Epaphroditus Lawson

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mrmarsha&...

He seems to have been the oldest son of John and Sarah Rowland Lawson. His activities suggest he was engaged in shipping. He was a member of the first county court. His will is the oldest on record in the United States (1651) This will is on file in Lancaster Co since his patent, in what later (1792) became Essex, was then in Lancaster. Lawson's Neck in Upper Essex which descended in the Waring family was also named for him.

Neither Epa nor his brother Richard left male heirs. Epaphroditus came to America to Virginia before 1633. Other known siblings: Richard, Rowland. Quote from Rowland:

• "The Big Woods" have been here a long time, my children. If anyone calls you "newcomer", tell them your Uncle Epaphroditus was here in 1633.

He owned 200 acres on Back River in 1635 on the east side of Scones Dam, by the side of Pocosin." He owned land in 1651 1,300 acres on NS Rapp'k River, ES Richard Jones, part of 900 acres granted Epaphroditus Lawson & by him assigned to his brother. 1654 400 acres on NS Rapp'k River; 1662 1,000 acres on NS Rapp'k, ES Cherry Point Creek.

Links

• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=beery6&id...

Cornish, John, St. Mary's Co., 1st Aug., 1651; 21st Oct., 1652. To brother-in-law Cepaphreditus Lawson, brother William Pierce, and sister Susanna, personalty. Philip Morgan, residuary legatee. Overseers: Richard Preston, Philip Morgan. Test: Wm. Harper, John Felton. 1. 36.

Editors: Epahroditus [sic] Lawson had patented land on Slaughter's Creek of the Rappahannock River adjacent to that of Major John Carter in what became Lancaster, then Rappahannock, County, Virginia, on 3 Sep 1649 (Virginia Land Patents Book 2:180). According to The Paynes of Virginia by Brooke Payne, 1977, he had married Elizabeth Madestard, daughter of Thomas Madestard, Sr. and sister of Thomas, Jr., and had by her one daughter, Elizabeth, who married Robert Payne of Old Rappahannock County, Virginia.

Following the death of Epaphroditus, his widow, Elizabeth, married next William Clapham. The will of William Clapham, dated 16 Jan 1659/60 and proved 16 Jun 1660, named son William Clapham, daughter Ann and "wife my child now goeth with." Executors were his wife Elizabeth and his "brother in law" Thomas Madestard (Lancaster Records, p. 75, Fleet's Colonial Abstracts) See also Combs &c. of Richmond County, Virginia

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/md/state/wills/01/001.html

From: "Floyd H. Lawson" <FHLawson@hiwaay.net>

Subject: Re: Jonas LAWSON, England

Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 23:16:19 -0600

I have collected from many sources on the John and Sarah Rowland Lawson line. First, I did not have any idea of doing the Lawson line beyond my gggrandfather, John Lawson, b. 1787, NC until I through curiousity began to follow the Tune family back to SC, NC, VA. I used Payne, King, and numerous other authors some of whom may have been overlooked. I was not on the net at the time. I find that most of the researchers go back to John Lawson and Sarah Rowland. Epaphroditus Lawson, had his name on land records as early as 1632/33. He seem to be the dominant Lawson of his time.

He married Elizabeth Madestard, she gets pregnant, he dies before the child is born. She then marries before the child is born. Elizabeth Madestard's marriage delivers all the vast holdings of Epaphroditus Lawson to her husband. Things become complicated. The estate was entailed (could only go to his line as willed by him). It is a long story but here goes the compilations as best that I can do them from all the work that I have done and am still doing:

1) Epaphroditus, 2) Richard???, 3) Rowland 1, 4) Christopher, 5) Letitia "Lettice", 6 William, 7) Joshua.

