Good Morning: Joseph DAWSON (ABT 1710-1783) of Greene County, NC was married, twice, first to an Elizabeth BRYANT (ABT 1710-AFT 1754) and all of his children were by Elizabeth who died AFT 1754 and ABT 1765 he married a Patience PIKE and they had one child, a Jesse DAWSON born 1767. This 1783 will is witnessed by: John Lawson, John (X) Daniel, William (X) Wilson. I wonder if this William WILSON is part of the John WILLSON and Sarah DANIEL family out of Tyrrell County, NC.. As one will note, this Sarah DANIEL, d/o Thomas DANIEL and Elizabeth LANIER, had a brother, John DANIEL, Sr. b. ABT 1725. According to some, this John DANIEL married a DOUGLAS but it could well have been a DAWSON, which would account for his being on this will. Patience PIKE was also from the same location, Pasquotank County, North Carolina, that the will of Sarah Daniel WILLSON (1722-1751) was probated in 1752. Does anyone have any information on this Joseph DAWSON? According to this same information, he was the father of William DAWSON (ABT 1730-1803) who married a Martha WILSON, daughter of William and Charity WILSON, and they were the parents of Lucy DAWSON b. 1771 that married a LANE. I think Lucy DAWSON married Isham LANE, Jr and not Sr. but that is just my opinion. The timing of the birth of these children is not right for Lucy to marry Capt. Isham LANE (ABT 1730-1803), as some have speculated, since William DAWSON and Isham LANE, Sr. were contemporaries. However, it is probably part of the same overall bunch. I have put the wills of Joseph DAWSON (ABT 1710-1783) and his son, William DAWSON (ABT 1730-1803), below. The HINDS listed in the will of Joseph DAWSON was probably HINES, a family close to this whole bunch.... Your thoughts on this DAWSON, LANE and DANIEL bunch from Greene County, NC. <<<<<< Will of Joseph DAWSON of Greene County, NC. This will mentions the following persons. Will of Joseph Dawson, Sr. Proved April Court 1784. Wife: Patience. Children: William Dawson, Isaac Dawson, Joel Dawson, Thomas Dawson, Jesse Dawson, Grace Hinds, Esther Prescott, Rachel Parsons, Lany Dawson, Mary Aldredge, Sarah Waterer, Rebecca Smith, Selah Waterer. <<<< In the name of God amen the 20th day of January one thousand seven hundred and eighty three. I Joseph Dawson of Wayne county and the State of Northcarolina being weak of body but of sound and perfect mind and memory. Thanks be given to God for the same and calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that His appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this Instrument to contain my Last Will and Testament in manner following: To Witt: First of all I lend to my beloved wife Patience my Plantation of two hundred acres of land as I now live on and all my right and Title of an entry of one hundred and fifty acres of land adjoining the land I live on not yet surveyed and my still and four cows and calves and her choice of two chairs her choice of one feather bed and furniture half my hogs my sorrel mare, the colt as the said mare is with fold with excepted. I also lend my wife all my Plantation working tools and what iron I have that is to work up and four ewes and one frying pan all during her widowhood and no longer. Item. I give to my said wife my hand saw and grindstone and one beef her choice and I give her the corn and meat now in the house and half the cotton and flax now in the house and all the fodder and one small case with twelve bottles also I give my said wife every thing as I had by her when I married her that is now in being and whatever things such as corn, cotton, pease, flax wheat, potatoes and is on my land growing or made at my death. I give the same to my wife to support her and her family and I give to my said wife my cart and wheels to her and her heirs forever. Item, I give to my son William Dawson my Great Bible besides what I have heretofore given him to him and his heirs forever. Item. I give to my son Isaac Dawson my two negroes Ostroe? and Moreah besides what I have heretofore given him to him and his heirs forever. Item I give to my son Joel Dawson five shillings specie besides what I have heretofore given him to him and his heirs forever. Item I give to my son Thomas Dawson five shillings specie besides what I have heretofore given him to him and his heirs forever. Item. I give to my Daughter Grace Hinds five shillings specie besides what I have heretofore given her to her and her heirs forever; Item I give to my daughter Esther Prescoat five shillings specie besides what I have heretofore given her to her and her heirs forever. Item. I give to my Daughter Rachel Parsons three pounds specie besides what I have heretofore given her to her and her heirs forever. Item. I give to my daughter Lany Dawson four cows and calves at Francis Beemans one bed and furniture and one iron pot and pot hooks and all my pewter as I had when I married my last wife to her and her heirs forever; Item. my desire is that all the rest of my estate not heretofore mentioned maybe sold at nine months credit and the money arising thereby to be equally divided amongst my four daughters meaning Mary Aldredge, Sarah Waterer, Rebekah Smith and Selah Waterer besides what I have heretofore given them to them and their heirs forever. Item. I give to my son Jesse Dawson the lands and Plantation as I now live on as I lent my wife after my said wifes widowhood is determined as aforesaid, and all the rest of my estate as I lent my wife at her death or marriage I give to my said son Jesse Dawson to him and his heirs forever. And my desire is that if my sorrel mare should bring a colt as was before excepted, Then I desire it may be sold at four years old if it lives and the money got thereby to go towards maintaining and schooling my said son Jesse and my desire is that my son Jesse be of age at Eighteen years to act and do for himself. and my desire is that my negroes may not be taken away from my wife if the crop then on the ground at my death be not fully compleated and housed and not till then and if my son Jesse Dawson should die leaving no lawfull heir begotten from his body. Then what I give him to be equally divided such as lands and other things as I left him to be