Ahnentafel #864 - Michael(?) Speer

Michael(?) Speer or Spear(s)

Born: by 1745, probably earlier
Died: between 1801 & 1820? 

Buried: unknown

Married: unknown

Rev. Rollo Clayton Speer theorized that Michael Spear was an immigrant from Ulster, Ireland. His home was at the present site of Speer's Ferry, Virginia, which gets its name from the fact that Michael Spear operated a ferry over the Clinch River there. Michael was for seven years in the army in colonial and Revolutionary Wars. While away, he left his oldest son Samuel, in charge of the ferry. 

I can find no record of Michael Speer's revolutionary war service in Virginia. 

There are Speer, Spear and Spears in Augusta County, VA as early as 1746 so it's possible that Michael(?) was born in Virginia and was not an immigrant.


Records:
1770 - Botetourt County, VA created from Augusta County

1772 - Fincastle County, VA created from Botetourt County

1775 - Daniel Boone used Speer's Ferry on his way to Kentucky, his son Samuel is said to have gone with Boone's group.  

Boone's party of road-makers consisted of himself, his brother, Squire, Benjamin Cutbirth, Michael Stoner, Richard Callaway, William Bush, David Gass, Edmund Jennings, John Kennedy, John Vardeman, James Nall and others, about thirty in all. They cut and removed the underbrush and fallen timber from the Trace where the forest was dense, and blazed the trees along the Trace where the forest was open. . . . 

 It is not possible, with the data at hand, to trace with absolute certainty, the location of the Kentucky Path at ever point throughout its length. Like other roads, both then and now, it was subject to such alterations as suited either fancy or convenience of those who traveled over it, and divergence was, of course, always possible between the "gaps." . . . 

Boone's original place of rendezvous . . . was Fort Patrick Henry on the Long Island of Holston. . . . Boone's route . . . did not usually take him as far west as the site of Kingsport. He traveled down Reedy Creek to the neighborhood of Peltier, and then turned north to the Tennessee-Virginia boundary line, thence by way of the Blockhouse to the ford just above Holston Bridge. From this ford he took a northwest course, passing over Little Pine Mountain at a point  where its elevation has been greatly reduced by Big Moccasin Creek. He then passed through Big Moccasin Gap, the great eastern gateway of the Kentucky Path. Thence up Little Moccasin Valley to the low divide which separates Little Moccasin from Troublesome Creek. The difficulty of traveling down the last-named creek is still commemorated in the name it bears. At or near the old Virginia & Southwestern depot at Speer's Ferry, the path turned aside from the narrow valley of Troublesome Creek, and passed along the south side of a limestone hill to the north of the late J.M. Horton's residence until it reached the narrow ravine at Horton's Chapel. Here it dropped down the ravine to the ford of the Clinch at Speer's Ferry.  . . . After crossing Clinch River at Speer's Ferry, the Path passed up the west bank of the same to the Ford of Stock Creek, the present site of Clinchport. From Clinchport it followed the meanders of Big Stock Creek up almost to the Natural Tunnel. Here it turned to the left around the Tunnel Hill by way of Horton's Summit, to the Little Flat Lick, near the new schoolhouse at Duffield . . . [Addington, Robert. History of Scott County, Virginia, Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, Inc., 2002]

1776 - Washington County, VA created from Fincastle County

1782 - William Brown traveled over the Kentucky Path [Wilderness Road] and mentioned that the distance from the head of Ready Creek in Sullivan County to Clinch River / Speer's Ferry was 11 miles. 

1786 - January 2 - Russell County created from Washington County.  Speer's Ferry seems to be on the boundary b/t the two counties on the Russell County side. 

1787 - June 2 - a James Spear on Washington County personal property tax list

• Person chargeable with Tax - James Spear
• Names of white male taxables above 21 - James Spear
• No. of white males above 16, under 21 - blank
• Blacks above 16 - blank
• Blacks under 16 - blank 
• Horses, mares, colts & mules - 3
• Cattle - 3
• No. of stud horses - 0
• rate of ... - 0 

1788 - a Spencer Spears on Russell County personal property tax list

1789 - a Spencer Spears on Russell County personal property tax list

1789 - May 20 - a Margaret Speer on the Rockbridge County personal property tax list owning 1 horse, mare, colts & mules

1790 - no Michael Speer found on Virginia census, Spears located in the following counties:

• Robert Spear (estate) - Henrico County - to the east
• Robert Spear, Jr. - Henrico County
• Samuel Spear - Augusta County
• James Spears - Norfolk County - east coast
• John Spears - Chesterfield County
• Jesse Speers - Powhatan County
• John Speers - Powhatan County
• Nicholas Speers - Powhatan County

1795 - a Thomas Spears & Spencer Spears on Russell County personal property tax list

1796 - a Thomas Spears & Spencer Spears on Russell County personal property tax list

1800 - a Thomas Spears on Russell County personal property tax list

1801 - a Thomas Spears on Russell County personal property tax list

1802 - a Thomas Spears on Russell County personal property tax list

1803 - a Spencer Spears on Russell County personal property tax list - 1-0-0-1-0-0 $.12

1809 - a Thomas Spears on Russell County personal property tax list

1814 - Scott County formed from parts Washington & Russell Counties.  

