Josiah Lard appeared in the 1800 Census of Barnwell Co. SC along with along with Absalom, Adam, and Thomas Lard. In the census of 1810 Census of Amite Co. MS, Josiah and Thomas Lard are enumerated. Josiah Lard was later listed in the censuses of 1820, 1830 and 1840 in Lawrence Co. MS. Adjacent to Josiah Lard in the 1820 census was Victer Edwards, father of Mary Edwards, wife of Jesse Lard. The censuses of 1830 and 1840 indicated Josiah Lard was born between 1760 and 1770. Josiah Lard was not found in the census of 1850.

BLM records show Josiah Lard in 1820 and 1824, assigned his rights to land in what later became Amite Co. MS to Samuel B. Simmons and BLM records show a Josiah Lard in 1828 and in 1859 (probably Josiah Lard, Jr.) received land patents for land in Lawrence Co. MS that became part of Lincoln Co. MS in 1870.

Since Josiah's three oldest children were born in SC, his fourth child, Timothy, was born in KY in about 1805 and the other children were born in MS, it seems likely that Josiah and his family traveled from SC to MS on a flatboat by way of the river route of Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. In a Lawrence Co. MS deed dated Jan 9, 1824, Josiah Lard named his children: Ruthy Lard, Jesse Lard, David Lard, Timothy Lard, Josiah Lard, Noah Lard, John Lard, Levy Lard, Abraham Lard, and Elizabeth Lard.

The family of Josiah Lard as found in the 1850 census was:
Ruthay Lard McCay, age 55, b. in SC, apparently a widow, in Scott Co. MS
Jesse Lard, age 53, b. in SC, farmer in Smith Co. MS
David Lard, age 50, b. in SC, farmer in Franklin Co. MS
Timothy Lard, age 46, b. in KY, farmer in Scott Co. MS
Josiah Leard, age 41, b. in MS, farmer in Lawrence Co. MS
Noah Lard, age, 36, b. in MS, farmer, in Leake Co. MS
John Leard, age 36, b. in MS, farmer in Lawrence Co. MS
Levy Lard, ?? (In 1860, L. L. LARD, age 43, b. in MS, farmer in Lawrence Co. MS)
Abraham Lard, ??
Elizabeth Lard, ??