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The basic problem with researching the Leard family of the late-1700s and early-1800s in Randolph County, Illinois is that there are too many individuals and possibly too few records in existence to sort them all out. This problem is compounded by there apparently being several Samuel Leards, with four of them, count 'em, four in the county. The oft-encountered misspellings of the name Leard add spice to the situation. In various records, I have found it spelled Laird, Lard, Leaird, Lord, and even, Land.
Here are the facts: James McDonough, my grt-grt-grt-grandfather and son of famous early Randolph County settler, Eustace (Stace or Stacy) McDonough, married Margaret (Peggy) Leard (or Laird, but I'm pretty sure, Leard) in 1817.
In Randolph Co. IL, there may be two separate families of Leards, including perhaps, one of them being Laird versus Leard. Or, they may all be related, i.e., all Leards.
There is also a "short" generation. That is, to make the various individuals fit somewhat into the census data, then one of the Samuels would have had to be married and fathered a child (another Samuel!) when he was 12-16 years old. Possible, but unlikely.
One of the Samuels dying intestate (did not have a will) and a Samuel not knowing where he was born --- SC versus Ireland don't help matters either.
Then, there's the James Leard who is "some kind" of relation to James McDonough and Margaret Leard since they provided a "death bed will" for him. However, the information they give doesn't clarify his relationship to Margaret.
There are other problems --- like the several Samuels (and even James) having a propensity to marry women named Margaret which really makes trying to figure out individuals and their relationship "fun."
I have met Leard family researchers (one in particular stands out --- Wallace Leard), and I have a lot of information about Leards/Lairds and ties some of them back to SC and Ireland, but nothing that sorts out things in Randolph Co. IL.
HELP!!!
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