I am not a genealogist, by no means. I have done some pure research, but do very little beyond what I pick up on the net. There are several Rowland Lawson men in the records. There are several Epaphroditus Lawson men in the records. I only recently found that Joshua Lawson was in VA along with the others - Order Book (1692-1704), p 155, Virginia Wills, the North Farnham Parish Records, have beed a great source. The most relieable sources that I have purchased were the 224 pages of Wills and Estates of VA. They are limited to selected counties. As to what we can depend on, absolutely, I do not know. I have only used the results of other persons research in VA, NC, SC, MD, GA, TN, AL an on westward. I have found that the records vary from the older records on the same subject that I have more hope than trust. Your Rowland Lawson I, m. Letitia Joanna "Lettice" Wale 1638, England, just before departure for Colony Virginia. He died 8 May 1661, Lancaster Co, Testate, and his wife, Letitia Joanna "Lettice" Wale Lawson died 1665, Lancaster Co, Testate.The most complete records of John and Sarah Rowland Lawson comes to me from Monica Puterbaugh <monicap@ancestry.com>. There is ots of "stuff" out there but it possesses conflicts. Please keep in touch. FHLawson If you cannot find her on that E-mail address, I will try to find my floppy files and pull it up.

http://news.rootsweb.com/th/read/LAWSON/1999-01/0917673379

I found the following in the book "The Paynes of Virginia" by Brooke Payne.

Jack

LAWSON

Epaphroditus Lawson is said to have been the son of John Lawson and w. Sarah Rowland of Yorkshire, England. His brothers Rowland, Richard, and William left their traces in the early records of Virginia. Epaphroditus had grants of land in I.W., Na., Upper Nf., Ra., Lc., etc. counties,beginning 1635. He was Justice in Nansemond 1646. He lived over ten years on Nansemond River and moved to Lc. Co. 1650 he m. Elizabeth Madestard, sister of Mr. Thomas Madestard of lc. Co. Epaphroditus d. 1652 in Lc. Co., leaving a will. In the same year his widow m (II) William Clapham, Jr., who d. 1660 in Lc. co., leaving a will. Elizabeth then m(III) Alexander Fleming 1661; she d. < 1666. Captain Alexander Fleming then m. Joyce-- @ 1668; he d. i668 and Joyce m(II) Lawrence Washington bother of Colonel John Washington of We Co. Very shortly after the death of Lawrence Washington in 1677 Joyce m (III) Mr. James Yates. Epaphroditus Lawson had only one child, Elizabeth, b 1652. In his will written !

31 Mch 1652 he refers to her as his unborn child to whom he leaves his entire estate. She had a half-brother William Clapham, b. 1653. She m. Robert Payne 1666. Her half-brother William Clapham m. Mary Thatcher. Rowland Lawson's wife was Lettice. He was Justice in Lc. Co. 1652. He d. in that county 1661, leaving a will naming children Rowland, Elizabeth, John , Henry, and Letitia. Richard Lawson's wife was Elizabeth. A York Co. record gives his birth in 1618. He d. 1658 in Ra. Co.,leaving a nuncupative will witnessed by Mr. John Catlett and Mr. John Payne (I). His widow m (II) Thomas Page 1659. It has be stated that Epaphroditus Lawson had a sister Lettice who m. colonel John Payne; this cannot be verified by Court records. For an important work on the early Lawson family in Virginia see W.M. 13-242

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/LAWSON/2005-03/111169... http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=gwenbj&id...

Epaphroditus Lawson, 200 acres in the county of Warwick- squicke, adjoining Wm. Parker's land, and north west upon.......

.......Epaphroditus Lawson, Nov. 20, 1637, 50 acres At the mouth of Warwicksquike river, also New Town haven. .......

......Oresham Coffield & Thomas Stamp, Augt 14, 1638, 200 acres Adjoining the land of Ephaphroditus Lawson Easterly, No. W't upon Nansamund river. ......

......Gresham Coffleld, July 18, 1640, 200 acres Joining on the land of Epaphroditus Lawson.

Source: https://archive.org/stream/jstor-1919740/1919740_djvu.txt