1820 - Scott County, VA census, entries for Michael's sons and grandsons:

• Andrew Spears - 1 male 16-25, 1 female -10, 1 female 26-44
• Joshua Jr. - 2 males -10, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 16-25, 1 female 26-44
• Joshua Sr. - 1 male -10, 2 males 10-15, 1 male 45+, 1 female -10, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 16-25, 1 female 45+
• Robert - 1 male 26-44, 1 female 45+

Children:
Andrew b. ?, d. 1835 md. Elizabeth Shelton

• John A. b.1790, d. 1846 md. 1) Mary Flinn 1817 & 2) Jemima Davis 1831, children: Andrew, Austin, Elizabeth, Emily Jane, Robert Davis, Lydia 
• Susannah b. ca. 1795, d. before 1840?, md. 1818 Joshua Gough/Goff, at least five children which include Andrew, Mary & William
• Agnes b. 1796, d. 1877 md. Joseph Wever/Weaver, no children
• Nathan A. (?)
• Joseph b. 1797, d. 1876 md. 1819 Priscilla Flinn, children: John Wesley, Robert, William S., Andrew Gentry, Joseph W., Jacob W., Aggie, Nancy, Lianna, Elizabeth
• Elizabeth b. 1800, d. 1885, md. 1818 Jacob Wever/Weaver, children: Frances, Joseph, Jeremiah, Andrew, Lucinda, Nancy, Elizabeth, Susan, John, Agnes, Mary, Jacob
• Andrew W. b. 1802, d. 1881 md. 1824 Dicy Kirby, children: James Cass, Talbert, William, Robert Kirby, Andrew Shelton, Elizabeth, Joseph, Jesse, John, George Washington, Susan, Dicy
• Mary b. 1803, d. 1852 md. 1831 Joseph Taylor who md. 2) Susan (Speer) Hinkle, daughter of John & Mary Barbary (Grove) Speer, cousin of Mary Speer. 
• Shelton G. b. 1804, d. 1875, md. 1827 Nancy Cassady, children: John, Andrew, William, Ellen, Martha, Charles, Alonzo, Thomas, James
• Nancy b. 1810, d. 1857 md. John Romjue, children: Susan, Eliza, John, Andrew, Sarah, Clement

Samuel md. (--?--) Hayes

• Margaret
• Jane d. 1839 md. (--?--) Chewning
• Samuel Jr.
• Thomas b. 1779, d. 1839 md. 1803 Sarah Baird, children: Harvey, Samuel
• John b. 1780, d. 1860 md. 1801 Mary Russell, children: Elizabeth, Nancy, Jane, Mariah, Mary Matilda, Sarah, Samuel D. 
• Anne b. ca. 1788 md. 1805 md. John McCorkle, Jr. 
• Rachael b. 1788 md. James Campbell
• Solomon b. ca. 1795, d. 1868 md. 1815 Jane White, children: Martha Ann, James, Franklin, Mary Neely, Betsy, Nancy
• James b. ca. 1799, md. 1)  Rachel Wilson 1819, 2) Elizabeth Grant 

John
Col. Robert b. ca. 1788, d. after 1878 md. 1) Ruth (--?--) 2) Rebecca (Wade) Johnson possible children:

• Asbury b. 1810 md. 1) Catherine Darter & 2) Charlotte (--?--), known children: Nancy, Lydda, Mahala, William, Andrew, Lucy
• Eliza b. 1827
• Nancy (?) b. 1829 md. (--?--) Rogers
• Charlotte b. 1830
• Anderson b. 1838
• Hester A. b. 1845
• Evaline b. 1851 md. (--?--) Wade
• Elizabeth b. 1853, d. 1936 md. Landon Adams, children: Daniel & Callie
• Mary Alice b. 1855, d. 1941 md. Lycurgus Hammond
• Martha b. 1857 d. 1923 md. (--?--) Calhoun, children: Eliza, William, Charles
• Sarah (twin) b. 1860, d. 1951 md. William Pierson, children: Pearlie (f), Lula, Robert, Conley, Florence, Worley, Laura, Beulah, Maxie
• Nancy (twin) b. 1860 

Jesse b. 1801, d. 1871 md. Sarah Elizabeth Solomon

• Mary Ann b. 1834
• Silas b. 1836, d. 1924 md. Mary Dragoo children: John, Rebecca, Sarah
• Hiram b. 1839, d. 1920 md. Mary Sowers, children: Sarah, William, Goodson, James, Hiram
• Hester Ann (?)
• Amanda b. 1842, d. 1937 md. 1850 1) Jeremiah Scott, 2) Thomas Swiger, children: Francis Scott, Serildia Scott, Charles Scott 
• Melissa b. 1847, d. 1835 md. John Bailey, children: Armina, Anderson, Alfred, Robert, Thomas, Edward, Sarah, William, Rozella 
• Jesse b. 1848