Abraham Dodson (1723 - bef. 1768)

Born 4 Apr 1723 in North Farnham Parish, Richmond, Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before 25 Oct 1768 before age 45 in Fauquier, Virginia

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Biography

Abraham Dodson was born the 4th April 1723 in North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia. Abraham was the son of Thomas Dodson Sr. and Mary Durham.

Abraham married Barbara whose exact surname is unknown and has not been documented but is believed to be Russell.^[1]

Abraham had moved to Fauquier county, Virginia where he and his wife Barbary were received by baptism into the Broad Run Baptist Church on the 4th December 1762.

Abraham inherited two slaves from his father. He and his family moved to Fauquier Co., VA probably sometime after 1748. They belonged to the Broad Run Baptist Church of that county where Abraham was a trustee. Because of some notations in the membership roll, Barbara may have been banned from membership later, possibly because of some infraction of the church rules.^[2]

Abraham made his last will and testament in Fauquier county, Virginia on the 17th June 1767. Abraham died sometime before October 1768, as his will was presented to the court for probate on the 25th of October 1768. Abraham's will reads as follows: "In the name of God Amen I Abraham Dodson being sound in sense and memory do make this my last will and testament and first I resign my soul to God who gave it and my body to the dust from whence it came in hopes of a blessed resurrection Item I lend to my dearly beloved wife Barbary Dodson my negro man Adam and my negro girl Alice and my negro girl Judah and all my household goods and stock during her natural life Item I lend to my beloved daughter Milly Holtzclaw my negro man Joseph during her life and if she should die without a lawful heir begotten of her own body then return to her brothers and sisters and if she dies and leaves a lawful heir begotton of her own body after her death I give the said negroe Joseph to that heir. Item I give to my beloved daughter Tabitha Dodson my negroe woman Bess Item I give to my beloved son Enoch Dodson one negroe named Tom Item I give to my beloved son Greenham Dodson one negro named Forrister. Item I give to my beloved daughter Molly Dodson one negro girl named Nell and after my wifes death I give them three negroes to my two sons and my daughter Adam to Tabitha Dodson, Alice to Enoch Dodson and Judah to my son Greenham Dodson. It is also my will that if any of the negro women breeds that my daughter Milly and my daughter Molly may have the two first young negroes that is born and at my wifes death I give my daughter Tabitha and my son Enoch and my son Greenham and my daughter Molly a feather bed & furniture a peace and the remainder part of my household goods I leave to be equally divided amongst them all Milly Hollzclaw and Tabitha Dodson and Enoch Dodson and Greenham Dodson and Molly Dodson. I appoint Jacob Holtzclaw and my beloved wife Barbary Dodson lawful Executors as witness my hand this 17th day of June 1767 Absalom Cornelius, Elijah Dodson, John Bennett At a Court continued and held for Fauquier County the 25th day of October, 1768 This will was proved by the oaths of Absalom Cornelius and John Bennett wittnesses thereto ordered to be recorded and on the motion of Jacob Holtzclow and Barbary Dodson who made oath and executed and acknowledged bond as the law directs Certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate thereof in due form"^[3]

Slaves

Abraham received slaves, Bess and Joe, by inheritance from the will of his father, Thomas Dodson Sr, dated 17 February 1739. Thomas' estate was probated 2 March 1740/41. Abraham acquired additional slaves during his lifetime.

Abraham bequeathed ownership of the slave Bess to his daughter Tabitha in his 1767 will. Abraham also bequeathed Joe/Joseph to his daughter Milly (Dodson) Holtzclaw and if she had a child before she died, Joseph was to be given to her heir.

Abraham's 1767 will bequeathed other slaves to his children as follows:

• "my negro man Adam," to "my dearly beloved wife Barbary," and after her death, then to his daughter Tabitha Dodson
• my negro girl Alice," also to his wife Barbara, and after her death, to his son Enoch Dodson
• my negro girl Judah," also to his wife Barbara, and after her death, to his son Greenham Dodson
• "one negro named Tom/Thomas" to his son Enoch Dodson
• "one negro named Forrester," to his son Greenham Dodson
• "one negro girl named Nell," to his daughter Molly Dodson

Abraham's will also said (verbatim, including grammar mistakes): " It is also my will that that if any of the negro women Breed, that my Daughter Milly and my daughter Molly may have the first two young negroes that is born ..."

Research Notes

Only Mary, Abraham, Joshua, and Elisha's births appear to be recorded in the North Farnham Parish records and there's 8 years between Mary and Abraham. It is possible some of the records were not recorded in the ensuing years or records were lost, and some of the other children were born in the years between 1715 and 1723.

Abraham was born in 1723. He passed away by 1769. ^[4] Some researchers read "1769" on his will documents, instead of 1767.

Sources

1. ↑ page 21,The Dodson (Dotson) Family of North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia: A History and Genealogy of Their Descendants Volume One by Mrs. Sherman Williams, Compiler and Editor and Rev. Silas Emmett Lucas, Jr., Publisher, 1988 Southern Historical Press, Inc., Easley, South Carolina
2. ↑ From the collected notes of Don Holden
3. ↑ Fauquier County, Virginia Will Book, Vol 1, 1759-1783, pages 135 & 136; "Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900"
   Fauquier > Of Will Book, Vol 1, 1759-1783 > image 81 of 269
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 9 August 2023)
   Abraham Dodson.
4. ↑ Unsourced family tree handed down to Reed Perrino.

See Also

George Harrison Sanford King, Compiler & Publisher, The Registers of North Farnham Parish 1663-1814 and Lunenburg Parish 1783-1800 Richmond County, Virginia (Self-Published; Fredericksburg, VA; 1966) Call Number: F232 .R4K52 1986, National Genalogical Society Address: Lending Library Address 1: Lending Library Note: The Lending Library of NGS was moved to St. Louis; the books may be obtained on Interlibrary Loan.

Broad Run Bapt Church, Trascribed by Richard Slatten, The Early Records of Broad Run Baptist Church, Fauquier Co VA, 1762-1783; Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Volume 26, Number 4, November 1988, 284-296 Note: PERSI, Allen Co Public Library. Rec'd Mar 2001.

Contact is Hazel LeBlanc at hazel@@premier.net Home page http://www.premier.net/ Genealogy page: http://www.premier.net/~hazel/genea/persons.htm

Gedcom - Thomas Ancestors Title: William Thomas Stamps; GEDCOM file imported on 23 Dec 2000. Stamps Family History & Lineage Updated 12 Nov 2000. Walters, Stamps, Echols, Slade, Howard, etc. Repository:

Thomas/Walters - Brenda Walters: Data from Brenda Walters, descendant of Phillip Henry Thomas. Email, copies of records, Pedigree Chart, Family Group Sheets. Jan 2001.

Milly Holtzclaw's husband Jacob was a brother to Kay Haden's 5th great grandmother, Winifred Holtzclaw.

Lindley Family Tree on ancestry.com

Other suggested death before 25 Oct 1768 before age 45 in Fauquier, Virginia