John McNair (abt. 1740 - abt. 1795)

Born about 1740 in Scotland

Descendants

Died about 1795 at about age 55 in Harnedsville, Lower Turkeyfoot Township, Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Research Notes

• FS profile L24P-9K1, birth date 1749, Pennsylvania, United States, death date 1795 Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States.^[1] NOTE, neither of the 1790 censuses used there for sources appear to make any sensible connection to John McNair of Turkeyfoot Township. Unable to locate any McNairs (or variants) on the Bedford County PA 1790.^[2]

There appears to be issues here and at FS with John's wife; Sarah Ann Bailey B.~1753 and married ~1773 in MAINE? or Ann Cochran (~1734-~1813) with no marriage info. The continuation of Sarah has NO children; they are all tied to Ann. More research (with sources) required.

Revolutionary War

• "United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783", John Mcnear (sic), military service 1775-1783, Pennsylvania, United States.^[3] Note: this record is for 1st Penn, Captain Hamilton's Company, commanded by Col. Jas. Chambers.
• Pennsylvania in the War of Revolution. Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Vol. 1 page 372, Private John McNair, January 1777 - 1781
• U.S. Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783. Ancestry.com: Muster Roll of Capt. David Ziegler's Company in the 1st. Penn. Regt. in the Service of the United States commanded by Col. James Chambers. For the month of April 1780. Private Jno. McNear. [sic]
• There are 11 pages of these records for John McNear/McNair as a Private in the 1 Pennsylvania Regiment in Capt. David Ziegler's Company commanded by Col. James Chambers behind the Paywall at^[4]

Additional References

• "The lure of far away places has always tugged at the heartstrings of people in every land; particularly when their pastures are not so lush. Having heard of the rich mountain valleys that lay among the great folds of the Appalachians, a group of people living along the mosquito infested flats of Essex and Morris counties in New Jersey decided to seek new homes in the virgin wilderness of the Penns' domain. In the spring of 1770 a little band of these discontented settlers loaded their worldly goods upon the backs of their oxen, and started toward new homes in the western mountains. Following the general course of Braddock's Road^[5] to the Negro Mountains^[6], they swung into the narrow vale of White's Creek^[7] and thence north to the Valley of the Laurel Hill Creek^[8][9]. Arriving here about the first of May they pitched their tents, after which the "men folks" went forth to select a portion of land on which to build a home for himself and his family. By mutual understanding among themselves each one was to be limited to such quantity of land as he could walk around in a single day. In all there were about eighteen or twenty families. Tradition gives us the names: Robert Colborn, David King, Oliver Drake, William Rush, Andrew Ream, Reuben Skinner, John Mitchell, John Hyatt, William Tannehill, James Moon, Edward Harned, David Woodmancy, John Copp, John McNair, Joseph Lanning, William Brooke, Jacob Strahn, Obadiah Reed, and William Lanning. With the Turkeyfoot settlers as their nearest neighbors these families flourished like the green bay tree; establishing permanent landmarks which are now known as the Jersey Settlement, Jersey Church, Draketown, Drake's Mill and King's Mill (two of the first grist mills in Somerset County) Harnedsville, forts and block houses which formed the nuclei of the present towns of Ursina and Confluence. Apple orchards, cleared lands, and military and civil records are fitting monuments for the spirits of these brave pioneers."^[10]
• History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania, Blackburn & Welfley, 1906.^[11] Page 45: This history says that a group of eighteen or twenty families of Baptists left New Jersey (note that some researchers specify Woodbridge Twp, NJ--no sources found yet.) to settle in Bedford (now Somerset) County, PA, near present day Ursina. "It was in the spring of 1770 that they headed for Fort Cumberland in what is now northern Maryland, and then west over the present Route 40. The men who were the heads of families, as far as can be ascertained, were: Robert Colborn, David King, Christopher King, Oliver Drake, William Rush, Andrew Ream, Nathaniel Skinner, John Mitchell, John Hyatt, William Tannehill, James Moon, Edward Harned, David Woodmancy, John Copp, JOHN MCNAIR, Joseph Lanning, William Brooke, Jacob Strawn, and Obadiah Reed." They later formed what came to be known as the Jersey Church, in 1775, the first Baptist church west of the Allegheny Mountains. Page 46: John McNair settled in an area between Harnedsville and "the Hog Back" (that became known as Lower Turkeyfoot Township. So named because three creeks came together in that area like the foot of a turkey.) {In 1906} fruit trees said to have been planted by him still grew wild in the woods. Page 240: John McNair, whose term of service is said to have extended almost through the entire {Revolutionary} war, is buried in the "Six Poplar graveyard," near Harnedsville.
• History of Bedford, Somerset, and Fulton Counties, Pennsylvania: "John McNair, a Revolutionary soldier, was a native of Scotland. After the war he settled near Harnedsville, where he died. Edward Harned married Ann, daughter of John McNair, for his second wife."
• Six Poplar Burying Ground^[12], Lower Turkeyfoot Twp. Headstones. Transcribed by Dale Burkholder, 2/23/1999.: There is a headstone for John McNair with no further information. There is a DAR marker with the date Feb. 26, 1800. It is next to one for Edward Harned, died 1820, s/o Samuel, son-in-law of John McNair.^[13]
• John (or any other) McNair is NOT seen on the 1796 Turkeyfoot tax list shown here.^[14] Edward 'Harnet' is listed. This page also notes: "The colony which founded the Jersey Baptist church came From New Jersey to Turkey-Foot about 1774. This colony consisted of fifteen or twenty families, more or less intimately connected by ties of relationship and intermarriage." It further notes: "John McNair, a revolutionary soldier, was a native of Scotland. After the war he settled near Harnedsville, where he died. Edward Harned married Ann, daughter of John McNair, for his second wife." And finally: "The following is a list of revolutionary soldiers who settled and died in the Turkey-Foot region: Jacob Rush, Sr., Capt. Benj. Jennings, Oliver Drake, Obadiah Reed, James Moon, George Beeler, Robert Colborn, John McNair, Oliver Friend. All are buried in the Jersey cemetery except the following: Jennings, old cemetery at Ursina; McNair, at Six Poplars; Friend, near Confluence."

