Nathaniel Dawson
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Nathaniel Henry Rhodes Dawson (1829 - 1895)

Nathaniel Henry Rhodes Dawson
Born in Charleston, South Carolina, USAmap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 15 May 1862 [location unknown]
[children unknown]
Died at age 65 in Selma, Alabama, USAmap
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Profile last modified | Created 5 May 2011
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Contents

Biography

Nathaniel was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on February 14, 1829. He was the eldest son of Lawrence Edwin Dawson (1799–1849) and Mary Wilkinson (née Rhodes) Dawson (1808–1851).

In 1842, his family moved from Charleston to Dallas County, Alabama.[1]

He attended St. Joseph's College in Mobile, Alabama.[2] He began his legal career in Cahaba, Dallas County, Alabama in 1851.

On January 22, 1852, he married Anne Eliza Mathews.[3] Anne died 1855,

He then married Mary Elizabeth Tarver on June 17, 1857. She died in 1860.

His third marriage on May 13, 1862 was to Elodie Breck Todd, half-sister of Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.[4]
Nathaniel Dawson served in the United States Civil War.
Side: CSA

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Nathaniel was elected as captain of Selma's Magnolia Cadets. The Cadets eventually became Company C of the 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment. Later, he commanded a battalion of cavalry.

After the war, Nathaniel returned to Selma and resumed his law practice. In 1880, he was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives, and was chosen Speaker of the House from 1880 to 1881. In 1886, he was appointed as the 3rd United States Commissioner of Education by President Grover Cleveland, serving until 1889 when President Benjamin Harrison was elected.

After he left the Education Department, he again returned to the practice of law until August 1892, when he was again elected to the Alabama House, taking his seat in the assembly for the third time as one of the members from Dallas County.[2]

Census Records

On the 1850 census, Nathaniel (age 22) was a lawyer, residing at an Inn in Cahaba, Dallas County, Alabama.[5] In the 1860 census N. H. R. Dawson (age 31) was living in Selma, Alabama.[6]

In the 1870 census Nathaniel (age 41) was the head of household in Selma, Dallas, Alabama, United States.[7]

In the 1880 census N. H. R. Dawson (age 50) was a Lawyer and the widowed head of household in Selma, Dallas, Alabama, United States.[8]

Death

Nathaniel's death was reported in the Evening Star on February 2, 1895 in Washington, District of Columbia, stating he had died yesterday (February 1, 1895) in Selma, Alabama.[9]

Nathaniel was buried in Live Oak Cemetery in Selma, Dallas, Alabama, United States.[10]

Nathaniel's estate passed probate on 16 January 1895 in Dallas, Alabama, United States.[11]

Slaves

See Slaves of Nathaniel Henry Rhodes Dawson for information regarding the slaves owned by N. H. R. Dawson.

Published Information about N. H. R. Dawson

  • An extensive bio is on his Find A Grave memorial. [10]
  • Alabama Pioneers [1]
  • Memorial record of Alabama, Volume 1, pages 858-365[12]
  • History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Vol. 3[13]

