produce a desire in them to know more 
 of those from whom they are descended. 
 
 What first prompted me to take some pains 
 to learn long- forgotten facts about the Byrd 
 family was the desire of some of the younger 
 members to know something of their ancestors, 
 and finding them worthy, it is to be hoped 
 that they will strive to imitate their deeds and 
 emulate their virtues. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 HE author of this work has a vivid 
 appreciation of the difficulties of his 
 task. Without special study of simi- 
 lar efforts, without knowledge of heraldry, 
 with but limited scholastic acquirements, with 
 the best years of his manhood given to the 
 arduous labor of a brickmason, notwithstand- 
 ing his ripe age of seventy-eight years, he has 
 nevertheless attempted to unravel the tangled 
 skein of a family history dating back tradi- 
 tionally to the time of the first settlement of 
 the Byrd family on Muddy Creek, Accomack 
 county, Virginia, early in the eighteenth cen- 
 tury. Perhaps, had he known at the begin- 
 ning all the obstacles he was destined after- 
 wards to meet, he would have been deterred 
 from the undertaking ; but he set himself to 
 7 
 
the task, and the difficulties which he en- 
 countered seemed to him, as they arose, so 
 many added reasons why he should press the 
 work to a successful issue. 
 
 That he has succeeded in a perfect history 
 he is far from thinking ; indeed, he is pain- 
 fully aware of its imperfections, more aware, 
 probably, than any one can be who has not 
 tried to do a similar work. ^Nevertheless it is 
 his desire that this brief history will be a 
 source of great gratification to many who may 
 read it, and will be found satisfactory, to some 
 extent, to those who are intimately related to 
 this worthy family, either by blood ties or 
 marriage relationship. 
 
 During the past twelve months this impor- 
 tant matter has impressed the writer and, be- 
 ing requested by some of the younger men of 
 this great Byrd family, who desired to know 
 more about their ancestors, also being aware 
 of the tendency with so many people to bury 
 the history of their family with themselves, 
 he has taken upon himself the arduous effort 
 8 
 
to produce a work for which he is inadequate 
 to successfully complete. While the author 
 is alone responsible for the book, he has not 
 wrought alone; many of the members of the 
 family have aided him with sketches and other 
 valuable assistance. His appreciation of this 
 kindness he has attempted otherwise to show, 
 but especially by publishing all that has thus 
 been sent him, except when he had positive 
 information that it was inaccurate. 
 
 There are several things which have induced 
 the author to attempt and carry forward his 
 undertaking. First, that the history of this 
 worthy family should not be so entirely ne- 
 glected and dropped and their notoriety of 
 worth and excellence should be acknowledged 
 and perpetuated that have existed for about 
 two centuries past. This interest is not a mere 
 idle curiosity, but is a natural desire of the 
 mind to find out all that can be learned of that 
 antiquity out of which it has come. Savages 
 may be content to roam about amid the ruins 
 of the houses formerly inhabited by their 
 9 
 
greater ancestors, but civilized and enlight- 
 ened men insist on prying into hidden facts 
 and endeavoring to learn their buried history. 
 
 Again the author has felt a natural desire 
 to learn more about his own kindred. The 
 past he has sought to show this generation is 
 not the past of aliens and foreigners, but of those 
 whose blood flows in his own veins. He ac- 
 knowledges a strong family feeling as a motive 
 in his work. He believes that to be descended 
 from worthy ancestors should prove to an 
 honorable mind a powerful incentive to hand 
 down to posterity a record of like worth. And 
 he rejoices that his early life spent, in part at 
 least, amid the simplicity and hardships of the 
 generations of more than three score years 
 past has enabled him to appreciate the homely 
 virtues and sturdy valor of the true-hearted 
 men and women who helped so much to pro- 
 duce the happy days in which their descend- 
 ants live. Thus, as a sort of link between the 
 not very remote past and the present, he takes 
 great pleasure in keeping fresh the memory of 
 10 
 
those of his kindred who have ceased from 
 their labors — the worthy name of those Byrds 
 who were the descendants of the early pioneers 
 of the Byrd family of Muddy Creek, Accomack 
 county, Virginia, of the eighteenth century. 
 And as the family is a human family, its his- 
 tory thus becomes a matter of general interest 
 to all who are concerned in learning more 
 about our common human nature. 
 
 But the author of this history does not hope 
 that his work will interest many others besides 
 those of whom it treats. These, however, he 
 hopes will enjoy it, and if it shall promote 
 among the numerous descendants of the far 
 away founders of the family a better acquain- 
 tance, a sincere affection, and a worthy desire 
 to honor an honorable name, he will have his 
 reward. 
 
Col well P. Byrd, 
 Aged 22 Years. 
 
ORIGIN OF THE BYRD FAMILY OF ACCO- 
 MACK COUNTY, VIRGINIA 
 
 BADITION says this family traces 
 its settlement on Muddy Creek, in 
 Accomack county, Virginia, back to 
 the early part of the eighteenth century. The 
 author of this book, having very recently 
 made diligent search among the old records of 
 wills and deeds in the clerk's office at Acco- 
 mack Court House, found the old books so 
 mutilated and worn from age that it was a mat- 
 ter of impossibility to find any accurate date of 
 their settlement in that locality; consequently 
 the writer is under the necessity of following 
 tradition which he has received from his an- 
 cestors relative to some facts about this worthy 
 family which was transmitted to his father, 
 who was born in 1777, and was handed down 
 to him by ancestral line in his early life which 
 
 13 
 
the memory of more than three score and ten 
 years has enabled him to retain until the 
 present time. These facts the writer desires 
 to transmit to this generation and those who 
 are to come. Believing that they are as reli- 
 able as anything obtainable of this buried his- 
 tory at this time, as there is no date setting 
 forth the positive time of the settlement of 
 which we are writing, we must be content 
 with the best we can obtain. The following 
 is the traditional record : That in the early 
 part of the eighteenth century there came a 
 man from the Western Shore of Virginia, 
 whose name was Nathaniel JByrd and settled 
 in Accomack county, Virginia, on the north 
 side of Muddy Creek, about a half mile from 
 its banks. The place of the old settlement 
 the writer visited recently and found there the 
 tomb of one of his uncles bearing the date of 
 his birth, 1769. The exact place in Virginia 
 from whence Nathaniel Byrd came the writer 
 does not know, but it was from him and his 
 posterity that this great Byrd family, of whom 
 14 
 
lie writes, has become so numerous, and it is 
 quite evident from tradition that they are 
 lineal descendants of William Byrd, who came 
 from England and settled in Virginia on the 
 James Eiver at Westover in 1670, and in- 
 herited the estate of his uncle Thomas Stegg, 
 of London, a goldsmith who, for a while, re- 
 sided in Virginia. It is of this pedigree that the 
 author of this work desires to give an account. 
 He has learned from ancestral information 
 that the Nathaniel Byrd, who is mentioned 
 above, had two sons (who their mother was the 
 writer does not know) their names were Jacob 
 and Nathaniel. 
 
 The writer's mind leads him to think that 
 his great-uncle, Jacob Byrd, was a bachelor, 
 as there seems to be no record of his ever hav- 
 ing a family. He has heard his father speak 
 of him as being a young man. But the other 
 son, Nathaniel, who was the author's grand- 
 father, married Naomi Watson and had issue ; 
 hence this brief history and genealogy of the 
 generation of the Byrd family of Muddy Creek, 
 15 
 
Accomack county, Virginia, from the early 
 part of the eighteenth century on down to the 
 beginning of 1907. 
 
 The children of Nathaniel Byrd and Naomi 
 (Watson) Byrd, his wife, are as follows (dates 
 of their births in most part unknown) : Major 
 Byrd, first son of Nathaniel and Naomi Byrd, 
 was born (date of birth unknown), and mar- 
 ried his cousin Nancy Watson (date of mar- 
 riage not known). They had issue. 
 
 Selby, the second son, married Hester Wes- 
 sells. To them were born two sons and one 
 daughter. 
 
 Bebecca, the oldest daughter of Nathaniel 
 Byrd and Naomi, his wife, married John 
 Bloxom. They had issue — three sons. 
 
 Elizabeth, second daughter, married Little- 
 ton Trader. They had issue, a son and two 
 daughters. 
 
 Parker Byrd, third son of Nathaniel Byrd 
 and Naomi Byrd, was born May 18th, 1769, 
 and died October 18th, 1820. 
 
 Naomi Byrd, third daughter of Nathaniel 
 16 
 
Nathaniel J. Byrd 
 Odessa, Mo. 
 
and Naomi Byrd, his wife, married Southy 
 Northam. They had issue. 
 
 Nathaniel, the fourth son (date of birth not 
 known), died a young man. 
 
 Johannas Byrd, father of the author of this 
 work and fifth son of Nathaniel and Naomi 
 Byrd, was born December 2d, 1777, and died 
 September 8th, 1853. He married Margaret 
 Kelly (date of marriage unknown). They 
 had issue — two sons and one daughter. Polit- 
 ically he was a Whig. He thought it an 
 honor to belong to the party which for seven 
 years gave its life and struggles to obtain their 
 national liberty. He served in the war of 
 1812 and was true to his party until death 
 claimed him. He was a Baptist and died in 
 the hope of his future reward. 
 
 Bachel, the fourth and youngest daughter, 
 married Jacob Kelly, died young and left one 
 son — William Kelly. 
 
 Daniel T. Byrd, the youngest child, son of 
 Nathaniel Byrd and Naomi (Watson) Byrd, 
 was born at Muddy Creek, Accomack county, 
 17 
 
Virginia, October 30th, 1785, and died at the 
 old homestead March 30th, 1846. He was a 
 prominent member of the Baptist church. In 
 politics he was a Whig and adhered to his 
 principles strenuously. He married Nancy 
 Gillespie (date of marriage not known). They 
 had issue — a son and daughter. 
 
 The author of this work, having made a 
 record of the origin of this worthy family as 
 far back as he has any information of their 
 worthy ancestry and numerous descendants, 
 desires now to make a record of the genealogy 
 of the generations that have followed them. 
 And this is the genealogy from the third gen- 
 eration of the first settlers at Muddy Creek 
 down to the present time. 
 
 Tabitha, the first child, and daughter of 
 Major Byrd and Nancy (Watson) Byrd, was 
 born (date of birth unknown). She married 
 Israel Trader (date of marriage not known). 
 They had issue — two children. Edward 
 Trader, their only son, married a Miss Under- 
 bill and moved away. I have no further 
 18 
 
note of him. Elizabeth, their only daughter, 
 married Eichard Kelly (date of marriage not 
 known). To them were born three children — 
 Tabitha, John and Eichard (date of their birth 
 not known). Mr. Kelly is dead. Mrs. Kelly 
 is living and resides with her son, Eichard 
 Kelly. 
 
 I have no dates of Major and Nancy Byrd's 
 family ; what I write about them is from per- 
 sonal knowledge of them. They had seven 
 other children, making their number eight. 
 
 Nancy, the second daughter of Major and 
 Nancy Byrd, married George Northam a 
 Baptist preacher, and moved to Middlesex 
 county, Virginia, where she lived and died at 
 an advanced age. The writer knew two of 
 their children — Deborah, daughter and George, 
 their son, who was also a Baptist preacher. 
 
 Sally Byrd, third daughter of Major Byrd 
 and Nancy, his wife, married Edmund Nor- 
 tham, brother of George, and moved to Ur- 
 banna, Middlesex county, Virginia. Four 
 children were the result of their union. Annie, 
 19 
 
the oldest daughter of Edmund and Sally 
 (Byrd) Northam, married John Anthon, a 
 lumber dealer, who resided for a while in Bal- 
 timore. Jane, the second daughter, married 
 Lewis Bristow of Urbanna, Va., in 1847, 
 and went from Baltimore to Urbanna to live. 
 Sally, the youngest daughter, and Edmund, 
 the son of Edmund and Sally Northam, the 
 writer cannot now make any note of, except 
 that they lived in Baltimore in 1847. 
 
 Margaret, the fourth daughter of Major and 
 Nancy Byrd, married Thomas Kelly. Five 
 children were the result of their union — 
 Amanda, first daughter, born January 2d, 
 1809. Second child, son Samuel (date of birth 
 not known), died January, 1845. Third child, 
 Thomas (date of birth unknown) . Margaret, 
 the second daughter of Thomas Kelly and 
 Margaret (Byrd) Kelly, married John Nelson. 
 He was a carpenter. They lived in Druminond- 
 town, Virginia, and died there (dates all un- 
 known). They had issue. Their children 
 live at the place of their birth. The writer 
 
 20 
 
does not know their names. Martin Kelly, 
 the youngest son of Thomas and Margaret 
 Kelly, lived with his mother until her death, 
 January, 1855. He married Miss Lizzie Gibb, 
 and died in the fall of 1880, without issue. 
 
 Henrietta, fifth daughter of Major Byrd and 
 Nancy, his wife, married Bennet Byrd. They 
 had issue — Elizabeth and Benjamin, both dead. 
 Major, Jr., Harriet and Nathaniel, the three 
 youngest of the family, all died childless. 
 
 Custis Walter Byrd, first son of Selby Byrd 
 and Hester (Wessells) Byrd, was born at 
 Muddy Creek, Accomack county, Virginia, 
 August 3d, 1794. He married Keziah Taylor, 
 daughter of Shadrack and Nancy Taylor, of 
 Sandy Branch, Accomack county, Virginia 
 (date of marriage unknown). Two children 
 was the result of their union. Colmore E. 
 Byrd, only son of Custis W . Byrd and Keziah 
 (Taylor) Byrd, was born at Muddy Creek, 
 Virginia, October 18th, 1817. When he was 
 quite young he went to Baltimore and served 
 a long apprenticeship at the blacksmith trade 
 
 21 
 
and became a first-class mechanic in that 
 branch of industry, and, when arrived at 
 manhood, he married Miss Mary Sheldon, the 
 daughter of James and Sarah Barnes Sheldon, 
 of Baltimore, September 19th, 1839. She was 
 born in Baltimore, September 12th, 1818. 
 The result of their union was four children, 
 all of whom were born in Baltimore. 
 
 James Edward Byrd, only son of Colmore 
 E. and Mary (Sheldon) Byrd, was born Sep- 
 tember 1st, 1840. He was educated at the 
 public schools and Newton University at Bal- 
 timore. He removed to Accomack county, 
 Virginia, when a youth and was employed for 
 some time as a recorder in the clerk's office of 
 the county court under Mr. John W. Gillett, 
 clerk of the court. He served nearly four 
 years in the Confederate army; was the color- 
 bearer of that gallant battalion of Virginia of 
 Bhode's Brigade, D. H. Hill's Division, which 
 at the battle of Seven Pines, stormed with the 
 bayonet the Federal redoubt in front of the 
 Square house on the south side of the Williams- 
 22 
 
James E. Byrd, 
 Baltimore, Md., 1907. 
 
