Snyder Family 2016 - Person Sheet
NameTheopolus Lawson 
Birth1785, Rockingham, Virginia
Birth Memosome say b. Scotland; another source says b. 1780
Death25 May 1877, Rockingham, Virginia521
Death Memohe appears in the 1850 Federal Census - living with Rebecca Ingram
Alias/AKATheophilus
FatherJohn Lawson (~1760-~1820)
MotherRebecca Smith (~1760-)
Spouses
Birth1780
Marriage1804
Notes for Theopolus Lawson
The Lawsons hail from Scotland. Two brothers crossed the sea, one settled in Virginia, the other at Baltimore, Maryland.
Theopolis Lawson, the Virginian, married a Miss Russaw, and from his son, William, who married a Miss Eliza Marshall, the Lawsons of this county come. William was the father of ten children:
John F. Lawson, already mentioned, Bushrod, W. of Fairmont; Salathial, of Texas; the late Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, the late Mrs. Victoria Amanda Pritchard, who resided in this vicinity; and Mrs. Berthine McDougal, of Pennsboro. James W., Rebecca, Eliza A., and Nancy E., have all passed on.
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143 . . . Theopolus Lawson came from Scotland ??[??, read next note] to Virginia and married Rebecca Russaw, possibly the daughter of a wilderness surveyor and an Indian woman.
1810 - Census, VA - not there
1830 - Census, VA, Tyler Co. p. 175 - maybe son
1850 - Census, VA - Rockingham and Wood Co.
Marriage 1 ? Rusaw b: ABT. 1780
* Married: ABT. 1800
Children
1. William Lawson b: 1812 in Virginia?
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386Contrary to Minnie Kendall's report, Theopolus was not born in Scotland. He was one of eight children of John Lawson and his wife Rebecca, all born in Virginia. John Lawson may be descended from one of three brothers, Hugh, John, and Roger, who were banished from Ireland (originally of a Scottish and/or Yorkshire line) and first settled in Pennsylvania in 1739. They were the sons of Captain John Lawson and Katherine Howard.
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144 Craig,
I have just come across your listing of Theopolus Lawson with a wife named Rebecca Russaw. Sorry to say, you probably got that misinformation from my book in which I quoted an account by Claris Clayton Pritchard written during the 1940s. After the publication of the Pritchard Family History, I received verifiable information from a descendant that the wife of Theopolus was Rebecca Hancock whom he married in 1804. Theopolus, b. 1785, was the son of John Lawson and his wife Rebecca of Virginia. His siblings were: Nancy Lawson, b. 1779; Rebecca Lawson, b. 1781; Alexander Lawson b. 1783; William
M. Lawson, b. 1786, m. Rebecca (Rebeka) Grigsby 1809), Frederick County, Virginia; Mary Ann Lawson, b. 1788; John Lawson, b. 1792, Holzen Lawson, b. 1794.
The Children of Theopolus and Rebecca Hancock are: Elias Lawson; John Lawson; William Lawson, m. Eliza Marshall, daughter of Francis Marshall (said to be a Rev. War veteran, but the data is elusive), June 10, 1825, in Shenandoah County, Virginia.
I'm sorry that several people were misled by the material I used. My father was certain that his cousin Claris, a minister, could not be mistaken; however, his desire to be connected somehow with American Indians must be denied. He interpreted Russaw as an Indian name. In fact, it is derived from Rousseau, a name of French extraction which belonged to a family living in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Frederick Counties, Virginia. Several of their members, like George Washington, were surveyors for Lord Fairfax, as Thomas Pritchard, Sr. was also said to be (possibly true, possibly not). The only possible Rebecca Russaw could be the sister of Theopolus, as we have not confirmed her married name (if indeed she was married).
Because I added 150 more pages of information to my original data, Heritage Press is publishing an updated edition in June 2001 which will have several more pages of the Lawson history.
Emily Pritchard Cary
Theopolis Lawson, the Virginian, married a Miss Russaw, and from his son, William, who married a Miss Eliza Marshall, the Lawsons of this county come. William was the father of ten children:
John F. Lawson, already mentioned, Bushrod, W. of Fairmont; Salathial, of Texas; the late Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, the late Mrs. Victoria Amanda Pritchard, who resided in this vicinity; and Mrs. Berthine McDougal, of Pennsboro. James W., Rebecca, Eliza A., and Nancy E., have all passed on.
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143 . . . Theopolus Lawson came from Scotland ??[??, read next note] to Virginia and married Rebecca Russaw, possibly the daughter of a wilderness surveyor and an Indian woman.
