DAR #A004813

Captain David Baird Sr was born 16 July 1754 at Manatapan, Monmouth County, New Jersey and died there 24 December 1839. David Baird is listed in The Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War and confirms that he was a Captain by 1777 in the Monmouth County Militia, in the 1st Regiment. Service records also show that he served as a Lieutenant in Samuel Foreman's 2nd Regiment.

David Baird Jr was the son of David Baird (1710‐1801) and his wife Sarah Compton (1716‐1810). The two are buried together in the Old Tennent Churchyard in Manalapan, Monmouth County, New Jersey. His paternal grandfather, John Baird (1665‐1755), was born in Scotland, as were the three generations before him. He arrived in New Jersey at age eighteen in 1683 on the vessel “The Exchange”. He married Mary Osborne (b 1675 England) one 25 November 1795, in Topenemus, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Together they are buried in the Topanemus Episcopal Burial Ground in Marlboro.

Captain Baird was married three times, to Rebekah Ely (1756‐1778) on 1 February 1777 in New Jersey; he married in 1779, Monmouth County, New Jersey, Lydia Tapscott (1755‐1791), the widow of James Gaston and with whom he had one child; and finally on 3 November 1795 to Mary Edwards (1771‐1840). David and all of his wives are buried in the Old Tennent Churchyard, Manalapan, Monmouth County, New Jersey. His children by these 3 marriages were: Kebekah Ely 17 December 1777, Sarah 1 November 1780, Mary 15 October 1762, John 19 March 1784, Jacob 19 December 1785, Lydia 8 February 1788, Phebe 14 November 1790, David JB 22 February 1797, Rei 16 Mav 1798,Elizabeth 2 March 1800, Thomas 6 February 1802, Ann 23 December 1803, Evelina 25 October 1805, Joseph 4 July 1807, James 3 June 1810, Rachel 7 September 1812, Elenor 15 December 1815, and Zebulon 31 January 1819.

The Baird family would continue to grow following the war. David and Lydia’s daughter, Mary (14 October 1782 Upper Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey‐ 30 July 1853 Brighton, Washington County, Iowa) would grow to a young lady and marry, on 14 January 1800, in New Jersey, Lewis Dey (21 January 1779 Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey‐13 March 1831 Franklin, Shelby County, Ohio). In 1833 Mary would marry Private Lewis Boyer 1726‐1843, born Maryland and died Shelby County, Ohio. Mary is buried in the Hillcrest Cemetery, Brighton, Washington County, Iowa. Lewis Dey and Mary would become the parents of Mary Ashton, Watson Kerr, John Wesley, David Baird, Lewis Jr, Richard L and Sarah Baird.

Mary Ashton Dey was the daughter of Mary Baird and Lewis Dey. She was born 30 Oct 1815 in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and would pass on 3 August 1895. It is believed that Mary and Thomas were married in Shelby, Richland County, Ohio, on 2 December 1835. She is buried in the Brooklyn Cemetery, Brooklyn Township, Schuyler County, Illinois, along with her husband Thomas Benbow Abercrombie Sr. Thomas was born 24 December 1813 in Pennsylvania and would pass on 25 July 1854, in Brighton, Washington County, Iowa. At least four children came from this union, Meriba 1839‐1913, Nancy 1847‐1859, Lydia M 1852‐1859, and Thomas B Jr 1854‐1914.

Nancy Ann Abercrombie, daughter of Thomas and Mary Ashton Dey Abercrombie would be the next child in line. Nancy was born on 23 October 1847, in Brighton, Washington County, Iowa. She would pass on 17 April 1917. On 30 July 1868 she would marry James Alpheas Lantz, born 13 December 1842 in Moorefield, Harrison County, Ohio. James would pass on 24 December 1897. Both James and Nancy are buried in the Brooklyn Cemetery, Brooklyn Township, Schuyler County, Illinois. James and Nancy had six children, with one son dying young. Three known sons are John Albert 1872‐1940, Cyrus Arthur 1877‐1927, and Homer Lee 1881‐1917. When our country erupted into civil war James was only nineteen but enlisted to serve on 30 October 1861. He would serve through the entire conflict, achieving the rank of captain and mustering out on 13 July 1865, with ‘infirmities’ that would afflict him for the remainder of his life. His military record lists all of the battles that he participated in. Following the war James would graduate in 1866 from a Business College in Pittsburg then in 1867 he would head west to discover opportunities in Illinois.

John Albert Lantz was the son of James and Nancy Lantz, born 24 September 1872, Schuler County, Illinois. John passed on 23 March 1940. He would Mary Lena Cooper 2 September 1896, in Schuyler County. Mary was born was born in 1872, the daughter of William Cooper and Matilda Ann Self and passed in 1945. They are both buried in the Brooklyn Cemetery, Brooklyn Township, Schuyler County, Illinois. They were the parents of Richard Julian 1900‐ 1978, Esther Annette 1902‐1990 and Vernon Kenneth 1913‐1989. Richard Julian would marry in 1923, Edna Bernice Esslinger 1902‐2004. Their daughter Sara Louise Lantz would marry Wendell Clay Riggins 20 June 1949. Wendell would pass on 27 September 1965. Sara was a wife, mother, teacher, avid gardener, golfer and quilter. She was a member of the Wesley United Methodist Church, the American Legion Auxiliary, a 50 year member of the Eastern Star, and a member of the General Macomb Chapter of the NSDAR, serving as a past regent