James E. Byrd, 
 Of Confederate Army, 1862. 
 
burg pike, was the first to leap into the ditch and 
 climbing up the muddy embankment on his 
 hands and knees, waved the colors of the bat- 
 talion over the ten brass 12 pound guns of the 
 celebrated Empire Battery of New York. 
 Four of his color guards, stalwart mountaineers 
 from the peaks of Otter falling, killed and 
 wounded, around him. The commanding 
 officer, Captain Otey of Liberty, Virginia, died 
 at his side, his last words : ' ' Byrd, my boy, 
 rally the men." In this charge his cousin, 
 Thomas C. Kelly, was shot through the left lung 
 in two places and lay on the field of battle all 
 night. The awful loss of the battalion was 
 such that but thirty-two men, under the com- 
 mand of Capt. John E. Bagby, of King and 
 Queen county, were with the colors at night. 
 It was to the remnant of the battalion and the 
 guns captured that Jefferson Davis and Gen. 
 R. E. Lee rode up to as the battle ceased at 
 dark. He was, later, color-bearer of the 3d 
 Virginia Infantry, Wise's Brigade 5 then ex- 
 changed into the cavalry service, and in the 
 23 
 
campaign of 1864 was first Sergeant of Com- 
 pany C, 24, 5th Virginia Cavalry, General 
 Gray's Brigade, and rode at the head of the 
 charging squadron of that gallant regiment. In 
 the fall and winter of 1864, he scouted for Gen- 
 eral Longstreet and General Gray and won 
 high commendation for his services. 
 
 At the close of the war, in 1865, he returned 
 to his native home, Baltimore, and engaged 
 in the steamboat business and still pursues 
 that manner of occupation. 
 
 On the 28th day of October, 1869, he mar- 
 ried Catherine A. Fletcher, the daughter of 
 Wm. G. and Esther A. Fletcher, of Baltimore. 
 He has been for a number of years employed 
 in business with the Old Bay Line Steamboat 
 Company of Baltimore, and is at this time 
 agent and cashier for the same. They live in 
 Baltimore, 1724 Bolton street. They have 
 issue — Fletcher Lee Byrd, born July 17th, 
 1872, who is freight soliciting agent for the 
 Baltimore Steamboat Company. Walter Cus- 
 tis Byrd, born July 11th, 1879, is a clerk with 
 24 
 
the B. & O. E. E. Co. Xorral Edgar Byrd, 
 the third and youngest son of James Edward 
 and Catherine A. (Fletcher) Byrd, was born 
 Xovember 7th, 1882. He is a medical student. 
 All of James E. Byrd's sons were born in 
 Baltimore. 
 
 Sarah K. Byrd, oldest daughter of Colmore 
 E. Byrd and Mary, his wife, was born in Bal- 
 timore, March 5th, 1842, and married Dr. W. 
 J. H. Wallop of Accomack county, Virginia, 
 Xovember 7th, 1861, and died in Horntown, 
 Ya., July 17th, 1885. She left four chil- 
 dren — John Douglas Wallop, Mary Byrd Wal- 
 lop, Sallie Holland Wallop, and Lallie, the 
 youngest daughter, who lived with her uncle 
 in Baltimore. She is married and now resides 
 in Baltimore county. Her husband is a 
 lawyer ; I do not know the name. All of Dr. 
 Wallop's children were born at Horntown, 
 Virginia. 
 
 Mary Ann Byrd, second daughter of Col- 
 more E. and Mary Byrd, was born in Balti- 
 more, August 4th, 1846. She married George 
 
 25 
 
D. Evans, a farmer in Horntown, Virginia, 
 June 6th, 1877. They have issue — Essie 
 Evans, daughter (date of birth not known). 
 Elizabeth Jane Byrd, youngest daughter of 
 Colmore E. Byrd and Mary Byrd, was born 
 February 26th, 1849. She is unmarried and 
 lives with her brother in Baltimore. 
 
 Colmore E. Byrd died in Baltimore, Sep- 
 tember 5th, 1890. Mary (Sheldon) Byrd, his 
 wife, who preceded him in death about twenty 
 years, died July 2d, 1867. 
 
 Hester Ann Byrd, the only daughter of 
 Custis W. Byrd and Keziah (Taylor) Byrd, 
 was born at Muddy Creek, February 2d, 1817. 
 She was left motherless almost from infancy. 
 She grew up under the tender care of her 
 grandmother, Nancy Taylor. She was mar- 
 ried to Elijah Kelly, November 8th, 1834. 
 Her husband, Elijah Kelly, was born Decem- 
 ber 5th, 1807. They had issue— Thomas C. 
 Kelly, oldest son of Elijah Kelly and Hester 
 Ann (Byrd) Kelly, was born August 20th, 
 1840. He enlisted in Company K, 34th Yir 
 26 
 
ginia Eegiment Infantry, Wise's Brigade, 
 Bushrod Johson's Division, Longstreet's 
 Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, April 
 22d, 1861 ; was twice wounded at the battle of 
 Seven Pines and Fair Oaks Station on York 
 Eiver and Eichmond Eailroad, on May 31st, 
 1862. He lingered with these wounds until 
 December 18th, 1862, when he returned to his 
 command and served to the end of the war, 
 surrendering with Gen. Eobert E. Lee at 
 Appomattox Court House on April 13th, 1865. 
 
 Elijah Kelly and his wife Hester Ann (Byrd) 
 Kelly, had another son, Elijah Kelly, Jr., 
 (date of his birth unknown) . He went West. 
 
 Elijah Kelly, Sr., and his good wife lived 
 a quiet life on their farm near Hallwood from 
 the time of their marriage until their death at 
 a ripe old age. Mr. Kelly died June 15th, 
 1892. His wife preceded him in death seven 
 years, dying June the 8th, 1885. Their son, 
 Thomas C. Kelly, lives in Hallwood, Acco- 
 mack county, Virginia, and is Commissioner 
 of Eevenue. 
 
 27 
 
Custis W. Byrd had other children by his 
 second marriage with Mary Fisher, daughter 
 of Fairfax and Sallie Fisher. John Washing- 
 ton Custis Byrd, oldest son of Custis W. Byrd 
 and Mary (Fisher) Byrd, was born at Muddy 
 Creek, Accomack county, Virginia, May 7th, 
 1826. He went to Baltimore about the year 
 1848 or 1849, and was employed in the agri- 
 cultural implement manufacturing establish- 
 ment of Sinclair & Co. , on Light street, near 
 Lombard. Later on in life he married and 
 settled in Baltimore and engaged in the wood 
 and coal business, and continued that business 
 until his failing health compelled him to retire 
 from active work and finally resulted in his 
 death on March 1st, 1901. He had issue. 
 John W. Byrd, first son, who is a coal 
 dealer in Baltimore ; and Charles W. Byrd, his 
 second son, who also lives in Baltimore. His 
 widow survives him and resides in South 
 Baltimore. 
 
 Sylvester Byrd, second son of Custis W. 
 Byrd and Mary, his wife, was born in 1828. 
 
 28 
 
He was a carpenter and unmarried, and died 
 March 7th, 1901. in the 73d year of his age. 
 Priscella Byrd. born 1827, married Abednego 
 Taylor, and died October 16th. 1SS9. Mary 
 E. C. Byrd, born 1830, married James Miles, 
 of Accomack county, Virginia, and died 
 September 28th, 1859. Odien J. Byrd, 
 third son of Custis W. and Mary Byrd, was 
 born June 12th, 1832. He is now in the 75th 
 year of his age. He is a carpenter by trade, 
 but owing to infirmities of age and failing 
 health has retired from active life. He mar- 
 ried Allameda Parker, June 3d, 1858, 
 daughter of Mr. Parker and Mary Jane 
 Parker, of Baltimore. 
 
 The children of Odien J. Byrd and Alla- 
 meda (Parker) Byrd are: William Odien 
 Byrd, born 1860; second child, Cora Mary, 
 born 1863; the third child, Harry Ambrose, 
 born 1865; the fourth child. Sallie Littlefield 
 Byrd. born 1870; the fifth child, James 
 Milton Byrd, born 1881. Teda Allameda, 
 youngest child of Odien J. and Allameda 
 29 
 
(Parker) Byrd, was born 1888. Odien J. 
 Byrd's wife died the latter part of 1905. He 
 now resides with his daughter, Mrs. William 
 Hubbard, 302 East Randall street, Baltimore, 
 Md. William A. Byrd, born 1834, lives in 
 Harford county, Maryland. 
 
 Sallie Custis Stoakly Byrd, the youngest 
 child of Custis W. and Mary (Fisher) Byrd, 
 was born in Accomack county, Virginia, 
 1836. She married Mr. Littlefield, of Balti- 
 more (date of marriage not known), and died 
 July 24th, 1868. 
 
 The children of Sallie C. S. (Byrd) Little- 
 field are: A. S. Littlefield, of Colorado 
 Springs, Col. ; Mollie Littlefield, of Baltimore, 
 Md. j Emma (Littlefield) Watson, of Phila- 
 delphia, Pa., and Blanch (Littlefield) North, 
 of Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Colmore S. Byrd, second son of Selby Byrd 
 and Hester Byrd, his wife, was born April 
 3d, 1796. The writer knew him well. He 
 was a good man, and was of excellent service 
 to his neighbors. If any were sick or in 
 30 
 
sorrow about their spiritual condition, he 
 was sent for to impart comfort and give 
 spiritual advice. He was a deacon in the 
 Baptist church and was liberal and charitable 
 toward those who differed from him in their 
 religious views, He wanted everybody to 
 worship God according to the dictates of their 
 own consciences. He was a model man and 
 every one that knew him loved "Colly" Byrd, 
 as he was called. 
 
 He married Hetty Taylor, February 3d, 
 1820. They lived at Muddy Creek, Acco- 
 mack county, Ya., until the time of his 
 death, January, 1845. His widow still re- 
 mained on their farm several years after his 
 death. Seven children were the result of 
 their union. First, Matilda W., born April 
 1st, 1821, and died in infancy. The second 
 child, William S. Byrd, oldest son of Col- 
 more S. Byrd and Hetty (Taylor) Byrd, was 
 born at Muddy Creek, June 7th, 1822. He 
 was educated in the ordinary country school 
 of his day obtaining a fair business education 
 31 
 
and being possessed with a business capacity 
 in early life he entered into the mercantile 
 trade and was prosperous. In December, 
 1846, he was married to Mary Bloxom, of 
 New Church, Ya. To them were born one 
 child, William F. Byrd (date of birth un- 
 known), he lives in Norfolk, Ya. 
 
 William S. Byrd's first wife died soon after 
 the birth of their son, William F. (I do not 
 know the date of her death. ) In due course 
 of time he was married to his second wife, who 
 was Miss Mollie Broughton, of Temperance- 
 ville, Ya., the result of this union was two 
 children, daughter and son. Fannie, the 
 first child, married and died, (I do not know 
 the date of her marriage or death. ) Milton J. , 
 the son, is married and doing business in 
 Baltimore and resides there. William S. Byrd 
 still continued his business at Oak Hall, 
 Accomack county, Ya., with moderate suc- 
 cess for several years until advanced age and 
 failing health caused him to retire and move 
 to Baltimore, where he died August 14th, 
 32 
 
1888. His widow still survives him and 
 lives with her sou in Baltimore. 
 
 Abednego, second son of Colmore S. and 
 Hetty Byrd, was born February 27th, 1825, 
 and died August 9th, 1843. Solomon C, 
 third son, born June 19th, 1827, died August 
 12th, 1828. 
 
 Burnata, second daughter, born January 
 24th, 1829, and died in infancy. Ausemos S. 
 Byrd, fourth son of Colmore S. Byrd and 
 Hetty, his wife, was born October 26th, 1830. 
 He was educated in the country schools and 
 obtained a good business education. When 
 quite young he engaged in the mercantile 
 business, which he pursued all his life. AYhen 
 a young man he married Miss Ellen S. James, 
 a young lady of culture and excellent refine- 
 ment (date of marriage not known). They 
 lived in Mappsville, Accomack county, Ya. 
 He continued business there until his death. 
 The result of their marriage was four chil- 
 dren — Emma, Ida, Upshur and Xellie (date 
 of their births not known). Emma, first 
 33 
 
daughter of Ausemos S. and Ellen S. (James) 
 Byrd, married Nehemiah Nock, of the noted 
 Nock family of Sea Side, Ya. They have six 
 children. Their names are Medora, Josie, 
 Hattie, Ernest, Mildred and Constance. Ida, 
 the second daughter of A. S. and Ellen S, 
 Byrd, married Eugene Mason (date of mar- 
 riage unknown) . They have two children — 
 Ethel and Marva. Upshur Byrd, the only 
 son of Ausemos S. and Ellen S. Byrd, has one 
 son, named Marion. Nellie, youngest child 
 of Ausemos S. Byrd and Ellen S. Byrd, I 
 have no note of. Henry S., the fifth son of 
 Colmore S. and Hetty Byrd, was born Feb- 
 ruary 7th, 1834, and died in infancy. 
 
 Albert F. Byrd, sixth son of Colmore S. 
 Byrd and Hetty, his wife, was born at Muddy 
 Creek, June 30th, 1835. He received a fair 
 country education in the days of his boyhood 
 and youth. He adapted himself to farming 
 and later on became a practical farmer. 
 On April 27th, 1858, he married Miss 
 Charlotte E. Matthews, a lady of mild disposi- 
 34 
 
tion and fine attainments, the daughter of 
 Stoakly and Susan (Mapp) Matthews of Teni- 
 peranceville, Ya. Together with his farming 
 interests, he devoted a part of his time to the 
 fire and life insurance agency. He was a pro- 
 minent member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, South, as were all his brothers. He 
 and his good wife are both dead and gone to 
 their rest. They left four sons, who fill pro- 
 minent business positions in life. Lynn 0. 
 Byrd, their first son, was born March 19th, 
 1859, and preceded his father in death about 
 three months. He married Miss Ella McCul- 
 lough, of Port Deposit (date of marriage un- 
 known) and was engaged in the drug busi- 
 ness in that city from his youth up to the 
 time of his death, which occurred July, 1901. 
 and left his widow a nice estate. 
 
 Clyde P. Byrd, the second son, was born 
 June 9th, 1861. He married Miss Ada Baily, 
 of Baltimore (date of marriage not known). 
 Heis engaged in the brokerage business in 
 Baltimore and lives at Catonsville, Md. 
 35 
 
They have four children. I do not know the 
 dates of their birth. Their names are Caryl, 
 Clyde Wilson, Lynn C. and Evelyn Byrd. 
 
 Colinore Ernest Byrd, the third son of Albert 
 F. and Charlotte E. Byrd, was born January 
 22d, 1868. He devoted a few years in his 
 early manhood to teaching school in his 
 native town, Temperanceville, Va. In 1895 
 he engaged in business with the wholesale 
 drug firm of James Baily & Son, in Baltimore. 
 On the 26th day of June, 1896, he married 
 Miss Mary Virginia Gillespie, the daughter of 
 Albert J. and Catherine (Dix) Gillespie, of 
 Temperanceville, Accomack county, Va. They 
 have one child, only daughter, Evelyn Louise 
 Byrd, born at Temperanceville, Va. , Septem- 
 ber 14th, 1899. He coDtinued his business in 
 Baltimore about 11 years, during which time 
 he purchased a nice farm, a suburban home 
 at Pocomoke City and moved with his family 
 from their home in Virginia to his new pur- 
 chase; and in 1906 he retired from the drug busi- 
 ness and accepted the position of cashier of the 
 
 36 
 
r. Oscar F. Byrd, 
 Portsmouth, Va. 
 
