Thomas Lawson (1779 - 1842)

Born 25 Apr 1779 in Hampshire, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Barbara (Earsom) Lawson — married about 1799 in Hampshire, Virginia, United States

Husband of Ada (Unknown) Lawson — married about 1839 in Greenup, Kentucky, United States

Died 1 Aug 1842 at age 63 in Greenup, Kentucky, United States

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Biography

Thomas Lawson was born 25 Apr 1779 to Thomas & Hannah Farley Lawson, probably in Hampshire County, Virginia, where the household of his father, Thomas Lawson, was recorded in the 1782 census as 12 white and 15 black people.^[1]

He was named in his father's 1795 Will in Hampshire: "I give and bequeath to my son Thomas Lawson Negro Sam & Negro Abraham not to be in his possession until his mother’s death should she choose the home lying on the South Branch......It is my will that which ever of my two sons’ Negroes my wife chooses to keep until her death that said son is to have Negro Grace at their mother’s death."^[2]

Thomas married Barbara Earsom about 1799,^[3] by whom he had 7 children. Land records indicate that the family left Hampshire about 1806 and arrived in Greenup, Kentucky by 1811. There, she died and Thomas married Ada --- Horn about 1839. Her son, Jonathan, by her previous marriage, appears in the Will of Thomas Lawson.

The Will of Thomas Lawson of Greenup, Kentucky, dated 4 May 1842 and proved 15 Sep 1842, named two slaves: "1. I give unto my wife Ada Lawson 75 acres including ⅓ of the apple orchard and improvements, and at her death to be equally divided between my three sons, Silas Lawson, Ben F. Lawson and James N. Lawson…I also give to my wife three beds….., also two black girls by the names of Elen and Grace during her life, and at her death, James N. Lawson is to have Grace and Ben F. Lawson is to have Elen…….."^[4]

Slaves

• Sam
• Abraham
• Grace
• Elen
• Grace

Research Notes

The Grace named in Thomas Lawson's 1795 Will and the Grace named in son Thomas Lawson's 1842 Will are different people, because the 2nd Grace is labelled a girl, whereas the 1st Grace is presumably an adult.

Sources

1. ↑ 1782 Hampshire VA census, p. 27: https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/273262-heads-of-families-at-the-first-census-of-the-united-states-taken-in-the-year-1790-virginia-records-of-the-state-enumerations-1782-to-1785?viewer=1&offset=4#page=30&viewer=picture&o=search&n=0&q=%22Thomas%20Lawson%22
2. ↑ Will of Thomas Lawson
3. ↑ Marriage #1: A HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY, OHIO: together with a pioneer record of southern Ohio, book 2, Nelson W. Evans, Portsmouth OH: 1903, p. 1232: https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/468528-a-history-of-scioto-county-ohio-together-with-a-pioneer-record-of-southern-ohio?viewer=1&offset=2#page=663&viewer=picture&o=search&n=0&q=%22Thomas%20Lawson%22
4. ↑ Wills, 1822-1945; index, 1822-1994: "Kentucky Probate Records, 1727-1990"
   Catalog: Wills, 1822-1945; index, 1822-1994 V. 2-4 Aug 1822 - Mar 1856
   Image path: Kentucky Probate Records, 1727-1990 > Greenup > Will records, Index, 1835-1843, Vol. 3 > image 360 of 647
   FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GP3L-6B8 (accessed 30 October 2022)

• Will of Thomas Lawson.

• Slaves of Thomas Lawson.

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28499689/thomas-lawson.