William Lawson was born June 26, 1731 at Montrose, Scotland. He is the only son of a widow lady, no information is available on his father, however, it is assumed that he was killed in the Culloden Battle. William was one of the rebels arrested and confined at Chester and Carlisle after the battle. The Scottish rebels became a threat to the the English crown, and on September 26, 1746 an agreement was signed with the English Treasury to transport the prisoners to the plantations (American Colonies) at the rate of 5 pounds per head. The “Gildart” departed from England on May 5, 1747 and arrived August 5, 1747 at Port North, Potomac, Maryland with a William Lawson on the passenger list.
William, “The Apprentice”
William Lawson was bound over to a planter by the Captain of the ship for a good sum in tobacco. The people did not treat well, and after a while William ran away. Sometime in the 1750’s William met and married a Rebecca ?, in the 1858 Halifax County, Virginia marriage register there is a William Lawson to a Jane Banks. If this is our William she is probably Rebecca Jane Banks.
William, “The Revolutionary”
William never realized that one day he would be facing the British army again, but this time, in a new and different land. William swore allegiance to the State of Virginia and the American cause, as noted in the Montgomery County Court Book “Revolutionary War” page 145-148 filed at the courthouse in Christianburg, Virginia. although almost fifty years old he served as a member of the Captain Daniel Trigg’s Company of Montgomery County militia. There were only two William Lawson’s to serve in the revolutionary war and they were father and son.
Father: ? Lawson b: ABT. 1705 in Montrose, Scotland
Mother: Rebecca b: ABT. 1709 in Montrose, Scotland
Marriage 1 Rebecca Jane Banks b: ABT. 1735 in North Carolina
Married: 1758 in Halifax County, Virginia
Children
William Lawson II b: 1763 in North Carolina
Travis Lawson b: 1766 in North Carolina
Betsy Ann Lawson b: ABT. 1768 in North Carolina
Catherine Lawson b: ABT. 1770 in North Carolina
Sally Lawson b: 26 DEC 1770 in North Carolina
Jermiah Lawson b: 15 FEB 1773 in North Carolina
Robert Lawson b: ABT. 1774 in North Carolina
Submitted by William M. ‘Bill’ Wood
Tags: Lawson
I would like to know if anyone knows the spouses of the daughters of William Lawson. I think one of them may have married a John Williams. Any help would be appreciated. Please email me at davew@ruraltel.net. Thanks Dave.
DAVE, one OF MY G.G. Grandfathers, SONS, marr. Harriett Williams, in
Iowa. He was Wm. Craton/Crayton Lawson. bn. in Tn. 18 went to Mo, with his parents at a very young age. His father was Wm. M. Lawson and mother Mahala Leger’ Lawson, from Claiborne cty. Tn.
Anyone have a photo of William Lawson II ’s tombstone or William Lawson senior’s original tombstone? Laniew91@verizon.net
Hello
If you check your dates, William “The Rebel” could not be the William Lawson who married 1858 in Halifax, VA. He died in 1826 Scott County, VA. This could possibly be one of there grandsons that married Jane Banks. Also, I do not think that William “The Rebel” Lawson married in VA, I think he married in NC where he ran away to, first off because some of his children were born in NC and secondly he stayed in NC/VA area until right before American Revolutionary War. I am a descendant from the Travis Lawson Lineage. So there are still many questions. If I can be of help to anyone, or if anyone has information regarding the William “REBEL” Lawson, I would love to hear from you. Thank You.
Hello, my name is Kelly Hollingshead and I just recently started working on my family history. I am related to the Lawsons by my great grandmother Lucy Frances Lawson. She was born in January of 1909 and passed away in 2003. I would love to get any information on the Lawson line if i could.
Thanks!
Hi Kelly,
Welcome to the site! You have just started an amazing adventure!
Make sure to check back here from time to time, as we have new information contributed from other readers.
Good luck!
