Behind the Veil - Back to Ireland

While doing some research on Google Books, I came across a book published by Pauline Beard Cooney in 1979 entitled "History of the Beard - Bedichek - Craven and Allied Families". A limited print book, I was able to order a used copy.

The book has shed tremendous light on the immigation of Thomas Beard; who came to be settled in Augusta County, Va.; and who all of the Beard families in Greenbrier County and Pocahontas County are descended from.

Thomas Beard immigrated from Strabane, County Tyrone, in Ireland in 1720 with his parents (John Baird and Rebecca Sterrett). He had four brothers (Robert, John, William, and James) and one sister (Hannah). The John Baird family settled first in NewCastle Delaware; and then Thomas moved to Chester County; PA (Lancaster area), before moving to Augusta County, Va. in 1747. Thomas and his brothers and sister were all born in Ireland before immigrating to America.

Thomas Beard's Great-Grandfather, John, settled in Strabane about 1640 with James Hamilton, Earl of Abercorn. John was a "smithy" and apparantly had considerable land holdings in Strabane. His son, James (Thomas Beard's Grandfather) was also a Smith.

This publication has allowed extending back the family history beyond the veil of the immigration, and back to Ireland. It has also clarified the relationship of Jean McNutt and Thomas Beard as the definitive ancesters of the Beards in Greenbrier and Pocahontas Counties of West Virginia.

Further research will likely enable the understanding of the relationship of the Virginia Beards with interesting "hits" in the Family Tree DNA pool; essentially the Beard's in Lancaster as related to the Beard's in Virginia and West Virginia. Also, Pauline has documented well the migration of the Beard family from Virginia to Kentucky; this will enable the documentation of that side of the Beard family as well.

I have rewritten a bit of the family history based on Pauline's book, and also the "Legends" area. I have also discounted the Irish famine of 1740 as having anything to do with the Beard Migration; as it occured about 20 years after the John Beard migration. The migration was mainly due to religious freedom; as the Presbyterians were strongly persecuted in the late 1600's and 1700's; this led to mass immigration of the Scots-Irish to the New World.

http://www.wvbeard.com/aboutme.htm
http://www.wvbeard.com/legends.htm
http://www.wvbeard.com/bios/JohnBeard0.htm
http://www.wvbeard.com/bios/JamesBeard0.htm
http://www.wvbeard.com/bios/JohnBeard00.htm
http://www.wvbeard.com/bios/ThomasBeard.htm

are some revised pages.

This information was very rewarding, as finally we have some definitive framework of not only where the Beard family came from in the old world, but also where they initially settled in America; and who came over.

I think back to those times. The trip from Ireland to America was about 100 days (over three months). During that time they would have had storms, difficult seas, etc. The story of Esther Beard's husband, Robert Alexander (who was educated at Edinburg, Scotland, and later went on to found the Washington and Lee University) talks about how he had to throw his collection of classic books overboard during a storm to lessen the weight on the ship. He later rewrote many of the classics from memory in longhand, and used these copies for his schooling in Virginia.

http://www.wvbeard.com/bios/EstherBeardAlexander.htm

These were challenging and difficult times, and show the true pioneer spirit of adventure and willingness to seek out a better life; even knowing you are leaving your home, your families and friends, to an uncertain life and future; never to return.