John Baird (educator)
Encyclopedia
John Baird was born and educated in Graffa, Republic of Ireland
and was recruited there by the British Army
as a teacher.
Baird was given the rank of sergeant in the 74th Foot
and by 1818 was stationed in Fredericton, New Brunswick
where he would serve his seven years of service teaching the children of the regiment and the poor and black of the area. In 1823 he was released from the army and his family and other disbanded soldiers took up army granted land in the parish of Kent. He farmed and taught school there for a time.
In 1825, Baird became part of Lieutenant Governor George Stracey Smyth
's school system which provided education for the poor children of the province. He was one of the pioneer teachers who helped provide an education to the poor at a time when few such opportunities existed. His son, William Teel Baird
, became an important figure in New Brunswick history.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and was recruited there by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as a teacher.
Baird was given the rank of sergeant in the 74th Foot
74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot
The 74th Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment. During the Childers Reforms it was united with the 71st Regiment of Foot to form the Highland Light Infantry.-Service history:...
and by 1818 was stationed in Fredericton, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
where he would serve his seven years of service teaching the children of the regiment and the poor and black of the area. In 1823 he was released from the army and his family and other disbanded soldiers took up army granted land in the parish of Kent. He farmed and taught school there for a time.
In 1825, Baird became part of Lieutenant Governor George Stracey Smyth
George Stracey Smyth
George Stracey Smyth was a British army officer and Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.Born in England, he was appointed an ensign in the East Norfolk Regiment of Militia in 1779. He joined the army as an ensign in the 25th Foot in 1780...
's school system which provided education for the poor children of the province. He was one of the pioneer teachers who helped provide an education to the poor at a time when few such opportunities existed. His son, William Teel Baird
William Teel Baird
William Teel Baird was born on the upper Saint John River in New Brunswick where his father, John Baird, was a school teacher....
, became an important figure in New Brunswick history.