Evelyn Blanche Byrd. Born July 1st. 1905 
 Daughter of Dr. Oscar Franklin Byrd 
 and Annie Blanche Byrd 
 
Citizens National Bank of Pocomoke City, 
 Md., and is also one of the directors of the 
 same. In a personal matter the writer assumes 
 the privilege to say of Mr. Byrd that he is a 
 true type of a Southern gentleman, a strict 
 business man, a consistent and prominent 
 member of the Methodist Protestant church. 
 
 Dr. Oscar F. Byrd, youngest son of Albert 
 F. Byrd and Charlotte E. (Matthews) Byrd, 
 was born at Teniperanceville, Ya., March 4th, 
 1870. In his early life he applied himself to 
 study with the view of gaining a profession, 
 and in early manhood he entered the Dental 
 Schools of the University of Maryland, in 
 Baltimore: graduated there in 1890, and began 
 the practice of his profession on November 
 20th. 1901. He married Miss Annie Blanche 
 Eichards, the only daughter of J. James and 
 Hattie A. (Brittingham) Eichards of Pocomoke 
 City, Md. They live in Portsmouth, Ya., 
 where he practices dentistry. They have one 
 child, Evelyn Byrd, born July 1st, 1905. 
 
 Henry E. Byrd, the only surviving and 
 37 
 
youngest son of Colmore S. Byrd and Hetty 
 (Taylor) Byrd, was born January 29th, 1841. 
 He married Martha J. Matthews, December 
 23d, 1862, the daughter of George P. and 
 Martha Matthews, both of whom were promi- 
 nent members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. The children of Henry E. Byrd and 
 Martha, his wife, are : Edith Lee Byrd, eldest 
 daughter, was born Nov. 11, 1863 j Otho 
 West Byrd, born October 31st, 1866 ; Lillian 
 Olivia Byrd, born August 4th, 1869, and died 
 September 24th, 1872. Lillian Olivia Byrd, 
 2d, the youugest daughter of Henry E. and 
 Martha (Matthews) Byrd, was born October 
 21st, 1878. 
 
 I am personally acquainted with Henry E. 
 Byrd, and will, by permission, mention some 
 personalities of him, characteristic of his early 
 business life. For a number of years he 
 divided his time between farming and mer- 
 cantile trade, He is quick and prompt in all his 
 movements and of great energy. For many 
 years a successful traveling salesman ; later in 
 38 
 
life a successful merchant in Temperanceville, 
 Va., up to a disastrous fire in 1903, in which he 
 lost most of the savings of his life. But he 
 and his son Otho, with promptness and re- 
 doubled energy, rebuilt and started a success- 
 ful business by the help of friends, liberal 
 discounts of creditors and the Masonic 
 fraternity, of which they both are members. 
 He and his family are all members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, South, and, I 
 think, his politics are Democratic, He is also 
 a great sportsman, and is styled the Ximrod of 
 this great Byrd family. 
 
 Enatia Byrd, the only daughter of Selby 
 Byrd, and Hester (Wessells) Byrd, was born 
 at Muddy Creek, Accomack county, Va., 
 April 4th, 1799. She married Daniel Boston, 
 of Shelltown, Somerset county, Md., in Oc- 
 tober, 1819, a worthy young man and prosper- 
 ous farmer. She was a lady of bright intellect 
 and fine attainments for usefulness. She was 
 modest and domestic in her manner of life, 
 kind and benevolent in her deeds. Her 
 89 
 
Christian character was of a high standard. 
 In her early life she made a profession of 
 religion and united with the Baptist church. 
 She magnified her profession by her consistent 
 and loving devotion to the cause of her Lord. 
 She was prominent in the organization of the 
 Eehoboth Baptist Church in Somerset county, 
 Maryland, and was one of the very few charter 
 members that constituted that little church 
 about the year 1839 or 1840, of which she was 
 a faithful supporter, both spiritually and 
 financially, until her death, which occurred on 
 the 11th of June, 1864. The church has 
 become a great power for good in that 
 community. 
 
 Mrs. Boston and her husband both lived to 
 a ripe old age and were members of the 
 Eehoboth Baptist Church at their death. They 
 left one son, Solomon Charles Boston, their only 
 child born August 23d, 1820. He was trained to 
 farm life and reared with the care of devoted 
 parents. He was a model boy, judging from 
 the manner of his manly and Christian life as 
 40 
 
we knew him later on. About the age of 
 sixteen years he made a profession of religion, 
 honored his profession by his consistent course 
 in life, and united with the Baptist church of 
 which his parents were members. Up to this 
 time of his life he had made use of the country 
 schools to the best advantage he could derive 
 from them, with the view of a higher education 
 and more permanent usefulness in life. A. 
 about the age of eighteen years he entered the 
 Seminary in Eichmond, Ya., now Eichmond 
 College, where he received his ministerial 
 education and became a very prominent and 
 efficient preacher of the Baptist denomination. 
 He began his arduous labors in the gospel 
 ministry quite young with the one purpose — 
 the glory of God and the salvation of souls - 
 He married Mrs. Mary Ann Xock (nee Mar- 
 shall) the young widow of Mr. Gillette Xock, 
 a young man of popular fame, about the year 
 1846 (the exact date of marriage is not known) . 
 She was born near Oak Hall, Accomack 
 county, Ya., October 26th, 1822. She was of 
 
 41 
 
true Virginian type, a lady of high Christian 
 standard and was an excellent helpmeet to her 
 husband. They walked together in the ordi- 
 nances and commandments of their Lord with 
 the one object in view: to declare the gospel 
 of the Son of God to all whom they could 
 reach. Mr. Boston preached as missionary on 
 the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia 
 for several years, during which time he organ- 
 ized a Baptist church at Vienna, Dorchester 
 county, Md. , and preached for his mother 
 church, at Rehoboth, at the same time, 
 and at different school house stations in the 
 country. He also preached in Northampton 
 and Accomack counties a part of the time 
 during this period of his life. 
 
 In 1854 he founded the First Baptist Church 
 of Pocomoke City, and was its first pastor, in 
 the latter part of 1857. He resigned his pas- 
 torate there and accepted a call to the Second 
 Baptist Church, in Petersburg, Va., and 
 having finished his work there in 1861, he 
 accepted a call to the Farmville Baptist 
 
 42 
 
Church, in Virginia. During his stay there 
 the war between the States became so trouble- 
 some that he resigned his charge in 1862, and 
 ventured, with his wife and son, then a lad, 
 to run the blockade across the Chesapeake 
 Bay in a canoe, and succeeded in reaching 
 the home of his parents in Somerset county, 
 Maryland, who were then very feeble and re- 
 mained with them sometime. Subsequently 
 he accepted a call to Lee Street Baptist 
 Church, in Baltimore. During his pastorate 
 there his wife died, on the 15th day of April, 
 1869. Soon after the death of his wife he re- 
 signed his charge in Baltimore and accepted 
 a call in 1870 to the Baptist church in French- 
 town, X. J. In 1872 he married his second 
 wife — Miss Mary E. Britton, of that town, a 
 very accomplished lady, and moved to Brew- 
 ington, King and Queen county, Va., and 
 served the church there for several years; 
 then returned to Eastern Shore again and was 
 pastor of the Baptist church at Onancock, 
 Accomack county, Ya., until the latter part 
 43 
 
of 1883, when he accepted a call to the First 
 Baptist Church of Pocomoke City, his former 
 charge, and continued there until his death, 
 which occurred on the 15th day of June, 
 1887, in the 68th year of his age. Thus the 
 Eev. Solomon Charles Boston finished his life 
 work near the place where he began it. His 
 children are as follows: 
 
 His son Francis E. Boston, the only child 
 of his first marriage with Mrs. Mary Ann 
 Nock, was born at Shelltown, Somerset 
 county, Md., December 29th, 1847. In his 
 boyhood he was placed in good schools at 
 different localities where his father was called 
 to preach. With great care his parents en- 
 deavored to prepare him for a useful life. I 
 think he finished his preparation in the town 
 of Princess Anne, Somerset county, Md., for 
 a college course, and in early life he entered 
 the Columbian College in Washington, D. C, 
 where he received his ministerial education 
 and graduated there with distinction and 
 was set apart to the gospel ministry and 
 
 44 
 
Rev. Solomon C. Boston 
 Somerset Co., Md. 
 
preached in many different places in Virginia 
 and Atlanta, Ga., and is now the Bev. F. R. 
 Boston, D. D., pastor of the Baptist church 
 at Warrington, Ya. About the year 1875 he 
 married Miss Ann Schoolfield, of Peters- 
 burg, Va., and had issue: Mela May Boston, 
 only daughter of Bev. F. B. Boston, and Ann 
 (Schoolfield) Boston, who married Edward 
 Spillman Turner, a lawyer in Warrington, 
 Fauquier county, Ya. (date of marriage not 
 known). They have issue: Anne Schoolfield 
 Turner and Ellen Lovell Turner. Chase 
 Schoolfield Boston, the only son of Bev. 
 F. B. Boston and Ann Boston, his wife, is a 
 prosperous druggist in Washington, D. C. 
 The Bev. Solomon C. Boston had other 
 children by his second marriage with Miss 
 Mary E. Britton, of New Jersey. Their 
 names are, Mr. Charles Daniel Boston, of 
 Baltimore, Md., and Miss Belle Boston, of 
 Fauquier county, Virginia. The Bev. Solo- 
 mon C. Boston, his children, grandchildren 
 and great grandchildren are all descendants 
 
of the Byrd family who first settled in Acco- 
 mack county, Virginia, in the early part of 
 1700, on the mother's side of the family, 
 Mrs. Enatia (Byrd) Boston, who was born at 
 Muddy Creek, Ya., April 4th, 1799, and died 
 at her home near Shelltown, Somerset county, 
 Md., June 11th, 1864. 
 
 Rebecca Byrd, the oldest daughter of 
 Nathaniel and Naomi (Watson) Byrd, mar- 
 ried John Bioxom (date of marriage not 
 known). They had issue, their children 
 being as follows: Woodman Bioxom, the 
 oldest son of John and Bebecca (Byrd) 
 Bioxom, was born in Accomack county, 
 Virginia (date of birth unknown). He 
 was a blacksmith, served his apprenticeship 
 in his native county, and when a young man 
 he went to Philadelphia, married and re- 
 mained there until his death. He had issue, 
 three children — Woodman, Ann and Rebecca, 
 all of Philadelphia, where I visited them in 
 1853. John Bioxom, the second son, also went 
 to Philadelphia when a young man and married 
 46 
 
a lady frora Smyrna, Del. I do not remember her 
 name nor the date of marriage. He died young 
 and left one son, John Bloxom. I have no 
 further trace of him. Selby, the third and 
 youngest son of John and Eebecca (Byrd) 
 Bloxom, married Polly Copes, of Accomack 
 county, Virginia. I am not certain as to his 
 occupation, but I think he was a farmer. 
 They had issue, three daughters — Elizabeth, 
 Mary and Rebecca. Mary married a Mr. 
 Jacobs, a tailor by trade. They lived in 
 Accomack county, Virginia (after the death 
 of their father) with their mother until about 
 1845, then moved to New York. I met them 
 in Philadelphia in 1853, while they were 
 there on a visit to relatives, and have not 
 heard from them since. 
 
 Elizabeth Byrd, the second daughter of 
 Xathaniel and Xaomi Byrd, was born at 
 Muddy Creek, Va., about the year 1667 
 (exact date of birth not known) . She mar- 
 ried Littleton Trader (date of marriage un- 
 known). They had issue, three children — 
 
 47 
 
Samuel, Tabitha and Ann. Samuel married 
 and lived between Accomack county, Vir- 
 ginia, and Worcester county, Maryland, and 
 had issue, five sons — Samuel, Littleton^ 
 William, Edward and James, and one daugh- 
 ter, Ann, who married a man in Philadelphia 
 named Wood, and died there, leaving one 
 son, William Wood. I do not know any- 
 thing more of them. 
 
 Selby Byrd, the oldest son of Parker Byrd 
 and Keziah (Gillespie) Byrd, was born De- 
 cember 23d, 1807. He grew up with his par- 
 ents on the farm at Muddy Creek. At the 
 close of his school days his mind was natur- 
 ally turned to some occupation in life by 
 which he might secure a livelihood. His 
 choice of business inclined him to the water 
 and very early in life he took to a commer- 
 cial line of trade and soon became a skillful 
 officer and commander of a grain and produce 
 schooner which plied between Muddy Creek 
 and Baltimore for several years, and traded in 
 the commodities of that vicinity. 
 
 48 
 
He married Amanda Kelley, February 2d, 
 1839, and continued in his chosen business a 
 few years after his marriage, when he aban- 
 doned his commercial life and took to farming, 
 in which he continued with moderate success 
 until the close of the war between the States. 
 About that time he began a successful and 
 prosperous general merchandise business by 
 which he accumulated a nice estate and contin- 
 ued in that business until his death, which oc- 
 curred on April 3d, 1880. His wife, Aman- 
 da Byrd, preceded him in death a little more 
 than a year, having died March 7th, 1879. 
 Their children are : Clarissa Byrd, the first 
 daughter of Selby and Amanda (Kelley) Byrd 
 was born January 7th, 1840. She married 
 Major Bloxom (date of marriage not known) 
 and died August 4th, 1878. 
 
 Harriet D. Byrd, second daughter, was born 
 September 30th, 1842. Mary F. Byrd, third 
 daughter, was born April 5th, 1845. Thomas 
 S. Byrd, the only son of Selby Byrd and 
 Amanda, his wife, was born March 2d, 1847, 
 
 49 
 
and died April 6th, 1895. His children are: 
 first, E. Boy, born March 16th, 1878; second, 
 Edward M., born July 13th, 1883; third, 
 Annie A., born November 29th, 1884; fourth, 
 E. Euth, born October 27th, 1888; fifth, 
 Thomas S., the youngest child, was born 
 March 23d, 1895, and died March 8th, 1901. 
 
 Margaret J. Byrd, the youngest child of 
 Selby and Amanda Byrd, was born September 
 15th, 1852, and was married to William E. 
 Byrd, of Accomack county, Virginia, Decem- 
 ber 15th, 1870. Later on they moved to Bal- 
 timore, where he engaged in a mercantile busi- 
 ness, and still continues this occupation there. 
 They had issue: Pearla K. Byrd, first child, 
 born December 16th, 1873, and died January 
 26th, 1892; Blanche, the second child, died in 
 infancy. 
 
 Harriet D. Byrd, second daughter of Selby 
 Byrd and Amanda (Kelley) Byrd, married 
 John K Watson September 17th, 1866. 
 They have four children: Thomas N. Watson, 
 born July 25th, 1867; Mary C. Watson, born 
 50 
 
April 24th, 1870; Theodocia Ernestine Watson, 
 born March 5th, 1872; and John Selby Watson, 
 born May 6th, 1874. They are all of Teinper- 
 anceville, Accomack county, Va. Mary F. 
 Byrd, the third daughter of Selby and Amanda 
 Byrd, was born at Muddy Creek, Accomack 
 county, Virginia, April 5th, 1845. She married 
 Eeuben Sapp, the son of Andrew and Lavenia 
 Sapp of Kent county, Delaware on the 18th 
 of January, 1869, and the following spring 
 they moved to the northern part of Illinois and 
 engaged in farming there for 17 years, after 
 which they returned to Kent county, Dela- 
 ware, and lived a retired life until his death, 
 which occured on August 26th, 1904. He 
 was a God-fearing man and a law-abiding 
 citizen. In his religious-views he was a 
 Quaker. He left no children. His widow 
 survives him and resides in Harrington, Del. 
 
