Individual Details

David & James were both declared to be over age 21 in 1787 and in the household of Robert Lawson who was responsible for the tax. David was the first to appear on the tax lists by himself in 1788 - James married in 1791, after which he begins to appear alone on the personal property tax lists. So even though James married earlier, I suspect David to have been the older.

5 Nov 1788 Court Orders, Vol. 3, p.163. Motion of James Brownlow who served as a witness for David Lawson against William Elliott. Ordered that he pay him 100 pounds of Tobacco for four days attendance.

David was a son of Robert Lawson as evidenced by the case in Chancery Court in 1797. The marriage bonds of Rockbridge Co do show that James Lawson and Isabella Lawson were son and daughter of Robert Lawson. James married Isabella Dale in 1791 [bond co-signed by Samuel Dale, her brother], Isabella Lawson married Samuel Dale in 1793, and there is a bond for:
David Lawson to marry Hannah Dale, 16 Oct 1793, signed by David Lawson & Samuel Dale.
The wedding was apparently the same day as the bond and Rev. Wm. Graham of the New Monmouth Presbyterian Church officiated. Rev. Graham also married Isabella Lawson to Samuel Dale.
Hannah was likely another daughter of Alexander Dale although she isn't seen as such in any databases online. I don't of any other Dale families in the area, unless she was a granddaughter, perhaps a daughter of one of Alexander's oldest sons.
Rockbridge County Marriages 1778-1850 by Kirkpatrick has what seems to be erroneous data. It states that David was a son of Isaac & Agnes [from "History of Rockbridge Co" by Oren F. Morton]. David, son of Isaac, was a young boy in 1793.

24 Jan 1793 Bond from David Lawson to John Deal [Dale] for 30#'s to be paid on the 1st of May 1795. Witnessed by Samuel Deal and Isaac Lawson
A Chancery Case, Rockbridge Co VA, 1830; Samuel Dale v. Daniel Lawson Jr. maintains that this was at the time a sale by his brother John Dale to Daniel Lawson Sr for a total of 90#'s. John Dale never made title because the remainder was never paid. John died leaving the land to Samuel Dale. Meanwhile, David Lawson lived on the 77 acres, paid taxes on it, and eventually left it to his son David Jr. The summons for David Lawson Jr to appear in Court was dated 19 May 1826. A note on the outside of the bille states that in May, 1830, the case was dismissed on plaintiff's orders.

Land grant to Robert Lawson, 1795, shows that his land was adjacent that of John Dale - that would explain the intermarriages of the families.


In 1794, David Lawson first appears on the tax rolls in Rockbridge Co with land - a tract of 77 acres which he continued to pay tax on until his death in 1822. In 1823 his heirs paid tax on this same 77 acres. The taxpayer in 1824 was David "Jr." and David did name a son of the same name in his will.

5 Mar 1795 Lawsuit. David Lawson against Robert Senr, James & Robert Junr. By consent of the parties' attornies the case was submitted to determination of John Crauthers, William Lyles, Ant. Alexander & James Gold who were to make judgement or appoint an umpire to do so. Court Order Bk 1795-1799, p.19
It would seem to me, given David Lawson's purchase of land sometime in 1794, that this could be a dispute over land boundaries. The absence of Isaac in this lawsuit indicates he was not part of this immediate family. Also since the case is in 1795, Robert Lawson who married Margaret Hicks was not quite of age and could not have been sued without a guardian on his behalf.
The Lawsuit was heard in Chancery in 1797. The parties settled it out of court prior to the results of the arbitration. It did state David was the eldest son of Robert Senr. The family had come first to Pennsylvania from Ireland and David had taken out a three year lease, admitting his father as a participant. Robert Sr & Jr and James had departed for Virginia over a year prior to the completion of the lease, leaving David in Pennsylvania to cover the last year's rent. A wagon & horses owned jointly had been traded by Robert Sr for land in Virginia, but the land had been distributed to Robert Jr & James.

1810 Census: David Lawson had 1 male age 10-16 and one male over 45 [himself], 3 females 10-16 and 1 female 16-26. I believe his wife Hannah was already deceased as his will does cite four daughters. Since only one male child is listed, presumably that is Alexander.

1820 Census: David had one male age 16-26, himself over 45 and 3 females between 16-26.

I believe there was a third David that lived in Rockbridge and had been called David Jr at an earlier time, and he was likely a son of Isaac Lawson. He was born a few years prior to this David's marriage to Hannah Dale. The first David "Junior" was over 16 in 1807, or born about 1770 and could not have been a child of Hannah. He does appear on the tax rolls from 1807 until 1821 when the transcription ends.

