The Blizzard Family

of  South Carolina

 

This is the heritage of SCPO Tillman Blizzard, USN, son of  Purvis Blizzard, Sr. 1910-1985 and Nancy "Nettie" Pool 1908-1984. Tillman and his cousin Pat are  of royal descent from the Emperor Charlemagne through  Tirzah Gunter. Tirzah's ancestor Joshua Gunter came from Virginia, as well as many other Blizzard and Pool related families. Tillman's Blizzard and Pool ancestors were in South Carolina in the mid 1700's. He said his father's family didn't talk about where the family came from, but he thought they were from England. The Blizzard family in England, originated in Brittany, France, where it is pronounced Bliz'zard. But in America it is pronounced "Blizerd" 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 an iris flower and it is also the symbol of France. There is also one "Blizzard" which does not have the French symbol. There are twelve Pool/Poole Crests: two "Pool" Crests, and ten different additional "Poole" family Crests.

 

 

Mary Gill Blizzard was native American. I don’t know exactly where other Indian blood is, but it is a tradition of some members of all our family lines. Another tradition is that there were many Romany in our families in the area of Barnwell and Lexington. The Roma were G y-DNA. It makes sense that our Colonial families married Native Americans. They made us who we are and we are proud of it.

 

Our Blizard ancestors were Haplogroup G-yDNA, and are not connected to the Englishman William Blizzard of Tennessee, who came directly from England to Tennessee, who was Hapolgoup I-yDNA, the only other Blizzard tested for yDNA, so this is the only mention of him on this page.

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 "Gypsies." Descendants of other Richland County, SC Blizzards told me their family history is that they are descnded from “Gypsies,” as well.

 

The South Carolina Blizzards married into families who were Native Americans and probably also related to the Rom from Scotland who settled Allendale in Orangeburg District. 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 among them.   The Blizzard history is that British soldier Richard Blizard, father of Richard and Thomas Blizard was born in 1701 in Pershore,  Worchestshire, England. Richard was in the military in South Carolina before going to Maryland where he died in Baltimore about 1766.

 

 

There were no Blizard families in South Carolina in the early census records, however, there are legal documents that lists them. And yet even the earliest known, Richard Blizard who was born in 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 Co. in 1782. Thomas Blizard of Darlington District, South Carolina was also born in South Carolina between 1740-50. More about his son Thomas F. Blizard Sr. who went to Alabama, later. Tillman's paternal Blizzard line and his earliest proven ancestor of a census record was Volantini Blizard, son of Jacob Blizard and Mary Gill.

Visit Barbara Neel Blizzard's site: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bjblitzen/blizzard-gunter-pool.htm Emaill address: bjblitzen@yahoo.com