WI BIO - Lafayette Co - BIRD, Joseph R.

1st Biography of Joseph R. BIRD

Commemorative Biographical Record of Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and 
Lafayette, Wisconsin, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and 
Representative Citizens, and of Many of the Early Settled Families. Chicago: 
Beers, 1901, p 298

Joseph R. BIRD, for many years engaged in farming in New Diggings Township, 
Lafayette County [Wisconsin], is a native of Canada, born at St. Andrews, on 
the Ottawa River, in Aug 1832. Robert and Anna BIRD, his parents, were born 
born in Cumberland, England, where they were married. They removed to 
Canada, and engaged in farming. Mrs. [Anna] BIRD died when Joseph R. was 
about six years old, and the family then moved into Hamilton, in Upper 
Canada, where the children grew to maturity, nine out of ten reaching mature 
years: (1) Samuel, (2) Thomas, (3) William, (4) Joseph R., (5) Margaret
, deceased wife of Thomas JACQUES, of Canada; (6) Elizabeth, deceased wife 
of Thomas BUCHAN, of Canada; (7) Esther, deceased wife of Malcolm MacINTYRE, 
of California; (8) Mary, deceased wife of James BUCHAN [related to Thomas 
BUCHAN?], of Canada; (9) Annie, deceased wife of John VANDYKE, of Canada; 
and (10) Sarah, wife of John BENNER, who resides at Niagara Falls, on the 
Canadian side. Of these, Samuel and Thomas were born in England, the others 
in the New World.

Joseph R. BIRD was trained to farm work in Canada, and attended the district 
schools near his home there. In 1852 he came to the United States, being the 
only member of his family to leave Canada, and settled in New Diggings 
Township, Lafayette County [Wisconsin], engaging in mining, which he 
continued for a number of years. After his marriage, in 1860, he settled on 
a part of his father-in-law's [Thomas ROBINSON's] farm, and devoted himself 
to farming. In 1869 he erected his present home, and later two large barns, 
and now has one of the most highly improved places in the township, all due 
to his thrift and industry.

In 1860 Joseph R. BIRD married Miss Mary ROBINSON, daughter of Thomas and 
Annie (LEE) ROBINSON [see also the Lafayette County, Wisconsin, biography of 
Thomas ROBINSON], born in England in April 1838, and by this union has become 
the father of a large family of children, of whom two died in infancy: (1) 
Thomas died in early manhood; (2) Grant, born in May 1864, died in 1897; (3) 
Esther, born in 1866, married John THORNDYKE, and has three children, Ray, 
Birdie and Mary; (4) William, born in August 1870, a farmer on his father's 
homestead, married Miss Maggie WHITE, and is a prominent worker in the 
Knights of Pythias lodge at Benton [Lafayette County, Wisconsin]; (5) Annie 
L. was born in September 1872; (6) Joseph, in November 1875; (7) Ella G., 
in 1877; and (8) Stella F. in 1880; the last named is now a student in 
Warren Academy, at Warren [Jo Daviess County], Illinois. The family are all 
members of the Primitive Methodist Church, of which Mr. BIRD was one of the 
founders in this community. In politics he has always been identified with 
the Republican party, and has held a number of local offices, having been a 
member of the town and school boards. He has proven himself a good citizen, 
a capable officer, and a kind and loving husband and father.

Thomas and Annie (LEE) ROBINSON, parents of Mrs. BIRD, were both born in the 
county of Cumberland, England, and coming to WI as early as 1844, settled in 
the village of New Diggings [Lafayette County, Wisconsin], where they lived 
some years, moving thence to a farm in that township, where they passed the 
rest of their lives. Mr. ROBINSON was a blacksmith by trade, and during his 
residence in the village followed the same as a means of livelihood. His 
[Thomas ROBINSON's] death occurred in August 1888, and that of his wife 
[Annie] on 06 May 1889. They [Thomas and Annie (LEE) ROBINSON] were the 
parents of four children who lived to maturity: (1) Ruth, who married 
Christopher ALLEN, of New Diggings; (2) Isaac, who married Eliza GRAHAM, and 
moved to Hampton [Franklin County], IA, where he [Isaac ROBINSON] died 29 
October 1886, leaving his wife with eight children, Luella, Thomas, George, 
William, Estella, Alice, Ruth, and Isaac; (3) Matthew, of South Dakota, who 
married Lizzie ROBSON, and has four children, Thomas, Willie, Etta, and 
Elmer; and (4) Mary, who became Mrs. [Joseph R.] BIRD, and is one of the 
most genial of companions, always ready in her womanly way to shed sunshine 
wherever she goes.

2nd Biography of Joseph R. BIRD

History of Lafayette County, WI. Chicago: Western Historical Co., 1881, p 742

Joseph R. BIRD, farmer, Section 35, P. O. Etna; born 22 August 1832, in 
Canada; in about 1855 he came to the Town of New Diggings [Lafayette County, 
Wisconsin]; he owns 20 acres of land. [Joseph R. BIRD] married Miss Mary 
ROBINSON in 1860; she was born in Cumberland, England; they have seven 
children, three sons and four daughters. [Note the first biography, 
published twenty years later (1901), lists ten children, four sons, four 
daughters, and two children who died in infancy. Thus three children, one of 
them a son, were born between the publication dates of the two biographies.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly