James Adair of Bladen County

Not the same as James Adair, Indian Trader & Author or as James Adair, of Georgia “Conflation” section, below.

A Patriot of the American Revolution for North Carolina. Record at Daughters of the American Revolution: < Ancestor #: A000357 >

• ADAIR, JAMES ROBERT
• Service: NORTH CAROLINA Rank(s): PATRIOTIC SERVICE
• Birth: 1709 IRELAND
• Death: ANTE 8- -1786 BLADEN CO NORTH CAROLINA
• Service Source: PRUITT, ABSTRACTS OF LAND WARRANTS, BLADEN CO, P 75
• Service Description: 1) TOOK OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO MAKE LAND ENTRY, BLADEN CO, 3 FEB 1779
• Spouse: CLARK HOBSON

Comments:

• 1) PREVIOUSLY CREDITED SERVICE AS SURGEON TO AMERICAN TROOPS CANNOT
• 2) BE VERIFIED AT THIS TIME.
• 3) FAMPCL-NEED PROOF WHETHER JAMES WAS MARRIED TO ONE WOMAN OR TO
• 4) TWO WOMEN & HER/THEIR CORRECT NAME. SEE DATACF. 7/2014

  ---

Biography

James Adair was born say 1709 in County Antrim, Ireland and died about August 1783 in the part of Bladen County, North Carolina, that is now Robeson County. His will was written 21 September 1778, but we don’t have an exact date it was proved, because the records of this courthouse were destroyed by fire. (Link to will), (and also see transcription below).

He probably emigrated from Northern Ireland, but the earliest record known is his 1740 marriage record at Northumberland County, Virginia. In 1751, James Adair petitioned the North Carolina government at New Bern and received a land grant of 400 acres in Johnston County. [4] In 1755 he patented 452 acres on Continea Creek "commonly called Fairfield". [5] Dobbs County was formed from Johnston and James Adair appears on a 1769 census of Dobbs County. [6]

His will shows he was a working farmer as well as plantation owner and land owner. He named “my negroes” as property to be inherited by his daughter and executrix, Saranna McTyre, along with his land.

Family

Parents: unknown. Said to have been a member of the Fitzgerald family.

James Adair married Clark Adair, Jr. on 29 July 1740 at Northumberland County, Virginia. (Source: Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940).

Clark Hobson was born 1710 in Northumberland County, Virginia. She was a daughter of Thomas Hobson (1694 - 1714) and his wife Clark Hobson (Sr.); her mother is sometimes seen as Sarah Clark. She died before the end of 1763, because in December of 1763, James transferred ownership of his Dobbs County property to his daughter Sarahann (McTyre), “reserving to himself rights to the place where his wife was buried.” [7]

Clark Hobson and James Adair had three daughters named in his 1778 will:

1. Sarahann ‘Saranna’ McTyre. Born 20 Oct 1743 in Northumberland, Virginia - Died 4 Jul 1794 at age 50 in Bladen, North Carolina, United States. Married William McTyre.
2. Agnes Gibson. Born 1744 in Northumberland County, Province of Virginia - Died 1809 at about age 65 in Claiborne County, Mississippi. Married John Gibson.
3. Elizabeth Hobson Cade. Born 23 Jun 1745 - Died 1800 at about age 54 in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. Married John Cade.

No known sons.

Disputed origins

Parents seen as Thomas Adair and Margaret Maria Adair without supporting evidence, and were detached In April 2018.

Disputed Spouses

Some, without source, have identified Ann Ester Adair (abt.1709-bef.1763) as an additional wife. There is no known basis for this claim. Please do not reattach her as a spouse without adding a reliable source.

In addition, some, without source, have identified Ester Ann Anna McBride (Hobson) Adair (1710-1785) as an additional wife. There is no known basis for this claim. Please do not reattach her as a spouse without adding a reliable source.

The James Adair who married Ann Adair in Fairfield, CT lived and died there. He named his wife Ann in his will probated in 1782.

Disputed Children

Some, without source, have identified Nancy Jane Stevens (1746-1835) as his daughter. There is no known source for this claim. There is no Nancy named as a daughter in his will and no evidence that he ever lived in South Carolina, where Nancy was reportedly born in 1746. Please do not reattach her as a child without adding a reliable source.

