Introduction

The Lawson Surname DNA Project is a genealogical research initiative focused on Y-chromosome DNA testing for men with the Lawson surname (including variant spellings). The goal is to connect various Lawson families and break through genealogical “brick walls” by identifying shared paternal ancestry. In essence, it is a standard surname DNA project aiming to group participants into lineages that share a common ancestor and to use those groupings, alongside traditional records, to extend and clarify Lawson family histories. The Lawson DNA Project welcomes males with the Lawson surname and/or males with different surnames who have genealogical evidence suggesting Lawson ancestry through their direct paternal line to participate in Y-chromosome DNA testing, and it provides guidance on how to join via FamilyTreeDNA (with group discounts). The project’s findings have shed light on multiple distinct Lawson lineages, their geographic movements, and historical origins, demonstrating how DNA evidence can complement historical research in understanding family history.

DNA Testing Methodology

Y-Chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) Testing: The project uses Y-DNA because the Y chromosome passes almost unchanged from father to son, creating an unbroken genetic line along the paternal surname line. By comparing Y-DNA from different Lawson men, one can determine how closely they might be related on their direct male line. Two main types of Y-DNA tests are employed: Y-STR markers and Y-SNP markers. For more detailed information, please refer to FamilyTreeDNA’s write-up on Y-chromosome DNA (Y-DNA).

• Y-STR (Short Tandem Repeat) testing: This looks at short repeating sequences on the Y chromosome. The Lawson project has primarily used 12 to 111-marker STR tests, which measure values at 12, 37, 67 or 111 specific locations on the Y chromosome for each participant. STR variation is useful for tracing relatively recent ancestry (within the last few hundred years). Participants’ STR results are compiled in project data table (spreadsheets) – called Lawson 67 Markers Database . The table list each test kit, the person’s haplogroup (deep ancestral lineage), their STR marker values, and, where provided, a short pedigree of their direct male line. The project’s custom spreadsheet keeps the header row and kit numbers static while scrolling, making it easy to compare results across many markers. The right-hand kit number is also a clickable link that allow members to view detailed pedigrees if submitted. The Family Tree DNA public spreadsheet provides access to complete 111-marker results for all participants.
• Y-SNP testing: SNPs are single-nucleotide polymorphisms – essentially one-time mutations that define branches of the human family tree. A SNP test can identify a man’s precise haplogroup (deep ancestry) and how recently two men share a common paternal ancestor. The Lawson project has a subset of members who took FamilyTreeDNA’s Big Y-700 test (an advanced and more expensive Y-DNA test for SNPs). This has been especially done by members of the largest Lawson group (“Group 1”). Results from Big Y-700 testing are analyzed through specialized resources including the Time to Most Recent Common Haplogroup I-A6062 analysis and Big Y-700 Block Tree and Pedigrees documentation. Big Y results have placed those men into a specific haplogroup I-A6062, indicating they all share an ancestor who had that mutation. From the Big Y data, the Time to Most Recent Common Ancestor (TMRCA) for that group was estimated at about 423 years ago (around the year 1602). In other words, DNA suggests all members of Group 1 descend from a common Lawson ancestor who lived in the early 17th century. This kind of SNP analysis helps confirm deep connections and lineage branching beyond what the STR marker panels alone show. This estimate will likely change in the future as more people test and we improve the method.

The Challenge of Identifying Lawsons in Early Colonial America

The Problem of Common Names and Limited Documentation

Tracing Lawson lineages in early American colonies presents extraordinary challenges that have confounded genealogists for generations. The fundamental difficulty stems from colonial naming conventions where most settlers used only a single Christian name with their surname. Among Lawsons in Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, the overwhelming preference for traditional names like John, William, David, James, and Thomas created genealogical nightmares. Colonial documents typically contained only basic identifiers—court records and land patents show entries like “William Lawson” or “John Lawson Sr.” with minimal context for distinguishing between contemporaries bearing identical names.

