LAIRD TIME LINE

1737    James Laird and his family immigrate to
America and James dies in Derry Township, Lancaster
County, PA. James is survived by his wife Jane,
daughter Mary Ireland and sons James, Hugh, John,
Matthew, William, and Samuel.

1737     February 14th, Jane Laird the widow of James
Laird is issued a warrant for 200 acres of land in Derry
Township, Lancaster County, and 190 acres of land is
subsequently surveyed unto her.

1741     December, James Laird dies at his home in
Derry Township, Lancaster (now Dauphin) County,
leaving a wife Jane, a son David and daughter Mary.

1742     June 10th, John Laird is issued a Patent for 246
acres of land in East Bradford Township, Chester County.

1745     July 5th, John Laird is issued a warrant for 200
acres of land by Swatara Creek in Derry Township,
Lancaster (now Dauphin) County and 221 acres of land
is subsequently surveyed unto him.

1755    February Lodowick Laird buys 150 acres in
Cumberland County, and sometime later is driven off his
land by the Indians. He takes his family along "The
Great Wagon Trail," eventually ending up in South
Carolina.

1755    July 10th, Matthew Laird of Derry Township,
Lancaster (now Dauphin) County, a wagoner with
Colonel Dunbar, flees with many others at the news of
General Braddock's defeat by the French and Indians
near Fort Duquesne.

1755     July 17th, Matthew Laird of Derry Township,
Lancaster (now Dauphin) County, gives a deposition
before Robert Morris Esquire, Provincial Governor of
Pennsylvania, at Carlisle in Cumberland County in
which he states, among other things, "Waggoners as well
as many common Soldiers and others took to flight".

1761     May 5th, Matthew and Rachel Laird, along
with other Heirs of John Wilkins deceased, sell their
share of the estate of John Wilkins in Mountjoy
Township, Lancaster (now Dauphin) County to Rachel's
brother John Wilkins.

1763     February 5th, William Laird of Hanover
Township, Lancaster (now Dauphin) County buys "two
hundred acres by account" in Derry Township, Lancaster
(now Dauphin) County from Jane Black and William
Spencer.

1763     June, Samuel Laird dies at his home in Fawn
Township, York County, leaving a wife Janet, a son
James and daughters Martha, Sarah, Margaret,
Mary, Anne and Janet.

1765     September 7th, Matthew Laird is issued a Patent
for 188 acres of land by Swatara Creek in Derry
Township, Lancaster (now Dauphin) County.

1765     October 5th, William Laird of Derry Township,
Lancaster (now Dauphin) County sells "twenty acres
more or less" by Swatara Creek in Hanover Township,
Lancaster (now Dauphin) County to Abraham Sharer.

1765     October 30th, John Laird is issued a Patent for
221 acres of land by Swatara Creek in Derry Township,
Lancaster (now Dauphin) County.

1766    November, Samuel Laird (assignee of Lodowick
Laird) enters a caveat against Thomas Hamilton over
disputed land ownership.

1766     May, John Laird of Cumberland (now Franklin)
Township, York (now Adams) County dies, leaving a wife
Martha, sons John, William and Robert, daughters
Mary Nelson and Martha Blair.

1769     September 29th, John Laird of Derry Township,
Lancaster (now Dauphin) County buys a 300 acre farm
in Newberry Township, York County from Hugh MCrea,
for his son Hugh Laird.

1770     May, John Laird dies at his home in Cumberland
(now Franklin) Township, York (now Adams) County,
leaving a wife Anne, sons John and James and a
daughter Rosanna.

1770     September 12th, Robert Laird of Menallen
Township and William Laird of Cumberland (now
Franklin) Township, both in York (now Adams) County
are appointed Guardians of John, Rosanna and James
for the minor children of their deceased brother John
Laird.

1772     May 27th, Samuel Laird of Carlisle is issued a
patent for a "Lot of Ground" in the Town of Carlisle,
Cumberland County.

1774     April 16th, William Laird of Derry Township,
Lancaster (now Dauphin) County is issued a patent for
263 acres of land he purchased from Jane Black and
William Spencer in 1763.

1774     May 13th, Matthew Laird of Middleton
Township, Cumberland County buys 60 acres of land in
Middleton Township from the heirs of Robert Patterson.

1774     May 24th, Matthew Laird of Middleton
Township, Cumberland County is offered a patent for the
land he bought from the heirs of Robert Patterson.

