It is a fact that North Carolina Blizzards share the same names as those in South Carolina, i.e. Henry Clayton Blizzard in both NC and SC, totally different lines with one descended from Richard and one from Thomas. But so far Y-DNA proves our Thomas born in 1864 was not related to Richard's descendants, unless as if possible in wartime, someone else was actually the father. On the other hand, John and Nancy Blizzard were also born in North Carolina, so perhaps Richard was actually his family. Their line has not been DNA tested, so we don't know.

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 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. Richard Blizard's descendant is traced to France well over a thousand years ago.

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 an iris flower and it is also the symbol of France. There is also one "Blizard/Blizzard" which has an arm and bracelet. There are twelve Pool/Poole Crests: two "Pool" Crests, and ten different additional "Poole" family Crests.

Our Blizard ancestors were originally from Romania, and are not connected to Richard Blizzard of Surry County, Virginia, whose line is haplogroup E-y-DNA or John Haskew Blizzard of Virginia and Tennessee, descendant of John born 1780 and wife Nancy of Russell County, Virginia. John was Hapolgoup I1-yDNA. Web page link to this family is below for Margaret Blizzard Cloninger. We are not connected to this Tennessee family, who descended from John and Nancy from NC to VA. Nor are we related to Richard Blizzard of Duplin Co, NC who has R-Y-DNA as stated above. Another Blizzard Y-DNA line, also R1b1a2, is John and Ruth Burton Blizard, however, with five markers of the first twelve different from Richard's line, it's impossible they are related unless you go back thousands of years.

However, we are connected to Thomas Blizzard born in South Carolina in 1781, who went to Tennessee and got married there before moving on to Alabama where he died in June, 1857. A descendant of this family told me they were "Romany." Tillman's DNA traces his y-DNA from India to Romania at least two thousand years ago.

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. South Carolina records state the Allendale Rom came to America from Scotland, and some of our relatives intermarried with them. There is no record of a Blizard listed, but some history state that the Gill family is part Native American. Since most of our South Carolina related families came from Virginia, or North Carolina, the Blizards, originally from Maryland, may have gone to Virginia or North Carolina before settling in South Carolina.

There were no Blizard families in South Carolina in the early census records, however, there are legal documents that lists them. And yet even Richard Blizard, the younger who was born in Maryland or South Carolina in 1731, is also listed as born in Duplin, North Carolina by some descendants, because that is where he died. Richard moved to North Carolina and died in Duplin County, North Carolina in 1782. Thomas Blizard of Darlington District, South Carolina was born in Maryland or South Carolina between 1740-50 was the father of Thomas F. Blizard Sr. who went to Alabama, later.

John Blizzard listed in the 1800 census as free person of color, may or may not be related to Richard whose line tested R1b1a2 which is European. North Carolina listed Indians and Rom as persons of color, but South Carolina did not. A confusing practice that has confused genealogists. In 1820 John's son William was living in Duplin Co, probably on the family farm.

Many Blizzard and Pool ancestors came from the same area of North Carolina. Nearby in Jones County, North Carolina is where John Gunter died in 1785. He was born in 1722 in Prince George County, Virginia. 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.) More of the Gunter family is below.

The only other families listed in North Carolina 1800 census was Pernald Blizzard of Stokes, and Joab Blizard of Mecklenburg, just North of Darlington District of South Carolina. Joab was probably Jacob's brother, since they all splelled their name with one "Z." Richland County descendants later spelled their name Blizzard. Although John Blizzard was born in 1780 in North Carolina, he and his wife Nancy had already moved to Virginia, so he wouldn't be in the 1800 census in NC. This John's line is haplogroup I2b1 y-DNA which is probably Scandinavian in origin. Our South Carolina Blizzards as well as the Ohio Blizzards are tall, dark and handsome, and probably share similar DNA.

Volantini Blizard later known as Valentine Blizzard, son of Jacob Blizard, stated on a census record that his father and his mother were both born in South Carolina. Although the family moved a lot, they always stayed within a 30 miles radis of Lexington County. His mother Mary Gill, daughter of Valentine Gill, of Native American ancestry, was born in Barnwell County, South Carolina. Valentine Blizard was born in Barnwell County, South Carolina, and his wife Elisabeth Levett was born in North Carolina. The following are their children: 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. Blythewood, was later claimed by Richland County where it is today.

James T. Blizzard married Mary E. "Lizzie" Lee. Their son James "Thomas Arthur" Blizzard was born during wartime on 27 Sep. 1863. James must have been stationed nearby because he went home on "leave" about several months before. Some of his papers are at the Misc. Records page link below.

In August of 1864 James T. Blizzard was wounded and wrote a letter to his mother Elisabeth which you can see on my Gunter page. 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 Clayton Blizzard. Lounette also gave us modern day information of his various cousins, 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 and on display there. 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.

