James McNair's Baptismal Record April 1747

This Baptismal Record was found in the Augusta Stone Church records in Virginia. 

Daniel McNear baptized a child named James. 

Sources for James McNair

 May not be a complete list, but it is what I had from 1993. 

Source Sheet:  JAMES MCNAIR 1747 – 1817

 
"Leaves of the Family Tree-McNair" by Penelope Allen, 1937, 1982, page 175-176. The McNair family of East Tennessee.
 
Chalkley's Chronicles - Volumes I & II, JAMES MCNAIR - (p. 481)     MILITARY SERVICES.
Job Bennington's Declaration, May 5th, 1823: Aged 67; in the Pennsylvania Service; Capt. Porter, Lieut. James McNair, Colonel Proctor.
 
The McNair, McNear, and McNeir genealogies by James Birtley McNair, Chicago: 1929, p 299.
 
Reminiscent History of the Ozark Region. This Goodspeed Brothers collection of sketches was originally published in Chicago in 1864. Southern Historical Press, Inc. reprinted the book from an 1894 edition in 1978, 1984 and 1995.
 
Department of Cultural Resources: North Carolina. Division of archives and History. Certificates of payment for military service.
 
1790 United States Federal Census. Mecklenburg, North Carolina; Series: M637; Roll: 7; Page: 360; Image: 538; Family History Library Film: 0568147
 
Calendar of the Tennessee and King’s Mountain Papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts, Vol. III, pp 330-331.  (Draper Collection is highly recognized.)
 
Tennessee State Library and Archives; Nashville, Tennessee; Early Tennessee/North Carolina Land Records; Roll: 5; Book: C
 
Tennessee Genealogical Records: Stewart and Sullivan Counties, p. 271 by Edythe Rucker Whitley, compiled originally in 1930. Combined in 1980.
 
Tennessee State Library and Archives; Nashville, Tennessee; Series Number: 02; Series Title: Entries. Original data: Tennessee. Division of Archives, Land Office, and Museum. Early Tennessee/North Carolina Land Records, 1783–1927, Record Group 50. Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee.
 
Find A Grave. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.
 
https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/h/a/y/John-Haynie-GA/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-1089.html
 
Daniel’s descendants by Bryan Douglas McNair, Garland Texas. http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~mcnair/genealogy/

James McNair, His Father Daniel, His Grandfather David (1747-1690)

 Information from John Haynie

JAMES MCNAIR
 
http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/h/a/y/John-Haynie-GA/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-1089.html
 
James McNair (son of Daniel McNair and Hannah Allen) was born April 29, 1747 in Ft. Defiance, Augusea Co. VA, and died Bef. August 27, 1849 in Knox Co. TN.He married (1) Martha Price on March 07, 1773.He married (2) Rebecca Walker on July 11, 1811 in Kingston, Roane Co. TN, daughter of William B. Walker.

 Notes for James McNair:
According to the book "Leaves of the Family Tree-McNair",page 175-176 is the following:The McNair family of East Tennessee traces it's ancestry to James McNair, a Revolutionary soldier who lived and died in Knox County, Tennessee.James McNair was one of the stalwart pioneers who braved the perils of the wilderness on the southwestern frontier, where he was one of the early white settlers of Hoston Co.Records show that this James McNair served with the milia on the western frontier of North Calolin during the Revolutary Warand he was probably of the intrepid band that followed Captian John Sevier to Kings Mountain.In 1774 he was living in Sullivan Co. Tennessee but as the settlements were pushed further and further down the TennesseeValley, he removed his family to Knox County where he was residing in 1794.

