A review of:
“The
Blair Family of New England Revisited ”
By Mary J. Powers,
Blandford, Massachusetts, 2008
The long-awaited update and expansion
to The Blair Family of New England, published in 1900, and used as a
bible for New England Blair researchers, is finally completed, and is in
process of being printed. It is being offered preprint at $39.00
until 30 June 2008 (afterwards $45.), plus $5.00, shipping and
handling, U. S. destinations (price differential for Canadian and other
non-U.S. destinations).
The current volume attempts to document
the undocumented text in the earlier book, updating and expanding the data
contained, and providing new connections between the early Blairs. It takes
the family back to northern Ireland and Scotland, and shows the immigration
in 1718 of Robert Blair and Isabella Rankin, and of William Blair and Mary
Gray, and greatly expands and follows down the lines of their children.
Robert and Isabella had eleven children
and at his death in 1774, he left 209 living descendants. These have
multiplied into thousands of descendants today. These descendants are
followed into the frontiers of New York, Ohio and points west as they
settled and helped to build towns and cities across the country. Many spouse
and female lines are covered, especially those of the Nova Scotia female
Blair lines (Archibald, Whidden, Higgins, Lynd, etc.) through the meticulous
work of Elsie Thoresen; Robert and Isabella’s daughters’ lines are brought
down in the early generations (Hamilton, Watson), connecting many other
early New England families to the Blair family. Several as yet unconnected
Blair lines are touched on (Robert Blair and Janet Combs; John Blair and Ann
Pepper, etc.).
The book is 580 pages including a
source list and extensive every-name index with over 6,500 names. It is hard
cover, casebound, 8-1/2” x 11”, available June 2008, but to order at the
preprint price, send your check or money order payable to Mary J. Powers
in the amount of $39.00 plus $5.00 S&H, a total of $44.00 (postprint
price, after 30 June 2008, $45.00 plus $5.00 S&H = $50.00) for U. S.
orders to: Mary J. Powers, 41 Beech Hill Road, Blandford, Massachusetts
01008-9531. For non-U.S. orders and further information contact her at
above address or by e-mail by clicking
BFNE contact.
Please direct any
questions to the above address or using the BFNE
contact form.
(Subject: BFNE Book).
Contents of the The Blair Family of New England
Revisited:
Part One - Origins of the Blair Family of New England – Scottish
Roots; Immigration to Ulster Province; The Movement Towards New England; The
Earliest New England Blairs; Connections, Capt. William Blair of Boston.
Part Two – Robert Blair and Isabella Rankin –
their eleven children’s lines: Matthew Blair of Blandford, Massachusetts
married Mary Hamilton and Jane (nee Knox) Alexander; David Rankin Blair of
Western (Warren), Massachusetts and Mary Howard; John Blair of Western
(Warren), Massachusetts and spouse, Mercy Hayward; Sarah Blair of Blandford
married to John Hamilton; Dolly Blair; William Blair of Nova Scotia married
to Jane Barnes; James Blair of Rutland, Massachusetts; Robert Blair, Jr., of
Blandford and Hannah Thompson; Mary Blair and John Watson of Spencer,
Massachusetts; Elizabeth Blair and Oliver Watson; Joseph Blair of Worcester,
and Mary Duncan.
Part Three – William Blair of Framingham and Mary
Gray – their children’s lines:
Elizabeth Blair and Samuel Patterson; William Blair, Jr. and Mary Alexander;
John Blair of Pelham and Cambridge, New York and Sarah Kelso; Robert Blair
and Margaret Macclenain; Samuel.
The Londonderry, New Hampshire Blairs – Abraham Blair;
“Children of my Uncle David.”
Part Four – Other Early Blair Families of New
England as yet unconnected – Robert Blair of Western (Warren), Massachusetts
and Angenette “Janet” (Mc)Combs; Other Early New England Blairs.
Sources; 6,500-name index cross-referenced with spouse
names [“Blair, Robert (Rankin), 25”]
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