 Matilda Byrd, the oldest daughter of 
 Parker and Keziah Byrd, was born 1809 (the 
 exact date not known). She married 
 Samuel S. Lucas, November, 1825. They 
 51 
 
had issue, three children — Henry P. Lucas, 
 first son, born September 10th, 1826, and 
 died in Brooklyn, N". Y., unmarried, about 
 1850; Sylvanus H. Lucas, second son, was born 
 March 10th, 1834. He lives in Baltimore 
 and is doing business there. Sallie A. Lucas, 
 the only daughter of Samuel S. and Matilda 
 (Byrd) Lucas, was born August 1st, 1836, 
 and died in 1860. 
 
 Sallie Byrd, the youngest daughter of 
 Parker Byrd and Keziah, his wife, was born 
 in 1811. She married Solomon Small (date 
 of marriage not known). They had five 
 children — Marcellus, Sylvasten, Elizabeth, 
 John and Matilda. I have no record of their 
 births. 
 
 Eichard P. Byrd, the second son and fourth 
 child of Parker Byrd and Keziah Byrd (nee 
 Gillespie), was born at Muddy Creek, March 
 4th, 1813. He was brought up to farm life 
 and followed that occupation all through his 
 days. When he was a young man he was 
 employed as supervisor of large farming 
 
 52 
 
interests in Accomack county, Virginia (his 
 native place). He was a practical farmer 
 and continued in his employment as super- 
 visor until his marriage with Nancy J. Parks, 
 the daughter of Edward Parks, of Leemont, 
 Ya., March 1st, 1843, after which he settled 
 on his own farm, where he was born, and re- 
 mained there a number of years, and then 
 moved to a farm that his wife had inherited 
 from her father, near Parksley. He contin- 
 ued there until his death, July 4th, 1881. 
 
 Their children were ail born at Muddy 
 Creek, Accomack county, Ya. Their names 
 are as follows: Burnetta S. Byrd, oldest 
 daughter of Eichard P. and Nancy (Parks) 
 Byrd, was born February 14th, 1844, who 
 married A. M. Eew, who died and left no 
 children; Edward P. Byrd, the oldest son, 
 was born September 12th, 1845. He was 
 educated in the plain country schools of his 
 neighborhood and acquired a sufficient schol- 
 astic training for a practical life and applied 
 himself to farming. He has been successful 
 53 
 
and owns valuable real estate in Accomack 
 county. He married Miss Sallie E. Bundick, 
 November 27th, 1878, the daughter of John 
 A. and Elizabeth (Parks) Bundick. They 
 live near Metompkin, Va., and have no 
 children. 
 
 Winfield Scott Byrd, the second son of 
 Eichard P. and Nancy J. Byrd, was born 
 October 7th, 1847. He received a limited 
 education in home schools and prepared him- 
 self for farm life. He married Miss Bettie 
 Mason about the 20th (?) of March, 1872 (?) 
 and settled on his farm near Parksley, Va. 
 They have one child only, a daughter — 
 Nanie R. Byrd, born January 5th, 1873. 
 
 Charles L. Byrd, third son of Richard P. 
 Byrd and Nancy J. , his wife, was born June 
 6th, 1849. He is a thrifty business man and 
 doing a prosperous general merchandise busi- 
 ness at Metompkin, Accomack county, Va. 
 He married Miss M. V. Bundick, the 
 daughter of John A. and Elizabeth Bundick 
 (nee Parks) October 13th, 1875. Just here 
 
 54 
 
I will mention the fact that Charles L. Byrd's 
 wife and Edward P. Byrd's wife are sisters, 
 and are the daughters of Elizabeth Bundick 
 (nee Parks) 5 who was the daughter of John 
 D. Parks, a wealthy real estate owner and a 
 well-known citizen in Accomack county. 
 
 The children of Charles L. and M. V. Byrd 
 (nee Bundick) are as follows: William W., 
 first son, was born at Metonikin, Va.. De- 
 cember, 24th, 1882; Charles W., second son, 
 was born May 9th, 1886 — he is now at the 
 University Medical College of Richmond, 
 Va., and expects to graduate in the medical 
 profession in 1907; John A. Byrd. the third 
 son, of Charles L. Byrd and M. V., his wife, 
 was born September 6th, 1888 — he is at 
 Richmond College taking a law course; 
 Aaron S. Byrd, the youngest son of C. L. and 
 M. V. (Bundick) Byrd, was born June 6th, 
 1891. He is at home with his parents. 
 
 Cynthia E. Byrd, the youngest daughter 
 and fifth child of Richard P. and Nancy J. 
 Byrd, born September loth, 1851. She is the 
 
 55 
 
wife of Frank T. Rew, and has two sons — 
 the Hon. John R. Rew, born February 12th, 
 1873, and J. Harry Rew, born September 
 17th, 1877. They are both lawyers and prac- 
 ticing in the courts at Accomack Court 
 House, Va. 
 
 John T. Byrd, the sixth and youngest 
 child of Richard P. Byrd and Nancy J. 
 (Parks) Byrd, was born August 5th, 1856. 
 He married Miss Maggie Mason (date of 
 marriage not known), died February 7th, 
 1897. His widow and three children survive 
 him. The children's names are Richard P., 
 Belvia and Mason Byrd. I have no record 
 of their births. They live in Baltimore. 
 
 The above data and genealogy of Richard 
 P. and Nancy J. Byrd, his wife, and family 
 were furnished me by Charles L. Byrd, one 
 of their sons, now living at Metompkin, Va., 
 and he says that his father died July 4th, 
 1881, at the age of sixty-eight years and four 
 months. His widow survives him and is now 
 at the advanced age of about eighty -three ( ?) 
 
 56 
 
years and lives at Parksley, Accomack coun- 
 ty, Va. 
 
 John E. Byrd, the youngest child of Par- 
 ker and Keziah (Gillespie) Byrd, (date of his 
 birth unknown). He went to Philadelphia 
 when a young man and married. I have no 
 further trace of him 
 
 Naomi, the third daughter of Nathaniel, 
 the second, and Naomi (Watson) Byrd, his 
 wife, was born about January 20th (?) 
 1776 (?). She married Southy Northam 
 about February 14th, (?) 1804. They had 
 issue, five children — Lucretia, first daughter, 
 born March 10th, (?) 1805. She married 
 Meshach Duncan March 5th, 1825. They 
 had issue. Their first child, William Dun- 
 can, born December 26th, 1825, is now in the 
 eighty-second year of his age and lives at 
 Temperanceville, Accomack county, Va. He 
 has been an active and consistent member of 
 the Baptist church for about three score 
 years and has not lost the vital spark yet in 
 his Master's service. Elizabeth A., the sec- 
 
 57 
 
ond child and oldest daughter of Meshach 
 and Lucretia (Northam) Duncan, was born 
 November 2d, 1827. Gillett, the oldest son 
 and second child of Southy Northam and 
 Naomi (Bryd) Northam, was born about No- 
 vember 10th ( ?) , 1806 ( ?) . He married Bet- 
 sy Cocke about 1833 (?). Their children 
 are; first, Polly, who married Gilbert Ross 
 and had issue — Levin and David. Levin mar- 
 ried Miss Burnetta Godwin. They live at 
 Hallwood, Va. The second child of Gillett 
 and Betsy (Cocke) Northam — David — mar- 
 ried Eugenia Godwin. The third — Annie — 
 married Sylvester Johnson. Rachel, third 
 child of Southy Northam and Naomi, his 
 wife, married Meshach Fisher. Their chil- 
 dren were Harriet, John D., Samuel, Sarah, 
 and Burnetta Ann. The youngest child of 
 Southy and Naomi (Bryd) Northam mar- 
 ried Benjamin Byrd. They both died on 
 their farm at Messongo (date of death un- 
 known). They left no children. 
 
 The following is the genealogical record of 
 
 58 
 
Johannas Byrd and his family, the fourth 
 son of Nathaniel and Naomi (Watson) Byrd. 
 He was born December 2d, 1777, and died 
 September 8th, 1853, and was twice married. 
 His descendants are numerous. His first 
 marriage was with Miss Margaret Kelley, 
 about the year 1805. She was the daughter 
 of Jacob Kelley, of near Johnson's store, Ac- 
 comack county, Virginia. She was born about 
 1785, and died in November, 1813. His sec- 
 ond marriage was with Miss Elana Cocke in 
 1816. She was born September 19th, 1792, 
 and died October 3d, 1842. She was the 
 daughter of Richard Cocke, of Accomack 
 county, Virginia, and was a lineal descend- 
 ant of the noted Cocke family of England. 
 
 The children of Johannas and Margaret 
 (Kelley) Byrd are — Selby, first son, who was 
 born at Muddy Creek, Accomack county, Va., 
 July 16th, 1806. He was educated for a 
 teacher at the academy, then open at Pun- 
 goteague, Va. After finishing his education 
 he began the work of training young minds 
 
 59 
 
in literature. He taught in several places 
 and in 1833 (?) he went to Somerset county, 
 Maryland, and taught at the place now 
 known as Kingston. In 1834 he married 
 Miss Amelia Lankford, a young lady of that 
 locality, and died about September, 1835, and 
 leaving one child, which soon followed him 
 in death. 
 
 Jacob K., the second son, was born April 
 29th, 1809. He grew up with his parents on 
 the farm and applied himself to that occu- 
 pation all his life. About the 15th of April, 
 1847, he married Miss Susan Fisher, the 
 daughter of Henry and Betsy (Northam) 
 Fisher. The result of their union was four 
 children — William S., the first son of Jacob 
 K. and Susan (Fisher) Byrd, was born Janu- 
 ary 19th, 1848. He resides on his father's 
 homestead. He married Sailie E. Byrd Octo- 
 ber 6th, 1869. Their children are Emily E., 
 born May 20th, 1870, and Martin Thomas, 
 born July 26th, 1871, and died August 30th, 
 1878. 
 
 60 
 
Johannas F. Byrd, second son of Jacob K. 
 and Susan Byrd, was born in Accomack 
 county, Virginia, August 31st, 184 (?). He 
 received a meagre education and adapted 
 himself to farm life. He married Miss Mary 
 A. Martin September 4th, 1873. They have 
 issue — Mattie A., first child, daughter, born 
 April 13th, 1875. She is holding a promi- 
 nent position in business life in Philadelphia. 
 The second child, infant girl, born September 
 1st, 1876; third child, infant boy, born Feb- 
 ruary 9th, 1879. Both died in infancy. 
 
 Clarence E. Byrd, the fourth and youngest 
 child of Johannas F. and Mary A. (Martin) 
 Byrd, was born August 26th, 1889. He is 
 receiving his education at the High School in 
 Pocomoke City. His father is a successful 
 farmer in Worcester county, Maryland, and 
 lives at Goodwill, four miles from Pocomoke 
 City. 
 
 Elizabeth M., the oldest daughter of Jacob 
 K. and Susan Byrd, was born May 13th, 
 1854. She married John William Byrd (date 
 
 61 
 
of marriage unknown). They have issue — 
 Thomas J. Byrd, first child of John William 
 and Elizabeth M. Byrd, was born June 12th, 
 1882. Ceeia A., the second, was born August 
 14th, 1885. Onie S., youngest child of John 
 William and Elisabeth M. Byrd, was born 
 October 8th, 1892. They live at Hallwood, 
 Va., and are engaged in a manufacturing en- 
 terprise and industry. 
 
 Annie S., the youngest daughter of Jacob 
 K. Byrd and Susan (Fisher) Byrd, was born 
 April 5th, 1860. She married Parker Kelley, 
 son of George and Elisabeth A. Kelley, of 
 Messongo, Accomack county, Va. They have 
 issue. The first child, Byrd P., born Sep- 
 tember 9th, 1885; second, Martin J., born 
 August 10th, 1889; the thirl, Joseph A., 
 born March 8th, 1892; fourth, George E., 
 born January 3d, 1895 ; fifth, Elsie A., born 
 November 18th, 1896; William J., sixth and 
 youngest child of Parker and Annie S. Kel- 
 ley (nee Byrd), was born at Messongo, Va., 
 April 5th, 1899. 
 
 62 
 
Hetty, the first daughter of Johannas and 
 Margaret Byrd (nee Kelley), was born at 
 Muddy Creek, Ya., September 1st,, 1811. She 
 married Smith Cutler, a carpenter of Mes- 
 songo. Ya., in the early part of 1834. They 
 had issue. Their first child, Margaret Ann, 
 was born January 12th (?), 1835, and died 
 in 1839. John S. Cutler, the second child of 
 Smith and Hetty Cutler, was born at Mes- 
 songo, Accomack county, Ya. As he grew 
 up into boyhood and youth, and having the 
 spirit of energy and ambition, he naturally 
 sought to acquaint himself with some line of 
 work by which he could obtain a livelihood. 
 His mind being turned to the carpenter's 
 trade, he engaged in that calling and devoted 
 his time to improving himself in that pur- 
 suit until 1861, when the war between the 
 States came on, when he joined the Con- 
 federate army and served until the close of 
 the war under Gen. Robert E. Lee, and was 
 with him in the Battle of Gettysburg. After 
 the close of the war, in 1865, he returned 
 63 
 
to his home in Accomack county, Va., and re- 
 sumed his work at the carpenter's bench. On 
 April 26th, 1866, he married Miss Rebecca 
 Hall, the daughter of Thomas and Sallie 
 (Drummond) Hall. He continued to follow 
 his chosen occupation until a few years ago, 
 when he sold his property in Virginia and 
 moved to Salisbury, Md., where he and his 
 good wife are living retired lives. They have 
 several children, of whom I have no record. 
 I think that they are all married. 
 
 Ann Eliza, the third child of Smith Cutler 
 and Hetty (Byrd) Cutler, was born about 
 January, 1838 (?). She married Oliver 
 Bunting. Alexander S., the fourth child, 
 went to New Orleans and engaged in the 
 paint business. I have no further trace of 
 him. George, the fifth child, was born about 
 October, 1846. He, I think, is a farmer, and 
 lives somewhere in Virginia. Mrs. Cutler 
 was a godly woman. The life she lived on 
 earth was evidenced by her faith in the Son 
 of God. She was a sweet singer in Israel, 
 
 64 
 
WM. 
 
 BYRD NORTHAM, SR. 
 CHESTER, PA. 
 
Mary E. Northam 
 Chester, Pa. 
 
and honored her Lord with her voice. She 
 was a consistent and devoted member of the 
 Old School Baptist Church, and was faithful 
 in her Master's service until death called her 
 to her reward in heaven in 1848, not long 
 after the birth of her youngest son, William. 
 
 Peggy Byrd, the second daughter of Jo- 
 hannas and Margaret Byrd, was born No- 
 vember 25th, 1813, and died quite young. I 
 have no record of date of death. 
 