More About James McNair and Martha Price:
Marriage: March 07, 1773
More About James McNair and Rebecca Walker:
Marriage: July 11, 1811, Kingston, Roane Co. TN.
Children of James McNair and Martha Price are:
 Notes for James McNair:

1. Mary McNair, b. 1776, Sullivan Co. Tn, d. date unknown.

1. Bryce McNair, b. 1780, Sullivan Co. Tn, d. date unknown.

1. Hannah Price McNair, b. 1781, Sullivan Co. Tn, d. date unknown.

1. Elizabeth McNair, b. March 31, 1785, Sullivan Co. Tn, d. date unknown.

1. James Price McNair, b. Abt. 1787, Sullivan Co. Tn, d. date unknown.

1. Myra McNair, b. Abt. 1790, Sullivan Co. Tn, d. date unknown.

1. Robert Huston McNair, d. date unknown.

1. John McNair, b. July 20, 1783, Sullivan Co. Tn, d. date unknown.

Children of James McNair and Rebecca Walker are:

1. Tillie McNair, b. Bef. 1812, Tenn, d. date unknown.

1. +Nancy McNair, b. August 16, 1812, Tenn, d. June 1899, Duck Springs, Etowah Co. AL..

1. James Price McNair (Jr), b. March 01, 1815, Sullivan Co. Tn, d. date unknown, Hixson Cemetery Hamilton Co. Tenn.

1. Narcissus McNair, b. 1818, Tenn, d. date unknown.

1. David McNair, b. January 07, 1825, d. date unknown.

 
DANIEL MCNAIR
 
http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/h/a/y/John-Haynie-GA/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-1439.html
 
Daniel McNair (son of David McNair ll) was born Abt. 1720 in County Donegel,Ireland, and died Abt. 1791 in Churchville, Augusta Co., VA.He married Hannah Allen on Abt. 1741 in Augusta Co. VA.
More About Daniel McNair and Hannah Allen:
Marriage: Abt. 1741, Augusta Co. VA.
Children of Daniel McNair and Hannah Allen are:
More About Daniel McNair and Hannah Allen:
Marriage: Abt. 1741, Augusta Co. VA.
Children of Daniel McNair and Hannah Allen are:

1. David McNair, b. Abt. 1741, Augusta Co. Va., d. date unknown.

1. +James McNair, b. April 29, 1747, Ft. Defiance, Augusea Co. VA, d. Bef. August 27, 1849, Knox Co. TN.

1. John McNair, b. Aft. 1747, d. date unknown.

1. Joanna McNair, b. December 19, 1742, Ft. Defiance, August Co. NC, d. date unknown.

1. Martha McNair, b. June 30, 1745, Ft. Defiance, August Co. NC, d. date unknown.

David McNair ll (son of Unknown Mcnair) was born Bet. 1690 - 1699 in Ulster, Donegal Co. Ireland, and died date unknown.
Children of David McNair ll are:
Children of David McNair ll are:

1. +Daniel McNair, b. Abt. 1720, County Donegel,Ireland, d. Abt. 1791, Churchville, Augusta Co., VA.

 

James McNair's Will

 

His will was written with his own hand January 5, 1817, and proved at the July term of the Knox Co. Court, 1818. The will in full is recorded in Knox Co. Estate Book, Vol. 2, pages 351 and 352. His wife's will was written March 23, 1817, and was proved at the same session of the Court. The following is included in Gerry McNair Crow's notes: "Tenn. Census taken from NC land grants 1787-1791, No. of Grant 2442, James McNair, 200 acres 1790 on the south side of Holstein (River) opposite the mouth of German Creek." James' last will and testament is recorded in "Leaves From The Family Tree" by Penelope Johnson Allen and is as follows: "In the name of God., Amen, I, James McNair of the County of Knox, State of Tennessee, being in a low state of health, but of sound memory, do make this my Last Will and Testament. First I wish all my just debts and funeral charges to be paid from my moveable property and my daughter Myre to have a horse worth 100 dollars or the money. "To my true and well beloved wife, Martha, I give and bequeath my dwelling house as it stands with all and every part of furniture, the kitchen, smoke house, crib and Garden and the half of all kind of stock and farm tools, also old Cipeo, Rhoda and her child Cubit, all of which is to be at her disposal in her life time or at her death--I do will that my land at the death of my wife be sold to the highest bidder and also my boys, Bob and Austin, and from the sale, my son John is to have and receive one half of the purchase money, my son James on third, my son David and my daughters Polly, Hannah, Betsy and Myre shall have equal shares of the other third part. "My son John is to have one half of the stock and all untensils with his mother and have full care of her. He has Bob and Austin as assistantsand the whole plantation to cultivate for which he, the said John, is to let her have a full third part of all produce. "I choose my true and trusted friends Asahel Chapman and my son John as my executors to see that my last will and testament be carefully executed. All former will being made void and of no effect. This I say, is my last will and testament wrote with my own hand and sealed with my seal this 5th day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventeen. "Signed Jas. M'Nair, in the presence of Ro Armstrong, Fras. Bounds."