Note: based on the lack of reporting on the latter 1790's tax rolls available so far, the death in 1795 is used above vs the Feb. 26, 1800 reported on the burial notes.

John Read B~1730

Edward Harned B~1731

Christopher King B~1733

Reuben Skinner B~1736 (Nathaniel B~1707 )

Oliver Drake B~1745

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/L24P-9K1
2. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYYB-41Y?wc=3XT9-MV9%3A1584071103%2C1584071267%2C1584070607&cc=1803959
3. ↑ "United States Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2DG-3WX5 : 20 February 2021), John Mcnear, 1775-1783; citing 1775-1783, Pennsylvania, United States, citing NARA microfilm publication M246. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Services, 1980. FHL microfilm 830,359.
4. ↑ https://www.fold3.com/image/21183743
5. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braddock_Road_(Braddock_expedition)
6. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negro_Mountain
7. ↑ http://www.usgwarchives.net/maps/pa/county/somers/usgs/addison.jpg
8. ↑ http://www.usgwarchives.net/maps/pa/county/somers/usgs/lowturke.jpg
9. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Hill_Creek
10. ↑ https://www.pa-roots.com/bedford/history/earlysomersetcounty.html
11. ↑ https://www.google.com/books/edition/History_of_Bedford_and_Somerset_Counties/eQYjAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=mcNair
12. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2337396/six-poplars-cemetery
13. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46477760/john-mcnair : accessed 12 February 2022), memorial page for John McNair (unknown–unknown), Find a Grave Memorial ID 46477760, citing Six Poplars Cemetery, Harnedsville, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by Thomas Harned (contributor 47108032) .
14. ↑ http://www.pagenweb.org/~somerset/ltfoot/LTFHist.html