 Johannas Byrd's children of his second 
 marriage with Elana Cocke are as follows: 
 first, infant boy (dead) ; second child, Mar- 
 garet, was born May 28th, 1819, and died 
 July 2d, 1893. She married William C. 
 Kortham, of Accomack county, Virginia, in 
 December, 1847. He was a carpenter by trade. 
 The result of their union was seven children : 
 The first son, William Byrd Kortham, was 
 born October 1st, 1848. When a young man 
 he went to Phcenixville, Pa., and engaged in 
 the moulding business. On April the 28th, 
 1875, he was married to Marv Elizabeth 
 65 
 
Spare. She was born December 24th, 1853, 
 in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. They 
 have issue — first child, George Valentine 
 Northam, born August 15th, 1876. He is a 
 machinist by trade, is married and now lives 
 in Lorain, Ohio. Harry Spare, second son, 
 born November 18th, 1877, electrician, is 
 married and living in Lorain, Ohio. William 
 Byrd Northam, Jr., born July 27th, 1879, at- 
 torney at law, and practices his profession 
 in Chester, Pa. He is unmarried and lives at 
 home with his parents. Ella, fourth child, 
 born February 14th, 1881, married Alfred C. 
 Thorpe, both of Chester, Pa. John Albert, 
 fifth child, born April 11th, 1884; he is a steel 
 moulder, is married and resides now in Ches- 
 ter, Pa. 
 
 Margaret May, sixth child, born April 6th, 
 1886, married John Henry Kuch. They live 
 at Sharon Hill, Del county, Pennsylvania. 
 
 Elsie, the seventh child, born March 1st, 
 1888, is living at home with her parents. 
 66 
 
Emily Jane, eighth child, born August 
 24th, 1891. 
 
 Charles Byrd Northam, ninth and youngest 
 child of William B. and Mary Elizabeth 
 (Spare) Northam, of Chester, Pa., was born 
 April 23d, 1895. 
 
 Mary A., oldest daughter of William C. 
 and Margaret (Byrd) Northam, was born 
 October 31st, 1849. She married John W. 
 Groton (date of marriage not known). He is 
 a farmer and lives near Parksley, Accomack 
 county, Va. They have issue. 
 
 Gillett W., third child, was born November 
 12th, 1851, lives at Messongo, Accomack 
 county, Va. 
 
 Emily J., fourth child, was born December 
 17th, 1853. She married Peter Gillespie 
 (date of marriage not known) and died in 
 March, 1903, leaving three children — Mattie, 
 J ohn H. and Peter. I have no record of their 
 births. 
 
 George F., fifth child, born September 
 13th, 1856, dead. 
 
 67 
 
Martin J., sixth child, born September 
 26th, 1858, dead. 
 
 Henry Clay, seventh and youngest child of 
 William Custis Northam and Margaret 
 (Byrd) Northam, was born November 15th, 
 1861. He grew up in his country home with 
 his parents and received a common country- 
 school education. Later in life he began a 
 mercantile business and continued with mod- 
 erate success for several years. On April 
 13th, 1892, he married Miss S. Annie Han- 
 cock and soon after retired from mercantile 
 life and engaged in farming. They have 
 issue — first child, V. Margaret, born January 
 26th, 1893 ; second child, A. Ethel, born De- 
 cember 9th, 1894 ; third, Otis, born December 
 5th, 1898; H. Paul, fourth and youngest 
 child of Henry Clay and Annie (Hancock) 
 Northam, was born September 14th, 1900. 
 They are comfortably fixed on their farm in 
 Worcester county, Maryland, about five miles 
 from Pocomoke City. 
 
 The children and grandchildren of William 
 
 68 
 
C. and Margaret (Byrd) Northam are ail de- 
 scendants of the Byrd family on the mother's 
 side of the family. 
 
 Parker Byrd, second son of Johannas Byrd 
 and Elana (Cocke) Byrd, was born February 
 8th, 1821. He grew up on the farm with his 
 parents. In early life his mind was turned 
 to educational interest, and he made use of 
 the best means for a preparation to instruct 
 others that the schools of his day could afford 
 him. He engaged in teaching for several 
 years with general satisfaction. He was well 
 drilled in military tactics and made an effi- 
 cient officer, was unanimously elected cap- 
 tain in the militia in 1848, and in 1851 was 
 promoted to the office of adjutant in the Nine- 
 ty-ninth Regiment of the Virginia militia, 
 and served under Maj.-Gen. James Northam 
 and Coi. Francis Miller with eulogistic 
 praise. He married Mary Ann Trader in 
 1850, and engaged in farming and was suc- 
 cessful in accumulating real estate. He was, 
 in politics, an old-line Whig, until the Re- 
 69 
 
bellion, when he became a Southern sympa- 
 thizer, and after that he voted with the 
 Democratic party. He was a conscientious 
 man and tried to practice the "Golden Rule," 
 being a consistent member of the Baptist 
 Church for more than a half century. He 
 was chairman of the building committee for 
 the first house of worship of the Bethel Bap- 
 tist Church, built at Muddy Creek in Acco- 
 mack county, Virginia, in 1845. His interest 
 in his Master's cause was unabating, and in 
 advanced years he superintended the build- 
 ing of their new and commodious house of 
 worship, built in 1887. He was honored and 
 respected by those who knew him for his up- 
 rightness, honesty and integrity, which he ad- 
 hered to until his death. He died in the 
 triumphs of faith in his God, on the 5th day 
 of April, 1895, in the seventy-fifth year of his 
 age. His funeral services were held at his 
 home and were attended by about five hun- 
 dred persons. He was a good man. What 
 better eulogy could he and his good wife 
 70 
 
(who preceded him in death several years) 
 have? They left seven sons, whose names 
 are: Alexander W. Byrd, oldest son of 
 Parker and Mary A. (Trader) Byrd, was 
 born April 17th, 1851. He and his family re- 
 side in Baltimore. 
 
 Teakle L., the second son. was born 
 March 31st, 1853. He married Miss Fisher 
 (the date of marriage unknown). He is a 
 farmer and resides on his farm in Accomack 
 county. Virginia. They have several chil- 
 dren. I have no record of their births. 
 
 Henry Parker, third son, was born July 
 17th, 1855, and died unmarried February 
 5th, 1907. 
 
 Staton Franklin, fourth son, was born No- 
 vember 19th, 1857. He married Clara J. 
 Lucas. December 27th. 1882. They had two 
 children, Samuel P., the oldest, born June 
 15th, 1887, and Elana, the second child, born 
 August 26th, 1890. He is a farmer and gen- 
 eral merchandise dealer at Poulson, Acco- 
 mack county, Ya. 
 
 71 
 
Jefferson Davis, the fifth son, was born 
 April 4th, 1861. He married Miss Lizzie J. 
 Smith, the daughter of James and Sally F. 
 Smith, of Messongo, Va. They have one son, 
 Royal D. Byrd, who was born March 31st, 
 1882. He was married to Miss Norcice L. 
 Bloxom, the daughter of Martin and Susan 
 J. Bloxom, on the 22d day of December, 1902. 
 He is a prosperous farmer and lives near 
 Mears P. O. in Accomack county, Va. 
 
 Levin J., the sixth son, was born Decem- 
 ber 26th, 1864. He lives in Baltimore and is 
 doing business there. 
 
 Major Jackson Byrd, the seventh and 
 youngest son of Parker and Mary A. Byrd 
 (nee Trader), was born August 31st, 1867. 
 He is unmarried and inherited his father's 
 homestead, where he cared for him and min- 
 istered to his wants in his last days. Noble 
 son he was. 
 
 Samuel C, the third son and survivor of 
 twins of Johannas and Elana Byrd, was 
 born October 30th, 1822. He grew up under 
 72 
 
Christian influence and was noted for piety 
 in early life. He was a bachelor and very 
 religious, being quite eccentric. He made 
 almost a thorough acquaintance with the 
 Bible ; he could quote the most of it from 
 memoiw and tell nearly all the names and 
 places mentioned therein. He told me, when 
 on a yisit to me once, that he had read his 
 Bible through three times on his knees. 
 While in conyersation with him I said to him 
 that he had been faithful in the seryice of his 
 Lord for a long Time, and now in adyanced 
 years I thought it would be better for him to 
 select a good woman, suitable to his life and 
 circumstances, and marry and be more re- 
 tired, since he had trayeled a long time and 
 done all the good he could. To which he re- 
 plied : "Oh, no ; if I had a wife I would not 
 haye time to read my Bible.'' He was pious 
 from his youth, and died March 15th, 1S95, 
 in the faith with a bright hope of his future 
 reward. 
 
 William T. Byrd, fourth son of Johannas 
 73 
 
and Elana Byrd, was born May 29th, 1824. 
 He was a carpenter and followed that occu- 
 pation for several years. On February 24th, 
 1853, he married Miss Hetty Ann Fisher. 
 Afterwards he devoted most of his time to 
 farming for the rest of his life, and was mod- 
 erately successful. The fruit of their mar- 
 riage was nine children. First, a daughter, 
 Elizabeth H., born December 11th, 1853. She 
 married Alfred S. Miles (date of marriage 
 unknown) and died January 11th, 1885, leav- 
 ing three children. Their names not known. 
 
 Georgeanna, the second daughter, was born 
 August 14th, 1855, and died unmarried Jan- 
 uary 14th, 1885. 
 
 Tabitha S., third daughter, was born Octo- 
 ber 4th, 1857. She married William Hall 
 (date of marriage not known). They live 
 near Temperanceville, Accomack county, Va, 
 
 Cornelius J. Byrd, the fourth child and 
 oldest son of William T. and Hetty Ann 
 Byrd (nee Fisher), was born March 3d, 1860. 
 He grew up on the farm with his parents. 
 
 74 
 
He received a meagre education and adapted 
 his life to farming with fair success, and was 
 married to Rebecca J. Duncan, December 
 26th, 1883. They have issue. Bertha L., first 
 daughter, born October 14th, 1884. She mar- 
 ried Mr. Bates Pilchard, a worthy young 
 farmer of Worcester county, Maryland, on 
 the 22d day of February, 1905. Georgia A., 
 second daughter, was born February 23d, 
 1889. She received her education at the High 
 School in Pocomoke City, and was graduated 
 there in 1906. 
 
 Othelia May, third daughter, was born 
 February 4th, 1894. Ora Pearl, fourth and 
 youngest daughter of Cornelius J. and Re- 
 becca J. (Duncan) Byrd, was born August 
 31st, 1899. 
 
 Cornelius J. Byrd and wife, Rebecca, are 
 natives of Accomack county, Virginia, but 
 now reside in Worcester county, Maryland. 
 
 Hubbard Lee, fifth child of William T. 
 Byrd and Hetty Ann, his wife, was born 
 75 
 
June 15th, 1863. He married in Baltimore 
 and is doing business there. 
 
 Martha F., the sixth child and youngest 
 daughter, was born July 15th, 1865. She 
 was married to Edward E. Nock, a worthy 
 young man of Accomack county, Virginia, 
 February 16th, 1888. Mr. Nock, at the time 
 of his marriage, was engaged in a mercantile 
 business as a traveling salesman, but later 
 he took to farming and devotes his entire 
 time to that occupation, residing now near 
 Stockton, Md. He and his good wife have, 
 as the result of their union, seven children. 
 First, Harold E., born April 26th, 1889 ; sec- 
 ond, Hattie F., born October 14th, 1890; 
 third, Beulah M., born August 9th, 1894; 
 fourth, William B., born November 22d, 
 1896; fifth, Margie, was born April 30th, 
 1898; sixth, Randolph M., born July 4th, 
 1902; Alton E., the seventh and youngest 
 child of Edward E. and Martha F. (Byrd) 
 Nock, was born April 19th, 1904. Mr. and 
 
 76 
 
Mrs. Nock are both devoted and consistent 
 members of the Baptist Church. 
 
 Arthur W. Byrd, seventh child of William 
 T. and Hetty A. Byrd, was born December 
 23d, 1867. He was married to Kebecca Hall, 
 the daughter of Thomas and Hester Hall, De- 
 cember 27th, 1893. As a result of their union 
 they have only one child, a son, Colwell 
 Francis Byrd, born May 3d, 1906, named for 
 the writer of this work. They live at Oak 
 Hall, Va. 
 
 Charles T., the eighth child, was born Au- 
 gust 22d, 1869. He is a farmer and lives 
 about one mile from Pocomoke City, in Wor- 
 cester county, Md. He married Miss Mary 
 Lambertson, December 27th, 1899. They have 
 issue: Edith, first child, born November 
 19th, 1900, and Essie, second child, born Au- 
 gust 31st, 1902. 
 
 Alonzo D. Byrd, ninth and youngest child 
 of William T. and Hetty A. (Fisher) Byrd, 
 was born June 19th, 1872. He married 
 Martha F. Godwin, November 6th, 1895. 
 77 
 
They have issue — Lena B., born January 12th, 
 1897; Edna S., born March 6th, 1898, and 
 died December 8th, 1901; Lottie M., born 
 July 20th, 1899; Walter EL, born May 17th, 
 1901; Ernest M., born January 10th, 1903; 
 Broadus F., born September 15th, 1904. He 
 is a farmer and lives near Stockton, Md. 
 
 Elizabeth Custis Byrd, second daughter of 
 Johannas Byrd and Elana Byrd (nee Cocke) 
 was born October 26th, 1826. She was mar- 
 ried to George Northam in June, 1859, and 
 died childless in 1880. 
 
 Personal, Political and Religious. 
 
 I, Colwell Patterson Byrd, the seventh 
 child and youngest son of Johannas Byrd 
 and Elana (Cocke) Byrd, and the author 
 of this work, was born in Accomack county, 
 Virginia, on the 26th day of January, 1829. 
 I grew up to manhood trained in the tenets 
 of the old Whig party, feeling that it would 
 almost be a dishonorable act for me to sup- 
 78 
 
port any other party but the one which en- 
 dured seven years warfare and bloodshed 
 for American Liberty. In 1852, I cast my 
 first vote for Winfield Scott, the Whig nomi- 
 nee for President of the United States of 
 America. 
 
 But later on, as there become changes in 
 the affairs of' the nation, I changed my senti- 
 ments politically, and when the Rebellion 
 took place in 1861 I voted with the Demo- 
 cratic party and have continued to do so 
 ever since. As to my religious belief, I am 
 a Baptist from principle and conviction. In 
 early life I was impressed with the import- 
 ance of my personal salvation, which im- 
 pression has been lasting. 
 
 When about eighteen years of age, in 1847, 
 I was apprenticed to a competent brick 
 mason in Baltimore and acquired a knowl- 
 edge of that useful trade. 
 
 I was religiously inclined from my child- 
 hood and received my first impression when 
 about four years old, which impression has 
 79 
 
remained with me nearly three score and 
 fifteen years, although I did not make a 
 public profession of religion until April, 
 1850; on the 5th day of that month I was 
 baptized by the Rev. George F. Adams, in the 
 Patapsco river at Canton, Baltimore, and 
 was received into the fellowship of the Sec- 
 ond Baptist Church of that city on the same 
 day. 
 
