By Staff
Blackshear roots in Escambia County
By LYDIA GRIMES – Features Writer
Here is another family that I have in my files. Be aware that some of these have been done in the past and I believe that this family could have been one of them. However, it never hurts to go over it again.
Alexander Blackshear was born about 1706 in Germany and died 1786 in Jones County, North Carolina. He married Agnes who could have been a Stout.. There is a genealogy of the Blackshear family written by Dr. Thomas Hart Raines in the archives of the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond, Va. that covers the arrival of the first Blackshear in N.C. Stephen Franck Miller (1805-1867) stated in his "Memoirs of General David Blackshear" that James Blackshear, the father of the general, came to America about 1732 and landed at New Bern, N.C. The first documented evidence that Dr. Raines found was one Alexander Blackshear who was witness to the will of John Filliou in N.C. on Aug. 1, 1747.
Alexander's will is dated Oct. 3, 1785 in Jones County, N.C. He died in 1786 and his will was probated soon afterwards. In the will were named his wife and five living children, James Blackshear, Elisha Stout Blackshear, Abraham Blackshear, Eleanor Baily and Sarah Clifton. Agnes died in 1793.
James Blackshear was born in Germany and died 1788 in Jones County, N.C. He married Catherine Franck, daughter of John Franck and Civilla Miller, about 1758. It is said that they had eight children but the only ones I have are Edward Blackshear (1762-1820), Joseph Blackshear, David Blackshear (1764-1837), Ellijah Blackshear, James Blackshear Jr., Elizabeth Blackshear who married a Bryan, Susanna Blackshear who married Blake Bryan and Penelope Blackshear.
Elisha Stout Blackshear (d. 1808-1810) married Susannah and had Moses Blackshear, Jacob Blackshear, Nancy Blackshear, Elizabeth Blackshear, Temperance Blackshear, Rebecca Blackshear, Susannah Blacksher who married William Bush Jr., and Agnes Blackshear.
Abraham Blackshear married an Anderson and they were the parents of Alexander Blackshear II, Abraham Blackshear Jr. and Sarah Blackshear.
Abraham Blackshear Jr. married first Elizabeth Stanley and second Mildred Lord. He and his first wife had David Blackshear (26 Feb. 1795-17 Oct. 1868), James Blackshear and Elizabeth Blackshear. By the second wife there were Jeptha Blackshear (22 Jan. 1807-7 Sept. 1886), Nancy Blackshear, John Blackshear, John Blackshear, Anna Blackshear and Josiah Wesley Blackshear.
It is the family of Jetha Blackshear that came to Escambia County. He was born in Washington County, Ga. and died in Escambia County. He married Martha Mayo and they had, David Wesley Blackshear (22 Sept. 1841-9 Feb. 1903), Elizabeth Catherine Blackshear (1841-1892) who married Sterling Starke Leonard, Abraham Blackshear (15 Jan. 1843-25 Nov. 1862), John W. Blackshear who died young, Sarah Jane Blackshear, James Uriah Blackshear (19 Mar. 1848-19 Feb. 1899), Mary Frances Blackshear, Jepha Blackshear Jr. (1856), Martha Emmaline Blackshear (29 Nov. 1856-23 Jan. 1942) who married Abel Timothy Douglas, and Malinda Palestine Blackshear.
David Wesley Blackshear (1841) married Martha Elizabeth McGowin. He and his brother, James Uriah were in the lumber business together at Uriah, Ala. He and his wife had at least three children, Jeptha J. Blackshear (11 Sept. 1871-29 Nov. 1928), James Uriah Blackshear (11 Apr. 1876-3 Aug. 1934) and Agnes Lee Blackshear (4 Dec. 1883-16 Sept. 1956).
James Uriah Blackshear (1848) married Martha E. McGowin and they had, Mattie Bell Blackshear (1870-abt. 1874), Erasmus Manford Blackshear (1878-1957) and Margaret Elizabeth Blackshear. Uriah owned 26,000 acres of land in Escambia and Baldwin Counties. The town of Blackshear was named in his honor.
I will get to another family next week. In the meantime, if you would like for me to put your family in this column, email me at lydia.grimes@brewtonstandard.com or write to me at Brewton Standard, P.O. Box 887, Brewton, Ala. 36427. This way you can get an idea of what families I have information about.
Happy hunting!