My DAR Line to Patriot John Adair Sr

As "Entry-taker" for the county of Sullivan in North Carolina, John Adair Sr, collected fees for land claims. In 1782, when the British were a serious threat, money was needed for ammunition and equipment for the local militia and John Adair Sr was approached for aid. His response is reported to have been, "I have no authority by law to make that disposition of this money. It belongs to the impoverished treasury of North Carolina, and I dare not appropriate a cent of it to any purpose. But, if the country is overrun by the British, liberty is gone. Let the money go too. Take it. If the enemy, by its use, is driven from the country, I trust that country to justify and vindicate my conduct. Take it." ¹

Because of this act, the DAR recognizes John Adair Sr as a Patriot in the American Revolution. Several women through the years have proved their descendancy from him. But in early 2017, his line was marked as having problems on the DAR website, so proof of the connections of each generation through the line was required. Acceptable documents to do that are birth, marriage and death certificates, as well as pension applications, obituaries, cemetery records, Bible records, land records, published genealogies, etc.

My maternal Grandpa Stan Bell is the fourth Great Grandson of John Adair Sr. I collected all the necessary papers to prove my line of descent to John Adair Sr through his son John Adair Jr (who is also a Patriot) and submitted it to DAR. I was excited to see it was recently approved. Why file supplemental applications when I'm already a member of the DAR? For one reason, as a way of honoring my Grandparents and their heritage. For another, I enjoy the research involved to prove the lineage, and each line that is proved helps potential members join DAR. Any female direct (blood) descendant of a Patriot is eligible for membership in the DAR. It's less of a challenge to provide the required proof when a potential member can connect with a previously verified member somewhere along the line.

My lineage to John Adair Sr is outlined below. His line is not marked as having problems now. Documentation proving lineage to one of the descendants printed in bold below is all that would be required. For more information, go to dar.org. 

Cicero Bell (1869-1944) married first to Mittie Ramsey (1783-1900). They had two children who survived to adulthood - 

     Frank  (1892-1954) married Chloe Davis
     George Oren  (1894-1988) married Viola Noon 
Cicero married second to Allie Lucinda Spann (1871-1958) and they had four sons - 
     Benjamin Arthur  (1901-1983) married Marie Dieckman 
     Edward Francis  (1903-1985) married Thelma Rogers 
     James Stanley  (1907-1970) married Violet McGrath - my Grandparents
     Virgil Hartwell  (1909-2005) married Helen Curtin 

Martha Evelyn Bell (1842-1928) had three children - 
     Cicero  
     John W (1874-1938)  married Elizabeth Gee Irwin 
     Laura  (1879-1973) married Carson Alcorn 

John Silas Bell (1814-1878) married to Rutha Simpson (1822-1907), they had seven children -    
     Martha Evelyn
     Ira Garner (1844-1935) married Martha E Simpson
     Mary Elizabeth (1846-1922) married John W Stringer 
     Elisha (1848-1933) married Rebecca A McFarland 
     Saphronia  (1850-by 1887) 
     Emily  (1854-after 1887) 
     Ursula Jane (1856-1890) married Henry Reynolds (at least one of her descendants has also proven this line in the DAR)
     

Mary "Polly" Adair (abt 1795-1873) married first to David Bell (1794-1818), they had four children -  
     Barbara (1813-1887) married Green Lee Alley 
     John Silas 
     Elizabeth (1816-1883) 

     William (1818-?) married Nancy McGowen
Mary married second to Garner Parmley (1801-1874), their children were -
     Robert 
     Aladin 
     Miles R
     Stewart 
     David 
     Sophronia 
     Martha
     Mary 

John Adair Jr (1754-1843) his wife's name is presumed to be Mary, her last name is unknown. They had at least these three children - 
     Barbara Adair (1793-?) married Robert Parmley 
     John Adair III (1794-1878 ) married Sarah Cooper 
     Mary "Polly" 

John Adair Sr (1732-1827) married Eleanor Crawford (1734-1827)  in Ireland. The known children of John and Eleanor are 
     John Adair Jr 
     Mary (about 1750-?) married Robert Christian 

---

SOURCES:
1 "The Annals of Tennessee to the End of the Eighteenth Century:...", by James Gettys McGready Ramsey, 1853 ^↩