He was my ggggggggg grandfather on my mother side I think I am from w lawson the111 line one married a dean she was from scott va
Helloo,
I am Bill Porter, author of the book “William Lawson, A Scottish Rebel”. As for as we know all children were born in NC. There is no proof that Catherine was a daughter and we had to delete Robert as a son. However, we do no the following are the children:
1. Anne Lawson born abt 1760 NC married Thomas Mallett. Moved to KY
2. William Lawson born ca 1763 married Nancy Baker. Stayed in Scott County, VA.
3. Travis Lawson born ca 1766 married Maysie Simpkins. Moved to Ky
4. Betsy Ann Lawson born 1768 married William Canterbury. Moved to TN.
5. Sarah “Sally” Lawson born 1770 married Henry Wood. Stayed in Scott County, VA.
6. Rev. Jeremiah Lawson b.orn 1773 married (1) Matilda Higgins (2) Hannah Chanslor. He helped pioneer the Methodist movement in wilderness KY, MO & OH. His brother, William, was a Methodist Minister in Scott County and the Wood family were Methodists also.
An update book is available on this Lawson family with same title. It is over 200 pages, indexed and has more info on the Rebel and children which is not in the original prints. The Wise County Historical Society sells the book for $35..00, plus S&H. Visit their bookstore website at:
http://www.wisevahistoricalsoc.org
Helloo,
I am Bill Porter, author of the book “William Lawson, A Scottish Rebel”. As for as we know all children were born in NC. There is no proof that Catherine was a daughter and we had to delete Robert as a son. However, we do know the following are the children:
1. Anne Lawson born abt 1760 NC married Thomas Mallett. Moved to KY
2. William Lawson born ca 1763 married Nancy Baker. Stayed in Scott County, VA.
3. Travis Lawson born ca 1766 married Maysie Simpkins. Moved to Ky
4. Betsy Ann Lawson born 1768 married William Canterbury. Moved to TN.
5. Sarah “Sally” Lawson born 1770 married Henry Wood. Stayed in Scott County, VA.
6. Rev. Jeremiah Lawson b.orn 1773 married (1) Matilda Higgins (2) Hannah Chanslor. He helped pioneer the Methodist movement in wilderness KY, MO & OH. His brother, William, was a Methodist Minister in Scott County and the Wood family were Methodists also.
An update book is available on this Lawson family with same title. It is over 200 pages, indexed and has more info on the Rebel and children which is not in the original prints. The Wise County Historical Society sells the book for $35..00, plus S&H. Visit their bookstore website at:
http://www.wisevahistoricalsoc.org
My gggggrandfather was William Lawson who came to Nova Scotia in 1784 as an United Empire Loyalist. The information printed is that there were only 2 William Lawsons in the American Revolution-father and son. None of the information is the same as what I have gathered regarding my ggggggrandfather. I would be very interested in additional information. Thanks
Does anyone have information on Thomas Pate, 1636-1676, regarding the Lawson family? Thomas’ wife deserted him, and he left his house to Joanne Lawson, who was John Lawson’s wife.
I Thomas Pate of York County & Parrish thereof doth of my free will and voluntary accord & for ye Restitution & Satisfaccon of Seven Years Service & also for her diligent care and trouble in Looking after me in this my Sickness & also for divers other weighty causes & Consideracons thereunto me Moving hath given & granted & do by these prsents give and grant wholly & Solely unto Joane Lawson wife of John Lawson of ye above named Parrish & County [York] my House & Lott in York Town ye said Lott being comonly known by this number (42). [6]
One of my genealogy DNA matches was Lawson Pate, b 1790 NC. I am just looking for a Pate/Lawson connection.
Thanks,
Bruce Pate
I believe that William “The Rebel” Lawson’s father’s name was alson William Lawson and he was born in 1705 and died in 1746. If anyone has the whole family tree please let me know.
Kelly,
Can you elaborate why you think Wm’s father was Wm 1705-1746? if that is because you have seen it on family trees online, please take note, NO one has ever-ever proven the name of Wm’s father. Only speculation. From your recent direct emails to me I think you are very new into researching your Lawson lines, which you know are from Wm the Rebel. You have go that down very well.
But I think you have stumbled across one of those many trees online that states Wm’s parents and/or his wife with nada nada nada bit of proof. Many people have been searching for the parents of Wm The Rebel for years. And for years, people have been posting assumed, and/or picked up from other assumed files.
No one I have seen who who posts an online tree for Wm The Rebel and states his parents gives a real source for such parents. Any real source for Wm’s parents would have to come from Scottish or English records from the 1700’s. I have yet to hear from any Wm Lawson researcher who has gone to Scotland and found proof.
