This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Lawson Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/XeB.2ACE/3198.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 Message Board Post: I don't think that there is any doubt from the documents that I have looked at that Russell was the grandson of Thomas Lawson Sr. The mystery is which one. Now, the one fact that I don't know whether he was a step grandson or a real blood grandson. We really need to get some "proven" descendents of Anderson, Emanuel, Thomas Jr, Meredith, Jackson, Peter, Alem, and Richard Lawson into the y-DNA study. Family stories just won't cut it. Now, getting back to Russell, don't you find it interesting that he named a son Alem. So, that could mean that he was living with Alem in 1840 instead of Meredith. We also have John Lawson to deal with, and it is possible that he was living with Meredith and/or Alem in 1860 since he wasn't living with Emanuel.