Person Page - 147

     Robert Edward Nelson married Novella Kathryn Neal.¹

     Sleetia Melvina Burgett married Robert Lee Nelson, son of Isaac Sheppard Nelson and Mary Davis.¹

     Robert Lee Nelson married Sleetia Melvina Burgett.¹

     Isaac Sheppard Nelson married Mary Davis.¹

     Mary Davis married Isaac Sheppard Nelson, son of Andrew Jackson Nelson and Sarah O'Rear.¹ Mary Davis was called "Polly."¹

     Joy Lynn Fulton married Forrest Edward Baird, son of Edward Eugene Baird and Ruth Elizabeth Blaine, on 14 July 1973 at Phoenix, Arizona.¹

     Jason Christopher Stufkosky married Grace Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Wayne Merwin Smith and Esther Grace Baird, on 31 May 1997 at Sylmar, California.¹

     Wayne Merwin Smith married Esther Grace Baird, daughter of Edward Eugene Baird and Ruth Elizabeth Blaine, on 7 September 1963 at Los Angeles, California.¹

     Keith Kerber married Laurena Ann Ketzel, daughter of Raymond Walter Ketzel and Virginia Effie Baird, in August 1988 at Santa Barbara, California.¹

     Raymond Walter Ketzel married Virginia Effie Baird, daughter of Edward Eugene Baird and Ruth Elizabeth Blaine, on 16 June 1961.¹

     Hilary Susanne Edwards married Lang Allan Riley, son of Richard Allan Riley and Tirzah Elizabeth Baird, on 31 July 1994 at Santa Barbara, California.¹

     Richard Allan Riley married Tirzah Elizabeth Baird, daughter of Edward Eugene Baird and Ruth Elizabeth Blaine, on 20 August 1960.¹

     Ruth Elizabeth Blaine was born on 30 October 1910 at Standard, Louisiana.¹ She married Edward Eugene Baird on 26 April 1934 at San Anselmo, California.¹

     Edward Eugene Baird married Ruth Elizabeth Blaine, daughter of Edgar Lovell Blaine and Dr. Valerage Bascom O'Rear, on 26 April 1934 at San Anselmo, California.¹

     Gregg Black married Shaundra Ann Riley, daughter of Richard Allan Riley and Tirzah Elizabeth Baird, in August 1992 at Mount Hermon, California.¹

     Forrest Luther Blaine died in August 1934.¹

     Frank Erll Blaine was born on 12 December 1902.¹ He was enumerated with Dr. Luther O'Rear in 1910 on the Census at Marion, Missouri.² Frank Erll Blaine died in February 1974 at age 71.¹

     (?) Smith married Pamela Sue Parks before 1984.¹

     Pamela Sue Parks married (?) Smith before 1984.¹ Pamela Sue Parks married Larry Glenn O'Rear, son of Percy Glenn O'Rear and Dorothy Jean Dunn, before 1988.¹

     Daniel O'Rea was born circa 1673 possibly "born at sea" as his parents came to Virginia.^1,2 He witnessed the immigration of John O'Rea before 1675 at Virginia; The O'Rea/O'Rear family may have last come from France, but evidence indicates they may have come from Ireland. There were five persons named O'Rea on the 1651 Irish Census near the present-day town of Cappamore in County Limerick That they lived among the Huguenots in America and inter-married with some of them is probably the best support for thinking that the O'Rea/O'Rear family members were French Huguenots. The name in Ireland was probably O'Rea, O'Ray, O'Rior, or O'Rier.

It may be that the O'Riors had been followers of King Charles I and were forced to flee when Cromwell became Lord Protector. Some may have gone to France where they lived for a time. This travel to France may have been via some other country as Cromwell would not have allowed his enemies to go to another enemy (France). So they may have gone to Spain and then made their way to France later. Then following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, the family left France.

One story holds that an O'Rior was a Baron in the court of King Charles I. So when the O'Riors escaped to America, a daughter of King Charles went with them and they settled in New Jersey. The story holds that her brother, King Charles II came to visit them later in America, but never found them. Supposedly, she married one of the O'Rior sons. Nothing has ever been found to support any part of the story. Conjecture is that some O'Rear may have been charged with the safety of Charles I's daughter and that she was taken to the Isle of Jersey. It is known that Charles II did visit the Isle of Jersey, but whether he went to visit a sister is not known. But, again there is nothing to support this conjecture either.

