Elizabeth Jane Blair was born October 2, 1825. Her parents, Thomas Blair and Sarah Cunningham were married October 30, 1823 in Lawrence County, Tennessee. It looks like her father, Aaron Cunningham performed the ceremony.
It is believed that Sarah Cunningham Blair died in childbirth, or shortly after the birth of her daughter. As far as we know, she was their first and only child. Little Elizabeth Jane Blair may have been raised by her father, Thomas, probably with the help of grandparents, or maybe by another family member. In those days, it is hard to imagine a single father, who was a farmer, raising an infant alone. There is no Thomas Blair listed in the Lawrence County census for the 1830, so we are unable to see if Elizabeth was living with her father.
When Elizabeth was about 8 years old, her father, Thomas Blair remarried on June 2, 1834 to Elizabeth McLaren. On the 1840 census below, here is how the family is listed.
Elizabeth Jane, the child of Thomas does not appear in this household, and had not yet married, so we are unsure where and with whom she might be living. One possibility is, again, with Isaac and Rachael Reeder:
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| Source Citation: DescriptionYear: 1838 - 1923: Marriages, Index to 1-2 Source Information: Ancestry.com. Tennessee, Marriage Records, 1780-2002 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Original data: Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. Nashville, TN, USA: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Microfilm |
It is believed that Sarah Cunningham Blair died in childbirth, or shortly after the birth of her daughter. As far as we know, she was their first and only child. Little Elizabeth Jane Blair may have been raised by her father, Thomas, probably with the help of grandparents, or maybe by another family member. In those days, it is hard to imagine a single father, who was a farmer, raising an infant alone. There is no Thomas Blair listed in the Lawrence County census for the 1830, so we are unable to see if Elizabeth was living with her father.
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| Thomas Blair FindaGrave Memorial 15449529 , posted by Richard Hollis. |
There is a possibility that Thomas and Sarah had 2 children when Sarah died. There is a lot of evidence that William C. Blair was the older brother of Elizabeth and that when their mother died, Thomas and the 2 children, William and Elizabeth, moved in with a Rev. Isaac Reeder and his wife, Rachael. Thomas must have been in incredible grief, losing his young wife, a newborn and needing to care for 2 small children. In the 1830 census, Isaac Reider (sic) is listed this way:
- Isaac Reider - male 40-50
- 1 male 5-10 (Possibly William C Blair)
- 1 male 20-30 (Possibly Thomas Blair)
- 1 female under 5 (Possibly Elizabeth Blair)
- 1 female 40-50 (Likely Rachael Reeder)
- 1 female 50-60 (Possibly sister to Isaac or Rachael)
There is even more evidence to support that William C Blair was raised by the Reeder family, including the 1850 census, where the widowed Rachael Reeder was living with him and his family.
Thomas Blair was the Executor of the Estate of Issac Reeder, and William C Blair was the Executor for Rachel Reeder, and her entire estate went to William. The confusing fact is that William's children are not included in the Distribution of the Estate of Thomas Blair, who died in 1865, even though William had died December 28, 1863.
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| Year: 1850; Census Place: District 6, Lawrence, Tennessee; Roll: M432_886;Page: 337B; Image: 670. Description: Township: District 6. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. |
Thomas Blair was the Executor of the Estate of Issac Reeder, and William C Blair was the Executor for Rachel Reeder, and her entire estate went to William. The confusing fact is that William's children are not included in the Distribution of the Estate of Thomas Blair, who died in 1865, even though William had died December 28, 1863.
- Thomas Blair is male 30-40 years old - he is the only person listed by name (as was the method used for the 1840 and previous censuses)
- female age 20-30 - Likely Elizabeth (McLaren) Blair, his second wife
- female under age 5 - Likely Robert C. Blair, age 3
- 2 females under age 5 - Likely Martha, age 4, and Mary under age 1. All of these children having Elizabeth McLaren as their mother.
- Isaac Reeder male 50-60 - (Indexed as "Isaac Reeden")
- 2 females 50-60 - 1 of these is probably Rachael
- 2 males 15-20 - William C Blair may be one of these
- 1 female 15-20 - Elizabeth Blair would have been abt 14-15 years old
Wherever she was living, Elizabeth Jane Blair married George B Kelly on September 19, 1843, at age 17, in Lawrence County.
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| Year: Feb 1838 - Mar 1889: Marriages B, 2, Image 24 of 742; Ancestry.com, Tennessee, State Marriages, 1780-2002 (Lehi, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008), Ancestry.com. |
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| George B Kelly - Personal Collection |
It appears that Isaac Reeder, the man who may have raised Elizabeth Jane, died in 1844. Then on August 5, 1845, Elizabeth Jane gave birth to her only child, Elizabeth Jane Kelly. But, as fate would have it, Elizabeth Jane (the mother) died on August 10, 1845. She was only 19 years old and her baby was only 5 days old.
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| FindaGrave Memorial 15470711 - Posted by Ron Miller "Elizabeth Blare born Oct. 2, 1825. Married to Geroge B, Kelly Sept 19, 1843. died Aug. 10 ,1845 Infant of the same is buried here. Beloved One Farewell" |
It seems that Elizabeth Jane Blair Kelly likely had twins, because the stone states that there is an infant buried with her. George B Kelly remarried in 1854 and had 2 more daughters. He then died May 23, 1860 at age 40.
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| Elizabeth Jane Kelly Springer from tintype - Personal Collection |
Elizabeth Jane Kelly married Robert Springer on January 5, 1860, just a few months before her father died. She was only 14! Elizabeth and Robert had 10 children and wound up in Texas with most of their children. Elizabeth died at age 69 on April 14, 1915. They had been married 55 years! Robert died July 31, 1929.
I am grateful for this short, tragic life of Elizabeth Jane Blair Kelly. She was my great, great, great grandmother!
'Til Next Time!
#52Ancestors
My Ancestor as well!
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