1522 P Street

Washington D. C.

Mrs. Annie M. Butler 14 Sammill Ave, Mansfield, Mass. October 15, 1911

My dear Mrs. Butler

Your letter of Oct. 9, directed to me at Turner, Me, was forwarded to me here where I live during the winter. in my retirement from active service in the Navy, I have spent the summer months in Turner on a farm that has belonged to my family since the town was settled. I am sorry that I did not know that you were in Nrth Auburn during the past summer as I should have taken great pleasure in calling upon you. I could have shown you and told you many things that would have interested you in connection with the Bird family.

You wish to know who your Gt. Grandfather Bird was - You do not tell me who your father was, nor who your grandfather Bird was. I assume however that the former was Jasper Morton and the latter Shippie Bird. Our line is the same down to our common Gt-Grandfather Aaron Bird. The founder of the family in this country was Thomas Bird, b. in England about 1613. It is not known when he came to this country but he joined the church in Dorchester Mass in 1642. He was a farmer & d. June 8 1667 aged 54 a very wealthy man for the time and place. His wife was named Anne. She d. Aug 21, 1673. I will not take up our line only. They had a son named Thomas. b. May 4 1640. he m. Thankful Atherton Feb 2. 1665. She was b. 1644 and d. Apr. 11 1719. He d. Jan 30 1709-10 They had a son Joseph b. Oct 1. 1666. He d. Mch 9,1711-12. He M. Miriam Leeds. They had a son Aaron 4, b. Aug 28 1690 who m. Mary Hooper of Boston May 27 1712. They both died the same day Jan. 1 1745-6.

Aaron 4 and his wife Mary had a son Aaron 5 b Jan 17 1732. Aaron 5 m. Anne Shippie in Boston Oct 1 1755. The name Shippie is variously spelled such as Shippy, Shipy, Shippey, I adopt th method used by your grandfather > on his tombstone. Undoubtedly he was named for his paternal grandmother. Aaron 5 and wife Anne had a son Aaron 6 b April 7 1756 who was your (our) gt. grandfather. He m. Joanna Glover of Dorchester Nov 23 1775. She was b. Feb 3 1758 and was the daughter of Enoch Glover a Rev. Saaldie(?) soldier(?) her mother was Susannah Bird and she and her husband were distantly related.

Aaron 5 Bird and wife Joanna had 14 children all b. in Dorchester. The 9th child was Shippie, your grandfather, b. Dec 31 1790 - the 11th child was William b Nov 27, 1794. The 14th child was Royal b. Dec 2 1799. My grandfather for whom I was named. The 10th, 12th and 13th children died young, at this time all of the Bird family that I have mentioned lived in Dorchester Mass. In 1801, Aaron Bird, our gt. gf, moved to Minoh Maine and settled on Bird Hill, on the road from West Auburn and Auburn. He built a long and fine two story house which I remember very well, went over when unoccupied with my mother in I think 1871. Aaron 6 Bird bought a large tract of land there in Minoh snow? in Auburn, young son of father Shippies farm was part of it... Used to go to "Uncle Shippies" house with my mother frequently when a small boy. I remember him very well also your mother and your Uncle James and Aunt Joanna Ward when they were young people. I thought your mother a very attractive girl; her name by the way according to my records was Clarissa Foul, all of Uncle Shippie's children, 10 by the first wife and 1 by the second had middle names - According to my records your father M (1) Joanna Ward Bird May 14/24 1855. She was b May 28 1850 and d. Oct. 15 1808. Bd at North Auburn. I have not the date of your mother's marriage nor the date of her death nor the dates of birth, names, marriages, etc. of the Morton children. I have seen an unmarked grave (1910) alongside of the graves of your Aunt Joanna at North Auburn, that I presumed was that of your father - your gt. grandfather Aaron 6 was a drummer in the Mass. Militia during the Revolutionary War. Served more than 2 years. His father, Aaron 5 was a Lieut(?) in dorchester Co ... by Capt Samuel Clap... one of your? in the Rev. war. Aaron 6 wife was the daughter of a Rev. soldier and therefore you are eligible to join the DAR should you wish. Our Gt G.g. Aaron 6 was known in Auburn then Minot as Capt. Bird and this I will call him.

Capt. Bird's first wife Joanna d. Dec 1. 1815 and is buried at West Auburn Cemetery. Later Capt. Bird m. Eunice Dodd of Lisbon M, Date of marriage unknown but published in Minot March 29, 1816. They had three children. Capt. Bird d. Dec 12 1822 - buried at West Auburn. It was his lot that Mr. Hayfield was fixing up for me. Beside Capt. Aaron and his wife there are buried there a son Charles Jarvis, a boy 6 years old by wife Joanna, Oliver P., a son by wife Eunice, 25 years old and what I believe was an infant by wife Eunice, the grass being marked by a field stone only. Judge Leo E. Bird of the Supreme Court of Maine for many years a lawyer of P... is the grandson of William Bird mentioned as the brother f Shippie and Royal - His father was named Robert Alexander and was for many years in the Cos - Inn . Hull at Portand? Judge Bird and your all are curious I have photographs of the portraits of Capt Aaron and Joanna which Judge Bird gave me. Uncle Shippie used to have these portraits I think they are now in the possession of Mrs. Bimbecombs??? daughter. I have also a portrait of my grandfather Royal, painted when he was four years old, 1804, at the same time as the above by Berry Greenleaf that belonged to my mother. I hope I have not wearied you with my long story. If I can serve you further please command me. In the meantime I am very sincerely yours

Royal Bird Bradford, Rear Admiral