GED4WEB version 4.41 Dawson Isaac [Male] b. 1720 Edgemont, Chester Co. PA - d. 1780 North of Winchester, Frederick Co. Va.
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THE ISAAC DAWSON FAMILY OF FREDERICK COUNTY VIRGINIA
Isaac Dawson, the third son of Thomas Dawson, was born in Edgemont, Chester County, Pennsylvania, about 1720. He married Mary Cherry about 1741 and continued to live in Pennsylvania for several years. During this time he had three sons.
The English language was the mother tongue of the Colonists at the time of the founding of Jamestown in 1607 The Declaration of Independence was written in English. No other language has ever been the official language of the British Colonies in America. From the time the Colonist declared their independence in 1776, the courts have continued to recognize and use only the official English language. At a court held for Frederick County, Virginia, the 5th day of February 1760, Thomas Cherry's will was presented to court by William Cherry and Isaac Dawson, two of the Executors therein named who made oath thereto according to law and the same being proved by Nathan Colford, David and Thomas Mains. The writings thereto was ordered to I recorded 5 Feb. 1760. At this court meeting, Isaac Dawson was referred to officially in this last will and testament of Thomas Cherry, Senior, in these words, "I constitute make and ordain my well beloved sons William and John a my beloved son-in-law Isaac Dawson, Executors of this my last will and testament, and I do hereby utterly renounce and dislow, revoke and disannull all and every, etc. etc."
Because there is a possibility that some person may misinterpret the meaning of Thomas Cherry's language when he wrote the words "my beloved son-in-law, and made no mention of a daughter Mary who was Isaac's wife, I offer the following: According to Webster: "A son-in-law is the husband of one's daughter." There can be no other interpretation of these words. Thomas Cherry was quite clear about what he wrote. The court understood, and all the witnesses understood that Thomas Cherry meant by the words, "beloved son-in-law," that he had a daughter who had married Isaac Dawson, and for that reason he felt obligated to recognize Isaac Dawson as a part of his family and he wanted him to participate in the settlement of the Thomas Cherry, Sr., Estate.
It all adds up to a logical and proper procedure for a good citizen to follow. So we may conclude that Isaac Dawson did marry Mary Cherry, the daughter of Thomas Cherry, Sr., and we may add with finality that this was the only way Isaac Dawson could have been a son-in-law of Thomas Cherry. A further confirmation of Isaac's marital relationship to Thomas Cherry is expressed in the language of his will where he refers in three separate instances to his younger children, and in one of these instances, page 367 line 3, he lists all of his younger children by name. No other children are mentioned. Therefore, it is logical 'conclude that the use of the word younger implies that re must also be some that are older.
In the year 1681, King Charles II of England granted Lord Hopton and several others, a tract of land in the northern section of Virginia including all territory been the Potomac on the north and the Rappahannock on south and extending to the Blue Ridge Mountains, as western boundaries of grants in those days were vague in the extreme. This immense tract of land was known as "Fairfax Land Grant," and was called the "Northern Neck of Virginia." It was the fashion for those two Kings (Charles I and Charles II) to give grants for immense of land in America to their favorites as was the case of William Penn, Lord Baltimore, and Lord Clarenden. difference between these and Lord Fairfax grants was that each of the former wished to found a settlement for people persecuted for religious beliefs, and they gave their land to encourage settlers. While on the other hand, Lord Fairfax sold his for financial gain.
Willis F. Evans, in his History of Berkeley County, West Virginia says: "To fully understand what -hat one of these grants meant to the grantee, it must be remembered that the country was a trackless forest filled
with savage beasts and more savage men. There were no white settlements except a narrow fringe of sparsely settled communities along the Coast, and if any of us today were handed a tract of land like this, we would hesitate to accept it. It would be like being granted a tract of land of a hundred thousand acres in the heart of Africa. It would be of no use unless we could develop it."
The Northern Neck was considered an independent government separate from the colony of Virginia, although it was a part of the same. It was a domain within a domain. Lord Fairfax considered it such and the King of England backed him up in his claims. Fairfax sold his lands to settlers as leaseholds running ninety-nine years, demanding what he called "composition money" when he made the transfer. The settlers were to pay for each fifty acres, ten shillings in "composition money," and an annual quit rent of ten shillings yearly."
In 1757, having heard of the possibilities that existed in the Great Northern Neck of Virginia which was at that time being sold to settlers by Lord Fairfax, Isaac Dawson moved to Hampshire County, Virginia, and patented 200 acres from Lord Fairfax at the mouth of the Cacapon River.
In Volume I, in the History of the Cacapon Valley, Its Pioneers and Their Descendants, 1698-1940, Maud Pugh writes on page 22: "These settlers were largely British people, Welsh, Scotch, Irish and English. They brought with them samples of the home comforts as well as, the brains and refinements of the homeland. They being cut off from it by lack of roads and transportation, very soon set about making provision for their future needs by building mills, roads, tanneries, factories, ferries, forts etc. The flax hackler, the distaff, the spinning wheel, the hand looms, the swift-flying needle, the press board and goose irons were necessary adjuncts. They grew their own flax and wool and manufactured it in the home; used wild fruits; and pounded the corn in a mortar; dipped their own candles; burned pine knots which were plentiful. The wide open fireplaces were constructed from native stones; made their own moccasins from buckskin--not brought down for sport, but which provided meat for the household."