1776     April 13th, William Laird and James Little of
Bedford County sell "by estimation two hundred acres" of
land in Hopewell Township, Cumberland Country to
Samuel Bell of Cumberland County.

1776   December 3 Captain David Laird's 10th Virgina
Regiment is formed.

1777     February, Robert Laird dies at his home in
Cumberland (now Franklin) Township, York (now
Adams) County, leaving a wife and daughters (not
named) and sons John, William, and Joseph.

1777     April 5ht, John Laird Junior of Derry Township,
Lancaster (now Dauphin) County, buys 122 acres of land
on Back Creek in Peters Township, Cumberland (now
Franklin) County, with money he got from his father.

1777     September 12, John Laird dies at the age of 63 at
his home in Derry Township, Lancaster (now Dauphin_)
County and is buried at Derry Presbyterian church.
John is survived by his wife Agnes, sons Hugh, James,
John, Samuel, and William and daughters Elizabeth
Mckinney, Mary Biggard and Jane. John's farm is left
to his son James.

1778    Lieutenant Robert Laird serving in the South
Carolina militia under Col. Pickens goes on an
expedition against the Indians in South Carolina.

1779   Lieutenant Robert Laird is elected Captain and
remains in this position to the end of the war.

1779     March 3rd, John Laird of Peters Township,
Cumberland (now Franklin) Country, sells 122 acres of
land on Back Creek to John Steel of Lancaster County.

1779     March 4th, Agnes Laird dies at the age of 62 at
her home in Derry Township, Lancaster (now Dauphin)
County and is buried beside her husband John at Derry
Presbyterian church.

1779     June 9th, Captain William Laird of Derry
Township, Lancaster (now Dauphin) County gives a
Deposition before Joshua Elder in which he states, among
other things, "that about forty-two years agone he came
into America in Company with his Father, Mother &
family."

1780     October 7th, In South Carolina British Tory and
Loyalist troops under Major Ferguson are defeated by
American forces at the battle of King's Mountain. Major
Ferguson of the British army is killed. Among the
Americans killed are Ensign James Laird and Color
Sargent John Laird, brothers from North Carolina.

1788     April 1st, James Laird of Derry Township,
Lancaster (now Dauphin) County buys 94 acres of land
in Middleton Township from his Uncle, William Laird
also of Derry Township.

1789     March 24th, Matthew Laird of Middleton
Township, Cumberland County sells 100 acres of land in
Middleton Township, Cumberland County to his son
John.

1789     May 9th, Hugh Laird of Allen Township,
Cumberland County sells 351 acres of land in West
Pennsboro (now Franklin) Township, Cumberland
County to his son James.

1789     October 26th, Hugh and Mary Laird sell their
farm in Newberry Township, York County to Isaac
Norton and buy Isaac Norton's farm in Dover Township,
York County and subsequently move to Dover.

1790     March 12th, James Laird of Derry Township,
Dauphin County is issued a Patent for 94 acres of land in
Derry Township, Dauphin County he purchased from his
Uncle, William Laird.

1791     October 1st, Jacob Laird of Huntingdon
Township, Huntingdon County dies intestate and is
survived by his wife Jane, sons William, Thomas,
David, and John and daughters Sarah, Ann, and
Margaret.

1792     July, John Laird of Cumberland County dies
intestate and Matthew Laird is appointed Administrator
of his estate.

1793     March 7th, James and Margaret Laird of
Derry Township, Dauphin County sell 111 acres of their
221 acre farm to William Laird, the brother of James.

1793     March 29th, William Laird of Derry Township,
Dauphin County enters into "Article of Agreement" with
David and Jonathan Haynes to buy 324 acres of land
in Derry Township, Northumberland (now Montour)
County.

1795     March 12th, William Laird and Robert Clark
of Derry Township, Northumberland County buy 2 1/2
acres of land from John Lytle "in Trust of and for the use
of Derry Congregation" in Derry Township,
Northumberland (now Montour) County.

1797     January 27th, David Haynes and the
Administrators of Jonathan Haynes issue a Deed to
William Laird of Derry Township, Northumberland
(now Montour) County, for the land they agreed to sell
in 1793.

1797     February, Jane Laird of widow Jacob Laird dies
in Huntingdon Township, Huntingdon County.

1797     February 28th, James and Margaret Laird of
Derry Township, Dauphin County sell 94 acres of land in
Derry Township to John Laird of Warrington Township,
York County.

