The Bird Family (6 Generations) Revised

The Bird Family (6 Generations). My maternal granddad's line. 

Recorded as Bird, Byrd, Byrde and Bride, this famous surname is English. It derives from the pre 7th century word "bridde" meaning a bird, and as a surname was originally given as a nickname to one thought to bear a fancied resemblance to a bird. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Earnald Brid, which was dated 1193, in the "Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire", during the reign of King Richard 1st.

Introducing:

Joseph Bird

b. 1791 d. December 17th, 1862

married for fifty years on March 30th, 1812 to 

Mary Richards

b. 1794 d. March 4th, 1873

(5th great-grandparents) 

Places lived: Thringstone, Leicestershire, England

Staunton Harold, Leicestershire, England 

Breedon on the Hill St. Mary's & St. Hardulph. Where Joseph and Mary Married.

1851 Census

1871 Census. Mary is widowed

John Bird

b. June 22nd, 1828 d. March 27th, 1900

married for forty-seven years on April 19th, 1852 to 

Elizabeth Cutler

b. September 1828 d. March 31st, 1900

(4th great-grandparents)

Places lived: Lount, Leicestershire, England

Staunton Harold, Leicestershire, England 

Thringstone, Leicestershire, England 

Peggs Green, Leicestershire, England 

1861Census

1871Census

1881 Census

William Bird

b. 1859 d. April 1911

married for nineteen years on December 24th, 1892 to 

Eliza Tindell (Stepmother)

b. October 1862 d. December 6th, 1902

(3rd  great-grandparents)

Places lived:
Lount, Leicestershire, England
Thringstone, Leicestershire, England
Swannington, Leicestershire, England 

Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, England 

William Bird. 1891 Census. Widow.

1901 Census

1911 Census

William's mother, and Edith's father passed away when they were young. Their parents William and Eliza married, thus they were step brother and step sister, who later married. 

William Bird

b. 1880 d. September 1957 

married for thirty-three years in April, 1903 to 

Edith Tindell (Step Sister) 

b. April 1886 d. September 1936
(2nd great-grandparents)

Places lived: Griffydam, Leicestershire, England 

Thringstone, Leicestershire, England

Whitwick, Leicestershire, England 

Swannington, Leicestershire, England

Coalville, Leicestershire, England

Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, England

1911 Census

James Albert Bird

b.  June 12th, 1912 d. 1991

 married for sixty years on February 17th, 1934 to 

Betty May Hurt 

 b. December 21st, 1910 d. 1994

(great-grandparents)

Places lived:  Aberavon, Glamorgan, Wales
Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Wales
Aberdare, Glamorgan, Wales
Loughborough, Leicestershire, England

Great Grandma, Betty May Bird, nee Hurt

Michael Idris Bird
Skilled Detonator

b.  July 14th, 1934 (Bastille Day) d.  January 24th, 2009

 married for fifty-four years on December 12th, 1954 to 

Mabel Thawley

 b. May 27th, 1931  d. August 17th, 2009

(maternal grandparents)

Places lived: Ashby-De-La-Zouch, Leicestershire, England
Tamworth, Staffordshire, England
Emigrated to South Africa
Warwick, Warwickshire, England

Michael and Mabel's Wedding 1954

My maternal grandparents went on to have my uncle, John (1957) and my mum, Julie (1961). They emigrated before my mum was born to South Africa, where my Grandad worked as a skilled detonator for the diamond mines. They often travelled back home to visit their families by cruise ship from Capetown, South Africa to Southampton, England. 

Julie holding onto the handlebar and Mabel smiling on.

Fancy dress. John and Julie. 

Kiki Nakita

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5th Wedding Anniversary in St. Augustine, Florida

Good afternoon my dears,

Can't believe its already almost the end of summer, can you? 

One important event on our summer calendar is our wedding anniversary. This year we celebrated five years of marriage and almost eight years together. Since its a milestone anniversary, we decided to pack the car and head to sunny St. Augustine, Florida for a week of sun, sand, sea, and sightseeing. Here's a few pictures from our anniversary trip that I'd like to remember.

We stayed in an adorable oceanside and poolside condo. Each morning we'd get up early, put on our bathing suits, pack our beach bag, and spend a few hours beside the sea side.

Then we'd head to the pool to swim for a little bit before heading back to get ready for a day of sightseeing. This is the view of the pool from our third floor balcony. 

On our fifth wedding anniversary we decided to have lunch at Columbia Restaurant. Its a family owned and operated restaurant, since 1905. The food and atmosphere were superb, with old-time Spanish renaissance décor, an atrium, and a water fountain. 

Afterwards, we walked through the charming streets of St. Augustine to Flagler College. Listed as a national historic landmark, Flagler College, was built by railroad magnate, Henry M. Flagler in 1888, and is considered to be one of the finest examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture in the nation. 

As we were walking we saw this dreamy MG.

The Lightner Museum, built in 1888 by Henry M. Flagler, is home to many gilded age antiques and a magnificent courtyard. 

The majestic Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, established in 1565, has the oldest continuous congregation in the nation. The aura inside was indescribable, you could feel the joy of baptisms and weddings, and the sorrows of funerals and prayers.

The necklace I was wearing was made as an anniversary gift to me. A silver chain with wooden beads to represent our wooden anniversary. 

Castillo de San Marcos, is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, built to protect and defend. 

I used to spend every summer out on the water boating and jet skiing with family and family friends until my dad got sick. So whenever we're near a marina we go visit and I get nostalgic for summers past. 

In the evenings we'd come back to the condo for baked potatoes (something simple to make) and go watch the sunset on the beach. It was the perfect mid-summer week away to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. 

Our 5th Wedding Anniversary Home Movie

Kiki Nakita

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Linked up to:
Share Your Cup #303
Grace At Home #310

Kiki's Childhood Home Movies I Circa Late 1990 I Reading With Grandpa

Good morning my dears.

Introducing:

"Grandpa" William Harold Smith

b. August 4th, 1924 d. 1999

married on December 12th to

"Granny" Veronika Ortrud Heier

b. December 27th, 1938 d. December, 2010

[Heier family and Otto family genealogy]

In memory of my late Grandpa's 94th birthday month, here's one of my childhood home movies, circa late 1990. The video was filmed at our home in Germiston, South Africa shortly after the arrival of my baby sister, Gigi.

Kiki Nakita

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