Individual Details

I found a Buster researcher that had a birth date of 3 Nov 1750 for Richard Byrd. This is based on an Albemarle Parish Register which gives the parents of that boy as Richard & Sarah Byrd, NOT John and Sarah. A death date of 5 Mar 1803 in Hawkins Co TN was noted but no proof offered (It is the date of Richard's Will). It is likely that John and Sarah Byrd had a son named Richard since the family seems to be have been closely allied with the Busters, and he is probably not the child born 3 Nov 1750 in Albemarle.


Richard Byrd is named as one of those to whom John Montgomery administered the Oath of Allegiance and fidelity on 2 Mar 1778, Montgomery Co VA
He was listed as a member of Capt James Newell's Company of Militia on 5 Apr 1781. But then was listed as being Delinquent [absent] from a muster of Capt. Loves' Company on 31 Jul 1782. In the lists of militia from the Montgomery County Court Records, 1782-1784, Richard "Bird" is listed in Capt. Loves Company along with William Buster [probably his brother-in-law] and William's brother John Buster.

Children given for Richard & Elizabeth Buster are William, John, David, Jane [married McDaniel], Nancy, Michael, Richard, Elizabeth, Mary, James, and Charles.
Richard left a will dated 5 Mar 1803, Hawkins Co, TN that names his wife Elizabeth and five eldest sons, 4 daughters. James and Charles received a separate bequest - the home farm after the death of their mother.

Notes found on Richard, FamilySearch file to include a discussion of his possible parents (I believe he belongs with John and Sarah given his relationship to the Buster family and where he lived) and a complete transcript of his will:

Note
1. Will of Richard Byrd dated March 5, 1803 in Will Book 1, Page 31 in Hawkins Co., TN.
2. Ablemarle Co. Parish register of Surry and Sussex Co., VA.
3. Richard, George, and William Byrd were listed as taxpayers in Montgomery Co., VA on the 1782-1787 tax lists.
4. Isabel Funderburk, Rt.5, Box 296, Sulfur Springs, TX 75482.
5. *** Montgomery County, Virginia Militia 1781-82 Richard and Samuel Byrd and David and William Buster.
6. *** Oath of Allegiance Richard Byrd in Montgomery Co., VA to the U.S. dated 6 Sept. 1776. 7. In a book titled "Dunsmore's War" August 1774 There is a list of men in Capt. David Smith's Company at the Glade Hollow Fort. Listed is Richard Byrd, Archibald Woods, and William Buster.
8. Wife, Elizabeth, was daughter of William Buster.
9. Hawkins Co, TN Deed Book I, pg. 369, 1801 Richard Byrd of Botetourt Co., VA
Dec 8, 1795. Richard got a land grant in Tenn for 200 A July 1788=Green Co, south side of Holston on Shelving Rock Creek Book 66 P469 file 687 grant 728
Richard was in Rev War
Married in Fincastle county VA 1774\5 (When Fincastle extended west into KY.)- Two or three years years after the Busters moved to the area that became Wythe county. Eventually moved to Tenn between 1779-80 attended War Creek Church
1786 June 1 assigned by Elisha Wallin(g) to Richard, surveyed with Wm Russel and Richard Byrd chainbearers, Green co, later Hawkins. Warrant 1797 entered 2 Oct 1779 bk 66 p 469 200A
16 Sep 1800 Richard sold this 200A to John Muirhead, witnesses Henry Warrick and David Bird.
Richard was buyer at a sale July 1800 Jeff co TN
NO DATE: 461 army warrant to Richard Bird in lieu of clothing p cert from war office. 80 co #3803 Lipscomb Nowell, assignee: Richard Bird served in State Line (G M Brumbaugh, Rev War Records, Va.I p361,mil dist of Ohio.
1781/2 Montgomery Co VA militia has Richard Byrd, David Buster, Wm. Buster serving.
Thwaites Dunsmore War had same men serving plus Arichbald Woods.
1781 Capt Newell's comp: Richard Byrd, Fred Day Mont gomery co VA
1774 Aug, Capt David Smith co, Glade Hollow Fort: Richard Byrd, Wm Buster, Arch'd Woods (p402) David Buster was at Upper Station p. 403
Summer Annals of SW VA P 669: Richard Byrd from Stephen Trigg 125 A New River upper end L100 Dunkard.
1777 Oath of allegiance: Richard Byrd et al (VA Hy mag 47 p 254-261)
1815 Tax list Madison co AL: Elizabeth Bird, along with David, John, Michael, Richard, William Bird also David Day, Dudley Day, David Devall.
1811 tax list Hawkins co lists Betsy Bird and David day As they were English (previously French) we cannot count on their naming their children by the Scotch system; however, many English did use the method. If they did, Richard and Elizabeth's first born could have been named William for both their fathers (William Buster and a theoretical William Byrd) or for Elizabeth's father. Second son was named John, which could mean that Richard's father was John Bird; John Birds were everywhere. (For a long time I thought the John Byrd who was clerk of Montgomery county could have been his brother; but when John resigned his job there, he did so in favor of his brother Francis Otway (unless someone along the line said they were brothers in error). This would mean Richard could not have been a brother. A John was given a land grant in Tennessee near Richard on the same day Richard was given one. Older generation ancestors have been quoted as saying our family comes from the same line as Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd came from; it was felt for years that our Richard was from that direct line through a Richard, then a William, then Andrew, son of Thomas(1659-1710) brother of William Sr. of Westover. Thomas married Marie Howlett a widow, but data discovered later reveals they were both beyond childbearing years when married. Thomas' children were by Martha. Records of a Willaim Baugh indicate Mary was his daughter who married l. Crowley 2. Howlett 3 Ascough and 4 Byrd; her only son by Howlett being administrator of her esta te and she was Mrs. Thomas Byrd at that time. She married Ascough in 1687 and a record in Va Wills indicates she was still Mrs. Ascough in 1703 which means she was not married to Byrd in 1703; the records also state she had no children by her last two marriages; she was 56 when she married Ascough and 71 (born 1639) when she died. This means she was 15 or more years older than Thomas Byrd if he were born 1654 as records indicate; however, he was supposedly a man in his old age when he came to America, maybe his 1654 birthdate is incorrect??????? There was a William Byrd in Isle of Wight Co (Bro to John in England who was father to William and Thomas of Henrico co). This William had a son William who was an orphan after his death per Surrey records; other records indicate a son Thomas owned the family mill in Surrey after William died in 1680; he himself dying in 1688 and leaving a will naming only three unmarried daughters. Timing would work out for Richard born 1750 to have been a son of Richard and Richard have been a son of William son of Thomas; however other researchers claim this Richard. However, other researchers say a Richard of Westmoreland co VA born 1754 is the Richard who married Elizabeth Buster. (Elizabeth Buster and her family lived in Orange county NC for a time - at least William Buster owned and sold land there according to records; this would have been relatively near Surry county; many Byrds from Surrey, Isle of Wight, Sussex co VA moved on down into North Carolina and Richards are rife there. Some Richard in NCarolina could have known Elizabeth when they lived in Orange co and when she moved to Virginia, he could have come there to marry her; possibly we should research Orange co NC Byrds for our Richard.
1996 recent discoveries say Richard is son of John, not Richard, sons of William and Heuling: that they were in Grayson county VA area (then called Montgomery). They moved to Hawkinss where Richard died in 1803/5 and by 1809 Elizabeth and the children were in Madison county Alabame; she died about 1813. It appears that all the family moved there, as Michael married there in 1810. ============