1798     September 8th, Hugh Laird of Dover Township,
York County buys 50 acres of land in Newberry
Township, York County at "Public Venue'" (auction)

1799     May 1st, James and Margaret Laird of Derry
Township, Dauphin County sell their 110 acre farm to
Jacob Smith.

1800     March 24th, Hugh Laird, John Richcreek and
Joshua Morrison buy 1 acre of land in Dover Township,
York County, from Jacob and Mary Roller "for the
intent of Building a public School house and Meeting
House, for all Societies to preach the Gospel of Christ".

1801     November, Hugh Laird dies at his home in Allen
Township, Cumberland County, leaving a wife Ann,
daughter Jane McMeen and sons Arthur, Samuel,
Stewart, William, and James.

1803     August 31st, Hugh Laird of Dover Township ,
York County buys 41 acres of land in Dover Township,
York County from John Bull and Sarah Smith.

1806     January, Arthur Laird dies intestate at his
home in Allen Township, Cumberland County and his
brother Stuart Laird is appointed administrator of his
estate.

1806     September 27th, Samuel Laird Esquire of
Carlisle in Cumberland County dies at the age of 74 and
is buried at Meeting House Springs graveyard.

1807     August, Hugh Laird of Dover Township, York
County dies at the age of 65, leaving a wife Mary,
daughter Jane and sons John, William and James.

1809     December, Ann Laird, widow of Hugh Laird,
dies at her home in Allen Township, Cumberland County.

1813     August, Mathew Laird dies intestate at his home
in South Middleton Township, Cumberland County and
Elizabeth Laird, William Laird and Seawright
Ramsey are appointed administrators of his estate.

1817     December, Captain William Laird of Newville
dies intestate.

1820     February, Elizabeth Laird, widow of Mathew
Laird, dies at her home in South Middleton Township ,
Cumberland County, leaving a daughter, Elizabeth
Burkholder and sons Mathew, Samuel, William,
Francis, and John.

1833     February 4th, Mary Laird of Carlisle in
Cumberland County dies at the age of 92 and is buried
beside her husband Samuel at Meeting House Springs
graveyard.

1707   Scotland and England join together to form the
United Kingdom, allowing the Scots to move to Northern
Ireland.

1730    Anyone leaving Ireland after living there for 7
years must have a license showing they are debt free.

1733-1736   Waldo handbills are posted throughout Ulster
advertising free land in America. This information is taken
from the "Dean Mayhew speech 1980 reunion on the web".

1737   Waldo Handbills are run in the Belfast Newsletter.

1745     June 17th, New England forces commanded by
Colonel William Pepperrell, and ships of the Royal Navy
Cape Breton Island and the fortress of Louisbourg from the
French, after a seven week siege.

1746   April, Scotland, Bonnie Prince Charlie is defeated at
the battle of Culloden, 936 Jacobite's are send to the
colonies.

1748     October 18th, In Aix-la-Chapelle (now Aachen,
Germany) a treaty is signed between Great Britain and
her allies and France and her allies, ending the war of the
Austrian Succession. Great Britain returns Cape Breton
Island and its fortress of Louisbourg in North America to
France.

1754     July 3rd, Virginia Militia commanded by George
Washington are defeated at Fort Necessity by French and
Indians from Fort Duquesne.

1755     July 9th, British and Colonial Forces under
General Braddock are defeated by the French and Indians
near Fort Duquesne. General Braddock dies of wounds on
July 13th.

1756     May, Great Britain declares war on France.

1756     French forces commanded by Marquis de
Montcalm defeat British forces in the Battle of Oswego.

1757     French forces commanded by Marquis de
Montcalm capture Fort William Henry.

1757   Carlisle Barracks fonded by England's Colonel
John Stanwix as a training base to teach Indian fighting,
and still in use today as a war college.

1758     British forces capture Cape Breton Island and the
fortress of Louisbourg.

1759     September 14th, British forces commanded by
James Wolfe defeat French forces commanded by Marquis
de Montcalm on the plains of Abraham outside Quebec.

1760     George the II, King of Great Britain dies and his
grandson George the III is made King of Great Britain.

1763     February 10th, Representatives of Great Britain
and France sign the Treaty of Paris in Paris, France ending
the "French and Indian" or "Seven Year's" War.

