ELIZABETH'S GREAT-GRANDPARENTS:

Thomas Bird (1602 Brexton, Cheshire, England -1625), Vintner of London, son of Thomas Le Bird (c 1580-____) and Ales Palyn (c 1580 - ____). On 18 Sep 1617 at St. Andrew by the Wardrobe, London, England he married his first cousin Elizabeth Bird (1600-1684), daughter of John Bird (c 1570 - ____) and Elizabeth Burgh. Although, well-off and respectable, the Birds were considered hopelessly middle class. William [his son] knew that the rigid heirarchy of 17th century England would be difficult to climb up if he remained in London ... so he sailed to America at the age of 17 in the rough winter.

ELIZABETH'S GRANDPARENTS:

William Charles Bird (June 17, 1622 All Hallows Barking, London, Middlesex, Greater London, England - Bef September 29, 1672 Martins Brandon, Charles County, Virginia) - Representative of London Merchants, a Surry County Justice and a miller south of the James River.

Hannah (widow Jenkins) Grendon (1630 South Molton, Devonshire ENGLAND- 1682 Westover Parish, Charles City, Charles Co. VA at 57 years old)

William Byrd married (1) unknown Wheeler Abt. 1640. He married (2) Hannah Grendon ca 1650 in Charles City, Virginia, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (unknown) Grendon.

William Byrd was the Virginia representative of the London merchants, John Sadler and Thomas Quiney.

William Bird was a London silversmith before emigrating to Virginia. When he died his children became wards of Nevitt Wheeler, who was probably his wife's brother. Nevitt Wheeler was implicated in Nathaniel Bacon's rebellion and has not been traced further. William Bird married again to Hannah Grendon before his death. William's son Thomas inherited the Surry County estate, and his sons John and William moved south to the Albemarle District of North Carolina. (added by Jennifer Landeros) Research done by Wayne A Byrd in 'The Bird/Byrd Genealogy' http://ecctechservice.com/Byrds/Bird-Byrd%20Genealogy%20Book.pdf

1653: Land patent, William Byrd was headright of Rev. John Diball of the Parish of Westover.

1656/57: William Byrd listed as a creditor in the settlement of the estate of John Westhope, deceased. [Surry County Deeds]

1671: William Byrd purchased from Thomas Busby "a grist mill and appurtenances at the head of Upper Chipoakes Creek, 150 acres of land with dwelling, and 300 additional acres all in Surry County, Virginia." [Book II, pages 386-387]

William Byrd established himself on the south side of the James River in the Parish of Martins Brandon (across the river from the Colonels William Byrd I & II).

Hannah Grendon married second to William Byrd, of Martin's Brandon, (a relative of William Byrd I), and had a son, Thomas Byrd, who made his will in Surry County, Va., January 21, 1687, naming a son, Thomas Byrd, Jr.

ELIZABETH'S PARENTS:

Thomas Bird (1650 Charles city, Charles County, Virginia -January 5, 1687 Surry County, Virginia)

Mary Madison (1655-1735)

Mary Madison Bird is the great aunt to the United States 4th president James Madison

Mary's brother is Ambrose Madison(1696-1732), he was James Madison's grandfather.

ELIZABETH'S SPOUSE:

John Lanier (1680-1728), son of John Lanier (1655-1719) and Katherine Elinor Sampson (1655-1690)

ELIZABETH AND JOHN'S CHILDREN:

1. Mary Lanier (1694 Surry, Surry, Virginia -1735)

2. Bird Thomas Lanier ( 1703 Surry, Surry County Virginia 1788 Duplin, North Carolina)

3. Lemuel Lanier (1708 Virginia - 23 MAR 1786 Burke, Georgia)

4. Robert Lanier (1709 Virginia - 1730 Surry, Virginia)

5. Elizabeth (twin) Lanier (19 NOV 1709 Surry, Surry, Virginia - 1 MAY 1776 Alsace, Berks, Pennsylvania).

6. Benjamin Lanier (1711 Surry, Surry, Virginia -12 DEC 1796 Mecklenburg, Virginia)

7. Nicholas Shepherd Lanier ( 1717 Prince George, Prince George, Virginia - 25 JUN 1781 Brunswick, Virginia)

8. Thomas Lanier (1722 Prince George, Prince George, Virginia - 1805 Granville, North Carolina)

9. James Lanier (11 NOV 1724 Brunswick, Virginia - 1786 Pitt, North Carolina)

10. Thomas, died young;

11. Mary, died unmarried;

12. Tabitha; married John Young, with whom she sold 30 acres on Southern Run belonging to the heirs of Thomas Burd [sic] 5 Nov 1709, and who left will 4 Sep 1714-18 May 1715, and (2) Richard Jones, Jr.

13. Elizabeth; married (1) John Lanier of Brunswick County, who died 4 March 1728/9 when Elizabeth sold land with her sister. She married (2) Thomas Clare/Clary. Issue by Lanier 17. John, died before 14 July 1746 when his daughter Mary and her husband John Hagood sold to Robert Lanier 100 acres near the head of Upper Chipoakes Creek which came to her on the death of Elizabeth Clare, married ____; Bird Thomas, of Brunswick County until after 4 April 1745 when they sold land, and later of Granville and Duplin cos., NC, married Mary [perhaps Madison]; 19. Lemuel, of Surry County until after 17 Oct 1747, when he sold land, and later of Duplin Co., NC, and Screven Co., GA, married by 15 July 1735, Hannah Peters; 20. Robert, of Surry County, to whom his mother and stepfather deeded 100 acres on 15 Aug 1730, left will 23 Sep 1753-18 May 1756, married Priscilla Washington; 21 Benjamin, of Brunswick County, took oath of allegiance, 10 Oct 1778, left will, 14 Sep 1790-12 Dec 1796, married (1)____, (2) Contract 26 Nov. 1776, Lucy ___, widow of Thomas Pennington, and (3) 10 Nov 1782, Ann ____, widow of 47. Martin Wilkinson (See Royall).

(Contributed by Cindy McCabe)

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Elizabeth is well documented to have descended from William BIRD who married Hannah (Grendon) Jennings by William's son Thomas BIRD Sr. This William Bird was the younger brother of John Bird, a London Goldsmith who married Grace Stegge. The London Goldsmith's son, also named William, inherited his mother's brother's (Thomas Stegge Jr) vast Virginia lands, and although he did not style himself as William BYRD, history has come to know him as Col William Byrd I. Col "Byrd's" son, William is credited (perhaps because there were so many William Birds accumulated in Virginia) as having changed the spelling of his family's name to BYRD. This is actually helpful to genealogist in distinguishing between the family of the first William BIRD in Virginia and those who descend from this BIRD's nephew. That is Wm BIRD Sr arrived ~ 1635 and became the Proprietor of Martins Brandon and the Rep for Quiney & Sadler, London Merchants, where as his NEPHEW, son of Grace Stegge & John Bird of London, arrived in VA ~1669/70 when he assumed his uncle Thomas Stegge Jr's Plantations, which included Westover that the BYRDS (but not the BIRD) are so closely associated with.

I suggest the correction of Elizabeth's maiden name to BIRD (which it was) rather than BYRD in order to help those researching these families to properly understand which of the two lines she is related to.

Contributor: E D (47984141)