This is the heritage of Purvis Blizzard, Sr. 1910-1985 and Nettie Pool 1908-1984, parent's of Purvis Grady Jr, 1936-1992, Tillman 1938-2008, Brenda 1944-1975; and Anita Blizzard, of royal descent through Nettie Pool and her grandmother Tirzah Gunter. Tirzah's ancestor Joshua Gunter, a descendant of the Emperor Charlemagne, came from Virginia as well as James Gill and many other related families. In Virginia they were part of the Scotch-Irish settlement in Augusta County which included West Virginia at that time. It is very interesting that the Ohio Blizzards, West Virginia Blizzards and South Carolina Blizzard resemble one another.

I am Barbara Neel Blizzard,  the widow of Tillman Blizzard of Aiken County, SC. I descend from the Love, and Wilson families of Lancaster and Chester Counties of South Carolina. I descend from Adam McCool of Chester Co, SC, who married Mary Love, daughter of John "The Weaver" Love of Chester Co, SC and I descend from his brother Robert Love who married Violet Wilson. I also descend from Thomas Reynolds born in Guilford, NC, who died in 1782 in Edgefield Co, SC. [but not the Thomas Reynolds from Virginia who married Nancy.] Although I am a Blizzard by marriage, I always think of myself, and speak as though I were born into the Blizzard/Poole family.

Tillman's Blizzard and Pool ancestors were in South Carolina in the mid 1700's. Although his mother knew her Williamson family was from Ireland, Tillman said his father's family didn't talk about where they came from originally, but he thought they were from England. In fact Giles Blizard of Maryland can be traced through wills to Adae Blissarde of Laverton and Buckland which were one county in fifteenth century England.

In England the Blizard/Blizzard family originated in Brittany, France, where it is pronounced Bliz'zard. But in America it is pronounced Bliz-erd like the snow storm. Listed in Fairbairn's Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland in England there are two Blizard/Blizzard Crests. One "Blizard" Crest with a Coat of Arms that has the French "Fluer-de-lis" which is the symbol of France, an iris flower. There is also one "Blizzard" which does not have the French symbol. Our line spelled the name with one "Z" which means they were probably of the French line who went to England. The Coat of Arms alone proves they were nobility, or at least people of means and noteworthy. (There is a map of their British region of origin on the main page.)

Allendale was settled in the mid 1600's at the request of the governor to populate the interior. Many of our related families have lived near there since that time. Thomas Blizard 1st, of Richland County, had taken part in a 1794 petition of Chesterfield. Three names stand out in the petition Thomas Blizard, John Purvis and James Purvis. Tillman Blizzard looked like South Carolina FBI agent Melvin Purvis. Hmm.........

The Blizzard, Gunter and Poole families came from North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. The name Darling is on another Colonial file with the name Blizard. Many sons were named Darling in the families of the Blizzards.  Darlington District was probably named for the Darling family. The name Purvis is also found in other Richland County Blizzard families, descendants of other sons of Thomas Blizzard, 1st. as well as Jacob our Thomas’ son. The only sons of Jacob and Mary Gill Blizzard’s that I know of  for certain were Valentine Blizard, a planter in Blythewood in 1850; and Jacob Jr, attorney at law. They were all educated people, so they may have descended from the titled Blizards of England.  After Jacob Sr. died, Jacob Jr. and his mother moved to Georgia.

Our ancestor Jacob Blizard Sr, married Mary Gill, daughter of Valentine Gill, of Barnwell County, South Carolina, son of James Gill, son of David Gill who is said to be the son of Stephen Gill. Mary was the only child of Valentine Gill's unknown first wife. Jacob Blizard and Mary Gill had a son named "Volantini," after her father. Valentine was born 27 July 1811 in Barnwell, Orangeburg Dist, South Carolina, and died 28 February, 1889 in Ridgeway, Fairfield Co, South Carolina. He married neighbor Elisabeth Lovett who was born 20 January 1810 in North Carolina and died 26 February 1891 in Ridgeway, Fairfield Co, South Carolina. Her parents were Henry and Leesy Lovett. Their son Pvt. James Thomas Blizzard married Mary Elizabeth "Lizzie" Lee. James T. joined the C.S.A. in Winsboro, Fairfield County, South Carolina in 1861 in a unit later stationed in Columbia, not far from home. To demonstrate how often Valentine moved around South Carolina,  the following are their children and place of birth: daughter Martha aka Marsha born in Richland County, daughter Mary was born in Sumter County, and son James Thomas (our family line) was born in Fairfield, County as well as the younger siblings.

Tillman Arthur Blizzard tested his paternal family line: Haplogroup G2a3b-yDNA, which Family Tree DNA determined originally came from India and Pakistan border. Therefore, we know he is not connected to the Blizzard of Tennessee who came directly from England to Tennessee, because that line tested Hapolgoup I1a-yDNA. They descended from John Blizard born 1780 in North Carolina and his wife Nancy. But it's possible that the Pendleton Blizzard family of John and Ruth are related to our Blizzard line. We need more DNA testing of this line to prove a connection.

