3. Tradition of Origin - by George M. O’Rear¹

    In 1946, Captain George MacFadden O’Rear, originally from Attalla, Alabama, wrote to Judge E. C. O’Rear and gave the following very interesting tradition about the origins of the family:
    "Our family in America, as it was related to me by my father, springs from John O’Rior, an Irish Baron of the court of Charles I. When Charles was seized, John O’Rior fled to Armagh County, Ireland and took with him one of the younger ailing children of the King - a girl by the name of Elizabeth - after giving out that the child had died and purporting a dead child’s body as hers.
    In 1654 he came to America and settled with his family and ward in New Jersey. The spelling of the name either for phonetic or other reasons became O’Rear.
    Later his own son, John and his ward, Elizabeth were married and the family migrated south to Virginia - just when I do not know.
    My father also told me, as part of the story, that Prince Charles (Charles II) was very fond of his family and during the period of his exile came to Jamestown, Virginia in search of his sister, but did not locate the O’Riors."

Notes:

1.  Note by DJO'Rear, November 10, 1997:  A search of history books on Charles I does not list a daughter by the name of Elizabeth.  Also, there is no record of Charles II traveling to America.  Such a trip by a monarch or royalty to the new world at that time never happened.  Charles II did, however, seek refuge in France following Cromwell's victory.  He then went to the Isle of Jersey and then Ireland prior to returning to the throne.  Perhaps thios journey is the origin of this story.

Last Revised: 08/01/2002 13:12:00

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