James McNair History Cont.- Military, Marriage, Family

 James McNair - Continued

Sources:

Leaves of the Family Tree by Penelope Johnson Allen, 1937.

Chalkley's Chronicles

The McNair, McNear, and McNeir genealogies by James Birtley McNair, Chicago: 1929.

Reminiscent History of the Ozark Region This Goodspeed Brothers collection of sketches was originally published in Chicago in 1864. Southern Historical Press, Inc. reprinted the book from an 1894 edition in 1978, 1984 and 1995.

Department of Cultural Resources: North Carolina. Division of archives and History. Certificates of payment for military service.

So let's take a look at the stories of this wonderful man and his legacy:
 
According to the book Leaves of the Family Tree by Penelope Allen, McNair Chapter, page 175-176 copyright @ 1937 is the following: "The McNair family of East Tennessee traces its ancestry to James McNair, a Revolutionary soldier who lived and died in Knox County, Tennessee. James McNair was one of the stalwart pioneers who braved the perils of the wilderness on the southwestern frontier, where he was one of the early white settlers of Holston Co.  Records show that this James McNair served with the militia on the western frontier of North Carolina during the Revolutionary War and he was probably of the intrepid band that followed Captain John Sevier to Kings Mountain. In 1774, he was living in Sullivan Co. Tennessee, but as the settlements were pushed further and further down the Tennessee Valley, he removed his family to Knox County where he was residing in 1794."
 
The following was written by Bryan Douglas McNair of Garland Texas
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mcnair/
Bryan states: Nothing here is 100%. Just a collection from times gone by...
"James McNair, the eldest son of Daniel and Hannah McNair.  Baptismal records of Rev. John Craig state that James Sr. was baptized on 29 Apr. 1747 at the Stone (Prebysterian) Church in Ft. Defiance, Virginia (Staunton VA).  James McNair was a pioneer of East TN and for many years a Free Mason.
James was imbued with the spirit of adventure, having begun to make explorations to the South when a youth of twenty. It is known that he made more than one trip to the "Indian Country" Tennessee, with his boyhood friend and neighbor, John Anderson, and a few other young men from Augusta Co., VA. It is of record that they made one trip as early as 1769 when they went down as far as what is now Hawkins Co., TN, where they "saw so many signs of the Indians" they "deemed it prudent to return." Among the members of the exploring expedition, who soon settled in Sullivan Co., TN, were James McNair, John Sawyers, and Gilbert Christian, while John Anderson located just across the disputed border line in Virginia. Of this adventure, The ANNALS OF TENNESSEE by Ramsey states, "The beauty and fertility of the valley of the Holston proved a temptation to some men of the regiment as a region for settlement. Gilbert Christian and William Anderson, accompanied by John Sawyers, John Anderson, Robert Christian, James McNair, and Nathan Page, shortly after the troops were disbanded, explored the valley. They crossed the North Fork at the ford and penetrated as far down as Big Creek in the present County of Hawkins, where they met a large party of Indians, and turned back."
 