Of Thomas Blizard Ist of Darlington, his son Thomas Blizzard, II, born in South Carolina in 1781 went to Tennessee and got married there before moving on to Alabama where he died in June, 1857. A descendant of that family told me they were "Romany." It is a fact that the South Carolina Blizzards married into families who were among the Rom from Scotland who settled Allendale in Orangeburg District, in the area later known as Barnwell County today. South Carolina records state the Allendale Rom came to America from Scotland, and some of our relatives intermarried with them, but, there is no record of a Blizard listed.

Of Valentine Blizard: his son James Thomas Blizzard married Mary E. "Lizzie" Lee. Their son James Arthur Blizzard was born during wartime on 27 Sep. 1863. James must have been stationed nearby because he went home on "leave" several months before James Arthur was born. Some of James Thomas Blizzard’s military papers are at the Misc. Records page link below. In August of 1864 James T. Blizzard was wounded a wrote a letter to Mom. He was wounded in battle and sent to a Washington D. C. hospital where he died 29 Oct 1864 from a thigh wound. The copy of his letter to his mother was sent to us by Tillman's cousin Lounette, daughter of his uncle Clayton Blizzard. Lounette also gave us modern day genealogy, which we are very glad to have, however, for security and privacy reasons, I do not put anyone born after 1930 on my gedcoms. The original letter was donated to the Civil War section of the Charleston Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. Since it was addressed only to his mother and siblings, Valentine may have taken part in the war as well, because he was only about 55, and many that age were in the ranks. Seventeen years later, their orphaned grandson James Arthur Blizzard ran away from his grandmother Elisabeth who had a hard time at home with Valentine being senile by that time.

James went to Aiken County where he changed his name to “Thomas” Arthur Blizzard. In 1961 Tillman and I started researching our genealogy. His parents gave us some family history, as well as information written in the family Bible. Tillman's father Purvis G. Blizzard, Sr. also took us to see the graves of his ancestors, including those of his parents James "Thomas" Arthur Blizzard and Theoxena "Locky" Spires. That is when I first heard that Tillman's grandfather Thomas Arthur Blizzard was really the run-away, orphaned teenager James Arthur Blizzard, son of Pvt. James Thomas Blizzard, which I wrote about above. James changed his name to Thomas Arthur Blizzard so he couldn't be found, but later wrote to his grandparents to let them know where he was, but he kept the name Thomas Arthur Blizzard for the rest of his life and is buried under that name in Kings Grove Cemetery located near Pelion on Hwy 178. Thomas is buried next to his wife Theoxena "Locky" Spires.Theoxena's name was spelled incorrectly on the the 1880 census as Henry Spire's seven year old daughter Ceoxeny. In later records with Thomas Blizzard her name was spelled Lockie. Her tombstone at Kings Grove Cemetery just has L. A. Blizzard. In the same 1880 census just below Henry's household is Hambleton Spires. Another typo. That is clearly Hamilton with his second wife Elizabeth and 24 yr. old daughter Emma by his first wife. I would question the spelling of other names written by that census taker as well. James "Thomas Arthur" Blizzard and "Locky" Spires were the parents of Lula, Clifton, Clayton, Sudie, and their youngest child, Purvis Grady Blizzard. Lula married Joseph Lucas and named a son Sylvanus. Purvis is a form of Pervez, a name found in India. Purvis married "Nettie" Pool. Their children were Purvis Grady Blizzard, Jr.; Tillman Arthur Blizzard; Brenda Lee Blizzard Tindal; and Anita Blizzard Williamson. If you want a hint in doing research, most of these names are the surnames of the mothers in the families.

There are twelve Pool/Poole Crests: two "Pool" Crests, and ten different additional "Poole" family Crests. Our first Pool of record in South Carolina was Isaac Pool who came to Orangeburg Territory, at the Forks of the North Branch of the Edisto River. Pat Bonneau's cousin, James Pool, tested Haplogroup I1a y-DNA. James is a direct male descendant of Isaac and Keziah Pool. Another Pool living in the area although not in a census, was Walter Pool who bought land at the Forks of the Edisto River in 1794, and was probably living with Isaac. Isaac was the son of Ensign Walter "the Cooper" Pool, and Lucy Dukes, his first wife. Walter was the son of William "the Joyner" Poole and Elizabeth Watson of Virginia. A map of the area of John Jordan of the Pool Trail is very hard to read. It was found by my husband's cousin Pat Bonneau, my Pool genealogy partner. The area of the Edisto River was in both Orangeburg District and Edgefield District at one time or another. On the 1800 census Isaac is listed with John Williamson, Jacob Hutto, William Bryant, (Tillman's gg-great-grandfather) two Robert Gavins, and more you will recognize now as neighbors in Aiken and Lexington counties. Walter and Polly were the parents of blond haired, blue-eyed, Pvt. Tilman Pool I, of the C.S.A. Tilman's discharge paper is on the main page. Records of the Blizzard and Pool Families.

