The History of Blair

It's official: I'm addicted to this genealogy stuff now. I've recently been digging on the internet and at the local public library for ancestral information about our Blair family and, more generally, about the history of the Blair clan itself. Here's a taste of what I've found:

• Granddaddy's (Thom Williamson Blair's) great grandfather -- William Blair (1820-1880) -- was the first Blair in our lineage to come to America. William came to America from Ayrshire, Scotland, married Henrietta Emmons of New York, and settled in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
• Although I've yet to substantiate it, I've found information suggesting that William's parents and grandparents (dating back to the mid-18th century) also lived in Ayrshire, Scotland, specifically the town of Dundonald.
• A quick Google search indicates that Ayrshire has long been the seat of the Blair clan in Scotland.
• The name Blair comes from the Gaelic word "Blar", which means an open field cleared of woods. In other words, a battlefield. The first Blair is believed to date back into the latter part of the 11th and early years of the 12th century. After William the Conqueror captured England in 1066 he marched north establishing his throne as he went. Norman warriors remained in Scotland to protect the peace. It was the grandson of one of these Norman warriors -- one Jean Francois -- who first established the lands of Blair (named for the terrain) around the end of the 12th century and upon whom Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) (1165-1214) conferred the Barony of Blare. Jean Francois's descendants adopted the surname "de Blare (Blair)", as was tradition when one inherited a Barony.
• The first truly famous Blair is Sir Bryce de Blair (no lie), who was knighted by Alexander III but spurned the English king and supported William Wallace (yes, Braveheart) during the Scottish Rebellion. Sir Bryce supplied Wallace with food, arms, and clothing, and in 1296 he eventually captured at Ayr and executed by English King Edward I (Longshanks) for his treachery. Sir Bryce de Blair's nephew, Robert de Blair, was knighted in 1314 by Robert the Bruce/King Robert I of Scotland for his valor at the Battle of Bannockburn.
• The ancestral home of the Blairs, dating back to the first Baron of Blare and reputed to be the oldest continually inhabited mansion house in Scotland which has not been rebuilt, is available for lodging and private events. I'm sensing a grand old party, Blair-style. We'll even drink Scotch Whiskey instead of Virginia Gentlemen.