sold after my wifes death or marriage and the money equally divided amongst all my children aforementioned (Esther Prescoat only excepted) to them and their heirs forever. And lastly I constitute nominate and appoint my loving wife Patience executrix and my beloved friend John Handley and my loving son William Dawson executors of this my last will and testament Revoking disannulling and making void all other wills and testaments by me made ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament In witness whereof I the said Joseph Dawson have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal the day and year first within written. Signed sealed and acknowledged in Presence of John Lawson, John (X) Daniel, William (X) Wilson. Signed Joseph (his mark) Dawson. (Joseph Dawson, decÕd. Will Proved April Ct. 1784.) <<< Will of William DAWSON of Greene County, NC. This will mentions the following persons. Children: Clarkey Dawson, Penny Dawson, John Dawson, Wilson Dawson, Matthew Dawson, Isaac Dawson, Esther Dawson, William Dawson, Leah Bell, Charity Shuffle, Zilpha Nixon, Luce Lane, Rachel Smith, Joseph Dawson, and granddaughter Elizabeth Dawson. <<< In the name of god Amen that I William Dawson of the State of North Carolina and of Wayne County being weak of body but of perfect mind and Memory do this thirty-first day of August in the year of One Thousand Eight hundred and two do make this my last will and testement in manner and form as follows that is to say first of all I bequeath my Soul to God that gave it and my body to the dust from whence it was taken to be decently buried by my executors hereafter named and for my worldly good that it hath pleased God to bless me with I shall dispose in and form as follows that is to say ITEM I lend to my two daughters Clarkey Dawson and Penny Dawson all my plantation whereon I know live that joins my orchard and also the field up the branch toward the road for the space of five years after my decease if they don't marry, but if they get married it is theirs no longer and also not to have the use of my dwelling house for the foresaid time afterward. I also lend to my two said daughters Clarkey and Penny a Negro man by the name of Tom befor the during the same time and I also give to my two aforesaid daughters one good work horse. I also give to my same two daughters one half of my crop that is in the fealds or in my barn at the time of my decease. ITEM I give and bequeath to my daughter Clarkey Dawson one feather bed and furniture and two cows and calves and two ewes and lambs. ITEM I give to my daughter Penny Dawson a negro woman by the name of Frank and also one feather bed and furniture two cows and calves and two ewes and lambs to her and her heirs for ever. I also lend to my said two daughters all my kitchen furniture and at the end of the foresaid five years the said kitchin furniture is to be sold and the money to be equally divided between my son John Dawson and all my daughters. ITEM I give and bequeath to my son Wilson Dawson the mannor plantation whereon I now live after the aforesaid five years is expired or the marriage of his two sisters to viz: Clarkey and Penny concluding all the land that lys in between the branch called Dawsons Branch and the branch called the Steer pen branch to the road and one half of the pinewood that lys over the road only one half of my orchard excepted until Mathew Dawson comes to the age of twenty-five years. And I also give to son Wilson Dawson one negro boy called George one horse to the value of eighty or a hundred dollars one feather bed and furniture to him and his heirs for ever. ITEM I give and bequeath to my son Mathew Dawson all of my land that lyes in between Richard Crooms line and the branch called Dawsons Branch up to the road and the other half of the pineywood that lys over the road and also a negro boy called Ben and also one year old colt that is now in my possession and also one bed and furniture and also the benefit of one half of my orchard until he comes to the age of twenty-five years to him and his heirs for ever. ITEM I give to my granddaughter Elizabeth Dawson one featherbed and furniture and also one hundred silver dollars to be paid by my executors at my death and to be put out on trust until she comes to age to receive it. ITEM I give and bequeath to son Isaac Dawson one hundred silver dollars to be paid by my executors at my decease. ITEM I give to my daughter Ester Dawson one feather bed and furniture. ITEM I give to my son William Dawson one book called a Church bible. ITEM It is my will and desire that my still shall stand on the plantation where the now stands and that William Dawson and Mathew Dawson should the liberty to still their own liquer but if either of the two should move a way they have no more right to said still. ITEM I give and bequeath to my daughter Leah Bell my riding chear and harnes. ITEM I give and bequeath to daughter Charity Shuffle the cattle that I formerly lent to her. ITEM it is my will and desire in that all what ever I have lent to my two daughters Clarkey and Penny at expiration of the five years or the marriage of the said girls to be sold and the money to be equally divided between my son John Dawson and my eight daughters. And also it is my will and sesire that all of the remainder of my estate that is not given nor lent is sold at my decease by my executors and all the money after all my just debts is paid to be equally divided between my son John Dawson and all my daughters to viz. Zilpha Nixon, Luce Lane, Leah Bell, Charity Shuffle, Rachel Smith, Clarkey Dawson, Penny Dawson, Easter Dawson. ITEM I give and bequeath to my son Joseph Dawson all of my working cloths. And I do hereby ratify and confirm this to be my last will and testament disanulling and revoking all other wills heretofore by me signed and I also appoint my son William Dawson, John Bell, and William Smith my hole and sole executors of this my last will and testement in witness my hand and seal this year and day above written. Signed: William (X) Dawson Signed sealed and delivered in presents of us Test ____Powell, Thomas Smyth?, __Smyth? August Ct. 1803 >>>> John R. Clarke Thomasville, GA