Chard, William

William Chard was listed by Rowland (copied from Bancroft) as a 1838 arrival in Santa Cruz County. Described by Rowland (p.55) as "a New Yorker", Chard doesn't sound like one of the trappers who came west overland during the 1830s, so may have arrived by sea, and was most likely either American or British. Chard was one of the foreign immigrants to Alta California who, along with Isaac Graham and nearly 100 others, was arrested and imprisoned in the 1840 "Graham Affair". He later (1842) signed a grievance letter (Elliott, p.10) against the Alta California/Mexico government written by ten men - including Graham - who were imprisoned and/or otherwise involved in the 1840 arrest.