It is also know that from the reign of James II through the period of the English Protectorate (Cromwell), the peoples of Ireland presented problems to the English government. The biggest problem was what to do with prisoners taken during military campaigns. Following the battle of Kinsale in 1601, the English had some 30,000 prisoners. They resolved the problem by having a policy of banishment by which prisoners were sent to other countries including selling them as slaves. Very little record was kept of this, the English just did not keep track of their Irish problems. The few extant records show sales of Irish slaves in 1612 in South America, 1625 in the West Indies, 1629 in Guinea, 1637 in Montserrat and Antigua. One Daniel O'Ree is recorded as dying 16 September 1679 in the poorhouse in Barbadoes. Between 1651 and 1660, it is estimated that more Irish slaves were sold to American colonists and plantation owners than the "free" population at the time. Still others made their way to Spain and eventually to France as noted above. While most of these persons were actually slaces as opposed to being indentured servants, there were limits as to the length of their servitude similar to indentured servants.

The late Edward C. O'Rear II, a well-known O'Rear researcher held for years that John O'Rea came to Virginia in 1688 (his early suggestion was 1685-1700), settling in Stafford County, or Westmoreland County. This John O'Rea appears in Stafford County records in 1701 and 1702. However, recent unverified information indicates his son, John O'Rear was baptised in Dettingen Parish in 1675. Dettingen Parish was not formed until 1730, so further research is warranted. E. C. O'Rear II in an earlier paper indicated that one or both of John O'Rea's sons were born "at sea". If the son, John was born in the area of Dettingen Parish in 1675 and Daniel was born "at sea", then this might be an indication of when our ancestor first came to America. One must also keep in mind that the term "born at sea" was often used to indicate birth out of wedlock.

Thus, we have a wide range of possibilities regarding the origin in this country of the first O'Rear. So we are left with only that 1675 seems to be the first written record of an O'Rear here. What it means is open to question although it may be assumed that the father of the 1675 John O'Rear probably came to Virginia between about 1660 and 1675.^3,4
Daniel O'Rea and John O'Rea obtained a warrant on 31 May 1711 at Stafford County, Virginia, for 400 acres of land.⁵ Daniel O'Rea and John O'Rea received a land grant on 30 August 1711 at "Cloverfield", Stafford County, Virginia, of 400 acres on Dorrell's Run of the Occaquan River adjoining Capt. Thomas Harrison and Thomas Whitledge from Lady Catherine Fairfax, Proprietrix of the Northern Neck of Virginia. John built the family home, "Cloverfield," there which stood until about 1940.⁵ Daniel O'Rea Nothing else is known of this Daniel O'Rear and it is presumed that he died early although there is some evidence that he moved to Frederick County, Virginia, where a Moravian missionary mentions him in his travels there, about 1740.⁶

     Betty Mae O'Rear was born in 1895.¹ She died in 1896.¹

     Willie O'Rear died in 1893.¹ He was born in 1893.¹

     Marsha Ann Williams married Jim F. Davis.¹ Marsha Ann Williams married Ray N. Shanahan.¹ Marsha Ann Williams married Daniel W. Brantley.¹ Marsha Ann Williams married David T. Garcia.¹ Marsha Ann Williams was born in 1956.³

     James Irvin Tapley married Jan (?).³ James Irvin Tapley was born circa 1948.⁴ He was adopted circa 1956.² His name was legally changed to Williams.²

     Elizabeth Reed was born on 10 August 1834.² She married Edward James Baird on 16 November 1853.²

     Adelia Celstia was born on 13 July 1839 at Georgia.² She married Edward James Baird on 15 May 1890.² Adelia Celstia died on 17 January 1916 at age 76.²

     Edward James Baird was born on 4 April 1832 at Jefferson County, Alabama.¹ He married Elizabeth Reed on 16 November 1853.² Edward James Baird married Lucinda Rilla O'Rear, daughter of Capt. James Martin O'Rear and Martha McCallister, on 20 June 1867 at Jefferson County, Alabama.^1,3 Edward James Baird married Adelia Celstia on 15 May 1890.⁴ Edward James Baird died on 25 February 1897 at Jefferson County, Alabama, at age 64.¹

     Gerald Lavern Mullins was born in 1924.¹ He died in 1985.¹

     John Thorn was born between 1748 and 1757.²