James McNair served with the militia on the western frontier of NC during the Revolutionary War. He was probably one of the followers of John Anderson to King's Mountain.
Chalkley's Chronicles - Volumes I & II, JAMES MCNAIR - (p. 481)                MILITARY SERVICES.
Job Bennington's Declaration, May 5th, 1823: Aged 67; in the Pennsylvania Service; Capt. Porter, Lieut. James McNair, Colonel Proctor.
 
 
About 1773, James McNair married Martha Price. John Anderson married Rebecca Maxwell on 12 Jan 1775. These boyhood friends of the Middle River neighborhood in Augusta County now took their brides to make homes in the wilderness along the border line between VA and NC, now TN, where they continued as neighbors. Their lifelong friendship was sealed with the marriage of their son and daughter, Elizabeth (Betsy) McNair and John Anderson, Jr., a Lieutenant-Colonel in the War of 1812.
 
James acquired a considerable quantity of land in the upper counties of what is now East TN, before he finally located in Knox County. There is record of various locations of land grants in the counties of Hawkins, Green, and Sullivan where he made his home, and where his children were born. These grants were military and were from NC.
 
The McNair Family genealogy book by James Birtley McNair recalled these stories of James and Martha Price:
"James McNair was a pioneer of east Tennessee, a soldier of the Revolutionary War and for many years a Freemason.  He married a woman of Welsh extraction.  His wife was an excellent shot with a rifle.  On one occasion during the absence of her husband, she heard their dogs barking at some little distance from the house, and started out to learn the trouble.  She soon discovered that they had treed a large bear.  She returned to the house for her bun, and very soon the bear fell a victim of her marksmanship.  After skinning the animal without assistance she made meat of the bruin.
 
Mr. McNair returned home one night, after quite a protracted absence, to find that his horses had been stolen by Indians.  Early the next morning he started in pursuit, and after following their trail for three days, he came upon them in camp, the horses grazing some little distance away.  He succeeded in catching his bell-mare, muffled the bell, and led her a short distance away, then returned for vengeance.  He managed to get his rifle in range of two Indians, fired, and brought them both to the ground; the others fled, after which he captured the rest of horses and returned home with them."
 
As the settlements were pushed farther down the TN Valley, James McNair moved his family from Sullivan Co. to Knox Co. in the early 1790's. Here also he acquired much land. The minutes of Knox Co., 1792-95, show that he served as a Juryman Aug. 6, 1794. Other legal documents show that he was active in public affairs in Knox Co. until his death sometimes between Jan. 5 and Mar. 23, 1817. His will was written with his own hand January 5, 1817, and proved at the July term of the Knox Co. Court, 1818. The will in full is recorded in Knox Co. Estate Book, Vol. 2, pages 351 and 352. His wife's will (Martha Price McNair) was written March 23, 1817, and was proved at the same session of the Court. The following is included in Gerry McNair Crow's notes: "Tenn. Census taken from NC land grants 1787-1791, No. of Grant 2442, James McNair, 200 acres 1790 on the south side of Holstein (River) opposite the mouth of German Creek."
 

James McNair (1747-1817) A Woven History

 James McNair
History Sheet
Compiled by Nancy Quillin Long
March 2016
 
Sources:
Leaves of the Family Tree by Penelope Johnson Allen, 1937.
Chalkley's Chronicles
The McNair, McNear, and McNeir genealogies by James Birtley McNair, Chicago: 1929.
Reminiscent History of the Ozark Region This Goodspeed Brothers collection of sketches was originally      published in Chicago in 1864. Southern Historical Press, Inc. reprinted the book from an 1894 edition in            1978, 1984 and 1995.
Department of Cultural Resources: North Carolina. Division of archives and History. Certificates            of payment for military service.
Carolita Quillin Jones - invaluable to me
Ova McNair Ker - invaluable to me
 

