Dawson
Vernon L. Skinner Jr., Brookeville, Maryland
Richard Dawson I
Richard Dawson I immigrated from Virginia in 1670. He was in St. Mary's County in 1670, in Calvert County in 1673, and in Dorchester County in 1675. He is Quaker. On 1 March 1680 (OS), Richard Dawson had a survey made of "Dawson's Lott" (1000 a.) in Sussex County, Delaware, on the main branch of Broad Creek. In 1682, a suit was entered against the estate of Richard Dawson for surveying fees. Testamentary Proceedings were entered in the Maryland Probate Records for Richard Dawson of Dorchester County in 1684; the administrator of the estate was Richard Willis. The testamentary proceedings state that there were children. On 27 December 1684, an inventory of his estate was made. The inventory can be found on Folio 416, Liber 8, Inventories and Accounts, Prerogative Court. On 28 February 1686 (OS), administration accounts for his estate were filed, the amount of the inventory is cited as 42 pounds, 17 shillings, 0 pence; the amount of the accounts is cited as 1926 pounds of tobacco. The accounts can be found on Folio 248, Liber 9, Inventories and Accounts, Prerogative Court.
Richard Dawson may be related to Anthony Dawson of Dorchester County, who married Rebecca Osbourne. There are administration accounts for Anthony Dawson of Dorchester County filed by Richard Dawson dated 11 June 1713.
Issue by Frances (N). She married second Richard Willis prior to 12 December, 1684. (Richard Willis died in 1689). On 1 December 1693, William Clark sold land in Sussex County, Delaware, to Obediah Dawson (planter) and Frances Willis (widow). She married third Edward Fisher on 8 January 1699 (OS) at Tred Avon Meeting House. (Edward Fisher died in 1701). On 20 September 1706, she patented "Fisher's Landing Addition" (53 a.) in Dorchester County. On 29 February 1723, Frances Fisher made her will. On 7 May 1729, her will was entered for probate in Dorchester County. The will can be found on Folio 679, Liber 19, Wills. On 26 February 1729 (OS), an inventory for her estate was filed, the amount of the inventory is cited as 330 pounds, 6 shillings, 10 pence. The inventory can be found on Folio 376, Liber 15, Inventories, Prerogative Court. The next-of-kin are: Obediah Dawson and Edward Newton Jr.
1. Obediah Dawson, b. 13 April 1672, d. 21 October 1694 per Tred Avon Records
2. Richard Dawson, b. 1674, d. by 1721
3. Elisabeth Dawson, b. 19 November 1677, m. Joseph? Thompson
4. Sarah Dawson, b. 15 September 1678
5. John Dawson, b. 7 June 1681, d. prior to 17 June 1723, mar. Sarah (N)
6. Anthony Dawson, b. 13 April 1683.
Child No. 6: He may be the Anthony Dawson who is cited in the deposition of Thomas Brown in 1745. That Anthony Dawson is cited as the uncle of Anthony Cox (b.1718?)
Richard Dawson II
Richard Dawson II was born on 13 May 1674 at Tred Avon, Talbot County. He was a Quaker by religion. He is cited as a planter in 1698. He lived in Dorchester County. In 1709 and 1711, he is the administrator for the estate of Anthony Dawson of Dorchester County. He died prior to 1721, when his wife Susanna entered Testamentary proceedings for his estate. His children were cited in the will of Frances Fisher, dated 1723.
Issue by Susanna Foster. They were married on 23 August 1698 at the meeting house near the head of the Transquaking River.
1. Obediah Dawson, d. 1768
2. Anthony Dawson, m. Naomi (N) prior to 1762
3. Elisabeth Dawson, m. (N) Hooper
Obediah Dawson
Obediah Dawson was probably born about 1698. He lived in Dorchester County. On 26 February 1729 (OS), Obediah Dawson and Edward Newton Jr. are cited as next-of-kin to Frances Fisher. In 1732, Obediah Dawson and Henry Wheeler were sureties for Mary Adams, administratrix of John Adams; they were also sureties for Thomas Taylor, administrator for Anthony Taylor. (Henry wheeler married the daughter of Anthony Taylor). In 1734, Obediah Dawson and Henry Wheeler are cited as next-of-kin to Anthony Taylor. In 1740, Obediah Dawson and Henry Hayward were sureties for James Sheppard and James Phillips, administrators for the estate of James Sheppard. In 1749, he was a surety for John Hooper, administrator for the estate of Henry Hooper. In 1750, he was a surety for Rebecca Andrew, administratrix for the estate of Marcus Andrew. In 1751, he was a surety for Robert Harvey, administrator for the estate of Sarah Stinson. In 1756, he was a surety for Elisabeth Foster, administratrix for the estate of Thomas Foster. From 1737 to 1770, Obediah Dawson appears in the Dorchester County Debt Books as paying rent on (not necessarily for all years): "Gift," "Hayward's Lott," "Dawson's Lott," "Dawson's Meadow." From 1756 to 1767, Obediah Dawson Jr. appears in the Dorchester County Debt Books as paying rent on: "Hayward's Lott," "John's Choice," "Howard's Lott." He is also known as Obediah Dawson Sr. Obediah Dawson appears as the appraiser of an estate in 1762. Obediah Dawson died prior to 1768 in Dorchester County. In 1774, the Testamentary Proceedings cite his administrator as John Dawson (his son), with sureties as James Smith and Obediah Wheeler. The inventory was filed in 1773, with relations cited: Anthony Dawson and John Hooper.
