Ancestors of Charles Stephen DeFrance (Direct Laird Line)
Our Laird family starts with John Laird who married Mary Snodgrass. John was born in 1758 in Donegal, Ireland. He came to America alone in 1792 and worked until he earned enough to bring his family over. They came about 1800 and settled near Taylorstown, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Nothing else is known of him. Their children were Alexander, Margaret married Joseph Hayburn, Jesse married first Mary Tharp and second Nancy Priest, James, John married Margaret Snodgrass and had 8 children, and Robert.
Jesse went to Kansas and had 14 known children. This branch was the source of many western Lairds.
John Laird, was born in Donegal, Ireland in 1792. He married Margaret Snodgrass (who came to America c1800), daughter of William and Margaret (Todd) Snodgrass. John bought the Laird farm in Donegal Twp., Washington County, PA two miles west of Claysville on the old National Pike. Members of the Laird family still live in the same home on this farm today. John and Margaret had a family consisting of Jesse, Robert, James, William A., John, Mary Jane, and Grissella.
Robert married Agnes Jane Holmes who was born in 1823 in Scotland. They had a large family consisting of Elizabeth, John, Margaret Grissella, William Holmes, Agnes Anna, Mary Martha, and Sarah Maude. See the photo of the Robert Laird family.
Sarah Maude (Sadie)Laird married Reese Meloy DeFrance, son of Charles DeFrance and Hester Meloy. Their family consisted of Charles Hoon, Ruth Margaret (Nellie), and Jane Meloy (Jeane).
Charles Hoon DeFrance was born in 1884 in Donegal Twp., Washington Co., PA. He married Buelah Mariah Johnson in 1923 at Wheeling. They lived on the old Charles DeFrance/Hester Meloy farm 2 miles west of Claysville, Washington Co., PA. They had a son who died at birth, Charles Reese. The other son is Charles Tolbert.
Charles Tolbert DeFrance was born 30 Jul 1934 at Wheeling, Ohio Co., WV. He married Daisy
Cascante-Mora on 12 May 1973 at San Jose, Costa Rica. They have the following children:
Charles Stephen and Jacelyn Dyann.
Charles Stephen (Steve) DeFrance was born on 16 Jun 1974 in DeLand, FL. Steve graduated from
The Citadel in Charleston, SC and now works in Washington, DC where he is attending George
Washington University working on his Masters degree in Forensic Science.