Scots-Irish Naming Traditions and Predictable Confusion

The challenge intensified among Scots-Irish families, who comprised a substantial portion of Lawson settlers. These families followed rigid generational naming patterns: the first son named after the paternal grandfather, the second son after the maternal grandfather, the third son after the father, and subsequent sons after uncles or important kinsmen. While this systematic approach reinforced kinship ties, it created genealogical puzzles where identical names appeared repeatedly across generations within single family lines. A family might include a patriarch named John, his eldest son John (named for John’s father), and John’s grandson also named John, all appearing in overlapping documentary records.

Virginia’s Shifting County Boundaries: The Lunenburg Example

Virginia’s rapid westward expansion and frequent boundary changes scattered family records across multiple jurisdictions. Lunenburg County (see 1746 Lunenburg County, VA Precincts Map) provides a striking example: formed from Brunswick in 1746, it spawned Halifax and Bedford counties in 1752 and 1754, followed by Charlotte from Bedford in 1765, Pittsylvania from Halifax in 1767, Henry from Pittsylvania in 1777, and Patrick from Henry in 1791. These jurisdictional shifts meant that tax records, land deeds, and court proceedings for a single individual could be distributed among half a dozen different counties, depending on when transactions occurred and which entity had jurisdiction.

The Perfect Storm of Genealogical Confusion

The intersection of common naming patterns, Scots-Irish generational traditions, and shifting political boundaries created a perfect storm of identification difficulties. The same individual might appear as “William Lawson” in Brunswick County records before 1746, Lunenburg County documents from 1746-1754, and Bedford County records after 1754, with no clear indication these represent the same person. Simultaneously, multiple William Lawsons could legitimately exist within the same extended family network during overlapping periods, making relationship determination nearly impossible without extensive circumstantial evidence.

Modern genealogical research on colonial Lawson families requires sophisticated methodology combining detailed analysis of land ownership patterns, witness relationships, tax progressions, and geographic clustering. DNA testing has emerged as a crucial tool for confirming relationships suggested by documentary evidence, though collaborative efforts tracking all known Lawsons within specific regions and time periods remain essential for solving these complex identification challenges.

My Interpretation of the Results

Rather than repeat information already published on my website, I will provide links to relevant pages for further detail and context.

Group 1 – Falling River Lawsons

The earliest documented relative for this group is William Lawson of Falling River. William received a patent for 143 acres of land on the north side of Falling River in Brunswick County, VA on 20 August 1745. The county name changed to Lunenburg in 1746, then to Bedford in 1754, and finally to Campbell County in 1782.

By 2 April 1754, William Lawson had died, and his three sons—John, Jonas, and Bartholomew Lawson—sold the land to Thomas Watkins for 30 pounds. John Lawson executed the sale, suggesting he was the eldest of the three brothers. These are currently the only proven sons of William Lawson of Falling River.

William’s three sons are listed in Lunenburg County tax records from 1748 to 1751. John Lawson is shown with three sons: William, John Jr., and Jonas. Bartholomew and Jonas are not shown with any other males of taxable age.

The Falling River area, initially in Lunenburg County, became Bedford County in 1754. Early records from Bedford County include John, John Jr., William, Bartholomew, Jonas, and a new name, David. Financial difficulties are indicated by the “Insolvents List of 1762” and numerous 1763 court judgments against the Lawsons. The records also mention John B. E. Lawson, possibly John Lawson Jr. Additionally, Bartholomew Lawson was married to Susannah Simpkins, daughter of John Simpkins, and sold part of her inheritance in 1763.

After 1763-64, the brothers separated. Bartholomew and Susannah moved from Bedford County, VA, to Cumberland County, NC, where Bartholomew died in1765. The family later moved to Henry County, VA, which became Patrick County, VA, putting them near John Lawson’s family that had relocated to Surry/Stokes County, NC.

The exact timing of John Lawson Sr.’s move to Surry and Stokes Counties is unknown, but his family was present by 1772, according to various records. The oldest John Lawson is referred to as John “Black Eye” Lawson or John B. E. Lawson, possibly the same John B. E. Lawson from Bedford County, VA. The Lawsons frequently reused first names, prompting tax collectors to use nicknames like Black Eye, Goober Pea, Big Head, Big Billey, and Bony for differentiation.

