Husband Robert McFarland Bard 1 2
Born: 12 Dec 1809 - near Mercersburg, Franklin Co, PA 1 3
Christened:
Died: 28 Jan 1851 - Chambersburg, Franklin Co, PA 1 3
Buried:
Father: Capt. Thomas Bard (1769-1845) 1 4
Mother: Jean "Jeanie" McFarland (1783-1857) 2
Marriage: 12 Feb 1839 5
Wife Elizabeth Smith Little 5
Born: 12 Dec 1813 5
Christened:
Died: 7 Dec 1881 - Hueneme, CA 5
Buried:
Father: Dr. Peter Washington Little (1784-1848) 5 6
Mother: Mary Smith Parker (1788-1848) 5 7
Children
1 F Mary Parker Bard 5 8
Born: 15 Apr 1840 8
Christened:
Died: Aft 1908
Buried:
2 M Thomas Robert Bard 5 9
Born: 8 Dec 1841 - Chambersburg, Franklin Co, PA 10
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Mary Beatrice Gerberding (1858- ) 11 12
Marr: 17 Apr 1876 - San Francisco, CA 11 12
3 M Cephas Little Bard 5 13
Born: 7 Apr 1843 - Chambersburg, Franklin Co, PA 11
Christened:
Died: 20 Apr 1902 - San Buenaventura, CA 11
Buried:
Spouse: Clara Winter Gerberding (1847-1905) 14
Marr: 25 Oct 1871 14
4 F Louisa Jane Bard 5 8
Born: 3 Jun 1844 8
Christened:
Died: Aft 1908
Buried:
General Notes: Husband - Robert McFarland Bard
He was educated at the Hagerstown, Maryland, Academy, which he left in his twentieth year. In 1830, he began the study of the law at Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, under the Hon. George Chambers, and was admitted to the Franklin County Bar, Jan. 14, 1834. After coming to the Bar he went to Macomb, Illinois, intending to settle there in the practice of his profession, but remained only one year, returning to Chambersburg in 1835, where he soon acquired a large and lucrative practice. During two years of his brief career at the Bar of Chambersburg, 1842-44, Mr. Bard was in partnership with the Hon. James X. McLanahan, one of the leading lawyers of that period. He soon attained a high position at the Bar of his native county, and in his later years enjoyed a wide reputation in the state as a lawyer of great ability. "Mr. Bard was a peculiarly gifted man intellectually," wrote one of his contemporaries, "he had a profound knowledge of the law, was ardently devoted to his profession, managed every case entrusted to him with masterly skill and force, and would, had not death removed him in the meridian of his years, been one of the country's grandest jurists." He possessed an active, vigorous and logical mind, and his legal learning was extensive and profound. His arguments to the court were cogent, and free from prolixity and redundancy. His addresses before a jury were eloquent, convincing and directed toward presenting the strong points of his case clearly and strenuously. He judiciously refrained from dwelling at length on matters of minor importance. When he gave a legal opinion to a client on a difficult point of law he was able to give it confidently, because it was the result of the most painstaking investigation and study.
In politics Mr. Bard was a Whig, but he was never an aspirant for political office. In 1839, when he was only thirty years old, and the public school system was in its infancy, he was elected a member of the Chambersburg school board, and he was chosen Chief Burgess of the borough in 1847. In 1850 he was nominated for Congress by the Whigs, his successful competitor being his former law partner, James X. McLanahan. The campaign of that year was conducted on the race issue. Poor white men were asked to remember that if they did not wish to become the companions of negroes, and work for ten cents a day or get nothing to do, they must vote for James X. McLanahan. "Ask the Whig editors," exclaimed the Democratic writers, "if they have ever seen any poor white man sawing a cord of wood for Mr. Bard for years. They will be compelled to say, 'No.' Then ask them if they ever saw a negro sawing wood at Mr. McLanahan's house. They will have to say, 'No.' " This was, perhaps, the only campaign in a Northern Congress district in ante-bellum days, in which the race issue was so boldly urged, or was successful. Mr. Bard was a man of strong convictions, with the courage to avow them. He was conspicuous as an influential and consistent advocate of temperance at a time when opposition to the Rum Power and the Slave Power were alike regarded as a species of fanaticism.