Alexander Blair Brick Wall Ireland Before 1837

[oldkid1943]

Alexander Blair b. 1837, Ireland,  immigrated to St. Lawrence Co., NY, USA 1856 arriving via Canada.  On one source I have seen, he said he was born in Canada, likely due to legal immigration questions, but later documents show him born in Ireland.  I have him on the GEDCOM file I uploaded, but his Christening information is suspect as it was received from an unsourced message board.  Alexander is my G-G-Grandfather, arriving in New York state presumed to be looking for work, appears to have married a Widow Susan Hydorn or Hydron who owned a farm in Depeyster, NY in 1859, and prospered.  I need a solid link to location of his birth and trace to parents.  Any and all speculative input is welcome as I have no money I can spend on professional databases.

[ballydw]

Hello & welcome to RootsChat.
A few questions - What denomination was Alexander? Do you have a marriage record for him as it may show his fathers name? Do you have a Death record as sometimes parents names are recorded.
There are a few sites you can search which show the distribution of the surname in different counties in Ireland.  www.nationalarchives.ie Tithe Applotment Books has 1 entry in Co Cork for a Alexd  Blair. Griffiths Valuation records & Wills also on this site. Your research in Ireland will be purely speculative given your absence of information in particular Alexanders fathers name this would be helpful to enable further research.

[aghadowey]

Welcome to Rootschat 

What are the christening details that you have found- we might be able to search further or eliminate that record.

[myluck!]

Welcome to RC

There is an Alexander Blair on the 1851 Census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia as aged 15; a Free C. Presbyterian and a servant with an Ervin family.

He is shown on the 1860 and 1880 census returns in New York with his wife Susan and family.

Alexander's wife Susan nee Hydron died on Mar 27 1888 LINK to gravestone

Alexander is shown as 61 on the 1900 census as married to a lady named Catherine aged 48
It states married 6 years implying c1894
This later marriage could be a source of his parent's names and more details if located

It also gives his birth as Feb 1839; 57 years in USA; immigrated 1843

[aghadowey]

Looks like he died 1903 and mother listed as Mary Syaland in extracted record-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FD18-PQJ
Father isn't listed so he might have been illegitimate or informant didn't know father's name. In any case, death certificate itself needs checked to see exactly what is written for mother's name and if any other details are listed.

[aghadowey]

There is an Alexander Blair on the 1851 Census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia as aged 15; a Free C. Presbyterian and a servant with an Ervin family.

Son born 1874 named Irvin so there might be a connection to the Ervin family in 1851 census.

Second wife was Catherine Kennedy (Catholic)- she died 1922.

None of the online trees that I found listed parents or baptism information for Alexander Blair.

[marcie dean]

there is a blair family listed in st cuthberts in scotland parochial records dont know if that helps or hinders

[ballydw]

There is a marriage in Manhattan 21st May 1894 of a  Alexander Blair to a Minnie Hummla

[aghadowey]

Alexander Blair's second wife was Catherine Kennedy.