BLAIR (James), an eminent divine, was born and bred in Scotland, where he had at length a benefice in the episcopal church; but meeting with some discouragements, he came to England, in the latter end of the reign of king Charles II. and was sent by Dr Compton as a missionary to Virginia, and was afterwards, by the same bishop, made commissary for that colony, the highest office in the church there. He distinguished himself by his exemplary conduct and unwearied labours in the work of the ministry; and finding that the want of proper seminaries for the advancement of religion and learning was a great damp upon all attempts for the propagation of the gospel, he formed a design of erecting and endowing a college at Williamsburgh, in Virginia, for professors and students in academical learning. He therefore not only
set on foot a voluntary subscription; but, in 1693, came to England to solicit the affair at court: when queen Mary was so well pleased with the noble design, that she espoused it with particular zeal; and king William readily concurring with her majesty, a patent was passed for erecting and endowing a college by the name of the William and Mary college, of which Mr Blair was appointed president, and enjoyed that office near 50 years. He was also rector of Williamsburgh, and president of the council in that colony. He wrote, Our Saviour's divine Sermon on the Mount explained in several sermons, 4 vols. octavo; and died in 1743.