Individual Details

Abraham Bird lived on Smith's Creek in Augusta Co VA until about 1773 when he bought 550 acres on North River & Jumping Run in Shenandoah County [then called Dunmore Co]. In 1803 he sold this tract to Lawrence Pitman & Edward Walton and moved to Fayette Co KY.

Chalkey's Chronicles
2 Sep 1753. Moses [sic- Mounce] and Abraham Bird were Sureties for William Clark as executor of the Will of William Clark Sr.

2 Feb 1754 Augusta DB 6, p.10 Andrew Bird [Jr] to Abraham Bird. 174 acres in Brock's Gap on North Sharrando [Shenandoah] River, the patent line, to the Chimney Rock.
Andrew had acquired this land on 17 Nov 1752 from Benjmain Borden [DB 5, p.30]

Chalkey's Chronicles
21 Dec 1758 Will of Rees Thomas, farmer. Wife Jean, tract of patent land on Brock's Creek, 350 acres, until son Evan shall be of age. Sons Rees, John, James. To daughters and wife's daughters. Executors: wife Jean & son John. Proved 16 May 1759. Executors qualified with securities Ephraim Love and Abraham Bird.


Nov 20 1760. Conrad Custard, age 18, orphan of Arnold Custard, chose Abraham Bird as his guardian.

In Augusta Co, Abraham Bird was Ensign of Militia 23 Mar 1759, Captain from 1762-1771. [Took the oath as Captain along with Benjamin Harrison and Andrew Bird on 18 Nov 1762]
20 Nov 1760 - Peter Hog suit vs. Abraham Bird. Peter Hog commanded at Brock's Gap. Abraham Bird tried to get Hog's soldiers to sign a petition for Hog's removal and tried to supplant him.

Nov 1766. Lawsuit of Ray vs. Chandler. Capt John Blagg commanded a company of the Virginia Regt in 1760. William Chandler & Joseph Ray both of Bedford Co. Chandler contracted to deliver goods for Ray at Dunkard Bottom on the New River, when Blagg was with Col. John Smith at Ft. Lewis, August of 1760, during the campaign under Col. Byrd vs. the Cherokees.

24 Oct 1768. Abraham Bird witnessed a deed from James & Susanna Johnson to Charles Long, Augusta Co.

When he moved to Dunmore, Abraham held the rank of Lieutenant in the Militia in 1776 and was made Colonel in 1778.

Bird was elected to the House of Burgesses in place of Joseph Watson, Dec'd, and attended the 1774 session. He represented Dunmore Co in the VA constitutional Convention in 1776 and then represented Dunmore/Shenandoah in the House of Delegates from 1776 to 1796.

In 1777, Abraham Bird was one of the justices of the Dunmore County Court. On 22 Jul of that year he was appointed to take the list of tithables in the district of Capt. VanBuskerk and Capt. Funkhouser.

On Apr 30 1778, He was one of the justices present in the county court. He was sworn in as Colonel of the county militia; Abram Bird Jr. was sworn in as captain - his son was not old enough to be this Abraham - is this a nephew, son of Mounce Bird?

Vol. XI of The Statues at Large: Being a Collection of All the Laws of Virginia from the First Session of the Legislature, by William Waller Herring, 1823, p.57.
An act to appoint trustees for the towns of Woodstock: Cobham, Manchester and Blandford.
I. Whereas the trustees of the town of Woodstock in the county of Shanandoah, [formerly Frederick] either by death or removal are become extinct;.....
II. Be it enacted, That Abraham Bird, Jacob Holdman, Abraham Kellar, John Tipton, Phillip Hoffman, Jacob Rinkar, George Kellar, Thomas Allen, Henry Fravell, Alexander Hite, John Snapp, and Benjamin Strickler, genetlemen, be, and are hereby appointed trustees to the town of Woodstock...


Children of Abraham & his first wife are believed to include George, Magdalene who married Reuben Allen, Elizabeth who married Thomas Jones, Catherine who married John Thomas, Margaret who married Joseph Hawkins, Mary who married Reuben Moore, Andrew, Mark, and Abraham Jr. who married Catherine Frye in Fayette Co KY, 1803.

The above record indicates that the family had settled in Fayette Co by 1803. This was the year of the court house fire which destroyed the marriage records, which likely included the marriage of Col. Abraham to the widow Rachel Speers Fry.

In December of 1817, the Fayette Co Court records indicated he was married to Rachel Fry but his will written in 1808, names his wife as Rachael.

Fayette Co KY Will Book E, p.149
Will of Abraham Bird, written 1808. Names wife Rachael and sons, Abraham, Mark & George; daughters; Magdeline, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine, Margaret. Executors: son Abraham Bird and Wm. I. Russell (son-in-law?). Witnesses: Joseph Jay, Wm. Manuel & David Coffman.
Proved March Court, 1820
Will Book G,
p.217 Legatees: Rachel Bird, lot No. 3. Catherine Thomas, No. 4.
p.426 Legatees: Joseph Hawkins, No. 1. Magdaline Allen, No. 2
Kentucky Pioneer and Court Records, by Mrs. Harry Kennett McAdams, 1929; Ancestry.com

Birth	1731	Chester County, Pennsylvania
Marriage	Abt 1757	Augusta County, Virginia - Living
Marriage	Bef 1808	Rachel Spears
Death	5 Mar 1820	Fayette County, Kentucky

Spouse	Living
Child	Capt George Bird (1763 - 1826)
Child	Andrew Bird ( - )
Child	Elizabeth Bird ( - )
Child	Magdalene Bird (1770 - 1831)
Child	Mary Bird ( - )
Child	Catherine Bird ( - )
Child	Margaret Bird ( - )
Child	Capt. Abraham Bird Jr. (1780 - 1850)
Child	Mark Bird (1783 - )

Spouse

Rachel Spears (1749 - 1820)

Father	Andrew Bird (1702 - 1750)
Mother	Magdalena Jones ( - )
Sibling	Andrew Bird (1723 - 1799)
Sibling	Mary Bird (1725 - 1780)
Sibling	Ingaborg Bird (1726 - )
Sibling	John Bird (1730 - )
Sibling	Rebecca Bird ( - )
Sibling	Mounce Bird (1735 - 1793)
Sibling	Amos Bird (1739 - 1818)
Sibling	Elizabeth Bird ( - )
Sibling	Magdalena Bird (1741 - )