THE BARD FAMILY

the Bards of "Carroll's Delight"

Descendants of William Bard

William Bard, second son of Archibald Beard, (Bard) was born June 7, 1738, and died July 31, 1802, at Bardstown, Ky. He was reared in Hamiltonban township, York, now Adams county, Pa. By deed, dated April 2, 1761, his father conveyed to him a tract of land in "Carroll's Delight," which was surveyed to Robert McPherson, October 7, 1765. Another conveyance from Archibald to William, dated November 20, 1764, was for a tract of 74 acres of land in Antrim, now Quincy township, Franklin county, near the Seventh Day Baptist plantation, known as the Nunnery. William also owned a tract outside of Carroll's Delight, which he sold to the Rev. John McKnight and Ebenezer Finley, and removed to the Cumberland Valley. The Quincy tract, which Archibald Bard obtained on a Proprietary warrant, was conveyed by William Bard, of Cumberland county, to Richard Bard, of York county, December 21, 1767. After this sale he went to western Pennsylvania, and finally settled in Kentucky.

According to the tradition of the Bard family, of Bardstown, William Bard first visited Kentucky in 1768. The story is that salt being scarce at Pittsburgh, he proposed to three other men, Brown, Evans and Doe, to go down the Ohio river, on a flat-boat, to the salt licks of Kentucky. Doe's wife went with them to cook for them. They landed near the site of Louisville, and then went to Drennon's creek, twelve miles distant, where they built a cabin preparatory to beginning the manufacture of salt. The Doe's had with them an infant six months old. The party had not been many days at the salt licks when they were attacked by a band of Indians. Doe and his wife were both killed and Brown was severely wounded. Bard killed one Indian with his own gun, and with the gun of the dead man he shot another. These fatalities had the effect of intimidating the Indians, and they retired, leaving Mr. Bard with the wounded man and the helpless babe on his hands. He succoredthe child by chewing bread, that it might have sustenance. In the meantime, Evans made his way to the river in search of assistance. At midnight of the following night, the wounded man died. Bard then barred up the cabin andtaking the child in his arms followed after Evans. He had gone only three miles when he was attacked by wolves. He escaped them by clinbing a tree, where he remained until daylight. Resuming his journey, he "soon afterward met Mr. Evans with a company of men coming to his rescue." The reality of the rescuing party is take for granted (that Danial Boone and his men were the rescuing party? - CB) in the tradition, but it is not easily explained, as this was a year before Boone and his companions had made their way from the Yadkin, and before any permanent settlements had been made in Kentucky.

The Bardstown tradition further asserts that Mr. Bard and Mr. Evans returnedto their homes in Virginia, taking the little girl with them to its relatives; that later William Bard and his brother, RIchard, went to Kentucky and located at Danville; that Richard built a cabin that entitled him to a thousand acres of land, but afterward returned to Pennsylvania; and that William settled where Bardstown now stands. There is no tradition among the descendants of Richard Bard in regard to this early visit to Kentucky, but land entries copied by Colonel Durrett, of Louisville,and deeds and other instruments of writing on record, at Bardstown, Nelson county, show his ownership of land adjacent to Bardstown, 1780-88.

When William Bard went to Kentucky to settle, or soon afterward, he built a cabin about four miles north of Bardstown and acquired a large tract of land on Buffalo creek. A part of this land remained in the possession of some of his descendants until within a few years (circa 1908 - CB). There is a family burying ground on the old Bard homestead in which four generations of the Bards are buried. William Bard and his son James, were both buried there, but there is no stone to mark the place of sepulture of the pioneer.The town of Bardstown was laid out by William Bard on lands of David Bard. It was named after the latter. The following announcement taken from the records of the city of Bardstown, originally called Salem, shows the initial steps toward the erection of Nelson county and the creation of Bardstown as the county seat:

Whereas it appears to many of the inhabitants that Jefferson county requires to be divided, and the new town of Salem central for a County Town. Therefore, I propose the following encouragment for settling it, viz.: Inlots containing one-quarter of an acre with an outlot containing three acres given free, only a quitrent of two silver dollars per year, or the value thereof in wheat to the Proprietor thereof­a good sufficient title shall be given on demand after David Bard obtains his preemption deed for the same. The whole shall be clear of rent during the disturbance by the present war in these parts; and until the outlots can be properly laid off after the said war. People may clear and occupy as much adjacent land as is necessary for the support of their families, and those getting by lottery the improved lands shall pay the value of the improvements to him that made it. Settlers on these inlots who build a house sixteen feet square and clear off the underbrush shall be deemed to have a right to these lots.

February 11, 1782. WM. BARD

Mr. Bard was a surveyor and made the first map of Louisville in 1779. The original is in the possession of Col. R. T. Durrett, of Louisville. This map shows that the town lots were disposed of by chance April 24, 1779­it also contains the initials of those who drew the lots, and shows the position of Beargrass creek, which Colby's map, the one officially adopted, does not. He drew Lot No. 21, afterward No. 92. His land entries according to Col. Durrett's record were June 19, 1780, 200 acres as assignee of Samuel Shelton on the South side of Salt river, 20 miles above Frowman's Station, to include an improvement opposite to a riffle in the river, and a spring near a tree marked W. B.; and June 23, 1781, on preemption warrant No 825, for 1,000 acres on Buffalo creek. The town of Bardstown later became known for Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home" and the manufacture of bourbon whiskey.

Mr. Bard married in 1779, to Mary Kincaid Braxdale, daughter of Joseph Kincaid, and widow of John Braxdale, killed by the Indians. She was born in Virginia, October 12, 1755, died at Bardstown, Ky., November 10, 1825.
They had five children: James Bard, David Bard, Ebenezer Bard, William Bard, Issac Bard

James Bard was born in 1782 at Bardstown. He served with a troop of horses raised in Nelson County, Kentucky in the War of 1812. James Bard married Martha Adams. He is buried in the family graveyard.

Note: James Bard is the slave owner of the descendants of The Bard Family Reunion in Bardstown Kentucky..

David Bard, born at Bardstown in 1785, died in 1818. He married first Elizabeth Waters of Bullitt County, Kentucky: his second wife was Margaret.

Ebenezer Bard, born at Bardstown in 1787. Married Nancy.... He is buried in the graveyard at the corner of South Fourth and Beale Street.

William Bard, born at Bardstown in 1790, died at Osceola, Arkansas. He was married to Margaret Beeler.

Issac Bard, born at Bardstown in 1797; died at Greenville, Kentucky 1878. Graduate of Union College, New York in 1821. Entered Theological seminary of Princeton in 1817. He lived near Greenville, Muhlenburg County, Kentucky.

Note: Issac Bard was the slave owner of the descendants of the Bard/Jones Family Reunion in Greenville Kentucky.