Ireland Family Page
Welcome to The Ireland Family Page, which furnishes historical detail beyond the site index, exploring four generations of Irelands of Caroline Co. MD in the line of William Ireland of Dorchester Co. Maryland.
7. Clair Ireland --Clair (born ca. 1776 and died before 1830) was probably born in Caroline Co. MD. She was the mother of Thomas Bland and second wife of George Bland (ca.1760-before 1830). George and Clair married in Talbot Co. on Dec.28, 1809 (Maryland, Compiled Marriages, 1655-1850). George had just lost his first wife, Elizabeth ("Betsy") Caulk, and Clair had recently lost her husband, Peter Collins (1778-1808, son of Isaac Collins and Ann Nancy Andrew), whom she had married ca. 1800-1802. Clair (Clear or Clara) brought to the 1809 marriage with George Bland three young children, who appear on the 1810 census in George’s household: Lisha, Isaac (both born ca.1803-7), and Peter Jr. (b.1808). A Dec.17, 1768 Dorchester Co. MD land sale (Dorchester Co. Land Record Lib 23 fol 120) between George Andrew (father of Sarah Andrew Bland, wife of Joseph Bland) and George Bland (Sarah's son) lists Isaac and Andrew Collins as witnesses, establishing a connection between the Bland, Andrew and Collins families.
The Feb.19,1808 will of Peter Collins lists his wife, Clear (Clair), and Charles Ireland as executors. The probate record states that Clear came forth as a witness accompanied by Charles Ireland. Charles (1775-1818) is probably Clair's brother. Orphan's court records indicate that after Peter Collin's death and Clair's remarriage to George Bland, Charles took under his guardianship their two minor children, Peter Collins Jr. and Lishey Collins (Annual Valuations Caroline. Annual Valuation Records 1785–1853 on Familysearch) which further suggests the children's possible relationship as nephew and niece of Charles. Ancestry.com shows 28 atDNA matches between the line of Clair's son, Thomas Bland, and the family of Jonathan Ireland (ca.1725-1785) and his wife Rachel Ozwell (ca. 1735-1791) of Dorchester/Caroline Co, MD, who are likely the grandparents of Clair Ireland, Charles E. Ireland (with whom I have 3 DNA matches), John A. Ireland (with who I have 12 DNA matches) , Mary Ann Ireland (Starkey; b. ca.1774) with whom I have 3 DNA matches, and Abednego Ireland (with whom I have 1 DNA match). Since many vital records were lost in Maryland the Colonial era it is not always possible to identify family groups with certainty, so DNA becomes a useful tool in reconstructing them, as with the presumptive children named above. Three sons are somewhat better documented as older children of Jonathan and Rachel, and each appears in the 1790 Caroline Co. census: Shadrach (ca.1755/6-after 1790), Abednego (ca.1758-before 1830) and Samuel (ca.1759-1802). The later two both moved with their families to North Carolina before their death.
Researcher Robert Ireland has traced the trajectory of Jonathan and Rachel's oldest son, Jonathan Ireland Jr., who was born in Maryland ca. 1752 and enlisted in Delaware to serve in the Revolutionary war. He served with George Washington at Valley Forge and participated in crossing the Delaware with Washington's troops. After several engagements against the British in the southern theatre, Jonathan was killed in action during the first Battle of Camden, South Carolina on Aug 16, 1780. His family never knew what became of him, but over two centuries later his fate has been discovered by a diligent genealogist. His wife appears to be another Rachel (surname possibly Sullivan). Jonathan Ireland Jr's widow, Rachel, is named as the mother of two children, William and Preston Ireland, who were born respectively in 1791 and 1794 (just after the death of Rachel Ireland Sr. wife of Jonathan Ireland Sr.), apparently out of wedlock. In 1804, Charles Ireland officially assumed guardianship of 10 year old Preston and his brother John took in 13 year old William. The record identifies Preston as the son of Rachel, which confirms that the wife of Jonathan Ireland Jr., deceased is named Rachel. (Combined Volume[Indenture, Guardian Bond, Annual Valuation] Caroline. on Familysearch). Other enslavement records also identify William as a son of Rachel. This younger Rachel Ireland, widow of Jonathan Ireland Jr., is the mother of Charles and John, and is likely Clair's mother. As the wills of Jonathan Sr. and his wife Rachel do not name Clair as their child they are likely not Clair's parents. The 1791 will of Rachel Ireland Sr. doesn't name all her children (it excludes mention of a daughter named Mary Ann Ireland) but bequeaths to her "grandson, John Ireland," now living with her and “my Charles Ireland,” also living with her, each a heifer. She further bequeaths to her two daughters, Rachel and Ruth, "now living with her" and each designated as an executrix for the will, the rest of her estate on Oct. 7, 1789. The will was probated after Rachel's death on Sept.9, 1791. (Dorchester. Probate Records 1688–1777, 1778, 1784–1803 Caroline. Probate Records on Familysearch) Since Rachel's will does not mention her daughter-in-law Rachel (wife of Jonathan Jr.), Clair, Preston or William as living with her, it appears they lived with another family in 1791.
