Rev. James Warden Baird
circa 1903
—
James Warden Baird, son of Cornelius Baird and Elizabeth McDaniel (Boyd) McQuiston, was born in Tipton County, Tennessee on September 3rd 1867. His father was a native of County Antrim, Ireland and came to America at an early age with his father's family and settled near Cornwell's Turnout in Chester County, South Carolina in the bounds of Hopewell A. R. church and thence removed to Tipton County, Tennessee, where he died. His mother was of Scotch-Irish descent, born in Chester, Chester County, South Carolina. She was married to Hugh M. McQuiston, of Tipton County, Tennessee, who died, leaving four sons, three of whom survive. She was afterwards married to Cornelius Baird, James W. being the only child of this union.
James was given such educational advantages as the country schools afforded, and entered the sophomore class in Erskine College in 1885, graduating from that institute in June of 1888. He joined Salem A. R. Church about his sixteenth year, transferring his membership to Due West, South Carolina when he entered college. He entered Erskine Theological Seminary in October, 1888, but on account of his father's death in March of 1889, was called home and during the spring and summer prosecuted his studies, by order of Presbytery, under Rev. J. H. Strong, returning to the Seminary in the fall.
On May 3rd 1889, he was received as a student of theology by the Memphis Presbytery, at Rives, Tennessee and was licensed by the same Presbytery at a called meeting at Salem, Tennessee on July 6th 1890. He labored chiefly in the Memphis Presbytery during the next two years—at Rehoboth, Shiloh, Mt. Carmel, Bculah and Rives, spending a few weeks each at Starkville, Miss., and Prosperity and Blanche, Lincoln County, Tennessee. In the fall of 1892, he was called to the pastorate of Ebenezer, Tippah County, Tennessee and was ordained and installed there by a called meeting of Presbytery, December 3rd 1892. In 1902 the Synod appointed him to the work of establishing a church in Covington, Tennessee. He gave up the pastorate of Ebenezer where he had labored faithfully and acceptably for a period of 10 years, and entered upon the work in Covington, January 1st 1903. He was Moderator of the Synod of 1902, which met at Pisgah, Gaston County, North Carolina and was appointed by Synod a member of Committee on Memorial Volume, in place of Rev. S. A. Agnew, D. D., deceased. He was for 10 years Stated Clerk of the Memphis Presbytery.
Rev. Baird was married, June 4, 1891, at Due West, South Carolina to Miss Anna Maria Brice, daughter of the Rev. R. W. Brice and Anna M. Steele. She was born in the bounds of Hopewell, in Chester County, South Carolina on January 31st 1864. Of the six children born to them, three daughters and two sons survive.

Source: The Centennial History of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church: 1803-1903
Published in 1905

Death Notice for Rev. James W. Baird

Published in The State
Location: Columbia, South Carolina
Date: 07-23-1912
Page: 6-A