Orphaned, about sixteen years later, their grandson James "Thomas 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 1850 there were James and John Blizzard in Richland Co, South Carolina which is about fifteen or twenty miles from Blythewood where Jacob lived. Jacob's widow Mary Gill Blizard was in the 1850 Fairfield Census. Our early Blizzard family always spelled their name Blizard as well as John and Ruth Blizard of Augusta, Virginia in the early census records. Living next to Mary Gill Blizard was her son Valentine--spelled Volantini.

The Richard Blizard in Darlington District, South Carolina born in 1731 was probably the brother of Thomas Blizard born 1740-1750, who was in the same area in 1784 and in a 1794 petition. This Thomas had sons in Richland County, South Carolina.

Thomas F. Blizard, Sr. was born in South Carolina in 1781, about the same age as Jacob, living in Blythewood, Fairfield County, South Carolina next to each other. Also just across the North Carolina line was Joab Blizard who was probably a brother, but I don't have him on my gedcom yet because I don't know enough about him, or the Jacob and Josiah in the 1810 Fairfield census.
Thomas F. Sr. left South Carolina and went to Tennessee where he married and his son Thomas F. Blizzard Jr. was born. Thomas Sr. died in Alabama.

Jacob Blizard and Mary Gill Blizard's son Valentine/Volantini, was named after his grandfather Valentine Blizard and was born in Barnwell, which covered a wide area for a while, close to the Fork of the Edisto River. At that time the area was a part of Barnwell County. Mary Gill stated she was born in Fairfield, but her father Valentine lived in Barnwell. But county lines were always being re-designated, and who knows exactly who gave the information to the census taker. In Blythewood where the Blizard family lived, the family still owns the old homestead, was in Fairfield County then, but, it is in Richland County today because of changes in the county line. The county lines changed so often I put a link to maps of early days online to help your research below.

In 1961 Tillman and I got serious about genealogy. His parents gave us some family history, as well as information written in the family Bible. Tillman's father Purvis Grady Blizzard, Sr. also took us to see the graves of his ancestors, including those of his parents James "Thomas" Blizzard and Theoxena "Locky" Spires, which you will see on the Tombstone link below. That is when I first heard that Tillman's grandfather Thomas Arthur Blizzard was really the run-away, orphaned teenager James Blizzard, son of Pvt. James T. Blizzard, which I wrote about above.

The orphaned James is in Valentine Blizard's 1870 census as Valentine's grandson, but it is continued on the next page, along with Valentine's daughter Gutheredge who was also listed in Valentine's household. So it is totally possible to miss him unless you know he was originally named James and continued on the next page on the original census.

The earliest proven Blizzard ancestor born in South Carolina was Jacob Blizard,Sr. He was born in South Carolina about 1780 according to census records, so the family has been Carolinians well over two hundred years. the area of Allendale was settled in the mid 1600's at the request of the governor to populate the interior. Our related families have lived near there since that time. Jacob was probably the brother of Thomas Blizard, Jr. of Richland County who later moved to Alabama. Their father Thomas Blizard (I) 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. The name Darling is on another Colonial file with Blizard. Many sons were named Darling in the families of the Blizzards. Darlington 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, Sr. besides Jacob.

Our ancestor Jacob Blizard Sr, born about 1780 in Richland County, South Carolina, married Mary Gill, daughter of Valentine Gill, 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. For more information on the Gill family, visit Dr. Frank Clark's webpage. Jacob Blizard and Mary Gill had a son named Volantini. Valentine was born in Barnwell, before the family moved to Blythewood, Fairfield County, as stated earlier. He married Elisabeth Levett who was born in North Carolina as well as her parents Henry and Leesy Levett. Their son Pvt. James Thomas Blizzard married Lizzie Lee. James T. joined the C.S.A. in 1861, stationed in Columbia, not far from home.

James Thomas Blizzard's orphaned son James Arthur, lived with his grandparents Valentine and Elisabeth Blizzard. James later said that Elisabeth was very strict with him, so when he was about 16 or 17 years old he hopped a train for the great west. That is, he went west of Columbia, SC to Aiken County. James Arthur. aka "Thomas," Tillman's grandfather, ran away from his grandparents because he argued with his grandmother, Elisabeth.

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. 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, Sr. Lula married Joseph Lucas and named a son Sylvanus and daughters Sylvia and Helen. Purvis is a form of Pervez, a name found in India. Purvis married "Nettie" Pool. Their children were Purvis Grandy Blizzard, Jr; Tillman Arthur Blizzard; Brenda Lee Blizzard Tindal; and Anita Blizzard Williamson.

The Pool Family

Our line in South Carolina was through Isaac Pool who came to Orangeburg Territory, at the Forks of the North Branch of the Edisto River. Isaac was the son of Walter "the Cooper" Pool and his first wife Lucy Dukes. Walter Pool bought land at the Forks of the Edisto River in 1794, and was probably the land Isaac lived on in the early days. Walter was the son of William "the Joyner" Pool of Virginia and his second wife Elizabeth Watson, daughter of John Watson who died in 1763. Elizabeth died before her father did, as only son-in-law William Poole is mentioned.

