BLAIR FAMILY
Name
Of Scottish origin, also Blar. Gaelic location name meaning plain or fieldHistory
The family was in Agrshire, Balthyock in Perthshire, where there is the Blaire castle, Wigton, and Renfrew. A William de Blair lived during William de Lyons reign in 1205. They were of middle Scottish blood and character -- and known as "bonnie fighters" and rebels. A Bryce Blair was killed by the English a year before King Edward called his Model Parliament.
Bryce Blair, a likely descendent, escaped from Scotland to Ireland in 1625 with his wife and daughter by hiding in a coal sloop. He bought a farm of 400 acres near Carrickfergus. His descendent, Samuel Blair, lived in County Arenaugh, Ireland in the early 1700s. Samuel's nephew, James Logan, was a secretary to William Penn. Bryce's children immigrated to the colonies, and followed the route of many Scots in migrating from New York to Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Two of his sons, Samuel and John Blair attended the "Log College" under Dr. William Tennent of the Presbyterian Church. Their brother, James Blair was educated at Princeton. He moved to Abingdon, Virginia and practiced law and served in the Virginia Legislature. He then came to Frankfort, Kentucky and served as the Attorney General from 1796 to 1816. James married Elizabeth Smith and they had seven children.
George Blair, who was a son of either John or Samuel Blair, left Lee County, Virginia in 1816 and settled in Eastern Kentucky. George came to Floyd County near Paintsville, where he married Mary Fairchild, the daughter of Revolutionary War veteran. Most of his 13 children remained in Floyd County. His son William Blair married in 1835, became a Baptist minister, and moved to present day Magoffin County where he built a mill just above Salyersville and lived there until the state purchased his land. He then moved to Rockhouse. Sarah Blair married Jeremiah Patrick
Some Descendants of Bryce Blair
Direct Descendants of Samuel Blair 1 Samuel Blair . 2 John Blair 1718 - 1771 ....... +Elizabeth Durbarrow .... 3 George Blair Bef. 1760 - .......... +Mary Fairchild ....... 4 William Blair ............. +Sarah Spradlin .......... 5 Sarah Blair Bef. 1745 - ................ +Jeremiah Patrick 1738 - 1819 ............. 6 William Patrick 1762 - ................... +Mollie Reins ................. 7 Jincy Patrick 1800 - 1839 ....................... +Elijah Prater 1795 - 1839 .................... 8 Perlina Prater 1829 - .......................... +Gilbert A. Adams 1826 - ....................... 9 Rebecca E. Adams 1852 - ............................. +Campbell J. May 1851 - .......................... 10 Noah May 1876 - 1944 ................................ +Sarah Elizabeth Cornett 1876 - 1966 ............................. 11 Edith Rebecca May 1914 - 1982 ................................... +James Sutherd Carroll 1913 - 1989 ................................ 12 Mark Sutherd Carroll 1949 - ...................................... +Zetta Doyle Lyons 1948 -
Blair Family Favorites:
Sources
*Early Families of Eastern and Southeastern Kentucky pg74.
Updated 8:49 PM 1/24/2013
Mark S. Carroll
