House of Gartsherrie
c1659 to Present
History
The Baird family in the parish of Old Monkland, Lanark are first found to have been tenant farmers in Old Monkland parish, Lanark. Young Alexander (1765-1833) added to his leased farm lands and by 1809 had begun dabbling in coal. With the help and ingenuity of most of his sons, they rapidly expanded their coal mining to iron smelting. By 1861, their Gartsherrie colliery and other nearby operations smelted over 108,000 tons in 16 blast furnaces, at that time, the largest production in the world. Within two generations this industrious family had gone from humble farmers to the richest family in Britain. Still thriving today, the senior branch of the House of Gartsherrie is that of Durris & Elie headed by Henry Alexander William Baird. His son and heir apparent, who resides east of Oban, Argyll, is Henry Douglas William Baird.
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Painting of the Gartsherrie coal and iron smelting furnaces in 19th century Scotland. Painted in 1853 by Caleb Robert Stanley (1795-1868)
Coat of Arms, Patent & Blazon, of William Baird of Elie
Image of the full patent (drawing) and blazon (written description) of the coat of arms
.png)
Coat of Arms, Patent & Blazon, of Henry Alexander William Baird
Matriculated May 7, 2021 and recorded November 23, 2021
Pedigree of the Current
Baird of Elie (formerly) Family
HENRY ALEXANDER WILLIAM BAIRD, formerly of Durris House, served with Royal Engineers, born 1939, educated at Trinity College Glenalmond, married 1963 •Alison Mary BARLAS (born 1941), elder daughter of Major Thomas William Cockburn BARLAS, of Newton Hill (see BLG 1972 BARLAS of Craig), and has issue,
1a •Henry DOUGLAS William BAIRD, of Taynuilt, Argyll, born 1964, educated at Strathallan School, with •Theresa ROBERTSON, and has issue,
1b •Nicole Alison Rose BAIRD, born 1991.
1a (continued) •Henry Douglas William BAIRD, married 1999 •Jana NAVRATILOVA (born February 1972), daughter of Jan NAVRATIL and his wife Eliska POPOVICOVA, and has further issue,
2b •Emma Amanda BAIRD, born 1999.
3b •Daniel Douglas William BAIRD, born 2002.
4b •Ayden Oliver BAIRD, born January 2008.
2a •James Alexander David Baird born 1976, educated at Suncoast Christian College and QUT University (B.Bus Int., B.IT) married May 2009 •Joanne Elizabeth Pfeffer (born July 1973), and has issue,
1b •Lachlan James, born 2010.
2b •Sienna Lily, born 2012.
Lineage of BAIRD: ALEXANDER BAIRD, (double-ribbed Sandy) b.c 1659 and had issue,
1a ALEXANDER BAIRD, see below. b.c 1689—1766
The son,
ALEXANDER BAIRD, married first CUMMING, and had issue,
1a John BAIRD, married first 9 August 1749 Ann LAWSON, and had issue,
1b Elizabeth BAIRD, married James MOCHRIE, and had issue.
1a (continued) John BAIRD, married second Margaret MOFFAT.
2a WILLIAM BAIRD, see below.
The second son,
WILLIAM BAIRD, of Woodhead, Lanarkshire, born 1721, married Jean BAILLIE, and had issue,
1a ALEXANDER BAIRD, see below.
ALEXANDER BAIRD, of Lockwood, Lanarkshire, born 12 May 1765, married 2 August 1794 Jean MOFFAT (baptised 24 January 1768; died 8 July 1851), daughter of James MOFFAT, and died 23 December 1833, having had issue,
1a Janet BAIRD, born 6 December 1794, married first Alexander WHITELAW (died 10 August 1826), second son of Thomas WHITELAW, and had issue (see WHITELAW OF GARTSHORE, V). Janet WHITE-LAW, married second 2 December 1834 John WEIR (died 25 December 1885), and had further issue.
2a WILLIAM BAIRD, see below.
WILLIAM BAIRD, of Elie, Fife, DL, JP, MP for Falkirk Burghs 1841–46, born 23 April 1796, married 14 July 1840 Janet JOHNSTON (died 15 November 1886), daughter of Thomas JOHNSTON, and died 1864, having had issue,
1a Alexander 2a William 3a John 4a James 5a See below 6a David
5a HENRY ROBERT BAIRD, of Durris House, Kincardineshire, born 1861, married 31 August 1893 Florence Katherine VILLIERS (died 1955), daughter of Major Frederick Ernest VILLIERS, JP (see CLARENDON, E) and his wife Jane Isabella BAIRD (see above), and died 12 February 1929, having had issue,
1b Robert Ian BAIRD, of Eaton Square, London and Nether Balfour House, Durris, served with Diplomatic Service Paris, born 1894, educated at Eton College, and died without issue 1958.
2b D0UGLAS MONTAGU BAIRD, of Durris House, served with Gordon Highlanders and Royal Flying Corps, born 1897, educated at Eton College, married 1938 Sheila Joyce SQUAIR, and died 1954, having had issue,
1c •HENRY ALEXANDER WILLIAM BAIRD, see above.
(this from Burkes Peerage - to see more contact Burkes Peerage)