The Samuel Beard with whom my story begins was born around 1755 and was a worker in the Painswick cloth trade.
He married Elizabeth Saunders in 1783. Samuel and Elizabeth produced
at least four children (William, Robert, Daniel and Maria) between 1784
and 1790.
He probably died in 1820, aged 67.
Great Great Great Grandfather ROBERT BEARD 1785 - 1823
Robert Beard is the next on the line through my family tree. He was born in 1785 and was apparently christened on Christmas Day of that year at St Mary's Church Painswick.
In 1807 he married Elizabeth Close. Between 1810 and 1822 this couple had six children - Hannah, Mary, Giles, James, Joseph and Maria.
His occupation was initially the same as his father - clothworker, but by 1820 was a publican at the Lamb Inn in Bisley Street. The building subsequently became "The Fleece", but later that century ceased to be a pub. It was once the home of a member of the Rider-Haggard family (of novel fame) and can now be found renamed as "The Old Fleece". It is one of the oldest dwellings in Painswick.
Robert Beard died at the early age of 38 years in 1823.