Fauquier County Tapscotts - The McBlairs

It has been noted that Maria Ann Tapscott's second marriage, to Alfred Martin, was short, for tragic reasons. Now we are going to see what those tragic reasons were.

In the late evening on a rainy 20 Aug 1873, Alfred was returning from the Fauquier County town of Melrose Station, renamed “Cassanova” a few years later, where he and a most unusual companion had been boozing it up. We say unusual, because his drinking companion was Charles Ridgley McBlair, a member of a prestigious and wealthy family. The story of what occurred, which appeared in numerous newspapers at the time, and what led up to it is worthy of a book in itself. A major synopsis, though still incomplete and a little doubtful in places, is found in the 8 Sep 1878 Baltimore Sun.

On that 20 Aug 1873 evening, after traveling about a mile in their wagon, McBlair attempted to fire his revolver, which had become wet by the rain. He tried five times, without success. Then he placed it to his head and fired twice, again without it discharging. Seeing this, Alfred swore that he would do the same, and taking the pistol from Charles, he pointed it at his head and pulled the trigger. The pistol went off and Alfred was killed instantly.

Alfred was killed by Charles McBlair’s revolver and Charles was the only living witness. So, even though McBlair informed others of Alfred’s death, assisted in removing the body, and testified about the accident before a coroner, he was jailed for trial.

Michael McBlair (Ancestry.com).

The father of the suspected murderer was Charles Henry McBlair, a son of Michael and Pleasance Goodwin McBlair. Michael, who had emigrated from Ireland in 1789, had made it big in Baltimore business and society. He had been such a success that a collection of approximately 3000 items associated with him, primarily letters, are maintained by the Maryland Center for History and Culture. Much of the information given here comes from those papers. Three of Michael’s sons, Charles Henry, John Hollins, and William, held high-ranking positions in the U.S. Navy. But in 1861, two of those sons, Charles and William, resigned from U.S. Navy to join the Confederate States Navy, where they were ships commanders, though William died before war’s end. Charles Henry McBlair saw to it that his son Charles Ridgley, though only in his late teens during the war, was made Acting Master’s Mate in both the Confederate Navy and Confederate Army.

One of the three brothers, John Hollins McBlair, stayed with the Union, serving as a major during the war. And John Hollins had a son that he also named “Charles Ridgely McBlair,” something that causes no end of confusion, particularly since the two Charles Ridgelys were born just a year or so apart.

Gov. Charles Carnan Ridgely 1820

Capt. Charles Ridgely

"Ridgely" was a family name. Pleasance Goodwin's grandmother was Pleasance Ridgely. The prominent Ridgely family of Maryland included a Maryland governor, Charles Carnan Ridgely (Pleasance Goodwin's cousin), and multiple industrialists. Another member of the family was Capt. Charles Ridgely, an adventurous ship's captain (quelled a mutiny, survived two hurricanes, imprisoned by the French during French and Indian war) and a wealthy landowner (twenty-four thousand acres).

Despite his role in the rebellion, after the War, Charles Henry McBlair became Adjutant General of Maryland, a position he held from 1871 to 1874, and a position he held when he attended his son’s trial in Warrenton, Virginia. On 12 Sep 1873 a circuit court jury in Warrenton declared Charles innocent of murdering Alfred.

Why have we presented so much about the McBlair family? Because a McBlair married into Maria Tapscott’s family. Who that McBlair was will be revealed in our next blog. Some of you Fauquier County Tapscotts have illustrious McBlair and Ridgely ancestors. But any pride must be accompanied by dishonor, for that means you also have Confederate rebels in your family tree.