In addition to the Hugh Blair noted in my discussion of the possible lineage of William Blair, the names below are persons and places that I have found in the course of my research that are of interest in the puzzle of my 3rd great grandfather William Blair's parentage. I did brief research on these subjects and my results are inconclusive based on the limited information available at this time. Perhaps in the future, something will turn up that will identify them further. Hugh and Wade Blair seem to be the two most likely candidates; However, this is complete conjecture on my part based on limited information.
WADE BLAIR
The Revolutionary War soldier Wade Blair lived very close to William Blair in the Pendleton District of SC. In 1784, he received a land bounty grant of 200 acres on Cain Creek. Cain Creek no longer exists due to the creation of Lake Hartwell but the area where it once flowed is now about where the Chickasaw Point community is located. (See maps below.)
William Blair's widow Catherine Harrison Blair can later be found living in the Oakway Community which is also in this same area. There are also several land plats for Thomas Harrison (William Blair's father-in-law), Martin Harrison (William's brother-in-law) and Hugh Blair (William's son) in the area around Cain Creek (Choesta to Big Beaverdam, along the Tugaloo River). CLICK HERE TO SEE THE HARRISON LAND PLATS.
Wade Blair was a drummer in the 3rd SC Regiment during the Revolutionary War. Wade might be a Wade, Jr. - the son of Wade and grandson of Rev. William & Lucy Blair of Inverness, Scotland. We only have one record for a Wade Blair in Craven County, SC where it appears that he died in the year 1763. If the Rev. War soldier Wade was the son of this Wade, he would have been a small child when his father died - most "drummers" in the American Revolution were young boys - few older than 20. I found no document showing that a Wade Blair immigrated to South Carolina in the 1760s - he may have immigrated to another state and then later made his way to South Carolina.
Wade Blair's name does not exist on the first census of 1790 for Pendleton District but there is a Mary Blair listed with only a few names separating her and Col. Benjamin Cleveland. We know that Col. Cleveland's massive land holdings were all along the Tugaloo River and mostly north of Cain Creek. Also on this same census are the names Thomas Harrison, Aaron Terrill, and Nathaniel Perry. Thomas Harrison is the father-in-law of William Blair. Aaron Terrill married Clarissa Harrison, the sister of William Blair's wife Catherine. Nathaniel Perry is another Revolutionary war soldier - his grave is north of Highway 123 about 3 miles from Benjamin Cleveland's grave. Mary Blair has a large household of 10 (5 males; 5 females).
Then on the 1800 census, we have a William Blair shown living near a William Clark who might be the same William Clark that is shown on the 1790 census living near Benjamin Cleveland. William cannot be found again on the 1810 or 1820 censuses - he may have been living across the Tugaloo River in Franklin County, Georgia (he is not shown on the Georgia censuses but we know that the early censuses for Georgia are incomplete). He is then listed on the 1830 census for the new Pickens District (formerly Pendleton District) South Carolina. On the 1830 census there are several names listed that are likely close neighbors: Shadrack Harrison (brother-in-law), John Verner [2] (noted lawyer living near Bachelor's Retreat area), Samuel Earle (noted SC statesman that also owned land near Bachelor's Retreat), John Calhoun (future VP of the United States who lived on land that is now Clemson University), John LeGrand (brother-in law), Aaron Terrill (brother-in-law of William Blair), Thomas Harrison (father-in-law), Benjamin Cleveland (son of Col. Benjamin Cleveland) and Benjamin Perry (buried near Chickasaw Point community. Father of future SC Governor Benjamin Franklin Perry). Based on what I have learned about these individuals, the 1830 census indicates that he lived in the same area as Wade Blair's land grant. It appears that his widow Catherine remained on this land for several years after William died (1835). Catherine is shown on the 1840 census with Josiah and Benjamin Perry, George Cleveland, and Thomas Harrison as possible close neighbors. By 1850, Catherine moved across the Tugaloo River into District 32, Franklin County, Georgia. Then in 1860 she was back in Pickens District, Regiment 2 with her brother as a close neighbor. An interesting name on the 1860 census living very close is John Blair, age 60, who is a listed as a wagon maker. Is John Blair related to William Blair? He has a son named Morgan Blair which might place him as part of the Colonel James Blair clan.[3]
We also have a John McCollister shown as a close neighbor of Wade's on the 1800 census - I cannot confirm or refute that this is Mulcaster. Given the phonetic spellings of names back, Mulcaster, McCollister, McCalister could all be the same name.
Ancestry.com
So, all of the information above is merely a list of geographical associations: I found no records showing that Wade Blair is the father of William and with Colonel James Blair and his family also living in the area, the records are not definitive in any way.
JOHN C. BLAIR
Later , his widow Martha (maiden name Richey/Ritchey) filed for a widow's pension in 1878 in Banks County, GA stating that she was his 2nd wife and that his 1st wife (Polly McCollough Blair) died before 1835. The documents show that John was apparently living in Kentucky prior to returning to SC about 1834 and he and Martha were married in Franklin County, GA in 1835, and that John died in 1867.
So, it is possible that this John C. Blair might be a brother of William.
MARGARET BLAIR
We have a document dated 1802 that lists a plot of land along 23 Mile Creek that shows a Margaret Blair transferring land to a William Blair. Margaret could be related to William in some fashion; However, 23 Mile Creek is not near the Tugaloo River, Oakway or Bachelor's Retreat nor did I find any records that indicate William sold land on 23 Mile Creek.
The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine (Oct. 1901, VII, #4) lists a Margaret Blair in a list of Revolutionary War soldiers - possibly a Blair soldier widow.
Another record for a Margaret Blair: A 1790 document where a James Blair and his wife, a Margaret (Sadler) Blair, of Chester District, SC, sold land on Sandy Fork of Rocky River in Chester District. This is an interesting document due to the yDNA results indicating that our Blair line is related to these Chester District Blairs. In this same area, there is an Irish immigrant Thomas Blair and his wife Margaret. Thomas and Margaret supposedly had William, Thomas, John, Alexander, Thomas and James as sons.(Per book compiled by John Clyde Blair, Sr.). This Thomas was a soldier in the American Revolution.
SURRY COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA
In addition to the fact that Col. Benjamin Cleveland was from Surry County North Carolina, we have the following associations of men and families with Surry County.
William Blair and Catherine Harrison were married by "Rev. Nacy Meeks". Nacy appears to be a nickname for Ignatius and he was likely a brother of the Baptist Minister Rev. Littleton Meeks. Rev. Littleton Meeks married Elizabeth Ivey in Surry County, NC. Littleton is said to have witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown (1781). Littleton is buried in near Homer, Banks County, GA. In the same cemetery is Rev. Littleton Meeks' son Nacy - possibly named for his uncle (Born in 1806- too young to have been the minister that married William & Catherine).
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[1] This document can be found at www.revwarapps.org.
[2] The author's 4th great granduncle: His brothers David & George Verner are my 5th and 4th great grandfathers, respectively. My grandmother and grandfather were 4th cousins (Henry Lee Blair and Rubye Lois Bailey).
[3] See pension application of Field Farrar BLWt70-300 at https://revwarapps.org/
(This page was published on 5/9/2023; Modified on 5/10/2023)