When I first started doing genealogy and history research in the late 1970s, I was focused on South Carolina – while living in Connecticut. The internet hadn’t been invented yet. Resources were scarce at best. Everything for me, my interest in genealogy and history, started with a booklet my mother gave me. It was in a brown binder, typewritten, “Some of the branches of the Holland family Laurens County South Carolina — Adair family some of the branches in Laurens County South Carolina — Adair family some of the branches in Laurens County South Carolina” 1965, by Mrs. Esther Holland Pitts. There is a copy at the Elaine Martin Room at the Laurens County Library.
Read more about Mrs. Pitts here. All of my pages, research, the journey, the people I have met along the way, and the friends I have made can be traced back to her. Sadly, as it is with many of the old friends I will be adding here, I never had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Pitts. I try to honor her memory.
As a pack-rat, I have a lot of papers from my early research days. I have maintained an original email address, with some genealogy archives that go back to correspondence in 2000. Prepping for a presentation, I started going through everything, and the correspondence-what a treasure to find again. These are special researchers, cousins, fellow enthusiasts as thrilled to teach as I was to learn. Handwritten letters – a lost art, notes, emails, in one case a VHS tape, there is a lot I am sorting through.
I’m going to continually update this section with expanded information, as the circle always grows and time permits. These folks are just a few of the people who have helped me, and became friends, along the way. In no particular order:
Gerald McCrary
I have a lot of handwritten letters, emails, and a real gem – a VHS tape. My local library actually had a player and a TV hooked up, they let me review the tape to see what was on there. Well, that tape is out being converted to digital for preservation, it is a cemetery documentary of sorts, from a genealogy trip to Laurens County that Gerald took, and shared with me.
Mildred Brownlee
Mrs. Brownlee’s documentation, and diligence, helped to correct many inadvertent errors, and cleared up a lot of cloudy Adair family information. Her meticulous sourcing, and clear explanations of assumptions have been invaluable.
Mary Keith Adair Watts
I have many lovely, handwritten note cards and letters from Mrs. Watts. She too was a believer in Mrs. Brownlee’s work, and we compared notes in detail.
James “Buddy” Copeland
I have emails, and clearly remember a couple of phone calls with Mr. Buddy Copeland. He is the person who started my thirst for knowledge about the people and the history of Duncan Creek Presbyterian Church.
Tom Anderson
I have some pages from a Holland Bible, beautifully copied, and a sweet letter from Mr. Anderson.
Jett Hanna
Jett shined a light early on to some erroneous information, especially regarding James Adair, the everyman. To this day, Mr. Hanna teases me about the Chicago Bears on Meta, and worships the Dallas Cowboys. Go figure.
Durant Ashmore
From the first time I met him, being with Durant is always an adventure in learning. Whether it be out in the field on a battlefield walk, at Revolutionary War places in Laurens County, or in storytelling lectures that bring history to life. Hammond’s Old Store will always be a special place to me, thanks to Durant. Seeing it develop has been amazing. Learning from Durant has been spectacular!
Sarah Jane Armstrong
Sarah Jane is a force to be reckoned with. Her knowledge of history, fondness for preservation, and tireless efforts for all of Laurens County is inspirational. Her work has impacted the Laurens County Genealogy Society, the Laurens County Museum, and especially Culbertson’s Backcountry Settlement. I’m honored to learn from her.
Will Graves and C. Leon Harris
Southern Campaigns Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters (revwarapps.org)
Almost every soldier’s story on this site leans on revwarapps.org. Will Graves and C. Leon Harris, with a band of volunteer transcribers, have put more than 31,000 pension applications, bounty land claims and rosters online, free and searchable. When Robert Long, James Dillard or John Mangum speak in their own words on these pages, it is because someone on that team first typed up the faded handwriting. Will is also the author of Backcountry Revolutionary, the biography of Col. James Williams, and I’m proud to call him a friend.
Backcountry Revolutionary: James Williams (1740–1780), with Source Documents
by William T. Graves
Proceeds support the South Carolina American Revolution Trust, Inc.
Paul Wood, “Palmetto Paul”
Rev. Paul Ariel Wood, Jr. researches, writes and speaks about the American Revolution in South Carolina. His Bloody Bill Cunningham (South Carolina 250 Commission, 2026) is the first full biography of the Loyalist behind the Bloody Scout, the raids that struck Hayes Station and the Little River families. You can read or download it free from SC250. Learn more about Paul here.