1770     March 5th, In Massachusetts in an incident known
as the "Boston Massacre" British troops in Boston fire on a
mob, killing 5 people.

1773     December 16th, In Massachusetts in an incident
known as the "Boston Tea Party" Patriots disguised as
Mohawks dump 3 ship loads of tea into the Boston Harbor.

1775     March 23rd, In Virginia, Patrick Henry gives a
speech before the Virginia assembly at Richmond in which
he states "Give me liberty, or give me death" .

1775     April 18th, In Massachusetts Paul Revere, and
others, begin '"midnight ride" from Boston to warn
Lexington, Concord and the surrounding are that "the
regulars are out" .

1775     April 19th, In Massachusetts fighting erupts
between American militia and British troops at Lexington.
The British troops continue to Concord where American
militia from Concord and surrounding villages "fire the
shot heard round the World" . British troops suffer heavy
losses in a running fight and are chases back to Boston.

1775     May 10th, In New York, Ethan Allen and the
"Green Mountain Boys" capture Fort Ticonderoga from the
British.

1775     June 17th, In Massachusetts, American militia
commanded by General Putnam and Colonel Prescott are
driven off Breed's hill in the "Battle of Bunker Hill" after
inflicting heavy losses on British forces commanded by
General Howe. General Putnam is credited with having
said "Men, you are all marksmen: don't one of you fire
until you see the whites of their eyes."

1776     July 4th, In Pennsylvania the Continental
Congress meeting at Philadelphia unanimously ratifies the
Declaration of Independence.

1776     August 27th, In New York, American forces
commanded by General George Washington are defeated
by British forces commanded by General William Howe in
the Battle of Long Island.

1776     September 22nd, In New York, American Patriot,
Nathan Hale who says "I only regret that I have but one
life to lose for my country" is condemned to death without
trial, by British General Howe, and executed for spying.

1777     July, In New York, British forces commanded by
General Burgoyne recapture Fort Ticonderoga.

1777     September 11th, In Pennsylvania, American forces
commanded by General Washington are defeated by
British forces commanded by General Howe in the Battle of
Brandywine.

1777     September 19th, In New York, American forces
commanded by General Gates, and British forces
commanded by General Burgoyne fight the first Battle of
Freeman's Farm.

1777     October 7th, In New York, American forces
commanded by General Gates and British forces
commanded by General Burgoyne fight the second Battle
of Freeman's Farm.

1777     October 17th, In New York, After fighting two
battles near Saratoga (Freeman's Farm), British General
John Burgoyne surrenders his army to American General
Horatio Gates.

1778     February 6th, Representatives of the United States
of America and France sign a Treaty of Alliance in Paris.

1779     September 23rd, After stating "I have not yet
begun to fight" John Paul Jones commanding the
American warship "Bonhomme Richard" captures the
British warship H.M.S. Serapis.

1780     August 16th, In South Carolina American forces
under General Gates are badly defeated by British forces
under General Cornwallis in the battle of Camden.

1780     October 2nd, At Tappan, New York, British Major
John Andre is condemned to death and hanged as a spy.

1781     Articles of Confederation by which the thirteen
Colonies would be Governed were ratified.

1781     January 17th, In South Carolina British forces
under Colonel Tarleton are defeated, with heavy losses, by
American forces under General Morgan in the battle of
Cowpens.

1781     March 15th, In North Carolina American forces
under General Greene are defeated by British forces under
General Cornwallis in the battle of Guilford Courthouse.
British forces suffer heavy losses and subsequently move to
Yorktown, Virginia.

1781     October 19th, In Virginia, after a short siege and
heavy fighting, British forces under General Cornwallis
surrender at Yorktown, to French and American forces
under General Washington.

1787     May 25th, In Pennsylvania, Delegates from the 13
States Convene a Constitutional Convention in
Philadelphia, to draw up the Constitution of the United
States.

1787     September 17th, In Pennsylvania, Delegates to the
Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia sign the
Constitution of the United States, setting forth a strong
central "Federal" Government, and present it to the States
for debate and ratification.

1789     April 30th, In New York, New York, George
Washington takes the Oath of Office as the first President of
the United States of America.

1792     July 18th, In France, American Naval hero John
Paul Jones dies in Paris.

1792     George Washington is elected to a second term as
President of the United Sates of America.

1799     December 14th, In Virginia, George Washington
"Father of His Country" dies at "Mount Vernon" his home.