Site Introduction and Overview Page

The first element and most important and basic one for our Web site and our Bard and Bard related genealogies, is the use of the hard bound volume; "The Bard Family" by G. O. Seilhamer, as a starting point for everything else that follows. Although this hard bound book has various unlinked genealogies and various European genealogies, it was primarily created with the purpose of tracing the ancestor's and descendants of the; "Bard's of Carroll's Delight." (Ancestor's and descendants of our original immigrant ancestor Archibald Beard (Bard) through his three sons Richard Bard, William Bard, or Rev. David Bard). Little has been confirmed about Archibald Beard (Bard)'s ancestors, other than a old book flyleaf notation which names his father as David and his grandfather as William; but these names and their genealogies back to Ireland were not officially connected and confirmed by G. O. Seilhamer in the Bard Book. He instead, offers "probable," "presumable," and "possible" earlier genealogies. So finding and documenting Archibald's relatives and ancestors is one of our most challenging goals, and compelling reasons, for publishing this Web site.

Because of the fundamental importance of the Bard Book in our family genealogy, we decided to use it's cover and facing pages as an entranceway of sorts for first time viewers of this site. If you entered this site via the most commonly offered Web address of: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cbard/ then you have already viewed those pages. Once you view the starting pages (electronic replicas of the printed Bard Family book's first few pages- with some modern additions and embellishments), which is the way almost everyone first accesses this site- you will most likely not need to view those pages again, so you will probably want to bookmark the Bard Family Genealogy Page (menu page), and the What's New page, and enter the site that way in the future. You may also want to fill out the FREE URL Minder registration form - on the menu page, and the What's New page, so that you will not have to manually return to the site periodically to search for changes.

Because, at times, users find themselves on the main menu page via a search engine or by way of an address given to them in e-mail, we have also included the facing pages in the menu.

By offering the reprinted version of the original Bard Book, and by making the modern electronic updates to it in a similar format, available here on-line, we hope to extend the Bard Book from the past into the present and from the present into the future.

Basically the left side of the menu table is reserved for items that deal with Bard Book information and the new extensions of that information, as follows:

Bard Family Title Page - This page is a virtual replica of the title page in the original Bard Book.

Bard Family Dedication Page- This page is a virtual replica of the dedication page in the original Bard Book, with the exception of a link to a contemporary update.

Bard Family Preface Page- This page is a virtual replica of the preface page in the original Bard Book.

Bard Family Table of Contents Page - This page is a virtual replica of the table of contents page in the original Bard Book, with the exception of hot links to listed information.

Bard Family Name Index Page - This page has the same names as is found in the original Bard Book, but not the other index information found there. Eventually we hope to link these index names to the profiles listed in the Summary (as well as the Vertical Descendant Chart elements, and the Bard Directory database listings).

Bard Family Richard Bard Ballad - This is the poem written by Richard Bard after his escape when he and his family were captured by Delaware Indians. Much of this poem was published in the Bard Book. There are slightly different versions found in various publications and other sources, and it is said that Richard declined to publish some of the more morbid passages after he realized that his wife Catharine Poe was still alive, and he was able to ransom her away from the indians.

Bard Family Genealogy Charts- We expect to eventually have various chart types posted here for viewing and for download, including Vertical Descendancy Charts, which offer very lucid and graphic representation of genealogy relationships.

Bard Family Summary - (courtesy of Richard Albert Bard) This summary format is much like that found in the original Bard Book, and is gradually unfolding as a valuable on-line resource and clear presentation of contemporary Bards and their descendancy. Eventually we hope to link the Name Index names to the profiles listed in this Summary (as well as to the Vertical Descendant Chart elements, and the Bard Directory database listings).

Bard Family GEDCOM Files - These files are not directly viewable on-line, and are designed for downloading and import into compatible software programs. We anticipate that they will eventually contain virtually every person that we have knowledge of that is related to the "Bard's of Carroll's Delight", including maternal, collateral, and peripheral genealogies. These GEDCOMs sometimes contain more detailed information, and a larger repository of genealogies than the charts and the other sources found on this site. We expect to include on the GEDCOM page, a listing of all names (and their respective birth dates) contained in the compressed (non-viewable) GEDCOM file.

Bard Book Registry - This registry is concerned with the ownership, number, location, as well as; the history and traditions, associated with the ongoing rites of passage of the original and reprinted editions of the Bard Family Bard Books.

Bard Book Reprinted Edition For Sale - These reprinted Bard Books, available on this site, are slightly smaller than the originals, have slightly different information on the facing pages, and are sometimes a different color than the originals. They make a wonderful "Bard" gift, and help develop interest and encourage participation in family history down through the years. The markup on the sale of these books represents a small donation for ISP fees and Web site maintenance. We also hope to some day offer "Volume II," a new hard bound update to the original Bard Family book, along with a companion CD-ROM (but this clearly would take a large amount of time, research, expense and involvement on the part of our extended Bard Family members).

The second element of this Web site is on the right side of the menu, and is comprised of miscellaneous and anecdotal Bard information, some directly connected to genealogy, some indirectly connected to genealogy, some reference sources, and some trivial information not at all connected to genealogy, as follows:

What's New with the Bard Family!- Most new and important Web site changes are posted here.

Bard Family Miscellany- Various miscellaneous and trivial information is posted here.

Bard Family Genealogy E-mail- Most e-mail that has to do with anything genealogical are posted here. In many cases this might include indirect or unrelated search queries from individuals from Bard, Beard, Baird, and other families.

"John's Song" - The Bard Family Poem. Contributions are welcome from any Bards of "Carroll's Delight".

The WWW Bard Family Theme Song!- Chosen because it has to do with the Wide World Web's "Wonderful World". And because it seems fitting to the just, worthy and proper cause of equality, liberty, brotherhood, and world unity; the, "One World... One Family" wholistic theme of this Web site.

Directory of Bard Names- Database of most Bard named individuals throughout the USA, and hopefully, eventually, the whole world. If you have an addition or update let us know.

Bard's "Believe it or Not!"- Any trivial mention of the Bard name can be found here. As always, contributions are welcome.

Genealogy Bookmarks- The "small" list of genealogy bookmarks we've accumulated. This will undoubtedly expand as time goes on.

Bard Genealogy Most Wanted (Query) - This is a Web site where anyone can put up a query for individuals or families that they are researching or that they need particular information on.

Getting Started in Genealogy - This is a beginner's page that we hope to develop to answer the most general and common questions and concerns about doing genealogy research. Since we are not professional genealogists ourselves, any contributions or assistance from interested parties would be greatly appreciated. If you are a professional genealogist, this would be a great place to get some exposure, and we would even offer you a button or banner ad in return for the basic how-to information that you might be willing to share. Contact us if you wish to be an information provider, or as we call it, a "Project Partner" for this page.

Documents, Books, Artifacts, Photos of Places, etc. - This is a Web page that we hope will grow into a huge accumulation of various books, and other Bard related memorabilia that are in library archives, museums, in the possession of extended family members, or might be donated to the Bard Family Web Site which could be pictured and explained for the edification of all interested parties. Please let us know if you have knowledge of such items, or if you wish to make a donation, or offer a Bard or other genealogy item for sale.