The 1820 census shows Clair's age as 26-44, which means she was born between 1776 and 1784. I am inclined to place Clair's birth year around 1776, which would put her as close as possible in age to her second husband, George Bland, who was born ca. 1760. After Jonathan Sr.'s death in 1785. his widow, Rachel Ireland, appears in Caroline Co. in 1790 with 2 males 16 or over and 2 other females in her household. This fits well with her grandchildren Charles (age 15-16 in 1790), John A. (age 18), and daughters Rachel and Ruth. Rachel's older sons have married and moved out by 1790, and by 1800 have moved to North Carolina.
The 1800 census shows Charles Ireland, age 25, in Caroline Co. MD living alone. His brother, John A. Ireland, age 28, also appears with his wife in the 1800 Caroline census (he married Esther Johnson there in 1797) with 2 males under 10. I have not been able to find Clair or her likely mother Rachel in the 1790 or 1800 census which suiggests they were living with relatives or neighbors. The exact date when Clair married Peter Collins in Caroline Co. is not known but if she married him as early as 1800 (at age 24), she may be represented in Peter's household in the 1800 Caroline Co. census, which shows 5 persons, one of whom could be Clair.
8. Jonathan Ireland Jr.-- Clair Ireland's parents are most likely Jonathan Jr. and his wife Rachel (Sullivan?). Jonathan Jr. was born around 1752 in Dorchester County, MD and likely married around 1771. When the Revolutionary War broke out in 1776, he enlisted in Delaware (which paid better wages than Maryland) and served in the Continental Army under General George Washington. After fighting in a number of battles, Jonathan was killed in Camden, South Carolina on Aug 16, 1780. His family never received confirmation of his demise, but after 7 years missing he would have been considered deceased. Prior to his military service he and Rachel had two sons, John (1772-1843) and Charles (1775-1818). Our hypothesis is that Jonathan Jr. and Rachel are also the most likely parents of Clair, who may have been born ca. 1776. The war widow and her children would likely have been taken in by Jonathan Sr.'s family or other relatives until reaching the age of maturity. Unfortunately, neither Jonathan Jr. nor his wife left a will.
9. Jonathan Ireland-- Clair Ireland's grandparents are likely Jonathan ("John") Ireland (born ca.1725 in Dorchester Co., Maryland and died Nov.25, 1785 in Two John's, Potter's Landing, Caroline Co., Maryland) and Rachel Ozwell (born 1732 in Dorchester Co., Maryland and died in 1791 in Caroline Co., Maryland). Jonathan appears in the 1778 (Fidelity Oath) Maryland substitute census in Choptank Hundred township in Caroline Co. MD. A 1786 inventory of Jonathan, deceased, is attested by his son, Samuel Ireland, and Rachel, Jonathan's wife, who appears as a widow in the 1790 Caroline Co. MD census. She is also mentioned in the 1757 will of her brother, John Ozwell. as Rachel Ireland. Rachel's parents were Edward Ozwell (1690–1733), born in 1690 in England and died in 1733 in Talbot Co. MD, and Lydia Eubanks, born in 1684 and died in 1733 in Maryland, daughter of Thomas Eubanks II (born in 1650 in Westmoreland, England and died June 21 1736 in Talbot Co., MD) and Martha Henderson (born Oct.26, 1666 in Hartford, Connecticut and died Feb.9 1732 in Talbot Co., MD). Jonathan and Rachel probably had at least 8 children. Jonathan's 1785 will lists his children as: Sarah, Jonathan Jr., Shadrach, John (who married Ann Alford and went to Kentucky), Abednego, Samuel, and Mary Ann (their youngest -ca.1774-1870). As the biblical Book of Daniel mentions three brothers, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, it is tempting to think Jonathan and Rachel might have also had a short-lived son named Meshach, but this is pure speculation. Jonathan Sr.'s widow, Rachel, also left a will which mentions two further daughters who were not included in Jonathan's will (for unknown reasons): Ruth and "my Rachel." One possibility is that she is actually referring to her daughter-in-law, Jonathan Jr.'s widow, Rachel.
9. Samuel Ireland-- Jonathan's parents were Samuel Ireland (born ca. 1684 and died in 1740 in Dorchester Co., MD) and Sarah Bignall (born Feb.16, 1708 in St. Peters Parish, Trappe, Talbot Co., MD and died in 1740 probably in Dorchester Co., MD. St. Peter's Parish records document a 1715 marriage of Samuel Ireland and Anne White, who appears to be a first wife of Samuel who died a few years later. Sarah Bignall, Samuel's second wife, was christened in St. Peter's Parish, Trappe, MD on Feb.16,1708 and the document names her parents as Matthew Bignall (1687-1717) and Sarah (b.1647). Samuel Ireland and Sarah Bignall were married at St. Peter's Parish in Talbot Co. on Feb.3, 1718. (Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013). St. Peter's also documents the birth of Sarah Bignall (b.1708) and four of her siblings: Margret (b.1703), Matthew Jr. (b.1706), Susannah (b.1710) and Lewis (b.1713).
