James Bird and Lydia Steele
Husband James Bird
Born: Abt 1637 - Hartford, Connecticut Christened: Died: 1708 Buried:
Father: Thomas Bird (Abt 1595-Bef 1662) Mother: Mary ( - )
Marriage: 31 Mar 1651 - Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut
Other Spouse: Rebecca ( - ) - 1659 or later
Wife Lydia Steele
Born: Abt 1635 - Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut Christened: Died: 14 Jan 1659 - Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut Buried:
Father: John Steele (1591-1664) Mother: Rachel Talcott (Abt 1602- )
Children
General Notes (Husband)
Info on his children from World Connect databases.
Info on marriages from Steven Bird. Steven Bird has researched the Bird family in great detail. Lydia Steele may possibly have been the mother of James' first child, James, b possibly 1658, but this is not proven. She was not the mother of any of his other children; she died before they were born. Identification of Lydia Steele as the mother of those children is in error.
Joseph and James Bird are found among the first settlers and proprietors of Farmington, about 1660, and both, with their wives, were members of the church.
From Family of Thomas Bird:
James Bird, son of Thoms may have been born as early as 1635, as he and his brother Joseph, who is supposed to have been the younger, were made freemen of the Colony of Connecticut "At a Generall Court of Election" held "21th of May, 1657".
He was a child when his parents moved from Braintree, Massachusetts, to Hartford, Connecticut.
At a General Court at Hartford, March 8, 1637-8, it was "ordered that all persons shall bear arms that are above the age of 16 years except tehy do tender a sufficient excuse to the Court and the Court allow the same".
Evidently in violation of this law, Sept 6, 1655, the names of James Bird, Stephen Hopkins, John Graves and Nath. Gunn were entered on the records of the Particular Court as "those that neglect attending the Guard". These four young men were residents of Hartford at that time. Presumably Bird did not long remain in Hartford after this date but moved to Farmington.
On p 331 of the second volume of the Land Records of Farmington is this entry:
James Bird was married, to Ledia Steel march the thirty and one one thousand six hundred fifty seven.
Another entry on page 319 reads: "Ledia Bird th wife of James Bird Eanded hur Naterall Lfie Jeneuary the forteene one thousand Six hundreth fifty and Nyne."
They were married for less than two years. She was probably not the mother of more than one, if any, of his known children.
The names of James Bird and his brother Joseph appear in the list "of teh Freemen in Farmintowne" taken October 12, 1669".
The original first volume of Farmington Land Records has long since disappeared, but on p 43 of the present first volume under date of march ye 5 1679 or 80 is entered:
a deed of land in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut to James Bird, a parcell on which his dwelling house now stands containing eight acres, a aprt of which was given him by Mr. John Steele, and bordering on several sides by land owned by various men named Judd, John Norton Jr. and John Clarke. He also got 10 acres of plowing land, and 14 acres at Three Mile Hill, given him on March 5, 1691-2. It is suspected that the 14 acre lot at Trhee Mile Hill, is the same piece as that given him Jan 18, 1670, when a tract of land was granted by the town conditionally to some of the inhabitants.
In Nov 1708, James Bird Jr sold land to Samuel Lamb of Springfield, MA. James Bird Jr evidently died unmarried, his property divided among his brothers and sisters.
James Bird was a member of the Farmington train band and in May 1678 he and 17 other members presented to the General Court a remonstrance against the confirmation by that body of an election of officers in the Farmington company which had recently taken place, and which, in their opinion, meanced their "sweet and rpecous peac".
It will be remembered that Lydia, wife of James Bird, died in January 1659.
The Farmington Church Records show that James Bird and his wife were members in full communion, March 1, 1679-80. This proves that he married again, and his wife's name is believed to have been Rebecca.
A Rebecca Bird was a witness to the codicil of widow Elizabeth Smith of Farmington which was made after November 15, 1656, the date of her will, and before Dec 5, 1678, when probate action was taken on her estate. This Rebecca Bird is believed to have been James Bird's wife.
In the list of James Bird's children is a daughter, Rebecca, presumably named for her mother. This child could scarcely have been the witness to Elizabeth Smith's codicil, as she would have been a minor at that time and it would have been unusual for so young a pesron to have attested such an important document.
There is no known record of the deaths of James Bird and his second wife.
The last trace of her as living is in a conveyance from him to his son Thomas, dated June 28, 1690, and of him is February 11, 1705-06, the date of the deed to his son James, Jr.
Adminsistration of his estate was granted to his eldest son, Thomas, Dec 6, 1708, and on the same day an agreement dated November 5, 1708, regarding hte division of his property was presented to the court. This agreement was accepted by the court as a full settlement of the estate and ordered on file. The document was signed by Thomas Bird, James Bird, Samuel Lamb, Nathaniel Morgan, Pelatiah Morgan, Mehitable Bird, and Elizabeth Bird. By this agreement, Thomas was given all the real estate and he was to pay the debts. The personal est5ate was given to the daughters, Rebecca wife of Samuel Lamb, Hannah Wife of Nathaniel Morgan, Lydia, wife of Pelatiah Morgan, Mehitable Bird and Elizabeth Bird. James was not given any portion of the estate.
On James 23, 1722-23, Samuel Lamb and wife Rebecca of Springfield, Massachusetts, on Jan 31 1722/23, Thomas Bird of Farmington Connecticut, and on June 14, 1724, Nathanel Morgan and wife Hannah, Pelatiah Morgan and wife Lydia, allof Springfield, conveyed their interest in Farmington lands. In the first two deeds it is stated that the property had belonged to their father, James Bird.
General Notes (Wife)
Date of birth that estimated in The Great Migration Begins
Notes (Marriage)
Marriage recorded in Farmington Town Records. I also have teh date 31 March 1657, from "The Steele Family".
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