Nettie "Nannie"Poole's sisters Olivia and Ivy, married brothers Fred and Willie Gunter, who descended from Balaam Gunter, son of Joshua Gunter, through Balaam's grandson Macom; so they also descended from the Emperor Charlemagne. I posted Fred and Willie's Gunter family census records online beginning with Balaam's son Wilson which will prove this line of descent.

Tilman Pool, (I) had a son named Tillman II, who  married Dolly Ann Nettie Williamson, daughter of John T. Williamson and Sarah Bryant (orignially Obrian.) John T. Williamson was the son of Samuel Williamson who married Recia Bryant. Recia's father William was the brother of Sarah Bryant's grandfather Fountain Obrian aka Bryan. William and Fountain were the sons of Darby Bryan aka Obrian. These were Irish, don't 'cha know! And together on the 1830 and 1840 census records before Fountain and Betsy Overstreet Bryan moved to Monetta where Sarah was born. John's father Samuel Williamson was born in North Carolina in 1792. Tillman Blizzard's mtDNA (Haplogroup H11-mtDNA) is through his Irish grandmother Dolly Ann Nettie Williamson, daughter of  Sarah Ann Obrian, daughter of  Elizabeth "Betsy" Overstreet, daughter of John and Catherine Overstreet.

Tillman Pool II, and Dolly were the parents of "Nannie" Nettie Pool who married Purvis Blizzard, Sr. Since their son Tillman Blizzard looks like South Carolina FBI agent Melvin Purvis, Purvis is certainly a family name, however, I haven't discovered the connection yet. The original English spelling of Tillman in the Domesday Book is Tilghman. Tilman Pool married Tirzah Gunter who was of royal descent through her Gunter/Awbrey ancestors, and my distant cousin. Tilman and Tirzah lived near the North Fork of the Edisto River.

You may wonder why being descended from royalty is noteworthy. Simply because they could read and write, and they kept genealogy records which allows us to trace our roots back to Biblical times, or the Pharaohs of Egypt. Or in the case of our Gunter line, the Emperor Charlemagne, and Clovis, King of the Franks. Many descendants of Charlemagne are those very people listed in Gunters Along the Edisto by J. H. Buff, Jr. Mr. Buff interviewed me while we were living at the old home of Nettie Pool Blizzard in the 80's, but at that time I didn't know about the royal Gunter connection and neither did he. His book is full of information in the first edition, from John Gunter of Kintbury, ancestor of Joshua Gunter who came to South Carolina.

Although I am a South Carolina Pool in-law, I am also connected by blood as a descendant of Peter Gunter and Joan Awbrey of royal descent. They are ancestors of mine through my father, and of Tillman's through his mother's paternal grandmother, Tirzah Gunter, wife of Tilman Pool, 1st. It has been my ambition in doing Tillman's genealogy to prove my Thomas Gunter whose wife was of royal descent, was related to Tillman's Josuha Gunter family. In the Awbrey-Vaughn section of the book Lloyd Manuscripts: Genealogies of the families of Awbrey-Vagugh, Blunston etc. I found a lineage at the bottom of page 15 which states my entire Gunter line from Margaret Gunter to Sir Peter Gunter and Jane Awbrey. Tillman's line comes in a William Gunter and Lucy Harvard. He descends from their son William and I descend from Jenkin Gunter. Even though the Gunters were in Wales for almost 500 years, they were not native to Wales. The Welsh did not use surnames. Sir Peter Gunter, went to England from France with William the Conqueror and ended up in Wales. Sir Peter's wife Jane Awbrey was descended from Clovis, King of Franks and Charlemagne Emperor of Europe. His descendant Joshua Gunter, a Rev. War soldier from Virginia, came to South Carolina. Joshua and his father John Gunter each are listed as the earliest ancestor of men tested at Family Tree DNA. Both men are Haplogroup R1b1-yDNA which is a very old, European DNA. Haplogroup R yDNA is in fact, the foundation of most yDNA. John Gunter was born in 1722 in Prince George County, Virginia, and died in 1785. He left a will written in 1781. His son Joshua Gunter was born in Brunswick County, North Carolina, and died in Lexington County, South Carolina after first living in Edgefield County, South Carolina. (Edgefield boundries once included much of Lexington and Aiken Counties, so people probably didn't move as much as their county lines did.) Joshua married Keziah Banks who was also born in Virginia. Nettie Pool was the granddaughter of Tirzah Gunter, daughter of Elizabeth Wilson and Russell Gunter, son of Joshua Gunter. Russell married Elizabeth Wilson according to the Lexington Historical Society records I found at the Lexington County Library about 1992. I know everyone else has her name as Elizabeth Nelson, but I believe it was read incorrectly and repeated by everyone, because the Historical Society record I read in Lexington clearly stated Wilson. Tillman was very pleased to learn about  his family history beyound what he heard as a young man growing up in South Carolina.

I hope you find this of interest to you, and encourage you to discover more about who you are.

Barbara Neel Blizzard, NSDAR
Administrator of the Blizzard DNA Project at Family Tree DNA
Administrator of the Maryland DNA Project at Family Tree DNA
bj_neel@hotmail.com