Here are the census records for the younger David.
In 1810, the younger David Jr. was age 26-45 [again seems a bit old to be the son of David & Hannah - the age matches that of a son of Isaac] and he had a spouse age 16-26. No children. In 1820, the younger David Lawson in Rockbridge was still between 26-45 and wasn't noted as a "Jr", He had two small boys under 10, 4 females under 10 [or 2 females under 10 - it's a strike-over and difficult to read] and a spouse also age 26-45.

At no time were three Davids actually listed on the tax lists or in the census, but we certainly have the proof there were three of them since both David & Isaac named a son as David in their wills in the early 1820's.

The personal property tax rolls for 1822 through 1824, show a David Lawson Senr. He had 4 horses in 1822, 2 horses in 1823 and only a single horse in 1824. Strangely a David Lawson was listed in 1822 with the note "Jas. son" - I believe the tax collector may also have been confused and this was likely James' son-in-law as found in some of the chancery court cases. In 1823 and 1824, he was listed as David Lawson "Jr" - he always had 2 horses. In 1825, only one Davod Lawson was on the rolls [David Sr was deceased] and he had 3 horses; in 1826 he was again noted as David Jr. No David Lawson appears after 1826.

The will of David Lawson was dated 21 Feb 1823.
He left to his oldest son David Lawson, 77 acres on the waters of Kerr's Creek. He desired his two daughters Ann and Jane Lawson to remain on the land during their single life if they thought proper. He also wanted David to give each of his other children, Susan, Ann, Jane, Hannah & Alexander 5 shillings. He appointed David Lawson his executor.
The wording of the will seems to suggest that Ann and Jane were the only children still at home.

In 1823, David Sr's heirs paid tax on his 77 acres of land. In 1824, David Lawson, Jr. did and he continues as the taxpayer, David Jr, through 1826. He wasn't listed in 1827, and the transcriptions end there.

Found in the Chancery Court papers of Joseph Reid v. Alexander Dale et al, 1830:
16 Sep 1826. David Lawson Junr is bound to Joseph Reed in the sum of $800. The consideration is that David Lawson has sold to sd Reid seventy-seven acres of land adjoining Matthew White, Henry Armentrout & the widow Goodbar. Signed: David Lawson
The court case also revealed that the title of the 77 acres was still in the hands of the heirs of Samuel Dale because 15 pounds of the purchase price had never been paid.

Perhaps these are marriages of David's daughters from the research file of Audrey Stigall:
Susanna Lawson married Justin McCarty, 1815
Rockbridge County Marriages 1778-1850, by Dorthie & Edwin C. Kirkpatrick, Iberian Publishing Company
Susanna Lawson to Justin McCarty 7 Sep 1815 Daughter of David Lawson. Minister: Andrew B. Davidson, Presbyterian

Hannah Lawson married Hirim Riom, 6 Dec 1821 [the groom's name very difficult to read] A later reading of the marriage registers from Rockbridge shows his name to have been Henson Rison.
Rockbridge County Marriages 1778-1850, by Dorthie & Edwin C. Kirkpatrick, Iberian Publishing Company
Hannah Lawson to Henson Rison 6 Dec 1821 Daughter of David. Minister: Andrew B. Davison, Presbyterian


I also found a marriage record for John Lawson to Margaret Brown, 15 Oct 1816.
All of these three unidentified marriages were performed by Rev. A. B. Davidson as were the marriages of Isaac Lawson's children about this same time. John is thought to be a son of David's brother James, as James' household lost a young male on the poll records in that year. However, Margaret Brown was a widow with several children and that makes this identification questionable.

Birth	Abt 1763
Marriage	16 Oct 1793	Rockbridge County, Virginia - Hannah Dale
Death	1823	Rockbridge County, Virginia

Spouse	Hannah Dale ( - )
Child	David Lawson Jr ( - )
Child	Susan/Susannah Lawson ( - )
Child	Hannah Lawson ( - )
Child	Alexander Lawson ( - )
Child	Ann Lawson ( - )
Child	Jane Lawson ( - )

Father	Robert Lawson ( - 1812)
Sibling	James Lawson (1765 - )
Sibling	Isabella Lawson (1766 - 1850)
Sibling	Robert Lawson (1770 - 1838)