 I still continued to live in Baltimore a 
 few years, working at my trade, and on the 
 17th day of September, 1854, I married 
 Elizabeth A. Trader, the daughter of Wil- 
 liam and Comphrate (Walker) Trader, of 
 Accomack county, Virginia, a lady of a true 
 Christian type. After our marriage we 
 moved to Newtown, Worcester county, Md., 
 now Pocomoke city, the 1st day of January, 
 1855. Three children were the result of our 
 union. 
 
 Laura Grace Byrd, the first child and only 
 daughter of Colwell P. and Elizabeth A. 
 (Trader) Byrd, was born in Newtown, W T or- 
 80 
 
cester county, Md., October 1st, 1855. She 
 was educated at the High School of her birth- 
 place, known now as the High School of 
 Pocomoke City. 
 
 She was married to George W. Oldham, 
 April 16th, 1871, a worthy young; man of 
 Temperanceville, Va., in the Newtown Bap- 
 tist Church, now First Baptist Church of 
 Pocomoke City, Md., by Rev. Montcalm Old- 
 ham, father of the bridegroom, assisted by 
 Rev. Lemuel D. Paulding, pastor of the bride. 
 
 Mr. Oldham, when quite a young man, en- 
 listed as a volunteer in the Confederate 
 Army in April, 1863, and served until the 
 close of the war, under Brigadier General 
 Crutchfield, Division Commander Gen. W. 
 H. F. Lee, and corps Commander General 
 Ewell, called "Old Fox." He was also in 
 Company E, 19th Virginia Battalion, Artil- 
 lery, Capt. G. G. Savage commanding, Col- 
 onel Atkinson commanding battalion. 
 
 After the close of the war he remained for 
 a few years in Richmond, Va., and then re- 
 81 
 
turned to the Eastern Shore of Virginia and 
 engaged in a mercantile business at Tem- 
 peranceville, Accomack county, which busi- 
 ness he was pursuing at the time of his mar- 
 riage with Miss Byrd. 
 
 The result of their union was three chil- 
 dren — Leroy Oldham, first child and only 
 son of George W. and Laura Grace (Byrd) 
 Oldham, was born in Temperanceville, Acco- 
 mack county, Virginia, March 12th, 1875. 
 He obtained a good business education and 
 when quite young he was employed as clerk 
 in the retail drug business in the city of Nor- 
 folk, Va., and remained there a short time, 
 when he moved to Baltimore with his em- 
 ployer, and on the 20th of June, 1892, he 
 accepted a position as clerk with Gilpin, 
 Langdon & Co., one of the largest wholesale 
 drug establishments in that city. Having push 
 and vim with his capacity for business and 
 commendable deportment of life, he found 
 favor with his employers. Step by step he 
 advanced in business until at the age of 
 82 
 
Leroy Oldham. 
 Baltimore, Md. 
 
thirty-two years he is now a prosperous 
 wholesale druggist in the city of Baltimore. 
 
 He was married to Miss Mabel Ray Shar- 
 retts, daughter of Grayson W. and Maude 
 Anna Sharretts, of Baltimore, in the Brown 
 Memorial Presbyterian Church of that city, 
 by Rev. Byron Clarke, of Mt. Washington, 
 and Rev. John Timothy Stone, pastor of the 
 bride, and is at the present time well situa- 
 ted at his home on Clifton Avenue, Wal- 
 brook, a suburb of Baltimore. 
 
 Since the writer closed this paragraph of 
 the genealogy of this work, another event has 
 taken place in the birth of his great grand- 
 daughter, Dorothy Byrd Oldham, the daugh- 
 ter of Leroy and Mabel Ray Oldham, born 
 at 2800 Clifton Avenue, Walbrook, Balti- 
 more, Md., October 26th, 1907; being the 
 first born of his fourth generation whom he 
 had the pleasure of holding in his arms and 
 pronouncing a benediction upon the day 
 after her birth. 
 
 Annie B., second child of George W. and 
 S3 
 
Laura Grace Oldham, was born December 
 2d, 1880, died September 3d, 1881. 
 
 Elizabeth Grace, the youngest daughter of 
 George W. and Laura Grace Oldham (nee 
 Byrd), was born March 4th, 1883. She was 
 educated in the High School at Pocomoke 
 city, Worcester county, and St. Michael's, 
 Talbot county, Md. She is a lady of cul- 
 ture, and has prepared herself for teaching 
 and is a teacher in the High School at Tem- 
 peranceville, Va. 
 
 Franklin W. Byrd, only son and survivor 
 of twins of Colwell P. and Elizabeth A. 
 (Trader) Byrd, was born in Newtown, Wor- 
 cester county, Md., July 20th, 1859. He was 
 educated in the High School of his birth- 
 place, now Pocomoke city. Very early in 
 life, when a boy, his mind was turned toward 
 mercantile pursuits. In youth he engaged 
 in that business with a vim that characterizes 
 men of energy and push. For a few years 
 he was employed as clerk in a general mer- 
 chandise business; later he was employed as 
 
 84 
 
Franklin W. Byrd, 
 Pocomoke City, Md. 
 
traveling salesman with a wholesale grocery 
 house in Baltimore for several years. In 
 June, 1895, he accepted a position with a 
 large wholesale tobacco house, which posi- 
 tion he still holds. He is a stockholder and 
 also one of the directors of the Citizens 
 National Bank of Pocomoke city. 
 
 On February 20th, 1888, he was married 
 to Miss Elizabeth P. Johnson, the daughter 
 of Captain Hiram and Eliza Sebastian John- 
 son, of Westmoreland county, Virginia, in 
 the Episcopal Church at Stockton, Md., by 
 the rector, Rev. Mr. Batte, the pastor of the 
 bride. 
 
 Two interesting daughters are the result of 
 their union — Hallie Johnson Byrd, first 
 child, born in Pocomoke city, Md., Novem- 
 ber 18th, 1888. She was educated in her 
 home school and graduated there in 1905 
 with great credit to herself. She is an in- 
 teresting and accomplished young lady, and 
 has quite a talent for music and will take 
 a special course in that line of education. 
 S5 
 
Elizabeth Franklin, a bright and interest- 
 ing four-year-old girl, the second and young- 
 est daughter of Franklin W. and Elizabeth 
 P. (Johnson) Byrd, was born in Pocomoke 
 city on the eleventh day of December, 1905. 
 She is a child of promise. 
 
 Colwell P. Byrd's first wife, Elizabeth A. 
 (Trader) Byrd, was born October 10th, 1823, 
 married September 17th, 1854, died March 
 20th, 1885. He married his present wife, 
 Mary A. E. Parsons, of Seaford, Del., Sep- 
 tember 17th, 1890. 
 
 OBITUARY. 
 
 Words are inadequate to express the vir- 
 tues of so lovely a woman. Rich in love, be- 
 nevolence, good will, chaste in word, thought 
 and deed; without envy, hatred, or vanity, 
 she won the love and admiration of all who 
 knew her. Twenty-two years have passed 
 away since she died, but the roses that she 
 propagated in her life and transplanted by 
 her husband are still blooming on her grave. 
 
The place will soon be forgotten, but she 
 will live and adorn the race as long as there 
 are any to remember and imitate her vir- 
 tues. The following is her obituary written 
 by her pastor. 
 
 Mrs. Elizabeth A. Byrd — This excellent 
 lady, wife of Colwell P. Byrd, departed this 
 life on Friday morning, March the 20th, 
 1885, at 2 o'clock, about sixty-one years of 
 age. She had been sick some ten days or 
 more, but had not been regarded as serious- 
 ly ill until the day before her death. Her 
 trouble seems to have been of a kidney char- 
 acter which of late has become so common. 
 The death of this estimable woman has 
 thrown another dark shadow over this com- 
 munity over which so many have recently 
 passed in close succession; has sorely strick- 
 en another church, yet smarting from a re- 
 cent stroke; has made another home, in 
 which domestic bliss, wifely devotion, moth- 
 erly tenderness, and the graces of true friend- 
 87 
 
ship and sincere piety so long quietly 
 reigned, lonely, dreary and desolate. 
 
 Mrs. Byrd was long a resident of Poco- 
 moke City and was widely known in our 
 community. She was highly esteemed for 
 her noble personal qualities, her kindliness 
 of heart, her gentleness of disposition, her 
 readiness to befriend, to help to do good to 
 others. Few, perhaps, had more or sincerer 
 friends. She has been for years connected 
 with the Baptist Church here. Though not 
 one of its original members, she and her hus- 
 band, for years one of its worthy deacons, 
 early settled here after its organization and 
 at once identified themselves with it. From 
 its infancy to the day of her death was she 
 connected with its history. And how worthy 
 did she prove herself; how faithful and de- 
 voted to all its interests; how ready to en- 
 gage in every good work. How she will be 
 missed; how the church will miss her; how 
 the Ladies' Society in their enterprises will 
 miss her; how that stricken husband and 
 88 
 
f „ T 
 
 Mrs. Elizabeth A. Byrd (Mother), 
 Pocomoke City, Md. 
 
those devoted children will miss her. But 
 her work was done and the Master said 
 '•Come up higher." Her funeral services 
 were held on Sunday afternoon in the Bap- 
 tist Church, and though a violent snow storm 
 was prevailing at the time, a large congre- 
 gation of sympathizing friends was present. 
 Her remains now sleep quietly in the Bap- 
 tist Cemetery, but she has gone to live with 
 Christ. We will not weep as those who have 
 no hope. 
 
 Solomon Charles Boston. 
 
 Rachel Ann, third daughter and eighth 
 child of Johannas and Elana Byrd (nee 
 Cocke), was born August 8th, 1830. She 
 grew up to be an interesting young lady, al- 
 ways carrying sunshine with her cheerful 
 disposition, that characterized her short life. 
 She was a model of beauty. I don't think 
 Accomack county, Virginia, ever produced 
 a prettier face on a woman than the one she 
 wore. She was admired by both sexes of 
 those who knew her. 
 
In June, 1848, she was married to Thomas 
 H. Fisher, an industrious young farmer at 
 Messongo, Accomack county, Va. She died 
 of diphtheria about the 29th of November, 
 1851, and left one child, Martin D. Fisher, 
 who was born at Messongo, June 22d, 1849. 
 
 Mr. Fisher remained in his native county 
 a few years after the death of his wife. In 
 
 1855 he went to New Orleans and remained 
 there until the fall of that year. From there 
 he visited Audrain county, Missouri. In 
 
 1856 he returned to the Eastern Shore of 
 Virginia. After a short stay near his old 
 home, he took his son, Martin D., a seven 
 year old boy, and returned to Audrain coun- 
 ty, Missouri, and settled near the town of 
 Mexico in that county, and remained there 
 until his death, the date of which I have no 
 record. His son, Martin D. Fisher, grew up 
 and was educated in Audrain county, Mis- 
 souri, and in the twenty-fourth year of his 
 age he was married to Miss Jane D. Wilson 
 March 11th, 1873, in Audrain county, Mis- 
 
 90 
 
souri. To them have been born four sons : 
 First, Byrd Fisher, born in Audrain county. 
 Missouri, December 22. 1873, died April 
 19th, 1879; Francis Selby, the second son, 
 born also in Audrain county, Missouri, No- 
 vember 21th, 1876. After the birth of their 
 second son, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher visited the 
 Eastern Shore of Virginia, I think sometime 
 in 1877. After reaching his place of nativity 
 Mr. Fisher decided to remain, and taught 
 school several years, during which time their 
 third son, Ira Sidney Fisher, was born, in 
 Accomack county, Virginia, on the 19th day 
 of April, 1889. Soon after birth of their 
 third son, they concluded to go back to Mis- 
 souri again about the latter part of 1881. 
 And on the 22d of April. 1885, Willie Clay 
 Fisher, fourth and youngest son of Martin 
 D. and Jane D. Fisher (nee Wilson) was 
 born in Audrain county, Missouri, and died 
 there in infancy. 
 
 In the month of March. 1893, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Fisher returned with their two sons, Francis 
 91 
 
Selby and Ira Sidney, to Accomack county, 
 Virginia, located at Hallwood Station, and 
 continued there until 1905, when they moved 
 to Jamaica, N. Y., where they now reside. 
 
 Francis Selby Fisher, oldest son of Martin 
 D. and Jane D. Fisher, was married to Miss 
 Lillie Bertha Gray, in Accomack county, Vir- 
 ginia, October 25th, 1898. They have issue — 
 only daughter, Nellie Gray Fisher, born in 
 Accomack county, Virginia, on the 31st day 
 of March, 1900. They reside now in New 
 York city. 
 
 Ira Sidney, the youngest son, was married 
 to Miss Umstaddt March 28th, 1905, in 
 Mexico, Audrain county, Missouri, where 
 they now reside. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Fisher are both consistent 
 members of the Old School Baptist Church. 
 He and his two sons are descendants of the 
 Byrd family on the mother's side. They are 
 all carpenters by trade. 
 
 Mary F. Byrd, the youngest child of Jo- 
 hannes and Elana (Cocke) Byrd, was born 
 92 
 
f 
 
 johannas l. byrd 
 Oak Hall, Va. 
 
June 12th, 1833. She was married to Little- 
 ton T. Byrd, her cousin, in 1852. Three chil- 
 dren were the result of their union — First, 
 Olivia, born January, 1853, and died in in- 
 fancy; the second child (not named) also 
 died in infancy; Johannas L. Byrd, third 
 child and only son of Littleton T. and Mary 
 F. Byrd, was born January 7th, 1855. He 
 married Miss Elizabeth E. Parks, December 
 20th, 1876, the daughter of John and Katie 
 Parks, of Messongo, Accomack county, Va. 
 They have issue — Lillie Francis, first child, 
 born September 28th, 1877; second, Mary 
 Susan, born February 6th, 1880. She was 
 married to Mr. Oswald S. Mears November 
 4th, 1896. He is employed as agent for the 
 N. Y. P. & N. K. R. Co., and resides at 
 Bloomtown, Virginia. They have issue, two 
 children — first child, born November 21st, 
 1899, and died August 1st, 1900; second 
 child, Lee Kerns, born May 31st, 1902. 
 
 Third child of Johannas L. and Elizabeth 
 (Parks) Byrd, Otho Littleton, was born Feb- 
 93 
 
ruary 15th, 1883; fourth, Orris Sylvester, 
 born June 23, 1886 ; the fifth, James Milton, 
 was born October 28th, 1888; sixth, Nannie 
 Eliza, born January 17th, 1893; seventh, 
 ¥/alter Rhodes, was born November 23d, 
 1898. 
 
 Mr. Byrd is employed by the N. Y. P. & N. 
 R. R. Co. He and his wife reside at Oak 
 Hall, Accomack county, Va. 
 
 I am indebted to my nephew, Major Jack- 
 son Byrd, for a verbatim copy of his grand- 
 father's will, bearing date of September 23d, 
 1853, which is as follows: 
 
 "In the name of God, Amen. I, Johannas 
 Byrd, being of sound and perfect memory 
 (blessed be God) and being convinced of the 
 uncertainty of life and the necessity of a 
 preparation for death, do hereby make this 
 my last will in manner and form following, 
 and do revoke any and other wills heretofore 
 made by me. First and principally: I com- 
 mend my soul to God that gave it and my 
 body to be buried in such decent order as my 
 94 
 
executors, hereafter named, shall think meet 
 and convenient. And, as touching the dis- 
 position of my worldly estate as it hath 
 pleased God in his mercy to bestow upon 
 me. 
 
