Adam Alexander

Adam Alexander (9/23/1728 - 9/13/1798) was one of the original signers of the Meckenburg Declaration of Independence. He, like most of the men reported to be signers, was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His family was from Ulster, Ireland, and they are interrelated to many of the Alexanders in Mecklenburg County. He spent his early years in Maryland, where he was born, and Pennsylvania.

Adams' father, William, was a captain. Adam was a colonel and served in the Clear Creek militia, along with Charles Polk and James Harris. Mary Shelby of Frederick County, Maryland, became his wife on 8/4/1752. Mary's parents owned a large tract of land near Hagerstown, Maryland. Her brother was Gen. Evan Shelby, an officer in the French and Indian War. Her nephew was Col. Isaac Shelby, a hero of King's Mountain, who later became governor of Kentucky. Adam and his brother, Charles, were both officers in the Revolutionary War and reportedly signed the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. They are also related to the two other Alexanders who are considered signers. He settled in the Clear Creek area of Mecklenburg County and had a Presbyterian minister visit in his home there on Sunday, 10/12/1775. Adam served as a delegate to the Catawba Indians. He owned a store and a mill, as well as a home in another location. Justice of the Peace, member of the Mecklenburg County Court and Elder of Clear Creek Presbyterian Church were just some of the titles given him during his lifetime. 

Although he had no will, when his property was evaluated at the time of his death, he had more than 30 books, a large collection for this time period. When the debate began over whether the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence existed, his son, Isaac, who was 19 years old in 1775, certified to the State Legislature team investigating the document that he was present in Charlotte on May 19th and 20th, 1775, and that the men known as the 'signers' met to take action and withdraw their allegiance from the King of Great Britain.

Documentation

(1) King, Victor C. Lives and Times of the 27 Signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence of May 20, 1775. Charlotte, NC, 1956.