Dr George Lee Byrd

• General Notes
  • The Edwards Family
    
    Although not directly related to our branch of the
    Bird Family tree, the Edwards Family is an
    important one in our lineage.  Three daughters of
    Etheldred Edwards married three sons of Buford
    Bird, Sr. and the former Miss Polly Keeling.  One
    of those daughters, as mentioned in previous
    sections, was Martha Edwards, the second wife of
    Dr. George Lee Bird.  Not only did she raise Dr.
    Bird�s first son, George Marshall, but she was the
    mother of Dr. Bird�s latter three children.  For
    this cause alone, I thought it important to
    briefly mention this family.
    
    Etheldred Edwards, the son of Benjamin and Mary
    Edwards, was born in 1783, in Wilkes County,
    Georgia.  He married Julia Ann Ogletree on
    December 9, 1823, in Green County, Georgia.  Julia
    was born in 1804, in Wilkes County, Georgia.
    Etheldred and Julia had ten known children � Mary
    Elizabeth (c. 1825) Thomas Jefferson (1828),
    Martha (1829), Sarah Ann (1831), Mildred (1832),
    Harriet Zemma (c. 1834), Rebecca (1836), Cordelia
    (1838), William Cosby (c. 1842), and Emma (1847).
    
    The Edwards� were apparently a very prominent
    family of the Taliaferro County area � owning,
    buying, and selling much property throughout the
    years.  Julia Ann Ogletree Edwards died May 21,
    1863, in Taliaferro County, Georgia.  Etheldred
    Edwards died August 17, 1866, in Taliaferro
    County, Georgia.  Both are buried in a private,
    family cemetery plot near the Taliaferro/Green
    County line.
    
    
    
    -Children of Etheldred Edwards and Julia Ann
    Ogletree-
    
    Mary Elizabeth Edwards was born circa 1825.  She
    married John F. Brown on December 15, 1840.  John
    and Mary had children � Ezekiel, Julia, and James
    Thomas.  The Brown�s settled near Harris County,
    Georgia, prior to 1850, when they were enumerated
    in that year�s Census.
    
    Thomas Jefferson Edwards was born February 10,
    1828.  He married Mary Jane Portwood Jarrett,
    widow of George W. Jarrett, on April 22, 1858, in
    Taliaferro County, Georgia.  Mary was born March
    18, 1832, to Dempsey and Delilah Portwood.  Thomas
    was a school teacher and farmer and various time
    in his life.  He and Mary had children � George
    Thomas, Etheldred, John William, Sarah Ann,
    Benjamin Lee, and Mary Thomas.  Thomas was killed
    on July 24, 1869, while trying to protect a young
    black boy from an ex-Confederate Prisoner of War.
    The Confederate shot Thomas dead in the middle of
    Main Street.  Thomas Jefferson Edwards was laid to
    rest in the Sandy Cross Baptist Church Cemetery in
    Sandy Cross, Georgia.  Mary Jane Portwood Jarrett
    died October 3, 1916, and was also laid to rest at
    the Baptist Cemetery in Sandy Cross.
    
    Martha Edwards was born December 5, 1829, in
    Georgia.  She became the second wife of Dr. George
    Lee Bird.  More may be read about Martha Edwards
    Bird beginning on page 00. Sarah Ann Edwards was
    born June 17, 1831, in Georgia.  Sallie, as she
    was commonly known, married William Bell, lawyer
    and friend of Alexander Hamilton Stephens.
    William, the son of Joshua and Lucy Bell, was born
    in 1819.  William and Sarah were married on
    January 15, 1850, and had later had children �
    William B., Sarah, & Clinton.  Sarah Edwards Bell
    died March 7, 1859.  The Bells are buried in a
    private plot located directly behind Liberty Hall,
    the home of Alexander H. Stephens.
    
    
    Mildred Edwards was born August 12, 1832, in
    Georgia.  She married Buford Bird, Jr. on April
    10, 1851, in Taliaferro County, Georgia.  Buford,
    the son of Buford Bird, Sr. and Polly Keeling, was
    born August 29, 1824, in Georgia.  Buford and
    Mildred had children � Gustavus E., and William
    Wiley.  Mildred Edwards Bird died November 23,
    1915, in Taliaferro County, Georgia.  She is
    buried in Crawfordville, Georgia.
    
    
    Harriet Zemma Edwards was born circa 1834, in
    Georgia.  She married Wiley Bird on December 13,
    1855, in Taliaferro County, Georgia.  Wiley, the
    son of Buford Bird, Sr. and Polly Keeling, was
    born October 9, 1828, in Georgia.  Harriet and
    Wiley had children � Buford, Sheila, and Fletcher.
    Wiley Bird died October 14, 1862, in Nashville,
    Tennessee, after being wounded during the Civil
    War.  After Wiley�s death, Harriet married John S.
    Clifton and had more children � Cordelia, Allie,
    and Rudolph.
    
    
    Rebecca Edwards was born circa 1836.  She
    presumably did not marry as she is listed in the
    1880 Federal Census as being single and living in
    the household of her younger sister, Emma Edwards
    Richards.
    
    
    Cordelia Edwards was born March 13, 1838.  She
    married Lucious B. Standifer.  In the 1880 Federal
    Census for Taliaferro County, Lucious and Cordelia
    are listed with no living children.  Lucious
    Standifer died October 16, 1881, at the age of
    forty-two years.  After Lucious� death, Cordelia
    married P. Keith Boswell on June 13, 1883, in
    Taliaferro County, Georgia.  P.K. Boswell died
    December 20, 1900, and was laid to rest in the
    Crawfordville Baptist Cemetery.  Cordelia Edwards
    Standifer Boswell died April 17, 1916, and was
    laid to rest beside of Keith in the Crawfordville
    Baptist Cemetery.
    
    
    William Cosby Edwards was born circa 1842.  He
    married Anne Cordelia Daniel on April 9, 1863.
    After Anne�s death, William married Priscilla
    Ogletree Lunceford on October 12, 1857.  William
    and Priscilla had children � Thomas Henry, Lucious
    Standifer, Daniel Littleton, Samuel Shields, Annie
    Gertrude, and Etheldred Asbury Edwards.
    
    
    Emma Edwards was born June 2, 1847.  Emma married
    Titus Richards on October 11, 1866, in Taliaferro
    County, Georgia, and had children � Hattie,
    Julian, Thomas, Garnett, Nora, Angus, Richard, and
    Franklin.  Titus was born October 11, 1840, in
    Virginia.  Titus Richards is enumerated in the
    1880 Federal Census for Taliaferro County,
    Georgia, as a merchant.  Emma Edwards Richards
    died November 12, 1891, and was buried in the
    Crawfordville Baptist Cemetery.  After Emma�s
    death, Richard married Gussie A. Porter on
    December 10, 1906, in Taliaferro County.  Titus
    Richards died May 23, 1914, and was laid to rest
    in the Crawfordville Baptist Cemetery.
    
    http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sdbyrd/georgem.htm