Leard Family

Samuel Leard d. 1792, bur. Tryon Peoples Cem., m. Margaret Rogers, b. 1745, d. 5 Sept 1826, bur. Tryon Peoples Cem..

Samuel Leard and his wife, Margaret Rogers, emigrated from Kilmunny, near the market town of Carrackfergus, County Antn'n, Northern Ireland, in 1768. They had previously emigrated from Scot- land to Ireland.

Isabella Rogers, Margaret’s sixteen year old sister came with them. Isabella married Charles Morley and had a daughter, Elizabeth, who married George Muttart, son of Balthazar. Charles drowned shortly after their marriage leaving Isabella a widow before Elizabeth was born. See Muttart history.

Samuel leased land at the top of the Bito Hill from Captain Samuel Holland. Samuel’s descendents were not only farmers, but also oper- ated grist and lumber mills, and a brick factory. Samuel and Margaret built a cabin on the southeast side of the Crossroad near the Tryon River. This property became known as the Bito Hill Farm.

The first house on the top of the hill on the west of the Crossroad was a two family dwelling built byJoseph Wood and Isabelle Leard in the early 18005. John Wood and Sarah Wadman later resided in one end of the house and their daughter, Harriet Wood, and her husband, Stephen Leard, lived in the other end. Hamilton Leard and Jennie Thomson, his wife, lived in one end in the early 1900s before moving to the property north of the Croggett farm which is now owned by Richard Newsome. In later years the east end of the house was occupied by George Leard, son of Harriet and Stephen Leard, while the west end was used by Jessie Nicholson Leard who spent many days spinning, quilting, hooking, and knitting. Some of her handwork is still cherished by her grand-daughters and their families. This house was demolished in 1953. Information has been compiled from many sources, because records do not exist for the first Leard family.

Samuel Leard and Margaret Rogers had 7 children:

Elizabeth b. Ireland, 1765, m.John Thomas. See Thomas history.

Isabella d. before 1835, m.Joseph Wood. See Wood history.

Samuel b. 6June 1778, d. 30 May 1867, m. 4 Oct 1799 Elizabeth Brown, b. Covehead, d. 1862, daughter of Laurence Brown and Jean Jamieson. They had 7 children reach adulthood. The Islander of 1799 notes: Samuel Leard of Tryon, Weaver, was married by license to Elizabeth Brown of Covehead, spinster, 4th. day Oct. 1799. Samuel moved to Tryon Point and his descendents were known as Point Leards.

+John Brick b. 20 Sept 1780.

Sarah b. 1781, m.James Thomson. See Thomson history.

Margaret b. 1787, m.James MacWilliams. See MacWilliams history.

189