For the most part, this history sheet will be stories that others from long ago shared about our James McNair.  I could do no better than giving you these colorful descriptions of him. But before I share those stories, I will share my own genealogical search for the McNair family.  This family was the first prize that I sought.  I had a trip planned to Ireland and McNair was the only family with "Mc" in their name and I was hoping to find a family connection to Ireland.  Silly me for thinking I could find shortcuts through the world of genealogy.  Anyway, I am fortunate to live in a state capitol city where I have access to the state archives, and may I say, it is a wonderful place.  So I started there and as a rookie, I had many lessons to learn.  Needless to say, I became frustrated trying to put a square peg into a round hole, so to speak.  In my frustration, I decided to do a quick search of my maiden name (Quillin) and I stumbled over the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  My search quickly revealed a book written about the Quillin family and the family name was MACQUILLIN until they came to America in the 1660s.  And they came from Ulster, Ireland. Enough said.  I abandoned my McNair search temporarily and totally immersed myself in my Irish history through my maiden name.

 

As stated above, the McNair name was my first sought after treasure and I had all the branches filled on the tree back through my great-great grandfather.  Not only had I become a sleuth, but I had my own private investigator, my mother, Carolita Quillin Jones.  She had a love for family history and a healthy respect for the sacrifices that were made by those who had gone before us. Through her, I was able to contact quite a few older relatives and together we paid visits to them.  It was so much fun reconnecting with these people. This proved invaluable in bringing to light firsthand the information about the leaves on our tree.  Mother put together her recollections and added them to very old photos and before long, I had an amazing amount of history on the McNair family.  I loved digging for the skeletons and finding the bones....she loved adding meat to the bones.  It worked for me!

 

After my trip to Ireland and after I had pieced together my Quillin line, I returned to all the information gathered on the McNairs.  My research kept revealing clues that I might have an ancestor that fought as a Patriot in the Revolutionary War and I was very interested in joining DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution).  Little did I know what this was going to entail.  In the midst of this journey, I was called to be a juror on an attempted murder case and spent a week in close contact with the other selected jurors.  One of them, Caroline Bass, was a member of DAR and I learned about the process for honoring our Patriots.  She vowed to help me in my search.  Back in the 1990s before the click of a mouse, this type of research was not easy; however, I am proud that I learned the value of research and documentation and how NOT to rely on everything my mouse now finds.  Just because it is written, does not mean it is so. I learned I had to document a tie before I could establish the connection.

 

Once again, I came up short with the McNair name.  This James remained elusive, but I was nearly there with him.  I just couldn't find that one voucher in the national archives that would credit him for his service in the Revolution.  Here's where my research jumped track again.  In trying to reach James, his son John (Jack) McNair and our great-great grandfather's (Mack Manilus McNair) father, left behind quite a paper trail.  Being a large land owner and having fought in the War of 1812, some wonderful information came to light about him and his wife, Mary Ann Sherertz.  And there it was...a book about the Sheretz and Mary Ann's grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War.  It was a clear shot for my documentation into DAR so I took that angle.  On the Sherertz branch of the tree, I will share more about that family, but it pleases me to say that I was the very first person to honor Conrad Sherertz, Sr. as a Patriot and placing his name into the DAR records.  Learn more about this family in the Sheretz history pages

The Way We Were

"The Way We Were"
 ~ Barbara Steisand

Memories like the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
 
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we? Could we?
 
Memories may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
 
So it's the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember the way we were
The way we were

Recently, we watched this hit movie from 1973. Great movie then and now. Since viewing it again, the words of the hit song keep popping up in my head. "Misty water-colored memories. Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind."

This picture popped up on my screen this morning. It was taken in 2015. Every summer as we travelled to Wyoming and back, we used my sister's home as a jumping off point. In 2015, I was 11 years younger with a new pup, Finn. He was only 9 months old, but already a travelling trouper. My sister also had a dog Nali, that she most recently lost. These were such good times, and I now see it as a time when I was still so energetic....and so was my new pup.

Things are different today....and yes, sometimes painful. Neither of these dogs are with us; we are 11 years older and not as energetic with a new pup that challenges us daily. So emotions welled up inside of me as this picture was on my screen, and I know that this huge lump in my throat is because....I'm choosing to remember the laughter and fun this picture represents.