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Adair Family History and Genealogy (published June 13, 2022)

VIDEO: Bozeman Adair

The migration of poor Irish families to America began long before the potato famine of 1840. For many years the Irish suffered under serfdom. Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically known as debt bondage and indentured servitude which developed during the Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages in Europe lasted in some countries until the mid-19th century.

The Adair families were Irish or Scotch-Irish and resided in Northern Ireland (County Antrim), mostly Presbyterians. A common port city was Ballycastle and Belfast. Protestant settlements is where to search for their ancestors, both in Ireland and in America.

The typical Scotch-Irish family left Antrim and migrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From there, they rode the wagon trail westward into the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains of Virginia. The trail went South from Roanoke (Big Lick) to Martinsville; thence to Salem, Salisbury, and Charlotte North Carolina. Many Adairs settled in Camden, Laurens, and Chester Counties. South Carolina. I understand that Martinsville, Virginia was an early Irish settlement. This may have been the birthplace of Bozeman Adair.

The Great Wagon Road

The Great Wagon Road was the most used route from Pennsylvania to the southern colonies. Twelve different routes are known to exist between Philadelphia to Augusta, Georgia. The most popular route during the years 1741-1770 originated from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and ended at the Yadkin River in North Carolina, totaling 430 miles from the Conestoga River Ford in Pennsylvania. From Columbia, Pennsylvania, the road traveled to Wrightsville was Wrights Ferry during the 18th century. The road went to York, Pennsylvania, and the crossing of Codorus Creek.

The Adair/Adare families trace back to ca 1531 in Scotland and Ireland.

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William Adair was born in 1740; and died in 1804 in Jackson County, Georgia. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War for about sixty days in Virginia in 1771, under Colonel Elijah Clark in a Battalion of Minute Men. This service entitled him to be the recipient of bounty land. While in service, his wife gave birth to Bozeman Adair, born in 1771 Virginia. After the war, William came to Wilkes County, Georgia where he received bounty lands; later, he was found in the deed records of Jackson County, Georgia, where he died in 1804.

Grave of William Adair

Bozeman Adair was born in 1771 and died in April of 1857. He was a lawyer, Justice of Peace, and Judge of the Inferior court in Jackson County. He also served as a State Troop Soldier in 1811; and fought in the Indian Wars as well. Bozeman is listed in Georgia's Roster of the Revolution by Knight on page 397 (on the LeConte List) as having received a Bounty Warrant for Revolutionary Service. Note: He was probably a drummer, or musician, as he was only ten years of age. It is likely that he was born in Martinsville, Virginia, as this was an Irish settlement during the migration period. He was a resident of Paulding County for many years. When he died, his last will and testament were protested as follows:

Paulding Superior Court }
John B. Adair, William Adair, Permelia Tolbert, John Bone, in right of his wife, Sarah, James C. Lane, in right of his wife, and John Bone, Jr. in right of his wife}
Caveat to Will of Bozeman Adair
Vs.
James L. Adair.

We, the jury, agree that this is Bozeman Adair's Will before Judge Hammond March 1859, Paulding Superior Court. the caveat claims that Bozeman Adair was not of sound mind when he made his will and that he was induced under the influence of James L. Adair and Mitchell S. Adair, principal legatees, and sons of the deceased, and that the deceased was extremely weak an imbecile from old age and sickness. The case came on for trial, the appeal from the judgment of the Ordinary, rejecting the paper propounded as the last will and testament of Bozeman Adair, deceased. At the trial, it was proven that at the time the alleged will was executed, the deceased was very weak and feeble, and about eighty-six years of age; he spoke very low. The jury found in favor of the will, and counsel for caveators moved for a new trial. Judgment reversed.