J.D. Lewis, Carolana.com
For more than twenty years, J.D. Lewis has been building carolana.com, a history of the Carolinas that covers battles, skirmishes, regiments and officers. His rosters and battle pages are often my first stop, especially for small backcountry fights like Mudlick Creek that few other sources cover.
A special thank you to every single person I have met that is associated with the Laurens County Genealogy Society. It was an honor and a privilege to be able to attend my first in-person meeting November 2022. Awesome group!
Adair and Holland Researchers
From the original Adair and Holland site: I would like to take the opportunity to introduce you to some fine people. Many of the cousins and friends listed below have freely exchanged valuable family lineages and histories. I cannot thank them enough for the tips, information, correspondence and friendship. Some of these folks are researching lineages that branch out from my direct research, so you may find a valuable resource. If you would like to get in touch with any of them, please use my Contact Me page and I’ll do my best to connect you.
Can You Help? Adair – Holland – McCrary/McCreary – Dillard
Laurens County, SC. Thomas McCrary/McCreary, Jr. (son of Thomas McCrary/McCreary, Sr. and Letitia Brandon), b. July 7, 1763, d. June 26, 1835, Lawrence Co., AL, married abt. 1790 in Laurens Co., SC, Cassandra “Casey” Adair (daughter of Joseph Adair & Sarah Dillard). Their daughter Charity McCrary, b. Nov. 20, 1795, d. Nov. 13, 1831, Lawrence Co., AL, married Jan. 12, 1812, Laurens Co., SC, Thomas Holland (son of Rezin/Reason Holland and Mary Lowe).
The Holland line goes back to Anthony Holland (and Rezin/Reason’s father, Abraham, was a Rev. War Patriot). The McCrary/McCreary line goes back to James McCrary & wife Martha (parents of Thomas McCrary/McCreary, Sr., a Rev. War Patriot). The Adair line goes back to Joseph Adair & wife Sarah Lafferty (he was a Rev. War Patriot).
I’m not sure about the Dillard line. There seems to be some conflicting information about it, and I’m wanting to know more. I think that Sarah Dillard’s parents were James Dillard and Lucy Wise.
— Jan Erwin Dunham (lightly edited from the original note)
Any Connections? Taylor – Wiggins – Sloan
Margaret Taylor (Wiggins), born abt. 1836 in or near Clinton, Laurens County, South Carolina, died 25 July 1916 in Bellgreen, Alabama. Her husband, William Lance Wiggins, born abt. 1836 in Laurens County, must have died in Laurens County abt. 1856. Margaret came to Franklin County near Bellgreen, Alabama, about 1860 with her daughter Nancy Wiggins and Nancy’s husband, James Dillard Sloan.
Nancy Wiggins (Sloan), born 11 Aug 1856 in Clinton, South Carolina, died 18 Aug 1928 in Sheffield, Alabama, and is buried at Mt. Home in Bellgreen. She married James Dillard Sloan, born 16 Oct 1855 in Laurens County, died 16 Dec 1907 in Bellgreen. They had 12 children who lived and died in Franklin County, Alabama. My grandfather, David Victor Sloan, often told me about the hardships of homesteading in north Alabama. He told me his people had come to South Carolina, were Scots-Irish, and had fought in a Revolutionary battle called Cow Pens.
The Alabama dates come from death certificates and were checked against headstones in the Mt. Home Cemetery in Bellgreen; the Laurens County dates are estimates. I have pictures I am willing to share with descendants, and I place no restrictions on the use of this information.
— Victor Jackson Taylor (condensed from the original note)
More Researchers
- Jett Hanna is researching the Laurens County Adairs and has some interesting theories on James Adair, Indian Trader.
- Francy is researching the Laurens County Hollands: Abraham Holland, his son Richard, and descendants.
- Greg Riley is researching branches of the Trigg County, KY Hollands: Abraham Holland and descendants, and James Holland.
- June Henrie: June’s Adair line runs Charlotte Lucinda Adair (m. Joseph Peter Hamblin) ← John Milton Adair (m. Eliza Jane Richey) ← Samuel Jefferson Adair (m. Jemima Catherine Mangum) ← Thomas Jefferson Adair (m. Rebecca Brown) ← Joseph Adair (m. Sarah). Joseph is where June’s line and mine cross paths.
- Raymond A. Settle is researching Robert Adair and his lineages.
Last but not least – a shout out to all my cousins – and there are a lot of us! My Adairs and Hollands and Bramletts and Leakes go back to the earliest days of upstate South Carolina. Just about all of the Adairs can be traced back to James, Joseph, or William – which makes for a lot of cousins. I’ve been blessed to meet several cousins I did not know existed.
I consider all my research friends as honorary cousins as well.