William LAIR ³

   Another name for William was William LEAR.

  General Notes:

Not much seems to have gone right for William following the death of his father, the Rev. James Lear. Per Rev. James' Will, it was anticipated that William would manage the farm during his mother's remaining life and then would share equally in the proceeds of its sale upon her death. But, his mother decided to move to Indiana to be with her daughter, Hannah, and her many brothers and sisters who had also moved there. It seems his younger brother, Charles, took over the farm. It doesn't seem as if William ever received his share of his father's property. Then, William fell on hard times. His wife, Nancy, became ill and became a ward of the County. He seems to have become insolvent. He had to sell the small amount of property he owned. Two of his children, Eliza and Polly, were placed with family members. No wonder he was ready to move on by 1850. The grass on the other side of the proverbial fence, even in Texas, had to look greener.

  Research Notes:

Research in Wood County, Texas has been hampered by the fact the Courthouse burned in 1878, destroying all earlier county records.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Census: 1820, Wayne County, Kentucky. ⁷

Household of James Layer: Presumed to be one of the male children under 10 years old.

2. Census: 1830, Wayne County, Kentucky. ⁸

Household of James Layer: Presumed to be the male child age 15-20.

3. Tax List: 1833-1839, Wayne County, Kentucky. ⁹

1833: Liear, Wm; 1 white male 21+, 1 horse/mare; $30. Also, Lare, Wm; 1 white male 21+; 1 horse/mare; $50 (Note that per the August Court 1833, William was found to have been taxed twice in 1833. The first entry puts him near Bradford Lair and the second near James Lear)

1834: Difficult to read

1835: Lear, William; 100 acres (2 50 acre parcels), Beaver Creek; 1 voter; 1 white male 21+; $100

1836: Lear, William; 50 acres, Beaver Creek; 1 white male 21+; $50

1837: Lear, William; 1 white male 21+; 50 acres, Beaver Creek, $50; 1 horse, $25; $75 total

1838: Lear, William; 1 voter, 1 white male 21+; 1 female child age 5-18; 50 acres, Beaver Creek, $100; 1 horse, $50; $150 total

1839: Lear, William; 1 white male 21+, 1 county levy; 1 female child age 5-18; 50 acres, Long Branch, $100; 1 horse, $40; $140 total

4. Court: Aug 1833, Wayne County, Kentucky. ¹⁰

"On the motion of William Lear, ordered that he be discharged from the payment of taxes improperly charged for the year 1833, it appearing to the Court that he has been twice charged on Comis Book."

5. Land Grant: 1833, Wayne County, Kentucky. ^{11 12}

Lear Wm: 50 acres on branch of Beaver Creek, surveyed 11 Apr 1833, Book C-2. (The 1844 deed described below recites that 50 acres on the waters of Long Branch of Beaver Creek was patented to William Lear, as an assignee, on 24 Jul 1834).

6. Census: 1840, Wayne County, Kentucky. ¹³

Household of Wm Lair: 100001-01001

7. Tax List: 1840-1849, Wayne County, Kentucky. ^{9 14}

1840: William Lear; 50 acres, Beaver Creek, $150; 1 white male 21+; 1 horse, $50; 1 child age 7-17; $200 total

1841, District 2: William Lear; 50 acres, Beaver Creek, $100; 1 white male 21+; 2 horses, $60; 1 child age 7-17; $160 total

1842, District 2: William Lear; 50 acres, Beaver Creek, $100; 1 white male 21+; 2 horses, $60; 1 child age 7-17; $160 total

1843, Upper District: William Lear; 50 acres, Beaver Creek, $100; 1 white male 21+; 1 horse, $40; 2 children age 5-16; $140 total (Note, William was listed in the Upper District -- where Bradford Lair and family lived -- although his land was located in the Lower District)

1844, District 2: William Lair; 50 acres, Beaver Creek, $100; 1 white male 21+; 1 horse, $25; 2 children age 5-16; $125 total

1845, District 2: Willaim Lair; 1 white male 21+; 2 horses, $80; 2 children age 5-16; $80 total

1846, Lower District: William Lear; 1 white male 21+; 2 horses, $60; 2 children age 5-16; $60 total

1847: Tax List missing

1848, 2nd District: William Lear; 1 white male 21+; 2 horses, $35; 2 children age 5-16; $35 total

1849, 1st District: William Lair; 1 white male 21+; 1 horse, $25; 1 child age 5-16; $25 total

8. Tax Delinquent List: 1842, Wayne County, Kentucky. ¹⁵

William Lair is listed as exempt in the Tax Delinquent List for 1842. Presumably, he was exempt for reasons of insolvency. Note that in the same year his wife became a ward of the County.