Sources

  1. ↑ 1895 Newspaper: "Newspapers.com"
    Evening Star (Washington, District of Columbia) 02 Feb 1895, page
    Newspapers Clip: 29367886 (accessed 1 April 2023)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Alabama State Bar Association. Proceedings of the 18th Annual Meeting of the Alabama State Bar Association, Volume 18, Part 1895. State Printers, 1895. Page lxxvii. https://books.google.com/books?id=cJo8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PP117. Accessed 1 Apr 2023.
  3. ↑ Marriage: "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950"
    citing Dallas, Alabama, United States, County Probate Courts, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,289,627.
    FamilySearch Record: XT44-M6K (accessed 1 April 2023)
    FamilySearch Image: 939Z-YTRY-H Image number 00605
    N H R Dawson marriage to Ann E Mathews on 22 Jan 1852 in Dallas, Alabama, United States.
  4. ↑ Marriage: "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950"
    citing Dallas, Alabama, United States, County Probate Courts, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,289,628.
    FamilySearch Record: XT44-QJC (accessed 1 April 2023)
    FamilySearch Image: 939Z-YBQW Image number 00028
    ? H R Davidson marriage to Elodie B Todd on 13 May 1862 in Dallas, Alabama, United States.
  5. ↑ 1850 Census: "United States Census, 1850"
    citing Affiliate Publication Number: M432; Line: 37;
    FamilySearch Record: MHPB-BNR (accessed 1 April 2023)
    FamilySearch Image: S3HY-6799-11C
    M H Dawson (22) in Dallas, Alabama, United States. Born in South Carolina.
  6. ↑ 1860 Census: "United States Census, 1860"
    citing Page: 39; Affiliate Publication Number: M653; Affiliate Film Number: 8; FHL microfilm: 803008; Record number: 11993;
    FamilySearch Record: MHD8-YZ1 (accessed 1 April 2023)
    FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9YBF-95BF Image number 00309
    N H R Dawson (31) in Selma, Dallas, Alabama, United States. Born in S. C..
  7. ↑ 1870 Census: "United States Census, 1870"
    citing Page: 31; Affiliate Publication Number: M593; Line: 25; FHL microfilm: 000545513; Record number: 10240;
    FamilySearch Record: MHKS-Y5C (accessed 1 April 2023)
    FamilySearch Image: S3HY-6D79-QWH Image number 00261
    Nathaniel Dawson (41) head of household in Selma, Dallas, Alabama, United States. Born in South Carolina.
  8. ↑ 1880 Census: "United States Census, 1880"
    citing enumeration district ED 72, sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
    FamilySearch Record: M4JX-F1S (accessed 1 April 2023)
    FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GYB3-9R5F Image number 00728
    N H R Dawson (50), widowed, Lawyer, head of household in Selma, Dallas, Alabama, United States. Born in South Carolina, United States.
  9. ↑ 1895 Newspaper: "Newspapers.com"
    Evening Star (Washington, District of Columbia) 02 Feb 1895, page
    Newspapers Clip: 29367886 (accessed 1 April 2023)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Burial: "Find A Grave Index"
    citing record ID , Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
    FamilySearch Record: QVKS-3CNG (accessed 1 April 2023)
    Find A Grave: Memorial #34186549
    Nathaniel Henry Rhodes Dawson burial (died on 1 Feb 1895) in 1895 in Selma, Dallas, Alabama, United States of America.
  11. ↑ Probate: "Alabama, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1753-1999"
    Dallas County, Alabama Probate Records, 1817-1935; Indexes, 1821-1980; Author: Alabama. Probate Court (Dallas County); Probate Place: Dallas, Alabama
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8799 #7679170 (accessed 1 April 2023)
    Nathaniel Henry Dawson probate on 16 Jan 1895 in Dallas, Alabama, USA.
  12. ↑ Book: "Memorial record of Alabama : a concise account of the state's political, military, professional and industrial progress, together with the personal memoirs of many of its people, Vol. 1" p. 858-865 for Biography of Nathaniel Henry Rhodes Dawson
    https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/381418-memorial-record-of-alabama-a-concise-account-of-the-state-s-political-military-professional-and-industrial-progress-together-with-the-personal-memoirs-of-many-of-its-people-vol-1?offset=1 (accessed 1 April 2023)
    Title No: 216594_01; Language: English; Subject: Alabama - History; Extent: 2 v.; Page Count: 1130; Owning Institution: FamilySearch Library; Publisher Digital: FamilySearch International; Access Level: Public.
  13. ↑ Book: "History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Vol. 3"
    https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/427457-history-of-alabama-and-dictionary-of-alabama-biography-vol-3?offset=348896 (accessed 2 April 2023)
    Title No: 192472_3; Creator: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Language: English; Subject: Alabama - History; Extent: 4 v.; Page Count: 993; Owning Institution: FamilySearch Library; Publisher Digital: FamilySearch International; Access Level: Public.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Bill LaBach for creating Dawson-429 on 11 May 2011. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Bill and others.






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Davis-90577 Dot (Davis) Tribble
As a member of the US Black Heritage Project, I have added categories and a list of the slaves owned by Nathaniel Henry Rhodes Dawson on this profile with categories using the standards of the US Black Heritage Exchange Program. This helps us connect enslaved ancestors to their descendants. See US Black Heritage: Heritage Exchange Program for more information.
posted by Dot (Davis) Tribble

Rejected matches › Henry Dawson (1830-) › Henry Davison (1831-) › Henry S Davis (abt.1831-) › Henry Davison (1828-)

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Categories: Dallas County, Alabama, Slave Owners | Live Oak Cemetery, Selma, Alabama | Dallas County, Alabama | Charleston, South Carolina | 4th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, United States Civil War | Alabama House of Representatives