ADAIR-L Archives

Archiver > ADAIR > 2002-11 > 1037134941


From:
Subject: [ADAIR] James Adair the author & Sir Wm. Johnson
Date: 12 Nov 2002 14:02:21 -0700


This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.

Surnames: Adair
Classification: Query

Message Board URL:

http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/JG.2ADEB/828.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.2

Message Board Post:

From
http://oliverowdery.com/textx/prst1826.htm

" Manasses Ben Israel, wrote a book "The Hope of Israel," the main pillar of his evidence is James Adair, Esq.

Mr. Adair was a man of established character, as appears from good authority. He lived a trader among the Indians, in the south of North America, for forty years. --

He left them and returned to England in 1774 (actually in 1772 he was in Cork Co. Ireland chasing Mr. McGaw who had his, Adair's, manuscript), and there published his "History of the American Indians" .

Mr. Adair gives his opinion, that the ten tribes, soon after their banishment from the land of Israel, left Media, and reached this continent from the north-west, probably before the carrying away of the Jews of Babylon. A summary will be given of the arguments of Mr, Adair, and of a number of other writers on this subject.

As the evidence given by Mr. Adair appears in some respects the most momentous and conclusive, I shall adduce a testimonial in his behalf. In the "Star in the West," published by the Hon. Elias Bondinot,LL. D. upon this subject, that venerable man says; "The writer of these sheets has made a free use of Mr. Adair's history of the Indians; which renders it necessary that something further should be said of him. Sometime about the year 1774 (actually Feb 27 1769), Mr. Adair came to Elizabethtown, (Union co NJ ?) where the writer lived, with his manuscript, and applied to Mr. Livingston, (afterward governor of New-Jersey -- a correct scholar,) requesting him to correct his manuscript. He brought ample recommendations, and gave a good account of himself.

Our political troubles with Great Britain then increasing, Mr. Adair, who was on his way to Great Britain, was advised (1769 ??) not to risk being detained from his voyage, till the work could be critically examined; but to set off as soon as possible. He accordingly took passage in the first vessel bound to England.

As soon as the war was over,(Mr. Boundinot adds of himself.) the writer (Boudinot) sent to London to obtain a copy of this work . After reading it with care, he strictly examined a gentleman, then a member with him in congress, and of excellent character, who had acted as our agent among the Indians to the southward, during the war, relative to the points of fact stated by Mr. Adair, without letting him know the design, and from him found all the leading facts mentioned in Mr. Adair's history, fully confirmed from his own personal knowledge."

Here are the evidences of two great and good men most artlessly uniting in the leading facts stated by Mr. Adair. The character of Mr. Boudinot (who was for some time President of the American Bible Society,) is well known. He was satisfied with the truth of Mr. Adair's history and he hence published his "Star in the West". "

..............The above views are not necessarily the views of the writer of this message............

One would have thought that if James Adair had returned to America these gentlemen would have contacted him personally, and that James Adair would have been mentioned in the newspapers as giving talks, whatever, on his book.

Adair appeared to have a close association with Sir William Johnson and in the will of 1778 there was the mention of "Alexander Johnson or his heirs in Ireland or his heirs in co. of Chester, 17 pounds". Would this have been Chester, PA.

The Rev. War information on Sir William Johnson may shed some light on Adair. Interesting for me is the Thomas Addis Emmet donated papers to an American library concerning Sir William Johnson. Emmet's descendant has written to me from my grandfather's grandfather's house where he lived near Dublin, Ireland. Seems a conflict of interest there somewhere, however that is another story.

This thread: