Notes |
- Robert Wear was of the first generation of his family born in this country. His father was a native of Ireland, but was educated in England. A silversmith by trade, he came to America "at a very early day." Robert Wear and Rebecca Carrell were married in Bucks Co, Pennsylvania, and later moved to Rockbridge Co, Virginia. Their three children, John, Rebecca, and Samuel were married there. In 1779 they moved to Washington Co, Tennessee.
During the time of the Cherokee War they moved with their son Samuel from Green Co to Sevier Co and made their settlement and fort on the west fork of Little Pigeon River in a cove which became known as Wears Cove. They were not more than 20 (mil?)es from the enemy Indian towns on the Little Tennessee. The Indians knew the country so well that they could easily pass through and invade the weaker settlements or ambush the hunter. John Watts, a famous Cherokee warrior, the Corntassel and other warriors harassed the settlers for several years. Finally Col John Sevier and Co. Samuel Handley raised a volunteer regiment and marched against the Indians. They made peace at a council held at Telico in 1796.
Robert Wear was a strict Presbyterian and he was true to his faith. He loved all men and was not an enemy to the Indians. John Watts could have killed him many times but did not because "he do good to everybody, and why should anybody hurt him" His wife Rebecca also was held in high esteem. She was Mama Wear to all her neighbors and friends. They died 1790-1800 and are buried side by side in the old graveyard near the old fort in Sevier County.
Info on Robert Wear through Jane Wear came from a report on the internet: GenServ Genealogical Server, Document@GenServ.Com
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Notable Southern Families:
COLONEL SAMUEL WEAR AND THE WEARS
The father of Elizabeth Wear who married Robert Armstrong
the Third, was Colonel Samuel Wear. The first Wear whom we
know definitely is Robert Wear, the father of Samuel. The family came from Ulster Province, Ireland, and was Scotch-Irish. Robert Wear's wife was Rebecca.
The Wears reached Augusta County, Virginia, by way of Pennsylvania and Frederick County, Virginia, like many other emigrants. The name Wear was originally de Vere which betrays the Norman origin and it can be traced in that form for hundreds of years. It is variously spelled in early histories Weir, Wier, Wear, etc., and this variation causes confusion, but Robert Wear, ancestor of the Virginia -
Tennessee family and his son Samuel Wear spelled their name Wear and both were men of education and have left written proof of this spelling, though Ramsey's Annals and other volumes in giving Colonel Wear full credit for his important service in the Revolution and early history of Tennessee spell his name Weir. He was Clerk of the State of Franklin, a signer of the Constitution of Tennessee and Clerk of the County of Sevier and signed his name literally hundreds of times.
In April 1719 a Robert Weir was one of the settlers in Nutfield, near Haverhill, Massachusetts, but in New Hampshire, under the leadership of James McKeen. It is possible that this Robert Weir was the father of Robert, whom we afterwards have located in Augusta County, Virginia.
The settlement of Nuffield was thought to be in Massachusetts, but the General Court of May, 1719, decided it was in New Hampshire. James Gregg and Robert Wear, in behalf of the Scotch Irish at Nutfield, asked the Governor and Court assembled at Portsmouth, N. H., for a township ten miles square. They and others obtained a deed from Colonel John Wheelwright. Londonberry, N. H., was then incorporated June 1722. Robert Wear's name appears on petition. The
town in December, 1719, voted to grant a lot to each of the first comers "which is the number of twenty." Robert Wear is one of these.
To Robert Wear and his wife, Martha, a daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1723.
Bolton gives the settlers of Londonderry, N. H., in 1722, and among the names are several of interest to people reading this volume, for instance, Robert Armstrong, James, John and Robert Doak, Robert Wear, etc.
[note ~ss: These Doaks of N.H. do not appear to be of the same line of Doaks represented in this file who immigrated to Pennsylvania and later to Augusta Co. More about the N.H. Doaks here:
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jacquelinesr&id=I21338 ],
Robert Weir, or Wear, probably this same Robert, was Commissioner in Antrim County, Antrim, Ireland, in I717.
In 1752 a deed is recorded to Robert Wear and John Cunningham, of eight hundred and thirty-three acres in Borden's Tract, Augusta County, Virginia, and in 1754 Borden's executors deeded two hundred and forty acres to Robert Wear. So we have the family of Robert Wear and his wife Rebecca settled in Augusta County close to the year
1750. There their children were born, including Samuel Wear, who was destined to become a distinguished pioneer of the new state of Tennessee, John Wear and probably other children whose names have not been preserved. Robert Wear was still living in the year 1789. Samuel Wear was born in Augusta County, Virginia about the year 1753.
http://archive.org/stream/notablesouthern00frengoog/notablesouthern00frengoog_djvu.txt
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