 Item First. I lend to my daughter Eliza- 
 beth the largest room in my dwelling house 
 during her single life and also fire-wood for 
 said room. 
 
 "Second. I give and bequeath to my son, 
 Jacob K. Byrd, the land whereon I now live 
 together with all the appurtenances thereto 
 belonging and bounded by a straight ditch 
 running from the county road easterly up 
 to land of Henry Young's heirs; to him, the 
 said Jacob K. Byrd, and his heirs forever. 
 
 "Third. I give and bequeath to my son, 
 Parker Byrd, the place on which said Parker 
 now lives, containing fifty acres, more or 
 less, and bounded as follows ; beginning at a 
 marked white oak between the heirs of Henry 
 Young, deceased, and said land running 
 northwesterly so as to make his woodland 
 95 
 
as wide where it joins the land of James 
 Northam as it is where it joins the land of 
 Henry Young's heirs, to him, the said Par- 
 ker Byrd, and heirs forever. 
 
 "Fourth. I give and bequeath to my son, 
 Samuel C. Byrd, residue or remainder of my 
 land, it being forty-seven and one-half acres, 
 more or less, to him and his heirs forever. 
 
 "Fifth. I give and bequeath to my daugh- 
 ter, Margaret, one bed and furniture, second 
 choice, and the chest that was her mother's. 
 
 "Sixth. I also authorize my son Parker 
 to hold in his possession my negro girl Sarah 
 and a reasonable hire for whom I require 
 said Parker to pay to my daughter Mar- 
 garet, but neither said negro or her hire is 
 to be subject to the control of said Mar- 
 garet's husband or in any wise liable for his 
 debts, and if said Margaret die before said 
 Parker, in that event I give said negro, 
 Sarah, to my said son Parker. 
 
 "Seventh. I give and bequeath my mgro 
 woman, Mary, and her increase if she have 
 96 
 
any after this time, also a bed and furni- 
 ture, the first choice, to my daughter Eliza- 
 beth. 
 
 "Eighth. I give and bequeath to my daugh- 
 ter. Polly, my negro, George, and bed and 
 furniture, third choice. 
 
 "Xinth. I give and bequeath to my son, 
 William T. Byrd, my negro boy, John, and 
 the whole of my carpenter and joiner's tools. 
 
 "Tenth. I give and bequeath to my son, 
 Colwell P. Byrd, his heirs or assigns, my 
 negro boy, Robert. 
 
 Also, I leave the remainder of my per- 
 sonal property to be sold and, after paying 
 my just debts, to be divided as follows: the 
 one-fourth to my daughter Elizabeth, one- 
 fourth to my daughter Polly, one-fourth to 
 my grandchildren John, Eliza, Alexander, 
 Washington, George and William Cutler. 
 And also one-fourth to my grandson Martin 
 Fisher. 
 
 ' k I hereby authorize my son, Jacob K. 
 Byrd, to retain the amount designed for the 
 97 
 
Cutler children and lay it out for their 
 schooling, unless necessity should otherwise 
 require it. 
 
 "If either of said Cutler children die be- 
 fore receiving his or her distributive share, 
 I give the portion designed for him or her 
 to the surviving ones. 
 
 "I require my sons Jacob, Parker and 
 Samuel to bear an equal proportion in feed- 
 ing and clothing my afflicted negro man, 
 Elijah, and when he dies to have him decent- 
 ly buried. 
 
 "I appoint my sons, Jacob K. and Parker 
 Byrd, my executors. In testimony whereof I 
 hereunto set my hand this, the twenty-third 
 day of September, in the year of our Lord, 
 eighteen hundred and fifty-three. 
 
 "Witness: Johannas Byrd. (Seal)." 
 Martin K. Kelly. 
 Sylvester J. Marshall. 
 John H. Custis. 
 
 Daniel T. Byrd, youngest son of Nathaniel 
 and Naomi (Watson) Byrd, was born Octo- 
 98 
 
ber 30th, 1785, and died at the old Byrd 
 homestead at Muddy Creek, Accomack coun- 
 ty, Va., on March 30th, 1846, where he had 
 spent all his life. He grew up on the farm 
 and devoted his entire life to that occupation. 
 He was married to Nancy Gillespie about 
 March, 1811. There were born to them two 
 children — 
 
 Nathaniel J. Byrd, the first child and only 
 son of Daniel T. and Nancy (Gillespie) 
 Byrd, was born at the old homestead Febru- 
 ary 8th, 1812. He grew up and was educated 
 in the ordinary school of his day, later he 
 acquired a knowledge of the carpenter's 
 trade and pursued that occupation for a few 
 years in his native State, after which, in the 
 early thirties, 1833 or 1834, he went to the 
 State of Missouri with a colony of young 
 men and women (mostly men). The com- 
 pany consisted of about thirty persons from 
 Worcester county, Maryland, and Acco- 
 mack county, Virginia. In that company 
 there was a newly married couple, Mr. Asa 
 99 
 
Merrill and his bride, who was Miss Ann 
 Aydelotte Mason. They used that opportu- 
 nity for their wedding tour. That company 
 all sailed together on board of a schooner 
 from Cedar Hall wharf, on the Pocomoke 
 river, in Worcester county, Maryland, to 
 Baltimore, as steamboats and railroads were 
 something unknown in that country at that 
 time. Arriving in Baltimore by sailboat, 
 from thence they took their tedious and 
 fatiguing journey to Missouri by stage. 
 
 When they reached their destination, they 
 dispersed to different parts of the State. Mr. 
 Merrill and his bride and Mr. Byrd settled 
 in Lafayette county, near the town of Lex- 
 ington, Missouri. Mr. Byrd pursued his 
 chosen occupation, the carpenter's trade, and 
 taught school at intervals — until the sum- 
 mer of 1835, at which time he returned to 
 his native home in Accomack county, Vir- 
 ginia, on a visit to his father and other rela- 
 tives, for a short period of time. Upon re- 
 turning to Missouri, later in the same year, 
 100 
 
he resumed his work at the carpenter's 
 bench. In the meantime it pleased God in 
 the allwise dispensation of His Providence 
 to remove, by death, Mr. Merrill, from his 
 new home and settlement in this life, to his 
 destiny beyond, leaving his young widow and 
 his orphan son, Levin H. Merrill. The date 
 of his birth, the writer does not know, but 
 probably it was some time in 1834, judging 
 from some other incidents that occurred in 
 that family of which I have been informed. 
 
 Mrs. Merrill remained a widow until about 
 the Autumn of 1837, when at that time she 
 again united in matrimony with Nathaniel 
 J. Byrd, mentioned above. Her son, Levin 
 H. Merrill, grew up to manhood and when 
 the war between the States came on he went 
 in the Confederate service and was killed in 
 Arkansas, leaving a widow and several chil- 
 dren. Mrs. Byrd was born in Worcester 
 county, Maryland, November 28th, 1808. She 
 was left an orphan at about eight years old 
 
 101 
 
and was raised by her uncle, a Presbyterian 
 preacher, who lived near Snow Hill. 
 
 She was first cousin to the late Col. Wil- 
 liam J. Aydelotte, of Pocomoke City, Md. 
 She was a lady of worthy reputation and 
 noble traits. I remember meeting Judge 
 James Merrill (who was a native of Wor- 
 cester county, Maryland, but had resided in 
 Lafayette county, Missouri, for many years) 
 in 1856 in Newtown, now Pocomoke City, 
 while on a visit to friends and relatives in 
 his native county, and, in answer to my in- 
 quiry for Nathaniel J. Byrd he told me that 
 he was well acquainted with him and his 
 family. 
 
 Mrs. Byrd, who was the widow of Asa 
 Merrill, who was born in Worcester county, 
 Maryland, (date of birth not known) and 
 died in Lexington, Mo., about the year 1835, 
 had, by her second marriage with Nathaniel 
 J. Byrd, seven children, whose names are as 
 follows : 
 
 Asa Nathaniel, first son of Nathaniel J. 
 
 102 
 
and Ann Aydelotte Byrd, was born July 
 12th, 1838, at Lexington, Mo. He was edu- 
 cated in the country schools and in 1855 he 
 became a member of the United Baptist 
 Church. In 1860 he entered The William 
 Jewell College at Liberty, Mo., as a student 
 for the gospel ministry, from which place he 
 received the degree A. B. and the degree A. 
 M. He was ordained to the full work of the 
 gospel ministry on the sixth day of March, 
 1864, by the Second Baptist Church of Lib- 
 erty, Mo. The council was composed of Wil- 
 liam Thompson, president of William Jewell 
 College, Edward J. Owen, professor of Wil- 
 liam Jewell College, Thomas H. Stouts, pro- 
 fessor of William Jewell College, J. B. 
 Tombes, president of Woman's College, W. 
 C. Barrett, pastor, W. J. Patrick. 
 
 The Rev. Asa N. Byrd spent his life work 
 in the gospel ministry within the bounds of 
 the North Liberty Baptist Association, which 
 was organized at New Hope Baptist Church, 
 Clay county, Mo., in 1844, where he was 
 103 
 
highly complimented at their jubilee cele- 
 bration, held in 1894, by Dr. W. R. Roth- 
 well, the principal speaker of that occasion, 
 who said if he was called upon to name the 
 minister who has been pastor of more 
 churches, who had conducted more funeral 
 services, and married more couples than any 
 one minister in that Association, he would 
 name the tenor-voiced Asa N. Byrd. 
 
 He was married June 21st, 1866, to Miss 
 Sallie E. Pemberton, of near Piatt city, Piatt 
 county, Mo., who (the writer has been in- 
 formed) was a lady of high attainments and 
 an efficient helpmeet to her husband in his 
 ministerial work for nearly forty years. Her 
 Heavenly Father took her from her work on 
 earth to her reward in Heaven in the fall 
 of 1904, leaving her bereaved husband (now 
 a retired Baptist preacher, and living about 
 one and a half miles from Liberty, Mo.), 
 with his two noble and accomplished daugh- 
 ters, Mattie and Annie, to bless his home, 
 
 104 
 
both of whom are graduates of the Woman's 
 College of Liberty. 
 
 The second birth was that of William 
 Daniel T. and twin sister, Mary Ann, born 
 about 1840 (the exact date of birth un- 
 known). William grew up to manhood. He 
 was by profession a photographer. He mar- 
 ried young and died childless. 
 
 Mary Ann, the twin sister, grew up to 
 womanhood, married a Mr. Offut, and died 
 childless. The third, Sarah Rebecca, who 
 grew up to womanhood with brilliant intel- 
 lect, was a teacher of promise and died un- 
 married in the twenty-second year of her age. 
 
 The fifth child, Demmeria, was born at 
 Lexington, Mo., (date of birth not known). 
 She grew up to womanhood and married 
 John Barton, a farmer near Springfield, Mo. 
 They have a family of several children and 
 now reside in Arkansas. 
 
 Ayres M., the youngest son, who is a 
 dealer in pianos and musical instruments, 
 lives at 426 Topping avenue, Kansas City, 
 105 
 
Mo. He has one son, Leslie, with whom the 
 writer corresponded a few times several 
 years ago. 
 
 Fannie, the youngest child of Nathaniel J. 
 and Ann A. (Merrill) Byrd, (nee Mason), 
 was born at Odessa, Mo., (the exact date of 
 birth unknown, but is supposed to have been 
 about 1848). She was educated in her home 
 school in Odessa, and in early life was mar- 
 ried to Mr. W. T. Thomason, a teacher. They 
 remained in Missouri several years after 
 their marriage, but subsequently moved to 
 Fayetteville, Ark., with their two daughters, 
 where they now reside. Their eldest daugh- 
 ter, Demma, died several years ago, unmar- 
 ried. Annie, the youngest daughter, mar- 
 ried a Mr. Dunlap (date of marriage un- 
 known). He is a graduate of Effingham 
 School of Photography, Illinois. They lived 
 in Fayetteville after their marriage until 
 July, 1907, when they moved to Clifton, Ariz. 
 They have two children, who, with their 
 
 106 
 
mother, are descendants of the Byrd family 
 of Accomack county, Virginia. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel J. Byrd both lived 
 to a ripe old age. Mrs. Byrd was a consis- 
 tent member of the Presbyterian Church for 
 a number of years, but afterward became a 
 Baptist, and at the age of sixty years she 
 was enrolled as a charter member of Mt. 
 Hope Baptist Church, now of Odessa, Mo., 
 where she died on March 10th, 1885, at the 
 age of seventy-five years. She preceded her 
 husband in death about nineteen years. He 
 died in Springfield, Mo., in January, 1904, 
 at the advanced age of ninety-two years. 
 
 Demmeria, the only daughter of Daniel T. 
 and Nancy Byrd (nee Gillespie), was born 
 at the old Byrd homestead about August, 
 1813. She was married to George P. Byrd, 
 a worthy young man and farmer, about the 
 spring of 1836. They lived about half a mile 
 from her birthplace. The result of their 
 union was four children. 
 
 Betsy Poulson Byrd, their first child, was 
 107 
 
born probably in the early part of 1838. She 
 died in childhood. I cannot record the date 
 of the births of the other three children. De- 
 catur Franklin was the second child. He 
 lived to middle age and died unmarried. 
 
 Osborne, the third child, lived nearby his 
 birthplace until he arrived at manhood and 
 then went to a dental school and studied 
 that profession. Later on he went to Indian 
 Territory, and practiced his profession. 
 There he married a half-breed Indian lady, 
 who is said to be a very fine woman, settled 
 there, and had issue. I have met his two 
 daughters, who visited Accomack county, 
 Virginia, their father's native county. 
 
 Susan, the fourth child of George P. and 
 Demmeria Byrd, is unmarried and lives with 
 her brother in Indian Territory. 
 
 Daniel T. Byrd's children of his second 
 marriage with Rhoda Riggin, in 1814, are as 
 follows: Daniel T., Jr., first child, son of 
 Daniel T. and Rhoda (Riggin) Byrd, was 
 born at Muddy Creek, in the old Byrd home- 
 108 
 
stead, February 17th, 1815. He grew up to 
 manhood and learned the carpenter's trade. 
 In 1839 he went to New York and pursued 
 his chosen occupation for about ten years, 
 during which time he married and settled in 
 Williamsburg, then a suburban town of New 
 York. During his stay in that locality his 
 wife died and left him with three children, 
 one of them I had the pleasure of meeting in 
 1846 at her grandfather's in Accomack coun- 
 ty, Virginia, an interesting little girl of 
 about six years. In 1848 he united again in 
 matrimony with Miss Susan Fisher, of 
 Accomack county, Virginia, and in the lat- 
 ter part of 1819 he moved to California with 
 his family in search of gold, and soon after 
 we lost all trace of him and family. 
 
 Samuel, the second son, was born about 
 June, 1817. He married Mrs. Elizabeth Byrd 
 (nee Taylor), in December, 1816. The result 
 of their union was one child, Sally, the only 
 daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Byrd, who 
 was born about the latter part of 1817 (the 
 109 
 
exact date of birth unknown). Mr. Byrd 
 was a farmer, devoted his life to that occu- 
 pation and died in the fall of 1852. 
 
