<< I am interested in communicating with anyone on the list researching any Bird/Byrd families. Chris>> You might want to take a close look at <A HREF="http://home.texoma.net/~richard/ledbetter/Book/Lew-book/lewis.htm">L edbetter Book by WILLIAM CHARLES CUDLIPP, II</A> REV. DR. LEWIS LAURIE LEDBETTER AND HIS WIFE CORNELIA JONES BIRD (BYRD) LEDBETTER and Their Known Descendants with emphasis on the family of their daughter EMMA EUFAULA LEDBETTER LEE MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER. Additional material on the Byrd, Hankins, Howe, Lanier, Daniell and Bostick families will be added in time. Chapter 3. Byrd Family Notes. Our Bird(Byrd) Family of South Carolina and Georgia The earliest proven Bird in our family tree is Captain Daniel Bird of South Carolina. His origins are unknown at this time, but a good guess is that he came from Virginia around 1765 to the Edgefield County (Old 96 District) of South Carolina. There is an outside possibility that this Byrd family originated in Maryland and not Virginia. This will require more investigation. Before 1860, the name was usually spelled Bird. I have found the name spelled both ways in letters and documents. Therefore, for consistency, I will use the spelling Byrd for names and when found in documents or on the Census, Bird. On the 1830 -1860 Censuses, Rev. Elijah spelled the name Bird but, on his children's gravestones, the spelling is Byrd. There's more on line.