"Without matches they struck a spark with flint into flax lint, or borrowed fire, if A neighbor lived close enough. They used honey from bee trees to preserve the wild fruits and made sugar from sugar maple sap; grew tobacco which they cured and used as money; made their own brooms and utensils; had their own forge for blacksmithing where they made most of their farming tools, even nails for the erection of log houses. These logs were chiefly hearts of virgin pine, hand-hewn with a broadaxe, rafters of poles covered with oak shingles hand riven and planed, or clapboards formed the roof. Few doors and windows
adorned these pioneer homes, They were expensive and hard to make."
Three years later, Isaac Dawson felt the need for more land and a wider range for livestock than the narrow valley which the Cacapon provided. In 1760, he purchased 160 acres down river in Frederick County in the black land belt on Sleepy Creek which afforded better soil, ample water supply and an opportunity to grow wheat, more corn, tobacco and apples. A little later, 5 March 1764, he purchased an additional 363 acres lying against his 160 acres to provide the pasture land he needed. He retained his original 200 acres purchased at the mouth of the Cacapon River.
Up to this time, it is to be noted that Isaac Dawson was the only member of the Thomas Dawson Family to come to Virginia. It also is to be noted that at this time he had five sons, all of whom, according to the records grew up and married in the Potomac Valley and settled there. And because his descendants in turn reared substantial families of their own, and because it turned out Isaac Dawson was, in fact, the father, grandfather and great grandfather of them all, he richly deserved to be called the grandfather
or progenitor of the Isaac Dawson Family in Virginia.
The old home place in Frederick County north of Winchester, the county seat, remained the home of Isaac and his wife Mary. He died there about 1880. Immediately thereafter, Mary his wife went about over the area with son David, who was the "heir-at-law" of the family according to English tradition, and since the father, Isaac, made no will, they divided the old family home-place with the sons by agreement.
After a period of years, living together in a sort of Dawson Colony, the day came in the early 1790's when the combination began to break-up. David reared a family of 12 on the south branch of the Potomac River before he finally sold his holdings and joined his son, Isaac, in Ross County, Ohio, just at the turn of the century 1794-1798 David's brother, Abraham, purchased land in Hampshire County along the Cacapon River and remained there to rear his family of 6 and died 1804. David's brother, Isaac, married Sibell and went to Mason County, Ky., about 1792 and settled there with his family. He had only one son, Abraham, who had no sons and for that reason the family line was eventually exhausted for want of an heir. David's brother, Jacob, married lst Anna; 2nd Salne and had no issue. The family remained in Hampshire County and finally moved to Ohio, near Cincinnati, where Jacob died. David's youngest brother, Thomas, elected to remain in the country of his childhood, Berkeley County, Va. He was the prolific one of the family. He had 3 children by his first wife, Barbara, 12 by his second wife, Anna Kopp, and 3 by his third wife, Catherine.
William Dawson unmarried, of Chester County, Pa., son of Thomas Dawson, Jr., and wife Margaret Fleming, in his last will and testament when he died on the 13th day of March 1806, authorized his executor to sell his plantation situated in West Cain Township, Chester County, Pa., and sign such deeds as may be necessary for the granting and conveying the same, and the monies arising from such sale to be equally divided between the sons of his Uncle Isaac Dawson, namely David, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Thomas, or if they should not be living, to their male heirs. They each received $1,321.35.
Because of a suit filed by Thomas Dawson, one of the five sons of Isaac Dawson and a beneficiary of the will, the probation of the will was not completed until April 30, 1810.
Finally, it seems proper that the writer present a verbatim and unpunctuated a most conclusive certificate of the genealogy of the five sons of Isaac Dawson & al. From
Deed Book A-3, page 469, Chester County, Pa. "Recorded Aug. 17th 1807 P. George Hollis clerk Personally appeared before me one of the Justices of Peace for Bedford County Mary Jiams formerly the wife of Isaac Dawson late of Berkeley County State of Virginia deceased ans provis David Dawson Abraham Dawson Isaac Dawson Jacob Dawson & Thomas Dawson were the male Heirs of Isaac Dawson that she the said Mary Jiams bore unto him the said Isaac Dawson and no more And that Abraham Dawson aforementioned is dead and left three male Heirs namely Isaac Dawson Abraham & Isrel Dawson and no more And further that the aforenamed Isaac Dawson was the son of Thomas Dawson of Chester
County and State of Pennsylvania Deceased 'and brother of Richard Abraham and Thomas Dawson of the county and state aforesaid Deceased - And likewise that the said Isaac Dawson was an uncle of William Dawson of the same place deceased. Sworn before me this 19th day of December 1806
Amos Dicken Test." Mary (Her Mark) Jiams.
From Thomas Dawson Book by Everett Dawson
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