This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: drdjones Surnames: Lawson, Manis Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.tennessee.counties.hawkins/9534.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The father is listed as Russell Manis on the death certificate. That poses an interesting problem, since there was a Russell Manis who later took the name Russell Lawson in Hawkins County, Tennessee. He was 19 and Anna Manis was 25 in 1850 and Rhoda Manis Lawson was 6, so it is possible this Russell was the father. Statements of the descendents of Russell Lawson, as well as deed records of Hawkins County from the 1850s and 1860s Hawkins County show that Russell Manis/Russell Lawson was really William Russell Lawson, who was the son (apparently stepson) of Peter Lawson, the son of Thomas Lawson Sr. There is a court suit from the 1840s in Hawkins County in which an Anna Manis was prosecuted for lewd behavior. John Manis Sr was on the Grand Jury. John Manis Sr was the grandfather of the children of Anna Manis. Now, another child of Anna Manis, Amanda Lawson, indicated that her father was George Manis. So, it is also possible that the fathers were made up to cover and illegitima! te birth. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.