9. Court: Sep 1842, Wayne County, Kentucky. ¹⁶

"The Court doth allow unto William Lair for the purpose of supporting his afflicted wife the sum of fifty cents per week, to be paid out of the next County levy."

10. Court: Nov 1843, Wayne County, Kentucky. ¹⁷

"William G. Lair allowed per account filed the sum of $3..87 1/2 Cents."

(Note that this is the only record to show a middle initial for William)

11. Deed: 1844, Wayne County, Kentucky. ¹²

Dated 7 Oct 1844, Recorded 5 Dec 1844, Bk J:398
William Lear to Thomas H. Lear, $150 for 50 acres on waters of Long Branch of Beaver Creek. Legal description begins at Joseph Hamilton's corner.

Note that Thomas H. Lair was the son of Bradford Lair. This is the only known transaction to have involved members of both Lair/Lear families. I am skeptical that this is anything other than coincidental, i.e., I do not think these families were related. Still, there are a few years where William's name appears in the Tax District where the family of Bradford Lair lived, so maybe there was more contact between these families than is known.

12. Agreement: 1847, Wayne County, Kentucky. ^{18 19}

"An article of agreement made and entered into this 2nd day of April 1847 between William Lair and Gabriel Sanders both of the County of Wayne and State of Kentucky. Witnesseth that the said William Lair for and on his part agrees that the said Gabriel Sanders shall keep his infant daughter Polly by his first wife late Nancy Franklin until it marries or arrives at the age of twenty one years.

And the said Gabriel Sanders on his part in consideration for being permitted to keep said child agrees and binds himself to train up said child in an honorable, industrious and respectable manner, and to clothe and diet comfortably, also to have it taught to read & write as well as usual and when said child arrives at the age of twenty one years or marries to give her a good feather bed & furniture and cow and calf and immediately after the death of said Gabriel and his present wife, said child above named is to heir receive and own possess and enjoy forever one half of the entire estate of the said Gabriel Sanders both real personal and mixed in reversion or remainder provided it remains with said Gabriel Sanders until it arrives at the age afsd [aforesaid] and in the maintime shall also conduct and demean itself obediently and prudently to and with said Gabriel Sanders and his present wife provided they or either of them shall live until the expiration afsd and during that time treat said child in a proper manner - and provided further that if the said Gabriel & his present wife both die before said child marries or arrives at the age afsd then and in that event said child is to receive and enjoy the one half of said estate in as full and ample manner as though they both live until it marries or arrives at the age as afsd and provided also further that if the present wife of the said Gabriel shall depart this life before the expiration of the time afsd and the said Gabriel should again marry before the afsd child should arrive at the age afsd or marry or should the said Gabriel mistreat or suffer said child to be mistreated with his knowledge and consent or be unable to keep and treat said child as above stipulated then and in case of any of the afsd events transpiring as afsd the said Wm. Lair shall at any time afterwards have a right to take said child away without in any manner effecting the said child's right as afsd to one half of said Gabriel's estate as afsd the said Gabriel Sanders that he will not waste, sell or in any way dispose of his estate as afsd with the view or intention of effecting the interest and rights of said child as herein indicated and stipulated - and it is also further distinctly agreed by and between the parties afsd that if the said Polly Lair shall depart this life before she marries or arrives to the age afsd then and in that event no person whatever is to have any thing to do with the estate afsd by virtue of this instrument of writing and said instrument of writing as afsd in that event to become forever null & void.

Witness our hand & seals the day and year afsd.

William Lear (seal)
Gabriel (his x mark) Sanders (seal)
Witness
Wm Simpson
James Wade"

The above agreement was recorded 20 Nov 1847, apparently because it created property rights in Polly.

Note that Gabriel Sanders was married to Polly Franklin on 13 Jan(Jun?) 1827 by Rev. James Lear. Polly Franklin is believed to be the sister of Nancy Franklin, first wife of William Lair. Polly Lair was probably named after Polly (Franklin) Sanders. The 1850 census shows Mary, age 10, in the household of Gabriel and Mary Saunders.

This agreement has all the earmarks of an adoption agreement rather than an indenture agreement. One can only speculate as to the motivation behind it. Perhaps it was a way for William to provide a better life for Polly than was within his means. Perhaps his second wife did not care for the daughters by his first marriage. Perhaps it was an act of kindness for the childless sister of his late wife. It is interesting that Polly's older sister, Eliza, was also placed in the home of relatives. With Eliza, I have speculated that William may have been motivated by a desire to assist Polly (Hamilton) Allen in caring for his grandmother. Given the agreement regarding Polly Lair, his motivations with respect to Eliza may have had other dimensions as well.

