John Blair, Sr.
| John Blair | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1687 Scotland |
| Died | November 5, 1771 Williamsburg, Virginia |
| Burial place | Bruton Parish |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | College of William and Mary |
| Occupation | |
| Known for |
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| Children | 10, including John Blair, Jr. |
| Parent(s) | Archibald Blair |
| Relatives | James Blair (uncle) |
John Blair (c. 1687 – November 5, 1771) was an American merchant and politician, a member of the House of Burgesses representing Jamestown and Williamsburg and four-time acting governor of the colony of Virginia. He was the nephew of James Blair, the founder of the College of William and Mary, and father of John Blair, Jr., a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and associate justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Blair was born in Scotland around 1687, the only known son of Archibald Blair, and immigrated as a child with his family to Virginia in the 1690s. Archibald was a brother of James Blair, the founder of the College of William and Mary in Williamsbury. Archibald operated an apothecary shop in Williamsburg. John Blair graduated from the College of William and Mary around 1707 and remained in Williamsburg his whole life.
Blair's public career may have begun in 1715, when he or a cousin with the same name was appointed keeper of the Royal Storehouse in Williamsburg. Blair took the oaths of office as a justice of the peace for York County on August 17, 1724 (serving until he was sworn in as a member of the Virginia Governor's Council in 1745) and in 1727 as a James River upper district naval officer (serving until he became deputy Auditor General of Virginia on August 15, 1728). He served as deputy Auditor General until his death in 1771, while simultaneously holding various other positions.
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