Mary Jane (Knox) Lawson (abt. 1826 - bef. 1856)

Born about 1826 in Hancock, Georgia, United States

Ancestors

Died before 1856 before about age 30 in Lavaca, Texas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Dwayne Knox [send private message]

Biography

Mary was born about 1826. She was the daughter of William Knox and Hetty Wilkins.

She married Wilson Lawson in Alabama, they had a daughter named Mary Jane. She passed away in Texas before 1856.

Mary was listed in the 1850 Federal Census with her 4 year old daughter living with her sister Awuanawna Byars next door to their parents in Pontotoc County, Mississippi.

Research Notes

William B. KNOX was born c1802 in South Carolina. On 08 Dec 1825, he was married to Hetty WILKINS in Hancock County, Georgia. She was born c1802 in Georgia. Their marriage record is indexed in Georgia Marriages to 1850 and in Georgia Marriages 1699-1944.

Together, William and Hetty had eleven known children who grew to adulthood. Their approximate years of birth, places of birth and names are shown below.

1827 GA Mary Jane KNOX 1828 GA Elvira KNOX 1829 GA James Wilkins KNOX 1831 GA Awwan Awna KNOX 1832 GA Catherine Spardius KNOX 1834 GA William Stansel KNOX 1835 GA John Hugh KNOX 1838 AL Amsley Kinch KNOX 1840 AL Elizabeth "Lizzie" KNOX 1843 AL Hetty Tyrolese KNOX 1844 AL Harrison C. KNOX

In c1837, the family relocated to Chambers County, AL. Sometime after 1844 when Harrison was born but before 1850, they relocated to Pontotoc County, MS where they were recorded in the 1850 U.S. Census and where they lived until c1853 when they relocated to the old Sweet Home area (about 5 miles north of the present day Sweet Home community) in Lavaca County, TX.

Eliza TRIBBLE Land Grant

Land records show that on 24 Jul 1852, William B. KNOX purchased 2,577 acres of land which represented about 60% of the Eliza TRIBBLE League located in Lavaca County, TX near the old Sweet Home and Mt. Olive communities. That land was the southern part of the Eliza TRIBBLE Survey, and it was purchased from William B. BRIDGES and his wife, the former Eliza Ann LYONS TRIBBLE who had inherited the land that was granted by the Republic of Texas to her first husband, William R. TRIBBLE.

Mt. Olive School, Primitive Baptist Church and Cemetery

The northern portion of the Eliza TRIBBLE league was purchased by Francis Gillespie CULPEPPER and several of his sons. The location of the present Mt. Olive community and the Mt. Olive Cemetery are located on that land. Sources differ as to who donated the 6 acres for the Mt. Olive School, Primitive Baptist Church, and cemetery (behind the church).

One source says the land was donated by Francis Gillespie CULPEPPER. One source says the land was donated by his son, William. A third source says the land was donated by the Rev. Orin GUTHRIE and his wife, Eliza. The first pastor of that church was Rev. Guthrie. He died in 1854, and his grave is believed to have been the first one in that cemetery.

It is more likely the land was donated by the relatively wealthy CULPEPPER family. In early 1966, a large stone marker was placed just inside the present gate to the cemetery in memory of Francis Gillespie CULPEPPER and his ancestors and descendants. It was dedicated on 07 May 1966 during a CULPEPPER family reunion.

The KNOX and CULPEPPER families were Primitive Baptists and had lived near each other in Alabama prior to their relocation to Texas. The marriage in 1858 of CULPEPPER daughter, Cynthia Jane, to KNOX son, John HUGH, sealed their families' connections in Texas.

Their eleventh known child who grew to adulthood (daughter Elvira) was enumerated in the 1850 U. S. Census for Lafayette County, Mississippi in family 843 on page 122 on 28 Oct 1850 by census taker James D. McKay. The names as recorded with birth states and approximate years of birth based on the age reported are shown below.

1824 MS James B. BEASLEY (26) 1827 AL Elvira BEASLEY (23) 1848 MS William J. BEASLEY (2)

Note that Elvira's birth state was incorrectly recorded as AL instead of the correct GA, probably because of an error by James BEASLEY in reporting to the census taker, but possibly due to an error in recording by the census taker.

Thus, the above enumerations in the 1850 U. S. Census reports account for William B. KNOX, his wife, Hester WILKINS KNOX, and each of their eleven known children who grew to adulthood.

It is not known how many other children were born to William and Hester who died young, either as infants or stillborn. But, considering the time span of the known births of those eleven (1827-1844 or 18 years), Hetty probably gave birth to very few, if any, children who didn't live to become adults.

Considering the hardships of that time period and in those places when and where they lived, that was an amazing accomplishment. It probably reflected strong, robust and resilient genetics as well as knowledgeable and dedicated parenting. And, they surely had some good luck that few if any children were lost to dangers and hostilities on the American Frontier.

In the course of researching William B. KNOX's family, some online family trees and family history articles were discovered that identify another child (named Martha) who was said to have been born to William B. KNOX and Hetty WILKINS. She became the wife of Obediah GOODE (1827-1861). He was born in TN, and he died in Sweet Home, Lavaca County, TX.

After considerable investigation, it has been determined that Martha's parents were not William B. KNOX and Hetty WILKINS.

Robert Webb 15 Apr 2015 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144906029/william-b-knox

Sources

• FamilySearch ID KZYF-HCJ https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KZYF-HCJ
• Research by Robert Webb https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144906029/william-b-knox
• Year: 1850; Census Place: Pontotoc, Mississippi; Roll: M432_380; Page: 163A; Image: 332
• "Alabama Marriages, 1816-1957", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQFF-5Y1 : 13 February 2020), Mary Jane Knox in entry for Wilson Lawson, 1844