BIRD-L Archives

From: Johnson Sherry <>
Subject: [BIRD-L] Re: BIRD-D Digest V01 #105
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 22:30:47 -0700 (PDT)
In-Reply-To: <200110151202.f9FC2CO29671@lists5.rootsweb.com>

I can offer help on a couple of these.

> From:
> To:
> Subject: [BIRD-L] William Bird and Bridgetta Huling
> - of Birdsboro, PA
>
> I would appreciate anyone who can help me find
> additional info/sources to
> prove or disprove the following 7 William Bird
> Connections:

> WBC#3 - Andrew Huling moved to VA one mile from
> Andrew Bird.

Source: Chalkley, Lyman, Chronicles of the
Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia,
http://moon.ouhsc.edu/rbonner/AUGUSTA.HTM.

Deed Book 14, p. 518, 17 May 1768
John Blizard and Ruth to Andrew Hulings, 20., between
Bird land and Smith's Creek, part of 400 acres
patented by Swan Rambo, corner of old patent and John
Phillips; Andrew Bird's line; 30 acres. Teste: Andrew
Bird, John Phillips, Edward Sampson. Delivered:
Andrew Hulings, May 1773.

3 May 1768
John Blizard and Ruth to Frederick Zircle of Frederick
Co., 250 on Smiths Creek; corner Andrew Bird, line
of John Phillips, 400 acres (except 50 acres surveyed
off for Jacob Rambo, the plat whereof followeth John
Phillips land,which is conveyed by Andrew Bird to
Jacob) as also said Blizard doth, except a parcel
bounded, Viz; Patent line and Bird's line; 30 acres
conveyed to Andrew Hulings above. Teste: Andrew Bird,
Phillip Herbern, Edward Sampson, Delivered: Ludwick
Zircle, May 1770.

16 May 1768
Andrew Bird and Mary to Andrew Hulings, 35, between
Smiths Creek and the mountain; corner of John Phillips
& Swain Rambo, 186 acres. Teste: John Blizard, Jno.
Phillips. Del: Andrew Hulings, May 1773.

Will Book 4, p. 288 21 Mar 1770
John Dilling's appraisment (by Andrew Huling; Lewis
Circle; Jacob Rambo), recorded."


> WBC#4 - Bird Va Iron Forge connection to Abraham
> Bird.

The following records show the connection of several
of Andrew Bird's (the immigrant to the Shenandoah
Valley) descendants to the family's iron-making
business. It would appear that Mounce Bird built Pine
Forge as there was no reference to a forge in the deed
from Harrison and Strother to Bird in 1777.

SOURCE: Shenandoah County, VA Deed Books
[p. 40]
p. F-90, 29 June 1786
Between MOUNCE BYRD & CLAIR his wife of Shanando
county to DERK PENNYBACKER & BENJAMIN FAWCETT of Co.
aforesaidconsideration of Three hundred & fifty
poundsTract of land lying on Smiths Creek whereon now
the mill stands & part of the forge being the same
tract of Land the said Mounce purchased of BURR
HARRISON & WILLIAM STROTHERin the edge of GEORGE
HARRISON's meadowCorner to MOUNCE BYRD landIncluding
the said mills & about three acres of Land
Wit: none MOUNCE BYRD
Recorded: 29 June 1786 CLAIR ( C ) BYRD

H-334, 23 Feb 1792
Between Derick Pennybaker and Hannah his wife of
Shanandoah County and Benjamin Fawcett and Delilah his
wife of Rockingham County to Benjamin Pennybacker
George Mayberry and Isaac Samuels of Shanandoah County
consideration of one thousand thousand Poundsa
certain small tract of Land lying and being in
Shanandoah County on Smiths Creek it being the same
Land which was conveyed to the said Derick Pennybacker
and Benjamin Fawcett by Mounce Bird and Clair his wife
by their Deed the 29th day of June 1786corner to
Mounce Birds landContaining about three acres of
Landand including a Grist Mill Saw Mill and the
greatest part of the forge commonly called the pine
forge together with all things thereunto belonging and
all houses and buildings
Wit: noneDerick Pennybaker
Hannah Pennybaker
B. Fawcett
Recorded: 23 Feb 1792Delilah (X) Fawcett

H-338, 23 Feb. 1792
Between Andrew Correll and Elizabeth his wife of
Rockingham County and Samuel Caufman and Ann his wife
of Shanandoah County to Benjamin Pennybacker, George
Mayberry and Isaac Samuels of County of Shanandoah
(Iron Masters)consideration of Eighty five
PoundsTract of Land Situate Lying and being on Smiths
Creekit being part of the three hundred Acres of Land
which the said Andrew Correll purchased of George
Harrisonon a clift (sic) of Smiths CreekLane Just by
Benjamin Pennybackers housecontaining ten Acres and a
half and Including part of the pine forge and sundry
Dwelling houses and buildings
Wit: noneAndrew Correll
Elizabeth Correll (in German)
Samuel Coffman
Recorded: 23 Feb. 1792Ann Coffman (in German)

SOURCE: Augusta County, Virginia Will Book, v. 2, p. 9

...20 March 1753 bond of Moses Bird and Abraham Bird
and William Clerk as administrators for the estate of
Wm. Clark.
[Apparently "Moses" was an attempt to anglicize
"Mounce". Both of the Birds signed the document with
very different signatures.]

