This is information about the Dotsons who settled in Wise County, Virginia (formerly Russell County til 1856): DOTSON FAMILY TREE (First spelled Dodson, Changed to Dotson about 1700. Charles Dodson - First settled at Jamestown the year of 1625, was born 1608. Benjamin Dodson - Came to Virginia in 1635. Thomas Dodson - Born 1643. Charles Dodson - first changed his name to Dotson 1680. William (Ist) Dotson - About this time ( 1700) the name was officially changed. William was a Revolutionary War Veteran. FOLLOWING DATA PROVIDED BY SEVERAL SOURCES INCLUDING EMORY L. HAMILTON [author of One Hamilton Clan ©1990]. The "Doomsday Book" of earliest record of land owners and lessees of Hartfordshire, England, gives the name of "Dode" and a son, Alcynius "Dodesone," tenant-in-chief. From this early English source the name Dodson very easily and naturally follows. The name therefore may be either Celtic or Anglo-Saxon, as it is difficult to determine from this earliest record. SIMON DOTSON Simon Dotson, progenitor of the large Dotson family of Wise, Russell, and Dickenson Counties, Virginia, and extreme eastern Kentucky, immigrated to the area from Patrick County, Virginia. He was a direct descendant of Charles Dodson of old Rappahanock County, Virginia. In early colonial records we find that Charles Dodson, who settled in Jamestown about 1625, took a lease of land in old Rappahannock County on July 8, 1680. Later in 1692, Rappahannock County was subdivided in Essex and Richmond Counties, and Charles Dodson owned land in both counties, but resided in North Farnham Parish in Richmond County, where he became a large land owner. The will of Charles Dodson was dated January I 1, 1703, and proved February 6, 1705, wherein he names wife, Ann, eight children. Among these children was a son Thomas Dodson, born May 15, 1681, died in Richmond County, November 20, 1740. His will dated February 17, 174?, proved March 2, 1740, names wife, Mary, and nine children. It is the children of this Thomas Dodson who went to Southwest Virginia, settling in Pittsylvania County prior to 1776. Many of his descendants in time spelled their name "Dotson". The Dotsons of Pittsylvania, Halifax, Patrick and Henry Counties all trace their ancestry through Thomas Dodson back to Charles Dodson of old Rappahannock County, Virginia. The writer of "Who Were The First Settlers of Norton" (Emory L. Hamilton) has not been able to recover the names of the parents of Simon Dotson, but Emory assumed, without factual proof that he was the son of William Dodson, (changed to Dotson) a Revolutionary War soldier. Simon Dotson was born in 1761, and died at his home on Guest River (someplace between Ramsey and Tacoma) on May 30, 1849, at the age of 88 years. The earliest record found for him was on October 31, 1807, when he, his wife Phoebe and a Mary Dotson joined the old Stoney Creek Baptist Church in Scott County, Virginia. It is not known who this Mary Dotson was. Certainly she was too old to be his daughter, most likely she was his sister. On May 1, 1847, a Primitive Baptist Church was organized at the Glades (now Wise), and Simon Dotson became one of the first Deacons of this Church. While this Church is no longer in existence, the records are intact, and it is from these old records that the age and death date of Simon Dotson were recovered. Simon Dotson was Married in Patrick County, Virginia, March 29, 1794, to Phoebe Hollingsworth, daughter of Thomas Hollingsworth: and officiating minister was the Rev. George Dodson. Soon after his marriage we find where Simon Dotson was starting out on his own by purchasing land in Patrick County. Virginia, in April 17957 from one William Reed, and selling the same tract of land in 1802, to William Webb. It is believed that about this date he emigrated to Scott County, Virginia, settling on a tributary of Stock Creek near Natural Tunnel. About 1820 he sold his land on Stock Creek to his son-in-law, Schuyler Hamilton, and removed to what is now Wise County, (then Russell) settling on Guest River, between Ramsey and Tacoma. An absolute date of his settlement on Guest River has not been established, but it is logical to assume that it was about the time he sold his land on Stock Creek. The writer was told by Patton Dotson, grandson of Thomas Dotson, and great-grandson of Simon, that his grandfather, Thomas Dotson was living on Guest River at the time the great hurricane hit Wise County north of the county seat of Wise. Patton stated that his grandfather, Thomas Dotson, told of going to the area to look over the damage two or three days after the hurricane struck, and that he was a boy of seventeen years; thus placing the date of the hurricane in 1821, and proving that Simon Dotson was in Wise (then Russell) County at that date, since his son Thomas was born in 1804. It is interesting to note that this particular section of Wise County is still called "Hurricane". As further evidence of establishing Simon Dotson's residence, quoted from the Russell County Court Records the following At a term of court held for Russell County, Virginia, September 1, 1829, "An application of Elijah Beverly, Sr. and others who filed their petition praying for a new road from Simon Dotson's on Guest River to Freeman Beverly's grist mill on said river, it is ordered that Ruben Steele, John Stanley, Simon Dotson, and William Dotson (Simon's son), be appointed to view the ground etc." This order established the beginning of the present highway leading from Norton to Coeburn, long before either town existed. At a term of court held in Russell County, June 4, 1833, Simon Dotson was allowed $5 for a wolf scalp. In early days it was a custom for courts to set a "bounty" on wolves, and other marauding animals to eliminate their destruction. The burial place of Simon Dotson and his wife, Phoebe, is not definitely known. The older section of Laurel Grove Cemetery at Ramsey, near Norton. Virginia, was the original burying ground of the Hamilton family. descendants of Simon Dotson, and his daughter Mary Dotson Huff, along with her husband were buried there in 1862, so in all probability Simon and his wife also sleep this cemetery. The 1820 census of Scott County shows that Simon Dotson had at that time eleven children at home, since certainly his oldest daughter, Susanna was married to Schuyler Hamilton at this date and there might have been other older children married. Simon Dotson was one of the first deacons of the Big Glades Unity Baptist church which was established at Gladesville (now Wise) in 1847.