Dodson : Surname Saturday

We, descendants of George and Anna Florette Strickland, are of the “Dangling Dodsons”, those Dodsons for whom there is  no definite connection to the lineage of Charles Dodson, Sr. of Richmond County, Virginia–the progenitor of many, many American Dodson branches.¹

Our American connection begins with a William Dodson, Sr. and his wife Elizabeth, most probably from England and most definitely early settlers of Henrico County, Virginia.  In 1688 William Dodson and James Franklin transported eight negroes into the colony. Under the Colonization Act an individual was due certain acreage based on the number of persons for whom passage was paid.  Thus the men were granted 360 acres on the north side of  Swift Creek, in Bristol Parish, (later Dale Parish, Chesterfield County) which they subsequently divided between them. William (before 1668-1746) and Elizabeth had three children, William II, Thomas and Stephen.  William and Thomas both remained in Chesterfield County, while Stephen (?-1755) migrated with an unknown wife to Amelia County, Virginia where together they had two known children, Edward, Sr. and John.

By 1772 Edward, Sr. moved to Mecklenburg County, Virginia where he purchased 95 acres on the little fork of Allen’s Creek adjoining John Hydes spring branch.  On 31 January 1785 he purchased from Alexander Boyd an additional 280 acres near the first tract.  This ancestor died before 11 January 1808 when a deed¹ was recorded in Mecklenburg County transferring his heirs’ title to the 375 acres to his wife Frances during her natural life.  The nine children from this union were:

Sally,

William,

Elizabeth Dodson Beavers,

Martha,

Nancy (Ann) Dodson Roffe,

John,

Edward,

Mary

and Francis. 

 

 

Edward, Jr. then married and had eight children with an unknown wife(wives).²

Stephen,

Sarah,

Martha,

Frances,

Lettice,

Rebecca,

William,

and Edward, the third, who married Mary Green in 1814.  

Just a wee bit of a problem with this scenario.

On 21 September 1812 a will ³ was presented to the Mecklenburg County court for a Francis Dodson in which he/she listed the following children:

Edward

Stephen

William 

John (dec’d)

Francis

Lettice H

Rebecca W

Sarah

Martha

Elizabeth Hudson

Ann Roffe

Polly Rowlett

 

 

 

 The last list of children combines the first two lists.  What’s up with THAT?  One conclusion is that Rev. Silas Lucas invented a generation of Edwards.  Another conclusion is that the 1812 Will lists names without properly identifying children from grandchildren, and the Register Reporter listed an assumption not a fact.  My d kay s conclusion is that I don’t have enough information to make a conclusion.

I need transcriptions!! Lots and lots of transcriptions!  Then cross checks with tax and census lists.  Ultimately I will have to create a name index with associated dates…..take road trips……conduct on-line searches……request documents from Mecklenburg County…….and use my Stress Reduction Kit frequently!

Someday I will have a solid connection with this Edward Dodson of Amelia County. For now I have to be content starting my register report with Edward the Younger, who married Mary Green, daughter of William Willis Green, on 7 June 1814, the Rev. James Meacham presiding in Mecklenburg County, Virginia.

to be continued………..

¹,² Williams, Sherman. The Dodson (Dotson) Family of North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia: a History and Genealogy of Their Descendants. Easley, SC: Southern Historical, 1988. Print.

³ Register Report, “Descendants of Francis Dodson” by the Cox family.