Person:John Adair (39)

Will of John Adair, Jr.

Will of John Adair of Wayne County dated 6 Oct 1842

He willed to his daughter Mary "Polly" Parmeley (wife of Robert*) one slave Milley and her three children: Julia Ann, William and Franklin.

To his son, John Adair, a woman named Hannah.

• [Note: IGI shows daughter Mary 'Polly' marrying Garner Parmeley, and daughter Barbara (who died prior to the writing of John's will) as marrying Robert Parmeley. Garner and Robert were brothers, both sons of John Parmeley and Rebeckah Cross].

Revolutionary War Pension Application

State of Kentucky, County of Wayne

On this 24th day of September 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the Court of the County of Wayne and State of Kentucky, now sitting, John Adair, a resident of the United States of America in the County of Wayne & State of Kentucky, aged seventy eight years, who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath, make the following Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. He was born in Ireland in the County of Antrim in the year 1754. His Father with him & the family came to America and landed at Baltimore, the year he cannot state with certainty, but it was when he was a youth, perhaps not quite 18 years old. His Father lived in Maryland a little upwards of a year. He then moved to Pennsylvania and stayed there something like 12 months. His Father then moved with the family to Sullivan County then in North Carolina but now in Tennessee where he (the applicant) lived when the War of the Revolution commenced. He lived in Sullivan County aforesaid until some time in the year 1791, when he moved from said County to the place now called Knox County State of Tennessee. He lived in Tennessee about 13 or 14 years. Then he moved to Wayne County Kentucky about 27 or 28 years ago, where he has ever since and now lives.

He lived in Sullivan County, North Carolina when he entered the service of the United States as a volunteer private soldier with a number of men in the Militia to go against the Indians. He states that it was usual in the part of the Country he lived in for the men to volunteer in small Companies without any commissioned officer to range & scour the Country and march against the Indians. He states that the Captain or supreme officer, who commanded them in these expeditions was by the name of Campbell. He states that he volunteered at different times. He can't state the number of times, or the length of each time, that he was out, But feels certain that he served at the lowest Calculation at least three months. They marched about the head of Clinch River a place called the Elk Garden, and Blackmore's Fort. It was against the Indians they marched. It must have been as well as this applicant now recollects in the latter part of year 1776 or the year (the early part of it) 1777. The Indians were, as he was informed of the Shawnee tribe, and Commanded by a Chief Called Logan.

He states that in the year 1777 or 1778 as well as he now recollects, he was drafted as a private in the militia for the term of six months. He lived then in Sullivan County North Carolina, Captain George Brooks commanded his Company when raised. They ranged and marched over the Country, about the head of Clinch River – and some times on the head waters of Big Sandy [River]. He states, that during that six months tour, they had no important engagement. They marched against the Indians, and had frequent skirmishes. One he recollects above the place called the Elk Garden. He states that after he served six months, he was discharged and returned home to Sullivan County. He states that he received a written discharge but has lost or mislaid it, so he can't find it.

He states that in the spring following he volunteered as a private in the militia in Sullivan County N. C. to watch the Indians as a spy in the Company commanded by Captain Elliot. He thinks his given name was James. He states that he spied about the head waters of Clinch – also on the Old Kentucky Road, and frequently near a place called Flat lick. He states that he was to receive $1.50 a day for his services, but never received anything. He states that he served three months as a spy in that Company and was then discharged. He received a written Discharge but from the great length of time, and not viewing it as of much importance to him, he has lost it.

He states that the next year, in the spring probably about the 1st of March, his Father was drafted as a private in the militia to March and be forted at the mouth of the North fork of Holston [River], to defend the frontiers from the depredations of the Indians. He states that he marched & went in the place of his Father. That he was located principally at the Fort at the mouth of the North fork of Holston. That they frequently marched some distances from the Fort to scour the Country. He states that the Captain who commanded the company was by the name of Samuel Brashear [sic, Bradshaw? Or Bradshear?], said Brashear lived in Sullivan County N. C. He states that he served three months, was discharged, but received no written discharge. They were in no important engagement during the three months.

That he states that he has no documentary evidence – and knows of no person, whose testimony he can procure, by whom he can directly prove his services. He states that his Father kept a Register of the names and ages of his Children, but where that Register is he don't know. He states that he is known to Isaac Cooper, Fleming Gregory, George Bill, Lewis Coffey, Martin Beaty and William Hardin, who live in his neighborhood and County.

That he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.

Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid in open Court.

(Signed)/ John Adair

Information on John Adair, Jr.

Historian Calvin M. McClung also wrote that the Adairs had another child, John Adair, Jr. who applied for a pension from Wayne County, Kentucky on September 24, 1832. He stated that he was born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1754 and that he and his parents came to America when he was nearing 18 years of age. He was living in Sullivan County, North Carolina (later Tennessee) when the War of the Revolution began and served as a volunteer in expeditions commanded by officer McCampbell. He was granted a pension as a result of his service. In 1791 he moved to Knox County, Tennessee. After living there for 14 years, he moved to Wayne County, Kentucky where he died in abt. 1842.

Citations

International Genealogical Index (IGI)

http://www.fountaincitytnhistory.info/People2-Adair.htm

http://www.southerncampaign.org/pen/s1158.pdf

1. ↑ International Genealogical Index. ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint, 1999-2008).
2.   Kentucky, United States. Kentucky, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1774-1989 [database on-line]. (Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, 2015).

   Name: John Adair
   Probate Date: 11 Aug 1846
   Probate Place: Wayne, Kentucky, USA
   Inferred Death Year: Abt 1846
   Inferred Death Place: Kentucky, USA