Conflation

Extracted from https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Adair-232 (Last modified 9 Jun 2022)

Although the claim is made in many < newspaper articles >, a < memorial > placed by the Colonial Dames, the < NCPedia > and other places, there is a serious question as to whether this James Adair is the same man as < James Adair >, author of the "History of the American Indians." This dispute is the subject of the following G2G thread. < link >

The original source for this claim seems to be an unsourced book, Adair History and Genealogy, compiled, edited and published by James Barnett Adair in 1924 [10] which was then used as the source for a 1934 book by a man named William Curry Harllee called Kinfolks : a genealogical and biographical record of Thomas and ELizabeth (Stuart) Harllee, Andrew and Agnes (Cade) Fulmore, [11] Both books conflate the two James Adairs, although they are two totally different and unrelated men. James Adair the author was living among the Indians by 1735, made his home in New Windsor, South Carolina, and never lived in North Carolina. A simple time line shows that James the author was documented with various Indian tribes while this James was living and raising a family in Virginia and North Carolina. Two examples: from January to July of 1740 Adair-the-author is documented as participating in the War of Jenkins Ear in Georgia and Florida, while this James was marrying Clark Hobson in Northumberland County, Virginia. In February and March of 1851 Adair-the-author is caught up in a case of theft from the Cherokee [12] while this James is petitioning the North Carolina council in New Bern, N.C. for a land grant. [13]

Quoting Holland Braund, "The most incredible family claim, made by William Curry Harllee, is that James Adair was the alter-ego of Dr. Robert Adair of North Carolina. Despite his claims of "a perfect chain of evidence" ... his work fails to convince.... Harlee's work did manage to convince the North Carolina Society of the Colonial Dames of America, however, and that organization dedicated a marker to "James Robert Adair, M.D." in 1934 near the location of Robert Adair's home in Robeson County, North Carolina. Other than common given names, to date no positive link has been established between James Adair and other Adairs in South and North Carolina, Ireland, or anywhere else. Adair was silent on his family history, and the connections made by family historians are offered without documentary evidence or support of any kind, other than family legend and hopeful speculation based on common names." Adair, James.

(Source: History of the American Indians. Holland Braund, Kathryn E., ed. University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa, 2005. p. 447 (notes to her prefatory essay))

Records include

Marriage license records of Northumberland County, Virginia from 1735 to 1795.

James Adair and Clark Hobson, Jr., July 29, 1740.

(Source: The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Vol. 47, No. 1 (Jan., 1939), pp. 41-47 (7 pages) Published By: Virginia Historical Society The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography https://www.jstor.org/stable/4244922)

"There are many records in both states, however, concerning James ADAIR, his daughters, and their descendants. Among these records are three in South Carolina Miscellaneous Records, Volume 00, at the South Carolina Archives, which show that by 1768 ADAIR'S youngest daughter, Agnes, had married John GIBSON, son of Gideon GIBSON, gentleman, of Craven County, South Carolina. James ADAIR at the time was "of Dobbs County in the Province of North Carolina."

21 July 1767 SC, Craven County. JAMES ADAIR of Dobbs Co, NC for natural love and affection to my daughter AGNES ADAIR, now wife of JOHN GIBSON of Craven Co, SC, 20 sh paid by GIDION GIBSON my trustee, four negroes named Lucy, Candie, Frank & Sampson. witt ELIZABETH HOBSON CADE, JOHN CADE, SARAANN McTYER. SC Misc, Records Vol ll p 89-91

Aug 21 1767 : Craven Co. Gidion Gibson for love and affection to my son John Gibson of Craven Co, SC, and in order to make some provision for my said son, and for 20 shillings paid by James Adair, my trustee, three negroes named Achillis, Pleasant and Peasant’s young daughter named Judith. Gidion Gibson (LS), Wit: Elizabeth Hobson Cade, John Cade, Saraanne McTyer. Proved before John Alran, J.P. for Craven Co., by the oath of John Cade 3 Sep 1767. Rcd’d 16 June 1769. [Misc. Records Vol. OO 1767-1771, pp. 91-92]

(Source: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~paday/genealogy/dobbers/adairfamily_...)

Will of James Adair, of Bladen County

Also see (Link to will)

In the name of God, "Amen." I, James Adair in Bladen County in North Carolina, being weak but praises be to the Almighty God, in perfect sense and memory, I do humbly make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following:

