Looking for the Origins of Zair. Mary Zair's lineage.

A quick recap so everyone knows where we are...

This blog is of course, "Everything Unwin", a focus on the descendants of Thomas Zair Unwin and his wife Annie Reid who arrived in 1874.   In an earlier post, I pointed out the "Zair Naming Tradition" in the Unwin lineage.  We have 13 family members who have Zair either as their Christian name or their middle name. The name Zair comes from Thomas' Mother, Mary Unwin nee. Zair.   In terms of the Zair name, I haven't been able to get beyond Mary's Grandfather, William Zair who was born in 1740.  I'm spending as much time on this as I can to actually locate the origins of the Zair name.

A very elderly Mary Unwin

GRANDFATHER
William Zair
BIRTH 1740 • Gnosall, Staffordshire, Eng
DEATH 1817 • Gnosall Staffordshire, Eng
married Anne Lockley (1742 - 1811)

FATHER
George Zair
BIRTH 1775 • Gnosall, Staffordshire, Eng
DEATH APR 1811 • Gnosall, Staffordshire, Eng
married Catherine Wild (1774–1862)

SELF
Mary Zair
BIRTH 1804 • Bilston, Staffordshire, England
DEATH 23 FEB 1875 • Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England
married Thomas Unwin Sr (1806 - 1886)

In the mean time, I've also started looking at older material.  Zair and its alternative form Yair is turning up in some very old locations!

Ancient Origins of Zair - Yair.

St Mary's Abbey, Melrose; the ruins of the Monastery of the Cistercian order in Melrose, Roxinburgshire, in the Scottish Borders.  

The village of Zair, was once in the county of Roxinburgshire, Scotland, the first county over the border from Northumberland, England.    In the same county, is the St Mary's Abbey at Melrose.    Also known as Melrose Abbey,  the monastery was founded in 1136 by David the first.
Inside the monsastery, there is an inscription near the Cloister Doors which reads, heir lyis the race of ye hovs of Zair, or Here lies the race of the house of Zair.[1] 

I will continue searching from both ends, meaning trying to establish William Zair's parentage as well as finding out more about the ancient place name known as Zair in Roxinburgshire.

In the bible - Zair, was a City in Edom. (2 Kings 8:21), perhaps part of the origin of the place name in Roxinburgshire.[2]   Particularly if we take into account the Crusades to the Middle East.   There is plenty to find out!   So watch this space.

Let me know what you think!

Footnotes
[1] Wass, J. Custodian of the Abbey,Melrose Abbey with Notes Descriptive and Historical, fourteenth edition (William Richie, Edinburgh, 1890)
[2] http://www.kingjamesbibledictionary.com/Dictionary/Zair