Issue by (N). She may be daughter of Henry Hooper, d. 1749; she may also be daughter of John Brown, d. 1757. She is most probably the daughter of Anthony Taylor, d. 1733.
1. Richard Dawson, d. p. 1783 (He does not appear in the Dorchester County Debt Books)
2. Elisabeth
3. Mary
4. Sarah
5. Priscilla
6. William Dawson, d. 1795 in Caroline County.
Child No. 6: Children are living in Kent Co DE in 1800; as is Thomas Alford=Esther (N), their cousin.
7. John Dawson, d. 25 March 1794 (intestate) in Caroline County.
Child No. 7: He is known as John Dawson Sr. of Kent County Delaware. He owned "Red Oak Pond, "No Name," and "Pleasant." "No Name" was patented by John Dawson, son of Jonas Dawson of Del. He may be the John Dawson living in Mispillion Hundred, Kent County, Delaware in 1790. Issue by Ann Hayward. They were married between 1741and 1756. She is the daughter of Henry Hayward (d. 1756/1762). She married first John Noell.
Richard Dawson
Obediah Dawson owned the following tracts of land per the Debt Books: "Gift," "Hayward's Lott," "Dawson's Lott," and "Dawson's meadow." Since Obediah died intestate, all of the lands would have gone to his eldest son Richard Dawson. He may be the same Richard Dawson who is a surety (with Bartholomew Adams) for Mark Nicols administrator de bonis non of the estate of John Nicols the elder, for which a distribution of the estate was filed on 12 February 1760. There is no Richard Dawson on the 1783 Tax List; thus, Richard Dawson died prior to 1783.
Richard Dawson lived Dorchester County. He is probably the Richard Dawson who (with Benjamin/Bartholomew Addams) is a surety to Mark Nicolls administrator de bonis non to John Nicolls (d. 1758) in 1760. He is cited in the list of debts for Dr. William Murray (d. 1764). He is cited in the administration accounts of his father. (Obediah Dawson cites his four daughters by given name only. There is no indication that any of them married. However, the suit cites that Sarah Hignutt, et. al., are children of the brothers and sisters of John Dawson, d. 1798). He died between 1770 and 1783. (He probably died after 1777 since there is no entry in the Testamentary proceedings for him.)
Issue by Sarah (N). (Richard may have married twice, first to Mary, the daughter of John Brown, and second to Sarah (N).) [There is a Richard Dawson who d. 1775 in DO. Adminstratrix is Mary. No children cited]
1. John Dawson
2. Sarah Dawson.
Child No. 2: Sarah Dawson was born c1745/1750, probably in DO. In the court proceedings for the settlement of the estate of John Dawson in 1802, Sarah Hignutt is cited as the niece of John Dawson. (She is not the daughter of William Dawson, d. 1795. In the 1790 Census, she is cited as the head of her household; there are no others in the household. Of the Hignutts, John married Mary (N), Thomas apparently never married, and there is no information that James ever married. Thus the deduction is that this Sarah Hignutt is the wife of Daniel Hignutt.) She married Daniel Hignutt prior to 1774. She was named as executor for the estate of her husband; her sureties were William Potter & William Summers. She made her will on 28 April 1809. It was entered for probate on 4 May 1809 in Caroline County. The will can be found on Folio 152, Liber JR#C, Wills, Caroline County. As administration account for her estate was filed on 1 August 1810. Her clothes were to be distributed between her daughters.
3. Elisabeth Dawson, mar. Joseph Cox
4. Esther Dawson, mar. Thomas Alford
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