Biography: William Irvin Adair born ca. 1796

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WILLIAM IRVIN ADAIR

BIOGRAPHY and GENEALOGY

(ca. 1796- 1857)

Madison and Jefferson County, Alabama

William Irvin Adair was a lawyer, who was born in Kentucky, and died in Madison County, Alabama on Dec. 9, 1835. He was the son of William Adair and Mary (Irvin) Adair; nephew of Gov. John Adair of Kentucky; and grandson of Baron William Adair and Mary (Moore) Adair, the former a native of Scotland, who emigrated from Belfast, Ireland, in 1736, settled in Chester County, S. C., and later returned to Scotland.

William Adair served in the War of 1812 as captain of the 17th Kentucky infantry regiment; was transferred to the Third infantry regiment, 1815, and resigned in 1817. He may have been the William Adair listed in the January 1809 census of Madison County, Alabama. We do know that he moved to Madison County by 1818 where he farmed for a while but soon took up the study of law, and opened an office in Huntsville where he became a man of prominence. He represented Madison County in the legislature of 1822 and 1823, and for the latter session, he was elected speaker.

Adair was elected, November 1832, to the circuit court bench and held that office until his death three years later.

On Sep. 28, 1819, he married: to Martha Jones, of Franklin County in Alabama. She died February 1857.

Their children:

1.  Jones Baker Adair, m. and has a son, Irvin Adair, living at Warren, Ark. He was father of the Bellingham Banker.
2. William Arthur Adair, m. Isabella Octavia Jones, daughter of John Nelson Spotwood Jones, of Greenbrier, Limestone County in Limestone Co., Alabama in 1843, d. February 15, 1857. Her father was a wealthy man in Limestone County, Alabama, who arrived in Madison County, Alabama around 1811. He was the son of Llewellyn Jones. They had several children, including William Arthur Adair, (b. 1857-1936) of Marshall, Tex., and A. J. Adalr, of Anniston, Ala. He is buried in Marshall Cemetery in Harrison County, Texas
3. Maria Adair, m. Pinkney Brooks, of Baltimore and Washington, D. C., and left descendants. She died early.
4. Kate Adair, m. (1) Lieut. W. B. Cooke, U. S. Army, of Tuscumbia, and (2) Dr. W. H. Dial, of Marshall, Tex.

SOURCES

1. History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume 3  By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen

2. findagrave. Marshall Cemetery in Harrison County, Texas

3. Obituary in the”Southern Advocate” March Edition 1857 states William A Adair died 15 February 1857 at Marshall, Harrison County Texas age 35 having moved to Texas in 1849.

4.Brewer’s Alabama History, “Alabama, Her History, Resources, War Record, and Public Men: from 1540 to 1872”, by Willis Brewer, © 1872, p. 350.

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