Biography of Randall Beaird; Union Par., Louisiana Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by Timothy D. Hudson, 3/10/2004 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Biography of Randall Beaird (1840 – 1884) Randall Beaird was a man of African ancestry born into slavery in 1840. His mother was a slave named Ginney, born in 1820. Her origins are unknown, but in 1843 she was the property of Stephen Dunn, then a resident of the Mulberry Creek community in what was then Bibb County Alabama, today Chilton County. Born about 1760/1765, Stephen Dunn was in poor health by early 1843. To prevent the court from deciding the fate of his slaves after his impending death, Dunn himself dispersed his 7 slaves among his four daughters. On 29 March 1843, Dunn gave his slave Ginney and her children to his grandson John Washington Beaird to be held in trust for his daughter Zilphia Beaird (Bibb County Alabama Deed Book E, pp. 263 – 264 and Union Parish Louisiana Deed Book A-1, pp. 54 – 55): "State of Alabama, Bibb County. Know all men by these presents that I Stephen Dunn of the County and State aforesaid for and in consideration of the Love and affection that I have for my daughter Zilphia Beaird do this Day Grant unto my Grand Son John W. Beard in trust for the Sol [sic] Benefit and use of my Daughter forever certain negres [sic] to wit: Ginney a woman about twenty three years old Randal a Boy about three years old Lizar a Girl about two years old David a boy about one year old to have and to hold the said Negroes to her and her heirs forever. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this the 29th day of March 1843…" Zilphia Dunn Beaird (1794 – 1870s) was the wife of William Beaird (1794 – 1885). Following Stephen Dunn’s death in 1843, the Beairds moved from Alabama to Union Parish Louisiana, settling in the Zion Hill community. In 1850, Ginney and her children were listed as slaves of William Beaird, who was shown as the owner of one female slave aged 32 and male slaves aged 10, 8, 6, and 3. Ginney must be the female, and the eldest males must be Randall and David. The younger males must be children of Ginney’s born between 1843 and 1850. Her daughter Lizar must have died between 1843 and 1850, or else her sex was incorrectly recorded here. By 1860, Ginney was still listed as the older female slave belonging to Beaird and Randall and David the older male slaves. I do not know who the female slaves aged 17, 14, and 12 are. Perhaps some of the males in 1850 should have been listed as females and they were also Ginney’s children. William Beaird’s slaves in 1860 were listed as females aged 42, 17, 14, 12, and 4, and also males aged 19, 17, and 7. I have found no record of what happened to Ginney or David or any of Ginney’s younger children after 1860. However, at the end of slavery Randall chose the surname “Beaird” and continued to live near William Beaird’s plantation for several years; he worked on the farm of William Beaird’s nephew Francis Marion Tucker during the war, and in 1870 was next door to Tucker. He became a rather prosperous farmer and in the 1870s bought his own farm next to William Beaird’s. It was rather unusual for a black man to own his own land for an extended period of time in that era. On 23 December 1882, Randall purchased an additional 240 acres adjoining his existing 80 acres in the Zion Hill community for $200 in cash (Union Par LA Deed Book T, p. 228 – the legal description of this land was W½ of NE¼ and the SE¼ of Section 6, Township 21 North, Range 1 West). Possibly in anticipation of his death, on 5 January 1884 Randall Beaird sold 120 acres to his neighbor Thomas Jefferson Price (the grandson of William Beaird’s neighbor Powhatan Boatright). This record shows that he could not sign his name (Union Par LA Deed Book U, p. 106). Randall died later that month at his residence in Union Parish. He left a widow, Ellen Beaird, and three children: Willis, Jane, and Richard Beaird and 280 acres of land (Union Par LA Succession Book A-1, pp. 129 – 132). The inventory of Randall Beaird’s estate indicated that his land was worth $350 and one black mare was worth $75, which, together with other livestock and household property was worth a total of $908.45. This property is far more valuable than that owned by many middle-class white people during this period. Unfortunately, Ellen was apparently unable to manage the farm and pay the taxes on it after Randall’s death. On 30 August 1886, the sheriff seized and sold Mrs. Ellen Beaird’s 280-acre farm to J. R. Kilgore to pay her taxes (Union Par LA Deed Book V, p. 392). Ellen Beaird remarried on 3 February 1887 to Lewis Jones (Union Par LA Marriage Book 7, p. 634). Randall’s children Willis and Jane Beaird married in 1885, and Richard married in 1898, all in Union Parish. I have no further information on the descendents of Randall Beaird. *********************************************************** Sources: I prepared this biography on the basis of my own personal research into the Beaird family. Primary source documents include the court records of Bibb County Alabama and Union Parish Louisiana, as well as United States census records