Robert Blair
Robert Blair was born in Ireland about 1683. He married Isabella Rankin, probably at Aghadowey, a parish in County Londonderry in Ulster. The Blair family history of 1900 makes her the daughter of David Rankin, a Scot by descent. Their first three sons were born in Ireland, Matthew about 1704 or 1705, David in 1708 or 1709 and John in 1710. Daughters Sarah and Dolly followed, then William in 1718 and James.
By the summer of 1720 the family was in Massachusetts. Their son Robert was born at Rutland, in Worcester County, on 20 June 1720. They soon moved to Worcester, where Elizabeth was born in 1724, Mary on 1 April 1725 and Joseph, the youngest, in 1727.
He took his part in the town's business at Worcester. In August 1733 he served on a committee with William Jennison, Deacon Nathaniel Moore, Lieutenant Thomas Stearns and James Hamilton to settle and renew the boundaries between the north and south parts of Worcester. In 1735 he was one of a committee to "seat the meeting house", that is, to assign each family its place in the pews. On 13 February 1737/8, at a meeting in the house of Captain David Heywood, innholder, he was elected with Benjamin Flagg Jr., Palmer Golding, Henry Lee and Gershom Rice Jr. to survey several pieces of common and undivided land in the south part of the town. In 1742 he sat as a juror.
On 14 December 1751, when he was about sixty-eight, he made over his farm to his youngest son. The indenture gave Joseph "the whole of the farm of land on which the said Robert Blair now dwells, consisting of plow, mowing, wood and pasture lands, with the buildings, half of the dwelling house and half of the barn excepted; likewise his pair of oxen now in the possession of the said Joseph Blair." In return Joseph was to work the farm by his own labour and at his own charge for the rest of his parents' lives, "and to care for them in all ways."
Isabella died on 10 February 1765, aged eighty-two. Robert lived nine more years. He was buried in ground that is now part of Worcester Common, and his stone reads: "In Memory of Mr. Robert Blair who departed this life October ye 14, A.D. 1774, in the 91 year of his age. How great, how firm, how sacred all appears, How worthy an immortal round of years; Yet all must drop as Autumn's ripened grain, And earth and firmament be sought in vain."
A death notice later printed in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register gives a different date. "Died at Worcester, Mass., February 2, 1775, Mr. Robert Blair, a native of Ireland, aged 91 years. He left six sons, four daughters, eighty-seven grand children, one hundred and six great-grand children, in all two hundred and nine living descendants."
His sons spread west and south from Worcester. Matthew and Robert went to Blandford, David and John to Western, now Warren, and James to Rutland.
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Cite: Heirology, "Robert Blair (1683-1774)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/robert-blair-1683-1774-3abe60.