William Beard

The parents of William Beard
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Note: The family of William Beard is the line of our fellow researcher, Robert Morris Beard. Morris was a great friend and spent many years finding all of his family. He was one of the foremost researchers of the Beards who came to Green and Adair County, Kentucky, and he passed away before the evolution of this website. Rest in peace, Morris.
William was the youngest child of Samuel and Rebecca Beard. He was born between 1800 and 1810 in Adair County, Kentucky. When he was a child, the family moved down to Bedford County, Tennessee and William grew up there. After his parents died in Tennessee, William returned to Adair County, Kentucky with his older brother David and David's young family. Before 1836, William married Pyrena Stayton, the daughter of Joseph R. Staton and Elizabeth "Betsy" Sheckelworth. She was born about 1815 in Washington County, Kentucky. William appears as the head of his household on the 1840 Adair County census, the only one in which he was named as head of house. William's family consisted of wife Pyrena and two little boys. They were listed on the same census page as William's brother Samuel's family, and very near to Elizabeth Beard Caskey, William's sister, and brother David Beard's family. William died at a young age, on 4 February 1847, in Taylor County, Kentucky, a neighboring county to Adair. We do not know his burial place. His widow appeared as "Pyrea" or "Perine" on the 1850 census in neighboring Taylor County. She had four sons under thirteen years. In 1860, she was listed in same as "Pirena" with three sons in the home. They lived next household to Alexander Staton and his family, which included an eight year old daughter named Pirena. We believe Alexander to be her brother. In 1870, "Pervina" Beard was listed in Mannsville in Taylor County with two grown sons. Her eldest son Josiah, listed as afflicted, was married and his wife and baby son lived in his mother's home as well. 1880 finds "Irena J. Beard" listed in home of her son James in Taylor County. Her twelve year old grandson is with her. We do not have a death date for Pyrena Staton Beard, nor a burial place.
The four sons of William and Pyrena Staton Beard:
William David Beard
Josiah Beard
John A. Beard
James Mason Beard