Bird family Guernsey

[ceronn]

Hi Nev,I believe my gggrandmother Eliza Bird, born Guernsey c. 1805, married Cardiff c.1828, may be a sister of Suzannah Matilda Bird.She married William Thomas and migrated to Australia with four of her children in 1855. Was a music teacher. Died 1893.Father was William Bird, mother Sarah Nash. Ceronn.

[Nev Fouiller]

Hello Ceronn,
Thanks for the reply.
It is certainly a possibility they are linked but how to prove it?
I see you have a mother's name for your Eliza how were you able to find that?
Is Eliza in the 1851 census?

Nev

[ceronn]

Hi Nev,I believe my gggrandmother Eliza Bird, born Guernsey c. 1805, married Cardiff c.1828, may be a sister of Suzannah Matilda Bird.She married William Thomas and migrated to Australia with four of her children in 1855. Was a music teacher. Died 1893.Father was William Bird, mother Sarah Nash. Ceronn.

Hello Nev,
I think Eliza is on the 1841 census but have not seen the details.
The information is from Eliza's dc.,given by her third son, Alfred Nash Thomas.His age is given as 6yrs. on the ship,s manifest in Sept. 1855.Died 3.6.1900 aged 53.Children were Albert, William Bird,Sophia Ann, matilda, Sophia Eliza,and Arthur Augustus.
Father's occupation is given as merchant. Some of the Nash family were shipping agents.
Alfred Nash Thomas married Alice Bird,b.1855, daughter of John Goodwin Bird of Coity, Glamorgan,a second or third cousin.
John Bird's diary has an entry 1826 stating that Eliza Bird had returned from Guernsey. From the dc it seems likely that the family left Guernsey between 1810 and 1813.[Napoleonic time]This entry could refer to a second visit.Have you considered that George Augustus Bird b. 1803 in Guernsey, a printer of 20 Charles St. may be a brother. regards Ceronn

[Nev Fouiller]

Thanks for the info.
Have found Eliza, William in 1851 census but no luck with the '41
have not followed George Augustus
I am confused enough already
Nev

[ceronn]

I don't wish to confuse, but many families left Guernsey from 1805 onwards, and some who settled in Cardiff were related to families established there. The book'Printing and printers in Wales and Monmouthshire' by Ifano Jones, William Lewis 1925, mentions the Bird family, descendants of John Bird painter and guilder who came to Glamorgan about 1730, married Margaret Mashman, had a grandson John Bird 1761-1840, alderman, publisher of trade directory, etc. whose relatives continued on with printing and publishing.One of these was George Augustus b. 1803 [in Guernsey acc. to 1881 census.]According to the Cowbridge ironmonger Birds , also related, the first of this line came originally from Coventry where they were involved in the silk industry.The population of Cardiff was quite small in 1800.Should be possible to sort out the Birds.The Cowbridge Birds published a document about their firm on the net in 2005.
I have photographs of William Bird and Sarah Nash which were taken in Cardiff by photographers named Beard and brought to Australia in 1855.I don't know when they died, and so far have no familiarity with census records. Sincerely Ceronn.

[Mary Sue]

I would like to contact ceronn who left a message on 29th December 2007.  I am directly related to to William Bird and Sarah Nash via the George Augustus Bird mentioned. Most interested in photographs of them taken in Cardiff which you mentioned.  I have just returned from Guernsey to check records and intend to visit Cardiff later this year.
Any further information welcome.
Mary Sue

Moderator comment: topics merged

[fezworth]

Hi in your research did you come across a Mary Bird born in Guernsey around 1815 who subsequently moved to Newark Nottinghamshire.
Regards
Anthony Bird

[Mary Sue]

Hi Anthony. 

No I did not find a Mary, however I felt there were at least two other Bird families in Guernsey.  I believe my family left for Cardiff around 1810/12

Thanks for calling.
Mary Sue

[ceronn]

Hello Mary Sue, what a surprise! I have found Elizabith Bird Thomas and her husband William Thomas on the 1841 census and 1851 census, also the children. I had some help from the GlamorganFHS, and the death dates for William Bird and Sarah reveal that the photos we have must be some other relatives because they are of a later date. Other unknown Welsh relative photos have also been found via a distant cousin in Australia.William Bird died in 1848, buried at St.Johns Cardiff and Sarah died earlier in 1837.In 1851 our family was running a hotel in Aberavon and my g.grandfather William Bird Thomas was 12 years old. What happened I don't know. I have not found a death date for William Thomas who did not come to Australia.We must exchange more information. Sincerely Ceronn.