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Here is a letter I wrote to Ellis Bateman who sent me information about Capt. John Speir of Pitt.
It does seem as if the Martha Cotten marriage was just one of those internet rumors.
Here's what I can tell you from looking at the Pitt Co. deeds:
William Speir shows up in 1749, buying land from Henry Snoad, then getting a pattent in 1755. Both parcels are north of Tarr river and south of Grindal Creek, approximately across the river from Greenville. My Hodges ancestors adjoined, and the Hollands were nearby to the east.
As I posted, the 1755 Beaufort tax lists John Speir with sons Jesse & James, and William Speir in a separate household.
Capt. John Speir patents in 1757, two parcels. I don't know where they are except one says north of Tarr. John Holland and John Speir carry chain.
In 1758 William, now Capt. patents on the south side of the Tarr;
between 1758 and 1761 Capt. John, Capt. William, and John Jr. appear numerous times.
In 1761 William Speir buys a 1700 Ac. plantation for 580 pounds - this was in the fork of the Tarr and Tranter's creek.
Then in the 1762 tax, we see John Speir Jr in William Speir's household, along with a Brannoak Owens and 9 slaves. John Speir had James Tyer in his household and another 9 slaves, and two other households held a James and Joseph Spear (so spelled).
So I note that John Speir Jr. lived with William, not John. John's will makes John Speir, Jr. an executor, but does not leave him a legacy. Both suggest John Jr. was William's son, not John's. But perhaps you have other evidence. IN any case John Jr. is not in the 1755 tax (which was for males 16+) but carried chain in 1757 (assuming you aren't allowed to carry your own chain - a John Speir carried for Capt. John Speir). If chain carriers were at least 16, John Jr was born in 1740 +- a year or so. The fact that he was called John Jr. does not at all suggest he was John's son rather than William's.
In the 1763 tax has Branoak Owens has left the William Speir household, James Spear is gone, and Jesse Spears appears.
29 May 1765 John Speir is dead and John Kennedy and his wife Apsley Speir Kennedy sell land Apsley inherited from him; Book C-241
7 May 1766 Robert Salter and his wife Clare sell land formerly belonging to Capt. John Speir. I do not see a John Speir to Salter sale; so perhaps Clare is the Cleare Speir daughter of Capt. John Speir you mention as having married a Mr. Harden. (I can check if this Clare Salter is known to be someone else).
Elizabeth Speir is witness in 1770 and dies in '73 or '74. William continues to buy and sell land; in 1782 he is Col. William Speir. He is in the 1786 census as a man over 60, and in the 1790 census. Is it the same William all along? - hard to be sure but there are no obvious gaps. My own ancestor lived to his 80s about this time. In the 1786 census he is in Capt. Robert Hodges' district, which was along Tranter's and Grindal creeks. Hodges men acted as chain bearers for his 1782 grant. As far as I can tell, he never sold off the 1700 Ac. plantation he bought in 1761. The Hodges brothers would have been his only neighbors - their land was just to the west of his, stretching from the Tarr to Tranter's creek.
1775 Pitt Tax has a Solomon Speirs. James Speir buys land in 1781 and is somewhat active, and is in the 1790 census.
The 1790 census has, besides the William Spear and James Spear households, two households headed by men named John Spear.
More detail is at:
http://www.powow.com/sandyhodges/genea/PITT/PittSur.htm
click on Speir
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It seems odd we know so little about Col. William Speir - I'll do some internet searching.
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