Patriot Ancestor - History of the family of Major Thomas Blair of Guilford County, North Carolina

I am a descendant of Major Thomas Blair who married the widow, Jane Ruth McCuiston in about 1763 in the part of Rowan County, North Carolina that became Guilford County in 1771.  I descend from their daughter, Martha Blair, born February 12, 1771 in Guilford County, NC, who married her first cousin, John Blair, born October 22, 1767 in the part of Rowan County, NC. that became Guilford county in 1771.  John and Martha Blair married on April 27, 1790 in Guilford County, North Carolina, and soon moved to Logan County, Kentucky, and then to Tennessee, first settling in Davidson County where her brothers, John Calhoun Blair and Samuel Ruth Blair had settled about 1785.  Samuel Ruth Blair also participated in the American Revolution, and in his War Pension File there is an affidavit stating that Martha Blair was a sister of Samuel Ruth Blair. 

Patriot Ancestor - William Adams

Parents:      William James Adams and Lydia Martin
Birth:          1733, County Antrim, Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Death:         November 27, 1799, York County, South Carolina, USA
Wife:           Margaret Ewart
Parents:       Robert Ewart and Catherine Catherwood
Birth:           1746
Married:      North Carolina 1765
Death:         1824
Children:     Francis Adams, Kathrine Adams (Carrigan), Jean H. Adams (Campbell),
                    Robert E. Adams, James S. Adams, William Adams, Jr., Rachel Adams,
                    (Barnett), Margaret Adams (Watson), Joseph R. Adams, Elizabeth Adams,
                    John B. Adams

In 1740 William Adams age 7 moved with his family from Ireland to the American Colonies. They were part of the waves of Presbyterian Scots-Irish immigrants moving to America. These Scots-Irish immigrants were seeking religious freedom from taxation by the British Government for support of the established Anglican Church of England and the liberty to allow them to practice their Presbyterianism. This Scots-Irish migration of nearly 500,000 to the American Colonies, by the time of the American Revolution, would become a major part of its military core. Unoccupied prior to 1730, the Virginia and Carolina Piedmont areas were settled by these people as they began to come down the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road from Pennsylvania and other parts of America . By 1750 they had moved into North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.

Patriot Ancestor - Joseph Fuqua

5th Virginia Regiment
Birth: 4 May 1756, Lunenburg County, Virginia
Death: 4 May 1829, Bedford County, Virginia

The settler who gave the town of Liberty his land, and Texas his sons. Born on May 4, 1756 and dying May 4 seventy-three years later, Joseph Fuqua led a generally quiet life as a farmer and family man. He is remembered in Bedford today for an outstanding act of generosity he shared with another man who went on to obscurity. Joseph Fuqua and
William Downing donated the 100 acres that became the site of the town established in 1782 as Liberty. He had fought in the Revolutionary War before settling in this area, enlisting Feb.22, 1776 and fighting in the battles of Cowpens and Brandywine. He was discharged in 1778.

Patriot Ancestor - Norvell Robertson

Norvell Robertson

Private—Virginia Militia
Birth: 22 May 1765 , Buckingham, Virginia
Death: 16 September 1855 , Covington County, Mississippi

The following is an excerpt from the Autobiography of Norvell Robertson on file at the Department of Archives and History, Jackson, MS.

I was born on the 22nd day of May 1765 in Buckingham, Virginia near the line from Cumberland and shortly after was removed to the latter county, in which I was brought up, and resided till the last of November 1786, when I left my native country for the State of Georgia. My father, whose name was Jeffrey Robertson, was in quite moderate circumstances, and did not possess the means of giving his children much education.

Patriot Ancestor - Joaquin de Ortega y Prieto

Joaquin de Ortega y Prieto was born August 2, 1755 in Tordesillas (Valladoliad), Spain.¹ He died in 1826 in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana².  After a career in service to his country he settled in Opelousas with his family and raised cattle. Ortega entered military life and became 'Comisione Artillery' or 'Guardian Royal Military' in Fort Pensacola living inside the compound on the 1784 census with his wife and oldest child. His revolutionary service was Guardian of the Royal Artillery at Ft. Pensacola³.  Through letters between Ortega and various Spanish officials, we know Ortega was involved in traveling to present day Texas to arrange for cattle to be purchased and delivered in Natchitoches to feed the trooops of Bernardo de Galvez.

Patriot Ancestor: Col. Mark Bird

Mark Bird was born 1763, in Berk Co., Pennsylvania into the iron master family of William Bird. William was the strength of the family. William died in 1763 the year Mark married into the Ross family. William left Mark 3000 acres of land three forges a gristmill and a saw mill.

Patriot Ancestor: John Templeton, Jr.

JOHN TEMPLETON, Jr. (1760 - 1820) - Both John Templeton, Sr. and Jr. from Rowan County, N.C. fought in the Colonial Wars including Dunmore's War of 1774. They then joined in the Revolutionary War and fought in the Battle of King's Mountain, a decisive battle, on Oct. 7, 1780. John Sr. was a sergeant and flag bearer and John Jr. was a private and fifer. When the father was killed in battle, John Jr. picked up the flag and carried it through the battle. For his service, John was awarded a warrant for 2,000 acres in Tennessee. John married Nancy Hawkins, daughter of Joseph Hawkins of Tennessee. One of his other daughters married John Sevier, first Governor of Tennessee, and the other daughter, Rebecca married John Crockett and gave birth to nine children, three daughters and six sons, the fifth one was Davy Crockett of Tennessee and Texas fame.  John Templeton, Jr. is the ancestor of Tommy (Tom) Jacob Meinecke.

Patriot Ancestor: Peter Poland

PETER POLAND was a solider in the Pennsylvania Line. He served at Mudisland (Mud Island) Under Captain William Brown and in Proctor’s Artillery, crossing the ice-choked Delaware River with General George Washington. He served at the battles of Trenton and Princeton. He was listed as a Private 5th class in the Association and Militia, 7th Co. 6th Battalion of Lancaster Co. Commanded by Capt. James Taylor in June 1781. His son Peter Poland II served in the Virginia Militia 1778 and 1779.  Peter Poland is the ancestor of Carl Hill Jr.

Patriot Ancestor: Colonel John Glenn

COLONEL JOHN GLENN (1750 - 1797) - He was born in Lunenburg County, Virginia in 1750, and served as an attorney prior to the Revolution. In 1776 he joined the 2nd Battalion Minutemen, Mecklenburg District Battalion as a Captain. In June 1776 he was promoted to Major. He participated in the Battle of Gwynn's Island, and eventually ended up fighting Indians at Ft. Patrick Henry (Kingsport, TN) on the North Bank of the Holston River. He served in the Virginia Militia until the Fall of 1776 and returned to Lunenburg County. John Glenn was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates during Spring 1777, and served in the following sessions: