Bird – Early History

Early History of the Bird Family
Charles James Bird
{Information provided by Elizabeth and Milton Bird}

A hundred years before this, Ken’s Great-Great-Grandfather, Charles James Bird, was born circa 1816 in Clerkenwell, Middlesex, England. Of interest is the fact that he had 3 wives.

He was first married to May Parrot on 30 May 1836 in Islington, England.   They had three children during their marriage being Charles, Emma and George. There are no records of their divorce but Mary died at the age of 76 in 1889 in Paddington, London, England. There is no further information on this marriage.

(Ref. L/MIL/9/5/116 and L/MIL/9/43 and L/MIL/11/101)). Enlisted London and signed on for unlimited service on the 21 November 1839 Aged 23 (2nd European Light Infantry).   He was aged 23 and was described as a stout person being 5′ foot 5 and 1/4″ inches with a fair complexion, brown hair, grey eyes and a round face. He was a painter by trade and was enlisted by Captain Murray of London and by S. Granger. His enlistment was attested on the 22 November 1839 and approved 26 November 1839.

On 21 November 1839, Charles James Bird enlisted as a Private in the 2nd European Regiment, aged 24. On 13 April 1840 [one source says that this was 13 April 1839] he embarked for Madras, India on the “Reliance,” with the rank of Acting Corporal. He was said to be married with one child at the date of enlistment. It is unclear if he was accompanied by his wife (May Parrott) and child or children.

At age 27 Charles James Bird then married Sarah Kelton (his second wife) at the Chaplains Station, Madras on 24 May 1843. He was then a corporal in the 2nd European Light Infantry.  Sarah Kelton was 18 years of age.  The witnesses at the wedding were Wiliam Nolan and Charles Bird.  Sarah Bird died of Cholera in Coonoor, Nilgiris, India on 8 December 1858 aged 33 years and was buried by the Minister Ward Mant of Coonoor and Jackatta Goolinge on the 9 December 1858. That marriage produced two sons (Charles Bird, born on 27 November 1844 and George Bird, born 5 May 1850).

On 27 November 1856 at the age of 40, he re-enlisted with the 2nd European Regiment [source suggests that this was the 2nd Madras Fuesiliers (now 108th Regiment of Foot]. In 1860, he became Sergeant Rff, aged 44.  In October 1861 – Supers. On the records of the “Madras unattached list for 1864” (ref. L/MIL/11/187).

Having learnt masonry work in England, before his enlistment in the British Army, he obtained an appointment as the Superintendent of the Madras Mint and was a resident of Blacktown. Between 1860 and 1864 he worked for 4 years as the “Temporary assistant overseer” in the Department of Public Works.

Charles then married his third wife Agnes Clegg on 5 October 1864 in Blacktown Church, Madras, India. Agnes was just 16 years old and Charles was noted on the marriage certificate to be 45 years old but was in fact aged 48. They had two sons. William Henry Bird was born on 31 December 1881 and Anthony Bird was born in 1891 (baptised on 1 September 1923 at Vellankani, India). At the birth of his third son Anthony and daughter Mildred with Agnes Clegg, Charles James Bird was living in Mysore and was a boiler chargeman.  (Ref. N2/134/148).

In December 1863, he was pensioned after 21 years of army service. In 1863, Charles James Bird became a Sergeant in the Madras Mint till abolition 1868. This was followed by a position as an Overseer in the Mysore Dept. of Public Works, Hassan, and was there 9 years.

In 1877, he became a Jailer, Mysore Central Jail for 7 years until 1884. He was awarded a gratuity when his services were dispensed with on account of advanced age (65 years old).  From Mysore he returned to Bangalore and was a resident for a further 18 years. He died (Ref. N2/86/21) Aged 83 on the 26/7/1899 leaving a widow, one son and one daughter from his third marriage [the notes above suggest that he had 3 sons] and several grand and great children.  He was buried the next day at St John’s, Protestant Cemetery in Kulpully, Banglore and the cause of death was noted as debility. He was described on the death certificate as a pensioner and the service was conducted by the Reverend Clement H.L. Wright, M.A. Chaplain of St John’s Church.  There was no will for Charles James Bird.

Charles Bird
Charles Bird was born on 27 November 1844. He married Agnes Davey in 1880. That marriage produced a son, Robert Charles Bird, born 28 July 1881, the father of Rex Bird and grandfather of Ken, Andrea and Milton Bird.

Charles Bird and Agnes Davey had two other children, Hendry and Mildred, but very little information is known of these two children.

George Bird
George Bird was born on 5 May 1850. He married Nancy Augusta Baptist in 1879 and they had nine children. Their fourth daughter, Violet Constance Bird , was born on 6 November 1887, the mother of Rex Bird and grandmother of Ken, Andrea and Milton Bird.

Robert Charles Bird

Robert Charles Bird was born on 28 July 1881. On 5 July 1904, Robert Charles Bird married his first cousin, Violet Constance Bird.

Early History Chronology (Bird Family)

1816 Charles James Bird born Clerkenwell, Middlesex, England
1836 Charles James Bird married May Parrot on 30 May Death of May Parrott – year and date not known
1843 Charles James Bird married Sarah Kelton on 24 May
1844 Birth of Charles Bird on 27 November
1850 Birth of George Bird on 5 May 1858 Death of Sarah Kelton (date/month not known) 1864 Charles James Bird married Agnes Clegg on 5 October
1879 George Bird married Nancy Baptist (date/month not known)
1880 Charles Bird married Agnes Davey (date/month not known)

1881 Birth of Robert Charles Bird on 28 July