Will of Richard Byrd 5th day of March 1803 Will Book No. 1 Hawkins Co., Tennessee Pgs. 31 In the name of God, Amen, I Richard Byrd, of Hawkins County and State of Tenn, south of the River Ohio, planter being in and of imperfect health of body and in and of perfect mind and memory, thanks be unto God, calling to mind the Mortality of my body and knowing that it is once appointed for all men to die, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament. That is to say principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul in the hands of Almighty God who gave it, I recommend by body to the earth to be buried in decent Christian burial at the discretion of my Executors, Nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God. And as touching such worldly estate wherein it has pleased God to bless me in this life. I give, demise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form: 1st. My three oldest sons, naming first, William Byrd, 2nd John Byrd, 3rd David Byrd. I also give to my son David Byrd 17S 10s in the form of his land, and two daughters Jean McDaniel and Ann Day, and my two younger sons, Michael Byrd & Richard Byrd, I Richard Byrd, do consider that they have equally received of my estate one hundred dollars each. And I give and bequeath to my four younger children-two sons and two daughters: first Elisabeth Byrd, second Mary Byrd, likewise, James Byrd and Charles Byrd, one hundred dollars a-piece as they come of age. Also, I bequeath to Elizabeth, my dearly beloved Wife all the remaining horses, cattle, sheep, hogs and slaves and household goods and movable effects, together with the land and plantation on which I now live containing 200 acres, to be by her freely possessed during the term of her widowhood, at the expiration of which time, or at her death, I will the said land to my two youngest sons, James and Charles Byrd- the plantation to be divided. The hollow the wagon road runs up shall be the line betwixt them. Then end of the land which I now live on I do will to my son Charles and the other end to my son James. If the title of the land stands good, or is made good by the substances of the place when they receive the said hundred dollars before mentioned and said land they are to have no part of the balance of the property; if the land is lost they are to have an equal part in the balance of the estate. The slaves that I will to my wife during her life or widowhood, my will is that she shall give them at her decease to her children that she thinks will use them well, and they are to be valued and they that receive them is to pay up the value of them in good trade at cash price with reducing their own part out. I say my will is that my five eldest sons and four daughters: William, John, David, Michael and Richard, Jane, Ann, Elizabeth and Mary shall have an equal part in my estate at the death of my wife, Elizabeth, that is left in her hands. I also constitute, make and ordain my dearly beloved wife Elizabeth, and my son William Byrd the sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament, and I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and dis-annul all and every other former testament, wills, legacies, bequeaths, and Executors by me before named, willed and bequeathed---ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 5th day of March in the year of our Lord, one Thousand eight hundred and three. Richard Byrd [seal] Signed, sealed and published, pronounced, declared by the said Richard Byrd as his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us who in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names. Test. John Walker * * * * * * * * * *

Death	5 Mar 1803	Hawkins County, Tennessee
Marriage		Elizabeth Buster
Birth		Virginia

Spouse	Elizabeth Buster (1751 - 1814)
Child	David Byrd (1779 - 1837)
Child	James Pleasant Byrd (1794 - 1864)

Father	JOHN BYRD ( - 1786)
Mother	Sarah [Byrd] ( - )
Sibling	William Byrd (1753 - 1829)
Sibling	Mary Byrd ( - 1805)
Sibling	Samuel Byrd (1758 - 1820)
Sibling	Henry Byrd (1764 - 1859)
Sibling	George Byrd ( - )
Sibling	Mildred Byrd (1766 - 1840)
Sibling	ELIZABETH BYRD (1771 - 1869)
Sibling	Jane Byrd (1770 - 1820)