Other South Carolina Pools whose descendants tested G1-yDNA, were James Pool born 1756, married Ursula Hudson, born 1762, Virginia; and John Pool born about 1758 in Edgefield Dist., South Carolina and died 1839 in Alabama who married Mahulda Holloway.

Another or the same lineage had Adam Pool with a son named William Pool born in 1703 was I1-yDNA. This William was also living in Lexington District, South Carolina, born 1703 in Prince George County, Virginia, and he died in 1777 in Lexington. He was also said too have a son named Adam Poole, but this Adam went to Fairfield District. The I1-yDNA results of Pat Bonneau's uncle James Pool, grandson of Tilman Pool, proved that Isaac was Adam's brother.

The James and John Pool living in the Orangeburg District of the Edisto River, may be related to either William or Philip Pool.

A map of the area of John Jordan of the Pool Trail is very hard to read. It was found by Pat Bonneau, my Pool genealogy partner. James and John Pool on the map, may be the same James and John Pool above, who are later found in Laurens and Edgefield. The area of the Edisto River was in both Orangeburg District and Edgefield District at one time or another.

Y-DNA testing has proved Isaac was the son of Walter "The Cooper" Pool and Lucy Dukes, his first wife,  thanks to Pat Bonneau and her uncle, and other lines tested.  Isaac married Keziah before 1799. Their son Walter married Elizabeth "Polly" Wells about 1820. Walter is on the 1840 census, with the 1850 and 1860 census record listing Polly and children, below on the Census link.

On the 1800 census Isaac is listed with John Williamson, Jacob Hutto, William Bryant, (Tillman's gg-great-grandfather) 2 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. See the Gunter page with many records of the Blizzard and Pool Families.

Nancy "Nettie" 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 on the Gunter Page, beginning with Balaam's son Wilson which will prove this line of descent.

Tilman Pool, Sr. had an illegitimate  half-brother named Isicker called "Sick" Pool who named a son Philip C. Pool . Both Tilman and Isicker had sons named Walter Pool in honor of their father Walter Pool. Tilman's son, Tillman II, married Dolly Ann Nettie Williamson, daughter of John T. Williamson and Sarah Bryant.

John's father Samuel Williamson was born in North Carolina in 1792. Tillman Blizzard's mt-DNA is Haplogroup H 11 originally from Sweden, through his Irish grandmother Dolly Ann Nettie Williamson, daughter of John Williamson and Sarah Ann Bryant. Sarah was the daughter of Fountain O'Brain and Elizabeth Overstreet, daughter of John and Catherine Overstreet. Fountain was the son of Darby O'Brian. On the death certificate below of James B. Bryant, Sarah's brother, it lists the names of their parents as Fountain Bryant and Betsy Overstreet, also on the death certificate of Chris C. Williamson and brother Lang. There is no doubt Sarah was Sarah O'brian, Irish descent and not Bryant, which is German. In fact the Bryan living next to Isaac Poole and Corbett land is Sarah's family as well as her mother-in-law Recia's father William Bryan. (Though she was Irish, Recia is a Spanish name that translates into English as Reece, which is the reason you see her name in two or three forms.)

Tillman Pool II, and Dolly were the parents of Nancy "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. But Capt. John Purvis married Elizabeth Levett so the connection may be connected to them, as our Valentine Blizard married Elisabeth Levett, both born in North Carolina.

Tilman Pool married Tirzah Gunter who was of royal descent through her Gunter/Awbrey ancestors, and blood cousin to me through my father's Owen line. Tilman and Tirzah lived near the North Fork of the Edisto River.

Royal Gunter Connections

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 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, to present day families in Aiken and Lexington Counties. I haven't seen the second edition, but Pat Bonneau told me there is one.

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's mother, 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. which you can download and print for free. 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.

The Gunters were all born in Wales for almost five hundred years, beginning with Sir William I Gunter, knight, born about 1069 in Gunnerstone, Wales. Then our Gunter line moved to England in the 15th century and 200 years later, John Gunter, Pilgrim, sailed to America to make his home in Virginia.

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.

Joshua Gunter was born in Virginia and died in Lexington, South Carolina. 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.

Genealogy can take some turns for the worst when you don't know where to look. My advise is to look for a sibling incase the parent's names aren't spelled right. Also look for neighbors to prove you have the right families when possible.
Here are some census records you didn't know you wanted. And also maps to show how our families didn't move as much as the county lines did.

Unusual Family Census Records
MAPS of SC Counties through the years.

Our Family Page Links

At the Family Tree DNA link you can do a search for surname DNA pages which list the earliest known ancestor, and some give genealogy, too. It can be a good search tool.

Sources of all my gedcoms