MARY BEDENT (BEDIENT)
THE STORY AS I KNOW IT
Mary Bedient was born about 1682, probably in
Connecticut . Her parents were Thomas
Bedient and Mary Osborne.
From a Bedient descendant
The original Bedent story known to our family is of the widow, Mary Bedent. She sailed from Staines, England to Massachusetts with her sons; Morgan, Thomas, John and Mordecai. They came to the colony to claim an estate left her by her brother, John Barnard. He died in Hadley, Mass in 1664.
This story comes from Baird, Bard Beard Families by Fermire Catchings, in the chapter on Scotch Bairds. It goes on to state that Thomas wed Mary and moved to Fairfield, Conn. He died intestate in Fairfield county, CN and Mary was his administratrix in 1698.
Mary Osborne Bedient, the widow, reported back to
the Court in Fairfield Ct on July 21, 1699 that
distribution had been ordered to one son and six
daughters, all under age. The children we can name are
Mary Bedent born about 1682
Grace Bedent born about 1690 wed John Segar
in 1713
John Bedent born May 28, 1695
There were many Osbornes in Fairfield County. It is on the Long Island Sound just west of Bridgeport. Mary O. Bedient continued in Fairfield County until at least August of 1730. She did not remarry.
Thomas' twin brother Morgan was living in Monmouth County NJ. At least the Cathcings book states Morgan died there, but no date is given. If we assume he is living there in 1698, it could have been understandable for his niece to visit or move there
That would put our young Mary in Monmouth County to meet John Baird and marry him about 1699.
There are a number of histories that refer to John Baird, early Scot immigrant to NJ. They all say he married a second time to Mary Bedent and that she is mother to his children. There seems to be no documentation of their marriage. However, the first known child of John's was born in 1700. So we will assume that John married Mary Bedent about 1699.
John and Mary Baird had at least five sons. They
probably had daughters, which have not been noted in the
histories. The sons were:
1. Andrew Baird born 1700, wed Sarah and
died in Monmouth Ct 1773
2. John Baird Jr. born 1707,
wed Avis Bowne, died in
Monmouth 1747.
3. David Baird born 1710, wed Sarah Compton,
died in Monmouth 1801
4. William Baird born 1713, wed Tabitha,
died 1793 died in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.
5. Zebulon Baird born 1720 wed Anna Smith
and died in Monmouth 1804
Rachel Baird wed Daniel Logan of Monmouth on October 24, 1747. From the NJ Archives marraige records. She could be a daughter of John and Mary or a granddaughter.
There is mention of Mary Baird Sr, wife of John, in the church activities in 1734 and 1736. History of Old Tennent by Symmes. Nothing more seems to be known of her.
John Baird Jr. died in 1747 and was buried in the old Topenemus Cemetery. It was on the site of the original St. Peter's Episcopal Church. When his father John Baird Sr. died 8 years later, he too was buried there. The cemetery no longer exists. We assume that Mary Bedent Baird was buried there also. BAIRD, BRANDON, CONNELLY and LOCKE, Families of Western North Carolina and Their Descendants by Billie Ann McDonald Goldwire/1992 (privately printed)
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Doc; gbbed010.html
Date created: 3/29/2001
Date edited 7/6/2016