ZEBULON BAIRD
THE STORY AS I KNOW IT
Zebulon Baird was born January 28, 1744. He was born
in Monmouth, New Jersey. His parents were John
Baird and Avis Bowne. Much of
this information is from The Chronicle, Nov 1980 issue, article
BAIRD-BARTON
HOUSE AND FAMILIES. The Chronicle is the newsletter for the Mt.
Juliet-West
Wilson Historical Society of Wilson County, Tennessee. The family
she wrote
of had settled in Monmouth County NJ. The family had lots of Johns and
Zebulons.
They were very active in the community and served in the Revolutionary
War.
Zebulon married Lydia Hildreth on April 1, 1765. The Lyle Collection in the Monmouth County, NJ Historical Society gives his wedding date as April 11, 1762.
Very little is known about Lydia. She was born about 1740 but her parents are unknown, as is her place of birth.
The Revolutionary Census of New Jersey by K. Stryker-Rodden show there was a Zebulon Baird in Freehold, Monmouth County 1778 – 1780. There were other Zebulons, but this Zebulon was the only one of fighting age. The other known two were 14 and 68 years old.
However, there are Rowan County NC court documents which were signed by Zebulon and Lydia. This strongly suggest that they left NJ before 1778. A part of Rowan County became Wilkes County.
Zebulon difinitely migrated south with his family, stopping
for time in Virginia, North
Carolina, and then to Tennessee.
In
1782
his daughter Sarah
Baird married William
Henry Blackburn in Fairfax county, Virginia. We assume that
Zebulon was in that area at that time. William
Blackburn served in the Continental Army from 1776 -1779. He
headed west in 1781, seeking adventure. At Pittsburgh he
volunteered and guarded public
stores there for 7 months. It is possible that he met Zebulon Baird
during the
war.
There are apprently deeds with Zebulon and Lydia's signature in Rowan County NC. They
most likely predate the following deeds in Wilkes County. Part of Rowan
County became Qilkes County in 1780. I have no
specific information about the Rowan County time. If you do, let
me know the details. I'll be glad to add it to the story.
The NC State Census 1784-1787 places Zebulon Baird in Wilkes County in Captain Thomas Farguson’s District. The Goodspeed History of Tennessee Counties places Zebulon in Wilson County on the headwaters of Stoner Lick Creek in 1799.
The family tradition stated that the Blackburns, Bairds, McChesneys and Asherst moved together with their families to North Carolina and then Tennessee and finally Caldwell County Kentucky. Their paths must have crossed and one family may have encouraged another to move on to the next spot. However, a study of the census records shows the families in different spots. In 1790 the Blackburn and Baird families were in Wilkes County NC. The Ashersts and McChesneys were in Surry County NC just to the east of Wilkes. The Ashersts moved to western Kentucky as early as 1797. The Blackburns or Bairds before those families moved to Caldwell county Kentucky nearly 20 years later. They may have known each other though. More understanding of the history of those western NC counties may shed light on how neighbors related to one another.
The 1784-1787 Wilkes Ct, NC Census shows the Zebulon Baird
family to have:
2 males 21-60
7 males under 21
5 females
The 1790 Wilkes county, North Carolina Census shows the
Zebulon Baird family to have:
3 males at or over 16 years old
4 males under 16 years old
5 females
no slaves
In April 1788 Zebulon Baird
bought 190 acres from William Isaacs
in Wilkes County for
200 pounds. The land lay on both sides of the Elk River.
It
was
witnessed by Brent Baird
and Andrew Baird. Wilkes County Deed Book B, page 399.
According to Abstracts of Wilkes
County Land Grant Files # 919 Zebulon Baird received
Grant No. 916 dated May 18, 1789 for 300 acres of land on the Head of
Howards Creek adjoining the County line. Recorded in Book no. 72, page 178. It
further sates that the Chain Carriers were Jno Baird and John Morison, Surveyed by William Johnson.
In 1790 Zebulon Baird
bought 210 acres from Andrew Tate
for 240 pounds. It was located in Wilkes County on the Yadkin River
at the mouth of Baker's Creek to "the top of the
mountain". Wilkes County Deed,
Book B1 page 212. I have a copy of the deed.
Both the Blackburns and Bairds lived in Wilkes County in
1790. Zebulon Baird then moved
his family to Wilson County,
Tennessee in 1799. The Blackburns
were there by 1808 when Zebulon
bought land from William Blackburn.
It
also
notes that Andrew and David
Baird, sons of Zebulon
purchased 340 acres in 1812 from their Dad. Andrew lived in a house that stood
on a hill above the Ben Franklin Lake. The Baird Cemetery
was near the house. Ben
Franklin
Lake is just south of Rt. 40 near Rutland
The Chronicle, Nov. 1980 Issue, the Newsletter of the
Mt. Juliet – West Wilson Historical Society has an article entitled
Baird-Barton House and Families. This article gives the history
of Zebulon Baird and his family. It lists his children to be
1. Sarah (Sally) Baird born about 1762 or
5, wed William Blackburn 1782, and died in 1826 in Wilson
County.
2. William Baird born about 1766, died 1816. His 8 children
moved to KY
3. John Baird
4. Zebulon Baird Jr., born about 1780, wed Clara Hunt in
1807
5. Eleanor (Nellie) Baird wed Stephen Barton in 1807
6. Andrew Baird born about 1786, wed Martha Hunt in
1814, Clara’s sister
7. Betty Baird wed a Smartt
8. Lydia Baird
9. David Baird born about 1788, wed Mary Wynn Avery
10. unnamed
daughter. This is probably Annie
Baird who married Jacob
Spickard about 1805, probably in Wilson Ct. Tennessee. The
descendants of this couple continue there to this day.
11. Joseph is listed in
some souces.
The lists vary. The 1784 list suggests 8 sons, 1790 suggests 2 sons were on their own, but the list of children have 5 sons, and 5 daughters. It was not uncommon for children, even in their 20s to die of accident or illness or the census may be wrong.
Zebulon died June 30, 1826
according to the DAR Patriot Index. His son Andrew was buried in the Baird Cemetery, but we do
not know where his father was buried. The Index noted he was a "PS in
North Carolina". It is not known when Lydia
his wife died or where she is buried.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
If you know the answer please CONTACT US
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Date Last Edited: 11/26/2010