• I do recommend my soul to God who gave it hoping through the merits of my Lord and Blessed Savior Jesus Christ to obtain pardon of all my sins. My body I commit to the grave to be buried.
• My Temporal Estate my just debts being paid I do humbly appoint my loving daughter Saranna McTyre my whole and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament.
• I give unto Robert Adair or his heirs near the town of Billymansborough and Nutrann a short mile of Gilgoram in the county of Antrim in Ireland ten pounds.
• I give unto James Box or his heirs in the Island of Bennet the sum of nine pounds.
• I give unto Alexander Johnston or his heirs in Ireland or his heirs in the county of Chester, Pennsylvania, the sum of seventeen pounds all proclamation money.
• I give unto my daughter Saraanna McTyre, all my lands or improvements in Wilkinsons Swamp together with all my negroes and their increase to wit: Four negroes Pomp, Babby, Sam and Jack, two negro women named Hannah and Nelly, one negro girl named Lucy, my personal and real Estate both within and without doors, crop and stock together with all money, bonds, judgments, notes of hand, book accounts and debts whatsoever and whomsoever during her natural life and when my daughter Saraanna McTyre receives and collects in my money due on judgments, notes of hand and book debts, I desire it may be put out immediately on good security mortgages on improved lands and negroes until there is a fair and open trade from Guinea to this country for negro slaves, then to call in all the money into her hands immediately lay the money out in purchasing and buying negro slaves, boys and girls, and when bought then I give a part of the negroes so purchased and bought as has cost my executrix four hundred pounds proclamation money with their increase unto my daughter Elizabeth Hobson Cade during her life and at her death I give the said negroes with all their increase unto my three three grandsons Stephen, James, and Washington Cade, and their heirs lawfully begotten forever, and the residue and remainder of the said purchase and bought negroes, after my daughter Cade has received her part and property as above mentioned then I give unto my daughter Susanna (sic) McTyer with all their increase during her life.
• I give unto my grandson Adair McTyre the plantation whereon I now live one hundred acres more or less named Pached or Patcherly place on Wilkinson Swamp, together with all the improvements to him and his heirs lawfully begotten forever.
• After my daughter Saranna McTyer's life I give unto my Grandson one plow horse and one cow and calf two sow pigs and all the working tools within and without doors, suitable for carrying on a crop and corn and provision both without and within doors, should anything happen after my daughter's life. I give all my other lands more or less unto my grandson William McTyer and his heirs lawfully begotten forever when he comes of age.
I give unto my five grandchildren Adair, Elizabeth, Clark, Katrain, and William McTyer, all my negroes and their increase and my personal estate to be equally divided amongst them, to them and their heirs lawfully begotten forever after Saranna McTyre life.
• I do give the free use of my means to my daughter Cades family as long as my daughter Saranna McTyre and Elizabeth Hobson Cade live convient one to another.
I give unto my daughter Agnes Gibson and to John Gibson one Shilling sterling.
• I do desire my daughter Saranna McTyer take my daughter Agnes Gibson into her family should it so happen she is a widow and only one child and no good home, and maintain she and her child during widowhood and until her child comes of age, in meat drink lodging washing.
• I do desire none of my estate may be sold by order of Court, when goods come as cheap as they have in the year 1774.
Then I do desire my Executrix will buy each of my daughters, Elizabeth Hobson Cade and Agnes Gibson a gown of Black Crepe and mourning ring.
• In testimony of this my last Will and Testament I hereunto set my hand and seal, this twenty first day of September one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight.
• James Adair (seal)
Signed sealed and Witnessed
Archd McKissack
Benilla Bullard

(Source: Elizabethtown, Bladen Co., North Carolina, Record of Wills No. 1, p. 476, reprinted in "Kinfolks" by Wm. Harllee, pp. 1245-1247) Note: The will was destroyed in the courthouse fire in 1800. Some records, including James Adair's will were copied from documents held by people who provided them for records.

References

1. https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=ful...
2. “Will of James Adair” (document attached)
3. https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I1154...
4. CLIPPED FROM The Robesonian; Lumberton, North Carolina, 26 Feb 1951, Mon • Page 75. < newspapers.com > (has errors)
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Adair_(historian)
6. “James Adair” (05/18/2016) http://www.adair-holland.com/james.html
7. “Marj's JAMES ADAIR Research” (05/18/2016) http://www.adair-holland.com/marj.html (also document attached)
8. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Adair-2902
9. “Mixups of different James Adairs.” (2023) (document attached)
10. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Adair-232 cites
    1. "Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X5YK-Y36 : 29 January 2020), Clark Hobson Jr. in entry for James Adair, 1740.
    2. Marriage License Records of Northumberland County, Virginia, from 1735 to 1795: As Recorded in Clerk's Fee Books. " The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography Vol. 47, No. 1 (Jan., 1939), pp. 41-47. JSTOR.org. James Adair and Clark Hobson, Jr., July 29, 1740/ < link >
    3. transcript at Allen. < link >
    4. https://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.php/document/csr04-0410
    5. North Carolina Land Grants. Microfilm publication, 770 rolls. North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina. Johnston County, #118, grant #272.
    6. transcript at NCGenWeb {http://www.ncgenweb.us/ncstate/historical/DobbsCo/files/census-1769... census]
    7. Dobbs County, North Carolina. Book 76, page 259
    8. William Curry Harllee, Kinfolks, 4 vols., (New Orleans, La.: Searcy & Pfaff, 1934-7), 2:1245-47; citing Elizabethtown, Bladen Co., North Carolina, Record of Wills No. 1, p. 476; digital images, Ancestry.com, (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/11593/ : accessed 23 Jun 2021) [subscription required].
    9. Will of James Adair, 1778. "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-JG94-9Z?cc=1867501&wc=... : 21 May 2014), Bladen > Wills, 1766-1883, Vol. 1 > image 273 of 337; county courthouses, North Carolina.
    10. digitized at 1924
    11. digitized on Ancestry at [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/11593/ Harllee}
    12. Journal of the Commons House of Assembly of South ... 1750 Apr. 23/1751 Aug. 31. image at commons
    13. https://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.php/document/csr04-0410 See also:
    14. The Search for Mrs. James ADAIR < link >