 Obed S. Byrd, the third son of Daniel T. 
 and Rhoda Byrd, was born September 12th, 
 1819, and died at the old homestead place 
 August 25th, 1876. He was a farmer and 
 pursued that calling all his life. He mar- 
 ried Miss Hetty Mears in 1853, the daughter 
 of Thomas and Katie Mears, of Guilford, 
 Accomack county, Va. They had issue. 
 
 Florence Neil, the oldest child (daughter) 
 on the family record of Obed S. and Hetty 
 (Mears) Byrd, was born February 11th, 
 1857. 
 
 Daniel Harmanson, the second child (son) 
 was born October 8th, 1859. Rhoda Ann C, 
 the third child, was born February 8th, 1862. 
 She was married to James T. Smith, May 
 31st, 1882. They reside on the homestead 
 place at Muddy Creek, Va. Warren L., the 
 fourth child, was born November 7th, 1864. 
 Thomas Woodson, the fifth and youngest 
 110 
 
child of Obed S. and Hetty (Mears) Byrd, 
 was born March 21st, 1875. The children 
 of Obed S. Byrd all live near the place of 
 their birth. 
 
 Littleton T., the fourth child of Daniel T. 
 and Rhoda Byrd, was born April 22d, 1821, 
 and died in 1855. He left a widow and one 
 child. Emeline, the oldest daughter of 
 Daniel T. and Rhoda Byrd, was born March 
 the 16th, 1823, and died unmarried about the 
 year 1860. 
 
 Eliza, the youngest daughter, was born 
 March 9th, 1826. She married Alfred Rig- 
 gin, her cousin, in 1852, and died childless 
 in October, 1851. 
 
 Riley Franklin Byrd, the youngest child 
 of Daniel T. and Rhoda Byrd (nee Riggin) 
 was born February 10th, 1830. He was edu- 
 cated in the best schools in Accomack county, 
 Virginia. He studied surveying and naviga- 
 tion, acquired a knowledge of these two stu- 
 dies and later on studied medicine, but never 
 practiced it. He was of a roving disposi- 
 lil 
 
tion, and having no fixed purpose he took to 
 the sea and followed that course of life for a 
 while. He then abandoned that pursuit, be- 
 gan teaching for a livelihood, and taught 
 school all along the Atlantic States, from 
 Georgia to Nova Scotia, and late in his life 
 he returned to his native State and taught 
 until the time of his death in December, 
 1904, and was buried in the old family grave- 
 yard with his parents at Muddy Creek, Acco- 
 mack county, Va. 
 
 The author of the preceding genealogy 
 feels painfully aware that he has come far 
 from compiling a perfect history of this 
 branch of the worthy family of whom he has 
 endeavored to make a record, and having, as 
 aforesaid, made diligent research among the 
 archives at the county seat of Accomack 
 county, Virginia, and not being able to find 
 any records that give satisfactory informa- 
 tion of the exact time of settlement in the 
 locality named, we find it necessary to fol- 
 low tradition, which has already been quoted. 
 112 
 
Furthermore, there is a tradition which says 
 that two men named Byrd came to the Eas- 
 tern Shore in the early part of 1700 from the 
 Western Shore of Virginia (the exact place 
 whence they came is not known to the 
 writer) and found their way up the Poco- 
 moke Sound. One of tnese men, whose name 
 was Nathaniel Byrd, located on Muddy 
 Creek, in Accomack county, Ya., about that 
 time. The other man, of whose first name we 
 are not positive, settled in the southern part 
 of Somerset county, Maryland, near the 
 place where the town of Crisfield is now 
 built. By recent search in the clerk's office 
 at Princess Anne, Somerset county, Md., I 
 find that the records of deeds and wills at 
 that place show that David Byrd willed prop- 
 erty in that county to his daughter, Eliza 
 Byrd, in 1722, which corresponds quite au- 
 thentically to the time of the settlement of 
 that branch of the Byrd family which set- 
 tled at Muddy Creek, Accomack county, Va. 
 Also the records at the same place show 
 
 113 
 
that Joseph Byrd deeded legacies to his wife, 
 Arabella Byrd, on the first day of August, 
 1739. I also find that the same records at 
 Princess Anne show that Arabella Byrd 
 willed property in Somerset county, Mary- 
 land, on July 19th, 1745. 
 
 The will of Thomas Byrd, on record and 
 registered among the wills and deeds at 
 Princess Anne, Somerset county, Md., bear- 
 ing date 1747, show that he willed his prop- 
 erty, to be equally divided among his six 
 children, viz: Elizabeth Sterling, Hannah 
 Wilson, Jacob Byrd, Rachel Byrd, Betsy 
 Byrd and Polly Byrd. The above dates cor- 
 respond very closely to the traditional ac- 
 counts of the Byrd family of Muddy Creek, 
 Va., and the names mentioned here bear a 
 very close resemblance to some of the names 
 of that branch of the family and almost con- 
 clusively verify the authenticity of their 
 record. 
 
 There were other Byrds who settled in the 
 locality of Muddy Creek subsequently to the 
 114 
 
time of the first settlers, of whom the writer 
 has made no record. They may have been 
 slightly relatd, but it is only of his own im- 
 mediate ancestry that the author has writ- 
 ten. And just here he will mention some of 
 their customs and manners of life. They 
 were of English origin, and doubtless they 
 and the generations which have followed 
 them have all come down in a line of de- 
 scent from Col. William Byrd, who came 
 from England in 1670, and settled at West- 
 over, on the James river, in Virginia. 
 
 I will now use this space in which to re- 
 late an incident that occurred in the life 
 of Colonel Byrd, which has been furnished 
 me by a lady who is a native of Virginia. On 
 one occasion he was on a visit to Governor 
 Spotswood, of Virginia, and, among the other 
 pets which the Governor had at home, was a 
 beautiful fawn. While the company was 
 seated at the dinner table, at which Colonel 
 Byrd was the guest of honor, the fawn came 
 up and, looking through an open window, 
 115 
 
saw reflected in the large mirror, hanging on 
 the opposite wall, its picture. Thinking it 
 another deer, the fawn made a dart through 
 the window and crashed into the mirror, 
 also the china from which the dinner was 
 being served, making quite a scene and one 
 long to be remembered by those present. 
 Surely it was quite a memorable visit for 
 Colonel Byrd to the Governor of Virginia. 
 
 The following is an extract taken from an 
 article by Alice Broaddus Mitchell in "Kind 
 Words," published in Nashville, Tenn. : 
 
 "It has been said that the primitive Vir- 
 ginians were not such readers as the Puri- 
 tans, but there is sufficient reason to believe 
 from what has been learned of the prominent 
 men of Colonial times that they were highly 
 cultured in those days. And in what we 
 gather from this we find a very noticeable 
 feature in the character and life of Colonel 
 Byrd. So far as we have been able to learn 
 of him he must have cherished a great fond- 
 ness for culture and literature, from the fact 
 116 
 
William Byrd Northam, Jr., Esq. 
 Chester, Pa. 
 
that he had in his home at Westover a solid 
 library that numbered nearly 4,000 volumes.'' 
 And still there remains to this time high 
 aspirations in the minds of many of the de- 
 scendants of that worthy name, that move 
 them in the pursuit of culture and useful 
 callings in life. The writer has in mind 
 some of the offspring of that family of Byrds 
 of Muddy Creek, Accomack county, Va., of 
 whom he has endeavored to give a brief ac- 
 count. 
 
 The following are a few of the names 
 which are worthy of mention : Hon. John R. 
 Rew and his brother, I. Harry Rew. They 
 are both prominent lawyers and practice in 
 the courts of Accomack. Their mother was 
 Cynthia E. Byrd, born at Muddy Creek, in 
 the homestead of her grandfather, Parker 
 Byrd. They are the fourth generation of 
 said Parker Byrd of 1769, on the mother's 
 side of the family. Also William Byrd 
 Northam, Jr., of Chester, Pa., who is a 
 young lawyer of promise and practices his 
 117 
 
profession in that city. His grandmother 
 was Margaret Byrd, and his maternal great- 
 grandfather was Johannas Byrd, of 1777, in 
 Accomack county, Virginia. The Rev. Asa 
 N. Byrd, an eminent Baptist minister of Lib- 
 erty, Clay county, Mo. He is of the third 
 generation from Daniel T. Byrd, of 1785, at 
 the old Byrd homestead of Muddy Creek, Va. 
 These men, having a purpose in view to ele- 
 vate their fellow man socially and relig- 
 iously, with many other of their kindred, 
 who are pursuing honorable vocations in the 
 business world, are of this branch of the 
 Byrd family of Muddy Creek, Va. 
 
 The writer has learned from parental and 
 ancestral information that this branch of the 
 Byrd family was a sturdy and valorous peo- 
 ple, quite domestic in their habits, of up- 
 right integrity, true in their principles and 
 of honest dealings. They were not wealthy, 
 neither were any of them poor. They lived 
 on their own resources, had plentiful sup- 
 plies for all their demands and met their ob- 
 118 
 
Rev. Asa N. Byrd 
 Liberty, Mo. 
 
ligations faithfully. They were mostly farm- 
 ers and lived on their own farms. They were 
 not selfish people but were always ready to 
 show kindness to each other in doing 
 neighborly favors in alternate turns. Their 
 social life was of the most friendly manner. 
 
 Well does the writer call to memory the 
 good old days, as far back as three score and 
 ten years, how their social life at that time 
 corresponded with the information that he 
 had of their primitive customs as they would 
 gather at his father's house for an evening's 
 pleasure. The company would be seated in 
 semi-circle around the spacious room before 
 a large open fire-place, with a blazing fire 
 in view. The women would be picking the 
 seeds from the cotton, knitting or doing 
 some other needed work, preparatory to the 
 making of useful apparel, and enjoy talking 
 about their geese, turkeys and other house- 
 hold affairs, while the men would be engaged 
 in speaking of their ordinary interests or dis- 
 cussing some political matter concerning the 
 119 
 
great Henry Clay or Daniel Webster or of 
 some other worthy statesman, until a proper 
 leaving time, and after participating in eat- 
 ing apples or sweet potatoes roasted by the 
 big fire, before which they had spent the 
 evening, and enjoying a glass of sweet cider 
 they would bid adieu and go to their homes, 
 all feeling that they had spent a delightful 
 evening. Such were the pleasant times in 
 which our ancestors lived. 
 
 I do not know that they entertained any 
 political sentiment in their former days ex- 
 cept that they regarded themselves subject to 
 the English crown, until the war, declared by 
 the thirteen United Colonies against Great 
 Britian for their national liberty — The Revo- 
 lutionary War. Then, as I have been in- 
 formed, they co-operated with their own 
 loved America in assisting to obtain their 
 freedom from a tyrannical government. 
 There were no Tories among them. They all 
 adopted the true Whig principles, were loyal 
 citizens of their loved country, and their 
 
 120 
 
political sentiments ran down with the old 
 line Whig party until it became extinct about 
 the year 1854, when it was abandoned. 
 
 Their mode of religious worship, as I have 
 learned, was of the Established Church of 
 England until about the latter part of the 
 ISth century, and as the churches in those 
 days were so sparsely located, the worship- 
 ers very probably rendered much of their de- 
 votional service to Almighty God at their 
 homes. I have seen my good old grand- 
 mother's prayer book, read prayers from it in 
 my boyhood days and found therein con- 
 tained some of the most excellent devotional 
 sentiment. I have also in my possession at 
 this time a volume of the Rev. Mr. Yorik's 
 sermons, a very old book, printed in the old 
 fashion type which is quite difficult for young 
 readers of these days to understand. I am 
 quite sure that my grandmother read these 
 sermons from that old book when it was not 
 convenient for her to attend the public wor- 
 ship. 
 
 121 
 
It was soon after the beginning of the 
 Revolutionary War that this Byrd family be- 
 gan to change their former religious views. 
 On the fourth day of July, 1776, as I have 
 been informed, a Baptist minister, by the 
 name of Elijah Baker, came from the Wes- 
 tern Shore of Virginia and located near the 
 head of Old Plantation Creek, in North- 
 ampton county, Eastern Shore, Va., and 
 preached the Gospel there, instructing the 
 people in Baptist views as he had received 
 them from the New Testament, and contin- 
 ued to preach all along this peninsula from 
 the Capes of Virginia as far as Salisbury, 
 which at that time was in Worcester county, 
 Maryland, now Wicomico county, founded 
 several churches along the lower part of the 
 Peninsula and suffered bitter persecution for 
 promulgating his religious views. He was 
 fined and imprisoned in the county jail at 
 Drummond Town, in Accomack county, Va., 
 the same old historic jail that was built sev- 
 eral hundred years ago, still remains there 
 122 
 
to this day and is yet used for a prison. The 
 writer visited this old romantic building in 
 January, 1907, and found it a very ancient 
 and gloomy looking place. It was there that 
 this man of God was punished and forbidden 
 to preach the Gospel under heavy penalty, 
 which was placed upon him, and other severe 
 trials that he endured, but like the old ser- 
 vant of God, he did not let any of these 
 things move him, not being daunted by the 
 hindrances that he found in his way, he bold- 
 ly and faithfully preached the gospel wher- 
 ever he could get hearers. 
 
 I have been informed that during the sum- 
 mer of 1777 he preached in a grove near the 
 head of Muddy Creek in Accomack county, 
 Va., held religious meetings there and bap- 
 tized a number of converts, among whom was 
 Naomi Byrd, the writer's grandmother, in 
 that stream of water, and which is still used 
 for the administration of that ordinance and 
 where now stands a large and influential 
 123 
 
Baptist church. From about that time the 
 Byrd family of Muddy Creek accepted the 
 Baptist views of Christianity and many of 
 them still hold on to their faith, though 
 many of their descendants have accepted the 
 views of the Methodist, of both branches of 
 that church, and worship with those denomi- 
 nations, while some of them may belong to 
 other Protestant denominations. I never 
 knew but one Catholic in this branch of the 
 Byrd family. 
 
 Much more might be said of this worthy 
 family, but from the jottings we have ob- 
 tained we learn that, though there may be 
 retrogrades, as is the case in almost all fami- 
 lies, we notice that they were among the 
 noted worthies that graced the soil of Vir- 
 ginia, and many of their numerous descen- 
 dants are now living in quite a number of the 
 States of the Union. 
 
 Since the author of this work began his 
 effort (January, 1907) to produce this brief 
 124 
 
genealogy and history, he has received many 
 kind words of approval and appreciation 
 from members of the family in different parts 
 of the country, also many expressions of 
 desire that the issue might be a success, coup- 
 led with a desire to obtain a copy of the 
 book. But from the fact that only the Byrd 
 family is expected to be interested in its 
 history, my receipts may fall short of the 
 outlay in money for its publication, aside 
 from the large amount of time and labor ex- 
 pended on it. For this I have no regrets, for 
 it has been a labor of love on my part and 
 it is an inexpressible satisfaction to me that 
 I have dug up from obscurity, as it were, 
 and put in desirable form, a history of the 
 family, that can be perused by the present 
 generation and handed down to those who 
 follow after us. I trust it has tended to 
 draw the family much nearer together and 
 has aroused an increased interest in family 
 history and genealogy that will influence the 
 125 
 
family, in future, to keep better records, etc., 
 in all of which I feel that I have my reward. 
 
 Colwell P. Byrd. 
 
 Pocomoke City, Md., January, 1908. 
 
D01 139368V