Talk:John Blair Sr.

more work needed

In the last couple of weeks I edited this article's lead paragraph and initial section, and was somewhat surprised that my infobox clarification and many other changes were reverted with misleading comments as well as manner that made undoing such difficult. For what it's worth, I did not add acting governorships to the infobox in part because they could be misleading--Tyler's 1915 article now cited only includes the acting governor periods between governors, whereas the DVB article includes those during Governor Fauquier's trips to the New York and Georgia colonies.

The current article cites but does not closely follow the recent and seemingly highly competent Dictionary of Virginia Biography article (online at encyclopediavirginia.org), which makes distiguishing the other men of the same name more difficult. This is particularly true in two respects. The first concerns the Williamsburg store, which the DVB article states was co-owned by another John Blair, the son of a cousin, rather than his own son who became a distinguished lawyer, founding father and jurist. That wikipedia article is likewise problematic (possibly for relying on an 1898 genealogy rather than the 1994 geneology cited in the DVB article and which is not available in the library in which I am writing tonight). The article currently says another of the store's co-owner was Philip Ludwell. I did not link to Philip Ludwell Jr (the most likely of the three men of the same name) because of a lack of corresponding reference in the DVB nor any of the Ludwell articles. The messsier matter involves slaveholdings in the next generation (a quarter century after this man's death). Virginia's 1787 tax census mentions up to three men of the same somewhat common name who owned slaves: in York County and adjoining James City County, and in Albemarle county to the west (operated by a overseer). This man owned land and probably slaves in York County, which he represented as a burgess. Merchants could sell slaves on consignment (as did the George Braxtons in this era) or foreclose on mortgages issued in order to buy slaves.

IMHO the DVB article better explains this man's loyalty to his fellow planters, rather than British officials and London agents, which became even more important during the French and Indian War near the end of his life. The reliance on the abbreviated but copywrited geneology at politicalfamilytree.com seems problematic. Some of this man's many daughters married burgesses (I only added the link to George Braxton Jr.), but few are named and those that are, are not listed in either chronological nor name order. For what it's worth, the DVB also mentions he had four sons but does not name them (much less give birth and death dates).Jweaver28 (talk) 00:52, 5 January 2023 (UTC)