Scotland -- The Hairston family is from the Dumfries area of Scotland. Documents found in Scotland spell the name in many ways: Hairstanes, Hairstains, Hairstones, Harestons, Herstaines, Hairstens, Harston, Hairsteins, Hairstons, etc.
Virginia Hairstons: Peter Hairston, "The Immigrant" signed a land lease with Sir Robert Adair in Antrim, Ireland in 1726 and then, around 1728, he and his family moved to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the British Colonies. About 1739, Peter and his family move to Virginia. Peter had three known sons named Andrew, Samuel and Robert and one known daughter Eleanor. There are stories about other children, but no proof.
South Carolina Hairstons: The original South Carolina Hairstons were named William, Thomas, John, and Peter and they appear in South Carolina records in the mid-1760s. I have not found any old records indicating the name of the father of the South Carolina Hairstons. There are a couple of books that list their father, but the books offer no evidence.
Y-DNA: Two South Carolina Hairston descendants and four Virginia Hairston descendants took the FamilyTreeDNA Big Y-700 test. The results estimate that the South Carolina and Virginia Hairstons have a common ancestor born about 1626. This indicates that the South Carolina Hairstons arrived in the American Colonies directly from Europe and are not direct descendants of Peter Hairston "The Immigrant" and the Virginia Hairstons.
Daughter Eleanor: New research indicates that "Peter the Immigrant" had a daughter named Eleanor. Samuel Hairston, son of "Peter the Immigrant", mentions niece Jane Phillips and nephew Samuel Phillips in his 1782 will. Jane and Samuel Phillips moved to Georgia about 1777. In 1754, a Richard Phillips lived close to Samuel and Robert Hairston and worked with Samuel Hairston to clear a road. In 1758, Richard Phillips is in the Militia with Samuel, Andrew and Robert Hairston and in 1768, Richard Phillips and the Hairston brothers witness the same deed. Richard Phillips sells his Virginia properties in the late 1780s and then appears in Georgia. In 1789, Richard Phillips and Samuel Phillips obtain land grants #572 and #573 on the same day in Franklin County, Georgia. In 1790, Richard Phillips bought land and Samuel Phillips was the witness. It appears that Richard Phillips and Eleanor Phillips are likely the parents of Jane and Samuel Phillips.
Daughter Jane: Was there another daughter named Jane "Jenny"? Andrew Hairston named a daughter Jane "Jenny" and his brother Robert named a daughter Jane "Jennett". Also, the above mentioned Eleanor Phillips named a daughter Jane "Jennett". It is possible that "Peter the Immigrant" may have had a daughter named Jane.
Genealogy Notes: Hairston.org is an ongoing project compiling many, many years of research and the help of the late Victor Edmund Hairston and the late Edward J. Bregenzer. Victor and Ed concentrated their research on the descendants of Andrew, the son of "Peter the Immigrant". My research is focused on Peter’s son Robert and records prior to 1750 in Scotland, Ireland and America. We all relied on the publications by Elizabeth Seawell Hairston (1855-1944), Ruth Hairston Early (1849-1928) and Judge Peter W. Hairston, III (1913-2007).
I created this website, Hairston.org, in 1998 and it has gone through many changes and many corrections. Please let me know when you find errors and I will correct them. Many genealogy books about the Hairston family have a lot of incorrect information. Please note that records of living people and most people born after 1940 are not listed on this website for privacy reasons. Thank you.
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Scotland & Ireland
Coat of Arms of William Hairstanes -1720
Agnes Hairstanes - Covenantor Imprisoned For Her Beliefs - 1685
Lady Alva, Lady Glenorchy and the Countess of Sutherland