10. William Ireland-- Samuel's parents were William and Annette Ireland. Some researchers show William as born on Feb. 18, 1654 in London, Middlesex, England and give his wife's name as Annette Elizabeth Shelton (born in 1652 in Dublin, Ireland and died Oct. 30, 1700 in Maryland), citing a record of Emigrants in Bondage 1614-1775 which lists William Ireland of Middlesex, England as arriving in Maryland on the ship, Charles, in May, 1674. However, the presence of other Irelands in the Tidewater area for several generations preceding William, makes it likely that William was born in Maryland, ca. 1652. He had a first marriage to Anne White, and after her death he married a woman named Annette (whose surname is uncertain). Annette was the mother of Samuel, her only known child. St. Peter's Parish in Easton, MD records the birth of two of William and Ann's children: Mary (b.1693) and Joseph (b.1695). William and Annette both died ca. 1700 in Trappe, Talbot Co. MD. Nothing earlier is known for certain about their lineage.
Summary of Ireland line findings:
Records in the Colonial era are far less complete than in the 1800s but fortunately Maryland, as an early state, has more early church and civil records than ancestors in the southern US. DNA can also provide clues as to lineage.
1. I have found few records which pertain to the mother of Thomas Bland, whose first name is documented as Clair (Clear or Clara). She first appears as a witness along with Charles Ireland at the 1808 probate of her first husband, Peter Collins of Caroline Co. MD, which associates Clair with Charles Ireland as co-executor of her husband's estate. (In this context, the will provides the surname of a possible a close relative to Clair. Charles may be only a year or two older than Clair so he cannot be her father, but he could be an older brother or cousin.) I have not found a marriage record for Clair and Peter Collins (who died in 1808) but, per census records, they had three children, and based on the oldest child's date of birth, they were married at least by 1802, possibly in 1800. Another document mentioning Clair is her second marriage to George Bland in 1809 in Caroline Co., followed by the 1810 and 1820 Caroline Co. censuses which show George and a wife of Clair's age and 7 younger family members. Clair is age 26-44 in 1820, born between 1776 and 1794. Neither George nor Clair appear in the 1830 census and are presumed to have died during the 1820s. Guardianship Accounts of Peter Collins Jr. from 1827 list George Bland as paying for board of the minor, his step-son, so he must have lived until 1827. Clair's date of death is unknown and while there is no birth record for Clair, the 1820 census allows that she could have been born as early as 1776.
2. DNA evidence. Significantly, on Ancestry.com I show 28 autosomal DNA matches between the line of George Bland and the Ireland family of Caroline Co. MD, 12 of which are matches to descendants of John A. Ireland. John was born in 1772, married Esther Johnson in 1797, and moved to Ohio sometime after appearing on the 1800 Caroline Co. census. Charles Ireland also appears on the 1800 Caroline Co. census as a single person householder. He later married Rhoda Andrew, had two children and died by 1818. I show 3 DNA matches to him. (As John does not appear to have married prior to 1797 and is probably not much older than Clair, he does not appear to be Clair's father either.) Due to proximity, closeness of age and DNA, there is a strong likelihood that they are brothers of Clair.
3. Parental inferential evidence: Since Clair, Charles and John are all documented as living in Caroline Co. MD (only John left the area to move to Ohio) the most likely candidates for their father would be found among any males with the surname Ireland who are 16-20 years older and who are documented as living in Caroline or its surrounding counties (Queen Anne's, Talbot or Dorchester counties) around the time of the children's birth. An early 1778 census of Maryland shows 6 Irelands in three recorded counties: 2 John Irelands in Queen Anne's Co., and in Caroline Co.: 1 John Ireland, 1 Jonathan Ireland, and 2 Samuel Irelands (one designated as "Samuel of Jonathan"). The 1783 Maryland land tax records show three Irelands in Caroline Co.: Jonathan, Samuel and Abednigo (the tax list doesn't include Frederick or other northern MD counties). Samuel and Abednigo moved to North Carolina by 1800 and appear in the census there. It appears that all of the Caroline Co. Irelands listed above are descendants of Samuel Ireland Sr. and Sarah Bignall of Dorchester Co. MD, including their two sons, Jonathan and Samuel (1725-1809; who died in Delaware, left a will and apparently never married). Caroline County was created in 1773 from Dorchester and Queen Anne's counties, so Samuel Sr. and Sarah probably lived in the same area of Dorchester Co. as their children lived after it was renamed Caroline Co.
At the level of four generations back, only about half of one's fourth cousins can be expected to match one's DNA, so smaller, less plentiful DNA matches are to be expected at the outer limits of autosomal DNA matching. In summary, other than the relational hypothesis I have set forth, I have found no other family of Irelands in late Colonial Maryland who are compelling candidates as ancestors of George Bland's wife, Clair.