Identifying the third brother, Jonas Lawson, is challenging. He appears on the 1763 Bedford County tax list and has a court judgment in the same year. He might be the Jonas Lawson found in Pittsylvania County, VA with William and John Lawson, but further documentation is needed to clarify this.

Many Lawsons from Surry/Stokes Counties, NC, and Patrick County, VA, moved west into Lee County, VA and eastern Tennessee after the Revolutionary War and before 1800.

Jonas and John Lawson

Before 1745, records show a William Lawson in Goochland County, VA, along with Jonas, John, and David Lawson. The Falling River William named one of his sons Jonas and another John. Bartholomew Lawson married Susannah Simpkins, daughter of John Simpkins, who lived in Goochland County before moving to Falling River.

John Simpkins obtained a patent in Goochland County in 1731, bought additional land in 1737, and sold his land in 1742/43. He received a patent in July 1746 for 200 acres on Falling River, about 11 months after William Lawson’s patent.

William Lawson’s records in Goochland County from 1732 to 1743 show he was frequently absent, suggesting extensive travel. In 1732, a case involving William Lawson Sr. was dismissed due to lack of prosecution, indicating there were two William Lawsons in the county at that time.

In 1743, Goochland County’s Sheriff sought William Lawson but could not find him. Records from 1741-1742 in Brunswick County, VA, show similar issues. On 20 August 1745, William Lawson acquired land on Falling River. By April 1754, William had died, leaving at least three sons.

Given that William named his sons Jonas and John, it is plausible that William Lawson of Falling River is related to Jonas and John of Goochland and New Kent Counties, VA. The Simpkins family’s presence in Goochland County further supports this connection.

Jonas Lawson first appears in New Kent County, Virginia in March 1708/09, along with John and Nicholas Lawson. The relationship among them is unclear. John Lawson, married to Judith, had a son baptized in 8 May 1690 and a daughter, Elenor, baptized in 10 July 1698. Nicholas Lawson is mentioned briefly, stating he did not reside in John and Jonas’s parish.

Jonas Lawson, who owned land in New Kent in 1709, was likely born on or before 1688. His wife was Elizabeth, as shown by documents from Goochland County, VA.

John Lawson, listed in the 1704 Rent Roll of St. Peters and St. Paul’s Parish, held 50 acres. John and his wife are mentioned in parish records between 1690 and 1709. Jonas Lawson obtained a patent on 16 June 1727, for 400 acres on the north side of the James River, on Byrd Creek in Henrico County, VA. In 1728 this land became part of Goochland County. Other men from New Kent County, including Andrew Moorman, Robert Horsley, and John Bostick, also acquired land on Byrd Creek.

David Lawson, Jonas’s son, lived near his father in Goochland County and named a son Jonas. John and William Lawson were also in Goochland, though their exact relationship to Jonas is unclear—they could be brothers, uncles, or cousins.

The John Lawson in question could either be the John and Judith Lawson of New Kent or their son. John Lawson is mentioned in the Goochland County court records from 1728 to 1738. However, there is no record of him obtaining land, which would be expected if he were the older Lawson. There are a couple of intriguing entries that might explain his disappearance from the records:

1. In the Goochland County, Virginia Wills and Deeds (1734-1736), Book 2, Page 230, dated 20 February 1735/36, Noble Ladd of Goochland County, planter, sold 100 acres to James Nevill of the same county for 10 pounds. The property was described as being bounded by the Point of Rocks, where “the Indians shot John Lawson,” near the Seven Islands and the James River. This deed was recorded on 15 June 1736.
2. In the Albemarle Deed, Book 1, Page 316, dated 14 May 1751, Noble Ladd bequeathed 300 acres on the north side of the Fluvanna River, adjacent to New Breamer (Bremo) Creek, to his son, Amos Ladd. The deed references the head of a branch where “the Indian shot John Lawson.” Witnesses included John Peter, Amos Ladd, and John Moor.

