John Erasmus Byrd was born in 1833 on the Smith Creek/Craney Island, Virginia property that had been in the Bird/Byrd family for several generations. The family re-located to Harrisonburg, Virginia in the 1840s. John briefly attended the University of Virginia. He followed his sweetheart, Lydia Jane Gordon to Paris, Texas where they were married in 1860. Lydia died in 1863 and John married a 2nd time, to Mary Ann Brinton in 1865. Mary Ann died in 1867, leaving John twice widowed with two young children, John and Ella, one from each marriage. His 3rd wife was Julia Caroline King. They married in 1869 and were together the rest of their lives. They lived in Hopkins County, Bastrop County, and Caldwell County, Texas. They had 5 children: Isaac, Abraham, Lydia, Mary Emma, and Erasmus. John served three years in the Civil War as a Confederate soldier for the Texas Cavalry. He belonged to the Masonic Order. He worked primarily as a carpenter, cabinet maker and and furniture maker. His other occupations included farmer, foundry and mill worker, and circuit riding Methodist preacher. In his later life he and Julia sold farm produce, cloth, medicine and tinware, traveling around the state in a one-horse buggy. John died suddenly at the age of 69 at the home of his son Isaac in 1903. His obituary in the Lockhart Post, Lockhart, Texas, states that he was laid to rest by the Masonic fraternity. The location of his burial is unknown, but is possibly in Lockhart, Texas.
John Erasmus Byrd was born in 1833 on the Smith Creek/Craney Island, Virginia property that had been in the Bird/Byrd family for several generations. The family re-located to Harrisonburg, Virginia in the 1840s. John briefly attended the University of Virginia. He followed his sweetheart, Lydia Jane Gordon to Paris, Texas where they were married in 1860. Lydia died in 1863 and John married a 2nd time, to Mary Ann Brinton in 1865. Mary Ann died in 1867, leaving John twice widowed with two young children, John and Ella, one from each marriage. His 3rd wife was Julia Caroline King. They married in 1869 and were together the rest of their lives. They lived in Hopkins County, Bastrop County, and Caldwell County, Texas. They had 5 children: Isaac, Abraham, Lydia, Mary Emma, and Erasmus. John served three years in the Civil War as a Confederate soldier for the Texas Cavalry. He belonged to the Masonic Order. He worked primarily as a carpenter, cabinet maker and and furniture maker. His other occupations included farmer, foundry and mill worker, and circuit riding Methodist preacher. In his later life he and Julia sold farm produce, cloth, medicine and tinware, traveling around the state in a one-horse buggy. John died suddenly at the age of 69 at the home of his son Isaac in 1903. His obituary in the Lockhart Post, Lockhart, Texas, states that he was laid to rest by the Masonic fraternity. The location of his burial is unknown, but is possibly in Lockhart, Texas.
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