Judy Pisano wrote: > > I recently purchased the book "The Ironmaster's Kin" > which had been mentioned on this list. On one of the > first pages, it states that William Bird was born in > England. Later there is a copy of a newspaper article > stating that William was born in Raritan, NJ. Does > anyone know which is correct? > Thanks, > Judy > Hi, Judy I recently purchased a copy of an out-of-print book, OLEY VALLEY HERITAGE, by Philip E. Pendleton. Pendleton, a native of Berks County, is an architectural historian whose research interests address social history and architectural history. He is also a descendant of the Yocum and Jones (Jonasson) families. In his book, he refers to William Bird several times as an Irishman. I have also found references in the journals of the Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg in 1748 to a "wealthy, respectable Irishman" at Molatton, that are apparent references to William Bird. Muhlenberg preached at Molatton once every two weeks during the week and once every two weeks on Sunday afternoons, riding from his home in Providence [present-day Trappe], a distance of 12 miles [German miles were somewhat longer than English miles during this period]. Muhlenberg continued as a visiting pastor from March 1748-May 1752, so he would, undoubtedly, have known William Bird, the most prominant man in the area, well. Muhlenberg customarily referred to individuals in his journals by their nativity, rather than by their names, differentiating between English, Swedes, and Irish. That Bird was active in the religious life at Molatton is evident from a letter he wrote in 1760. On April 23, 1753, Molatton Church organized itself as a parish in its own right, named Saint Gabriel's, but over the next few years apparently had problems obtaining and retaining a minister. In 1760, Bird was influenced by Dr. William Smith, first provost of the University of Pennsylvania, who advised him to write to the Church authorities in England asking for a minister to be sent to the congregation at Molotton. A layman adding to the letter stated that William Bird was a "substantial citizen with profits from his business amounting to about three thousand dollars a year." "to the Venerable Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The humble Representation of the Subscribers Inhabitants of Berks in the Province of Pennsylvania. SHEWETH, That the said county is a very large and growing one, situated on the frontiers of the said province and hath never yet had any English Minister of any denomination settled in it, nor hath it had the happiness of being visited often by any of the Reverend Clergy of the interior counties, there being none whose cure is so near as to allow them to come hither without neglect of their proper parishioners. That we much lament the case of our children and families who live entirely destitute of those instructions, which we in our younger days had the happiness to be blest with in our native places, and are justly apprehensive that unless the Venerable Society will be pleased to extend their pious and charitable cure to us by fixing a Missionary among us, we shall have the mortification of seeing our children brought up without any idea of their public worship or religious ordinances. That in this distress, having invited the Revd. Doctor William Smith up to preach among us and having received encouragement from him to lay our case before your venerable body (whose tender concern for the extension of Christianity and welfare of His Majesty's Colonies have been long conspicuous), we have presumed to apply for your assistance humbly praying that you would be pleased to send over a Missionary to reside in Reading, the chief town of the county aforesaid, and to officiate also at Morlattin a place fifteen miles distant, where a church has for many years been built by a Society of English and Swedes who are desirous of having a Missionary of the Church of England and join with us in this application. That in order to induce the Venerable Society to grant our said request we have in conjunction with the said Morlattin Congregation entered into a Subscription obliging ourselves to pay yearly to such Missionary the sum of Sixty Pounds, Pennsylvania money, being about thirty-eight pounds sterling, over and above what the Society may be pleased to allow him; which sum was readily subscribed by the Inhabitants who seem resolved to give all further encouragement in their power to any worthy Minister the Society may be pleased to send over, for which purpose our best services shall not be wanting. That for want of Ministers of the Church of England in these parts many people sincerely disposed to be among the number of her Members are drawn after various sorts of Sectaries, and which is still worse the Roman Catholic priests are making converts among us to the great grief of your petitioners and others, and that we believe a pious Ministry of the Church of England would be able to promote the interest of piety and virtue and to prevent a great body from leaving the church for want of opportunity of attending public worship. That if the Society have no particular person in view for [t]his as a Missionary, there is a young gentleman, Mr. Joseph Mather, now in London, born of creditable parents in the province and educated at College of Philadelphia who we believe would do us good service if he could be prevailed upon to come to this place and undertake the fatigues to which a new Mission near the frontiers must necessarily be subject. Will M. Bird, and others" [Source: DuHamel, William, "An Historical Sketch of William Bird," Historical Review of Berks County, Spring, 1982, p. 70-72] William Bird died the following year on Nov. 16, 1761, and was buried at Saint Gabriel's Cemetery in Douglassville. Since Bird had married the daughter of one of the Swedes, Brigitte Hulings, on Oct. 28, 1735, it is likely that he followed the religious practices of her family (I can feel you all out there thinking, "If he were Irish, wasn't he likely to have been Catholic?" :-) Pendleton's research is supported by numerous original resources--sixty-six references in the chapter dealing with religion alone. Muhlenberg's journals appear to have been his source for designating Bird a native of Ireland. I have seen Muhlenberg's journals, which were a written during William Bird's lifetime by someone who undoubtedly knew him. I have not seen a contemporary source documenting any of the other theories of Bird's nativity. Sherry Johnson sherrjo@tenet.edu