13. Census: 1850, Wayne County, Kentucky. ⁴

Household 185:
William Lair, 40, Farmer, KY
Elizabeth, 29, KY
Monroe, 13, KY
Adam J(I?). N., 5, KY
Samuel, 3, KY
William S, 6/12, KY

Missing from this census are Eliza C. Lair and Mary C. Lair, daughters who were then living with other family members.

14. Tax List: 1850-1851, Wayne County, Kentucky. ¹⁴

1850, 2nd District: Lear, William; 1 white male 21+, legal voter; 1 horse, $35; 2 children age 5-16; $35 total

1851 and later: William Lair/Lear, son of James, no longer appears on tax lists. Only William B. Lair, son of Bradford, appears.

15. Census: 1860, Wood County, Texas. ⁵

Dwelling 157, Family 157:
Wm Lair, 50, M, Farmer, $500/$300, KY
Elizabeth, 37, F, KY, Illiterate
James M, 23, M, Farmer, KY
Adam J, 14, M, KY, Attended school
Samuel A, 9, M, KY, Attended school
Wm S, 8, M, KY, Attended school
Lucy A, 6, F, Indian Nation, Attended school
Emily J, 4, F, TX

Daughters Eliza (Lair) Branscomb and Mary Lair appear in Dwelling 160. Mary's appearance appears to indicate something went wrong with the arrangement William made with Gabriel Sanders in 1847.

Tax records indicate the Charles Lear, William Lair and John Wesley Branscomb families left Wayne Co., KY at about the same time. Lucy's place of birth raises some questions about the route taken by William.

16. Deed: 1869, Wood County, Texas. ²⁰

Deed dated 9 Aug 1869, recorded 7 Mar 1870 in Book G at page 637, re-recorded 13 Jan (Jul?) 1880 in Vol. C, at page 297(many deeds were re-recorded after the Courthouse burned in 1878). A. Earp to William Lair, 97 3/4 acres, 8 miles southwest of Quitman, for $97.75.

17. Census: 1870, Wood County, Texas. ⁶

Dwelling 87, Family 87:
Lair, Wm, 60, M, W, Farmer, $800/$530, KY
Elizabeth, 49, F, W, Keeping house, KY, Can't write
Samel A, 22, M, W, At home, KY, Attended school
Wm S, 20, M, W, At home, KY, Attended school
Emily J, 15, F, W, At home, TX, Attended school

Lair, A. J. at Dwelling 93 is presumed to be William's son Adam.

18. Census: 1880, Wood County, Texas. ²

Dwelling 357, Family 372:
Lair, William, W, M, 70, Farmer, KY, VA, KY
Lair, Nancy G, W, F, 53, Wife, Keeping house, TN, TN, TN
Lair, Samuel A, W, M, 32, Son, Farming, KY, KY, TN
Webb, Amanda, W, F, 19, Niece, TX, TN, AL
Lair, Nancy A E, W, F, 6, Gddaughter, TX, KY, AL
Lair, Mary L, W, F, 5, Gddaughter, TX, KY, AL

Amanda Webb has not been identified. Samuel seems the best candidate for the father of the two grandchildren.

In the Wm Spikes Household (Dwelling 360, Family 374), there appears an Elizabeth Lair, W, F, 5, Stepdaughter, TX, AL, AL. The mother is listed as M. Elizabeth Spikes, W, F, 26, Wife, AL, AL, AL. It seems she likely she was married to one of William's sons prior to her marriage to Spikes. It could have been William S. Lair, if the W. S. Lair of the 1880 census for Fannin Co., TX is not he. Or, it could have been Samuel and they could have divorced and split up the children. Muddying the picture are the facts the father of the step-daughter is listed as being born in AL , all three children show their mother to have been born in AL, and they are all very close in age.

More information is needed before we can be confident of the parentage of these young Lair children.

William married Nancy FRANKLIN, daughter of James FRANKLIN and Sarah RUS, on 20 Oct 1831 in Wayne County, Kentucky.¹ (Nancy FRANKLIN was born in 1810-1815 in Wayne County, Kentucky ²¹ and died in 1842-1843 in Wayne County, Kentucky ¹⁶.)

  Marriage Notes:

Shelby Franklin was the Surety. Married by Rev. John Kelly. ¹

William next married Elizabeth NOBLE on 17 Aug 1843 in Wayne County, Kentucky.¹ (Elizabeth NOBLE was born about 1821 in Kentucky ⁴ and died before 1880 in Wood County, Texas ².)

  Marriage Notes:

Surety was Gabriel Sanders, William's brother-in-law by first wife, Nancy Franklin. Married by Abner Jones. Endorsement on Bond: "lisons obtained by Elizabeth Noble making oath that she was 21 years of age." ¹

William next married Nancy G.² (Nancy G was born about 1827 in Tennessee ².)