6 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



Spencer Fullerton, the third child of Samuel Baird (2) 

 and his wife Lydia, is the subject of this memoir. 



Since every man is mentally and physically a com- 

 plex of tendencies inherited from his ancestors, some 

 interest attaches to their characteristics as traditionally 

 preserved. From memoranda and personal recollections 

 preserved by Miss Lucy Baird and gathered by her from 

 various sources, the following extracts are taken. 



A letter from one of the family to Miss Lucy contains 

 the following data, here somewhat condensed: 



"Mary Douglas, widow of Thomas Baird, with five 

 sons and two daughters went to Kentucky, after the 

 death of her husband, and later to Indiana, but apparently 

 was brought back to be buried. She is said to have been 

 interred at St. John's church, Pequa, Pa. The graves of 

 the early settlers of the Baird family lie in the churchyard 

 of the Rocky Spring Presbyterian church, four miles 

 from Chambersburg. Samuel (i), son of Thomas, married 

 Rebecca, daughter of Thomas Potts (i) of Colebrookdale 

 and Deborah Pyewell, his wife. John Potts, in charge of 

 the Baird family burying ground at Pottstown, related 

 that 'Uncle Tommy' (brother of Rebecca) was a charac- 

 ter. He was connected in business with a cousin and 

 would call for his partner in a buggy, and if the other 

 Potts gentleman did not come at once, would yell from 

 the buggy the most embarrassing remarks, quite oblivious 

 of the neighbors. He claimed that he thus taught punc- 

 tuality. He seems to have been a very uncouth person of 

 whom the children were rather afraid." 



Samuel took his bride to his estate called "Stowe," 

 at Pottsgrove (now Pottstown). "She wrote the day 

 after she was married, describing its attractions, marble 