Hello all. What a great site! I just now found it. I am one of many who has done a lot of research on the families of Wm Lawson. Bill Porter has been one of my wonderful fellow researchers.
To clarify the wife listed in this original post. We now know that Wm The Rebel did not marry Jane Banks. That was a different Wm Lawson. The following marriage pertains to another William Lawson, the one that did marry Jane Banks, not to William Lawson of Scott Co, Virginia who married Rebecca, maiden name unknown:
The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Jan., 1912), pp. 202-204 Published by: Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture. HALIFAX COUNTY VIRGINIA MARRIAGE BONDS: 1758, May 24, William Lawson & Jane Banks, Spinster.
This William Lawson and Jane Banks Lawson moved to Georgia where they lived until they died. This William Lawson (husband of Jane Banks), was a 1st Lieut & 2nd Lieut under Capt. James Quarles, 2nd Regt. DAR records state he was born 1740 in Halifax co., VA, died before 25 October, 1800, in Hancock Co., GA. He was also a captain in James Quarles 2nd Regt.
Genealogy: Collecting dead relatives and sometimes a live cousin!
I am the grandson of Othie Lawson and recently started to see if I could trace our genealogy. I came across a website called http://www.cheesbrough.org that traces my grandfather back to William Lawson. I was completely unaware that the Lawson side of my family has such a history or that so many have worked to put this together. I live in Birmingham, Alabama. My father, Joseph Lawson, lives in Akron, Ohio and Naples, Florida. I have not spoken to him about this yet so I don’t know if he even knows the family history.
When click on that website from here, it won’t take me to it. Looks like you need to google the names to get there.
This is the website link
http://cheesbrough.org/cheesbrough/individual.php?pid=I04953&ged=william%20lawson.ged
I just followed the link to this gedcom. I am quite shocked to see that the information there is a flat out copy of my own database from rootsweb AND it shows the names of living individuals which mine does not. Nearly if not all the data can be attributed to my own research, that of Bill Porter’s book and many other Lawson cousins who have contributed. It would appear that Gerald Lawson out of the United Kingdon who has the Lawson One Name Study project has copied all our work. I know a lot of people would find a problem with their living family being listed. David, here is a link to my database going to your Othie. If you follow him back to Wm The Rebel you will see that the Gerald’s file is an exact copy of mine. Any differences are from updates I am constantly running.
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=patti-lawson&id=I04953
Now that I’m done griping nice to meet you here. My husband is descended from William Lawson II and two of his sons, Jeremiah and Wm III.
Patti: How would Gerald Lawson out of the United Kingdom who has the Lawson One Name Study project be able to put all our living relatives on-line if he copied your database which does not include these names?
Tammy
When I try to go to the cheesbrough website today, it asks me to login using a password.
Hi. My brother, David Mark Lawson and I have just discovered we are family members. Our father is Joseph Leroy Lawson, only child of Othie and Ella Rae. There has been no record of my father on the family chart. He was listed as “private” under child. Our great grandfather is Levi Hansford.
I am interested in getting all our family birthdates/records onto the family site and I would also like to purchase the book.
Thank You
Pamela Lawson
I enjoyed reading this article today. another article I was reading had a bad link, please check.
A wonderful hello! In terms of ancestry hounds, I am relatively new. But I have been doing my research! We are trying to “prove” to DAR the line of my grand-mother back to William Lawson. Our family history and stories all indicate that William Lawson is our ancestor but we would like to prove it.
My grandmother was Anna Margaret Dalton (1902 – 1950 death certificate)
GGrandmother was Dora A. Lawson (1876 – 1953 death certificate)
GGGrandfather was Travis T. Lawson (1824 – 1894)
GGGGrandfather was James P. Lawson/Eliza Margaret Simpkins (1794 – 1880)
GGGGGrandfather was Travis Lawson (1766 – 1788) Martha Macie Simpkins
GGGGGGrandfather was William Lawson (1731 – 1826)
I am looking for death records or other records that can connect Travis T. to James P. Lawson and James P. Lawson to Travis Lawson (1766).
Any help is deeply appreciated and I will share all the information I have found.
Much appreciation, Pat