SOURCE: Augusta County, Virginia Deed Book, Bk. 6, p.7

2 Feb 1754...Andrew Bird to Moses [Mounce] Bird on
Smith's Creek, Andrew bird's line; Jno. Phillips line,
350 acres, part of 400, 50 of which were surveyed for
Jacob Rambo by deed. Teste: Abraham Bird. Delivered to
Jno Skean, Feb. 1758. [NOTE: Same same date, Andrew
conveyed 174 acres in Brock's Gap on the North
Shenandoah River to Abraham Bird, another of his
brothers...][Deed Book 9] p. 424, 15 Aug 1761... Moses
Bird & Clair of Frederick Co. to John Blizzard 140
acres on Smith's Creek; corner of Andrew Bird's
line...Teste: Archibald Ruddell, Thos. Beggs, and
Abraham Bird."

Note: deed records show Moses and Mounce to have been
the same person

SOURCE: Terrell, Isaac Long, Old Houses in Rockingham
County: 1750-1850, McClure Press, 1970, Dallas Public
Library. "
"Craney Island" 1750...Craney Island is formed in
Smith's Creek by the mill race. Here Andrew Byrd built
his mills and iron foundries, and made Franklin stoves
used throught the area. His mills, Craney Island
Mills, ground grain. Andrew Byrd received a patent for
the land in 1749, and probably built the house shortly
thereafter. It is a simply stated weatherboarded house
which sits on a slight rise above the creek. It was
built in sections, the older portion being the north
end, judging by the type of chimney. To the back was a
lean-to addition of stone, now partially torn down.
The house has six rooms with fireplaces. Some rooms
have wainscoting and chair rail. Some of the original
doors have handmade thumb latches remaining. The
windows on the first floor have fifteen panes while
those on the second floor have twelve. The house is
fronted with a four square column portico with the
front door opening into a center hallway with open
staircase and door opening onto the back. [photo from
United States Government, Works Progress
Administration, Historical American Buildings Survey,
Rockingham County, 1935-1939, Virginia State Library,
Richmond, Library Photographic Files, unbound,
uncatalogued]."

SOURCE: Wayland, John W., Historic Harrisonburg,
Harrisonburg, VA: C. J. Carrier Co., 1973
Harrisonburg, VA: 1973, p. 93-97. "
p. 93-97...This letter, written June 30, 1928 [to the
author from Mrs. Douglas T. Elam, granddaughter of
Abraham and Rebecca Byrd]...My mother was Mary
Catherine Byrd, daughter of Abraham and Rebecca
Samuels Byrd. She was the widow of Robert M. Kyle when
whe was married to my father, Rev. L. S. Reed [the
father of Dr. Walter Reed], Dec. 11, 1866. At the time
my father was in charge of the Charlottesville
District and moved to Harrisonburg for one year in
1870 to be near my aged grandmother, Mrs. Rebecca
Samuels Byrd [she died in July of 1870]...With regard
to Stoneleigh Inn, I do not know just when my
grandparents, the Byrds, moved there. They came from
out in the country--my grandfather had an iron
foundry, and also a mill. I think the latter was on
Smith Creek. I do not know the location of the
foundry, but have seen stoves made there. My mother
bought the place from the Byrds [Stoneleigh Inn]...I
have recently had a hurried glance at your book,
giving a history of the Valley [Shenandoah County]. My
cousin, Mrs. Carrie Samuels Spencer, showed it to me.
My grandmother, Rebecca Samuels Byrd, was a sister of
Judge Greenberry Samuels.

SOURCE: Narrative account of John H. Bird of
Harrisonburg, VA, June 1978. Mr. Bird at that time had
in his possession various items manufactured at the
Bird/Byrd forges..."The Pennybackers were largely
engaged in the ironworks. Well, Capt. Derick
Pennybacker served his apprenticeship with William and
Colonel Mark Bird of Birdsboro, at the Hopewell
Furnaces in Pennsylvania. In the meantime, Andrew
(II), Abraham, and Mounce Byrd, three brothers, had
started ironworks down here in Virginia and been in
business for some time, but they were getting old. So,
when Capt. Derick Pennybacker, their relative, came
down here in 1781, they sold out to him. But Andrew
remained as designer of the stoves and the iron
work--in the artistic part of it. This was Andrew
II....The White House was built by Capt. Derick's son
Benjamin Pennybacker, who managed Union Forge Foundry
which was right here on Smiths Creek."

Note: I have deed records to show that Derick
Pennybacker purchased a tract of land with a gristmill
in Berks Co. from the estate of William Bird in 1767.
He lost that property in a lawsuit in 1782, and
subsequestly removed to Virginia where he purchased
Pine Forge from Mounce Bird and established several
others and became a very successful ironmaster
himself.

I also have photocopies of three documents bearing
Andrew Bird's signature...one, the estate inventory of
Mounce Jones in Berks Co. (1727), another on the
inventory of Swen Rambo of Lancaster Co.(1731), and
the other, the will of John Ruddell, Jr. in 1749, in
present-day Rockingham County. The signatures are the
same. Mounce Jones' land straddled the Berks/Lancaster
county line.

I hope these sources will be of some help.

Sherry Johnson


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• [BIRD-L] Re: BIRD-D Digest V01 #105 by Johnson Sherry <>