Seven Islands is located in present day Fluvanna County, VA and about 20-30 miles up the James River from Byrd Creek, where Jonas and David Lawson had their patents

These records indicate that a John Lawson was living in the area and was shot by Indians sometime before June 1736. This could explain why there is no record of him obtaining a patent around the same time as Jonas Lawson

Records from Albemarle County, VA show another John Lawson who acquired patents and sold land along the Mechums River. Additionally, Thomas Lawson, in his Iredell County, NC Revolutionary Pension Application, stated he was born in Albemarle County in December 1752. It is possible that this John or members of his family moved to Bedford, Pittsylvania, and Halifax Counties, VA, and eventually further south into NC and SC.

The older Jonas Lawson and his family resided in Goochland County, VA, from at least 1727 to 1767. Jonas, along with his son David and grandson Jonas Lawson, sold their land in Goochland County in 1767 and subsequently moved to Bedford County, VA, and possibly to Pittsylvania County, VA.

Jonas Lawson made a will on 5 April 1770, in Bedford County, Virginia, which was filed on 24 September 1771. In his will, Jonas mentioned his son David and grandsons David, William, John, and James Lawson. The fact that grandsons David and William Lawson were named executors of the will suggests that Jonas’ son David had already passed away.

It is believed that most, if not all, of the older Jonas Lawson’s family eventually moved to South Carolina.

There are several members in Group 1 whose documentation does not connect them to the Lawsons mentioned above or to their known locations. Although Y-DNA indicates a familial relationship, the exact connection remains unclear.

Groups 8

This group, sometimes referred to as Mary on the Dan’s Lawsons, includes descendants of a Mary Lawson, who completed a will on 15 October 1749, recorded on 2 April 1751, in Lunenburg County, VA (now Halifax County, VA). She had seven known children. The names of the males were Francis, John, David and William.

The family is believed to have emigrated from Antrim County, Ireland, to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where they initially purchased land. They then moved to Lunenburg County, VA, purchasing several land tracts from William Byrd or his estate on or near the Dan River.

Francis, John, and David died in Halifax County. Francis’s son John moved to Caswell/Person County, NC, where his family is well-documented. John Sr. remained in Halifax County, dying around 1782. David died in November 1774, and his children moved west to Kentucky and Illinois.

William Lawson, the youngest son, married Jane Banks in 1758 in Halifax County, VA. After serving in the Revolutionary War, he received land in Georgia, where he moved with his family and died in October 1800 in Hancock County, Georgia.

Groups 12

A notable group of Lawsons can trace their lineage back to William Lawson, known to many as “The Scottish Rebel.” This family has created several excellent websites, which can be found through a quick Google search, providing extensive information on many of William’s descendants. One member, Nancy Lawson, who has conducted thorough research on William Lawson, has gathered sufficient documentation to conclude that their William is not the same William Lawson who was “transported” as a prisoner on the ship Gildart on 5 August 1747. They now refer to their ancestor as “William Lawson from Montrose, Scotland.” Nancy’s detailed findings can be reviewed in her publication titled “Finding Our True William.”

Groups 15

This group traces its lineage to Jincy or Ginsey Lawson through Andrew Jackson Lawson of St. Clair/Etowah County, AL. It is believed that Jincy never married, and her children took her maiden name. A second son, Pickens Lawson, was tested and is placed in Group 4.

Groups 17

This group is associated with a John Lawson, born in Annapolis, Maryland, or Scotland, who married Rebecca. He is believed to have had the following male children: John, Alexander, Theophilus, William, and Holsey or Holzen Lawson. Most of his descendants remained in the West Virginia area.

Groups 19

This group traces back to William Lawson of Union County, South Carolina, who was born around 1740 and died in 1827 in Union County. He is believed to have been married at least twice, with his second wife being Susannah Bailey. His sons may include Sion, Reuben, John, Jacob, Bailey, and Julius, most of whom lived and died in Union County before their descendants moved west.