1810 - Census, VA - not there
1830 - Census, VA, Tyler Co. p. 175 - maybe son
1850 - Census, VA - Rockingham and Wood Co.
Marriage 1 ? Rusaw b: ABT. 1780
* Married: ABT. 1800
Children
1. William Lawson b: 1812 in Virginia?
-------
386Contrary to Minnie Kendall's report, Theopolus was not born in Scotland. He was one of eight children of John Lawson and his wife Rebecca, all born in Virginia. John Lawson may be descended from one of three brothers, Hugh, John, and Roger, who were banished from Ireland (originally of a Scottish and/or Yorkshire line) and first settled in Pennsylvania in 1739. They were the sons of Captain John Lawson and Katherine Howard.
-------
144 Craig,
I have just come across your listing of Theopolus Lawson with a wife named Rebecca Russaw. Sorry to say, you probably got that misinformation from my book in which I quoted an account by Claris Clayton Pritchard written during the 1940s. After the publication of the Pritchard Family History, I received verifiable information from a descendant that the wife of Theopolus was Rebecca Hancock whom he married in 1804. Theopolus, b. 1785, was the son of John Lawson and his wife Rebecca of Virginia. His siblings were: Nancy Lawson, b. 1779; Rebecca Lawson, b. 1781; Alexander Lawson b. 1783; William
M. Lawson, b. 1786, m. Rebecca (Rebeka) Grigsby 1809), Frederick County, Virginia; Mary Ann Lawson, b. 1788; John Lawson, b. 1792, Holzen Lawson, b. 1794.
The Children of Theopolus and Rebecca Hancock are: Elias Lawson; John Lawson; William Lawson, m. Eliza Marshall, daughter of Francis Marshall (said to be a Rev. War veteran, but the data is elusive), June 10, 1825, in Shenandoah County, Virginia.
I'm sorry that several people were misled by the material I used. My father was certain that his cousin Claris, a minister, could not be mistaken; however, his desire to be connected somehow with American Indians must be denied. He interpreted Russaw as an Indian name. In fact, it is derived from Rousseau, a name of French extraction which belonged to a family living in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Frederick Counties, Virginia. Several of their members, like George Washington, were surveyors for Lord Fairfax, as Thomas Pritchard, Sr. was also said to be (possibly true, possibly not). The only possible Rebecca Russaw could be the sister of Theopolus, as we have not confirmed her married name (if indeed she was married).
Because I added 150 more pages of information to my original data, Heritage Press is publishing an updated edition in June 2001 which will have several more pages of the Lawson history.
Emily Pritchard Cary
Notes for Rebecca (Spouse 1)
Craig,
144 I have just come across your listing of Theopolus Lawson with a wife named Rebecca Russaw. Sorry to say, you probably got that misinformation from my book in which I quoted an account by Claris Clayton Pritchard written during the 1940s. After the publication of the Pritchard Family History, I received verifiable information from a descendant that the wife of Theopolus was Rebecca Hancock whom he married in 1804. Theopolus, b. 1785, was the son of John Lawson and his wife Rebecca of Virginia. His siblings were: Nancy Lawson, b. 1779; Rebecca Lawson, b. 1781; Alexander Lawson b. 1783; William
M. Lawson, b. 1786, m. Rebecca (Rebeka) Grigsby 1809), Frederick County, Virginia; Mary Ann Lawson, b. 1788; John Lawson, b. 1792, Holzen Lawson, b. 1794.
The Children of Theopolus and Rebecca Hancock are: Elias Lawson; John Lawson; William Lawson, m. Eliza Marshall, daughter of Francis Marshall (said to be a Rev. War veteran, but the data is elusive), June 10, 1825, in Shenandoah County, Virginia.
I'm sorry that several people were misled by the material I used. My father was certain that his cousin Claris, a minister, could not be mistaken; however, his desire to be connected somehow with American Indians must be denied. He interpreted Russaw as an Indian name. In fact, it is derived from Rousseau, a name of French extraction which belonged to a family living in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Frederick Counties, Virginia. Several of their members, like George Washington, were surveyors for Lord Fairfax, as Thomas Pritchard, Sr. was also said to be (possibly true, possibly not). The only possible Rebecca Russaw could be the sister of Theopolus, as we have not confirmed her married name (if indeed she was married).
Because I added 150 more pages of information to my original data, Heritage Press is publishing an updated edition in June 2001 which will have several more pages of the Lawson history.
Emily Pritchard Cary
144 I have just come across your listing of Theopolus Lawson with a wife named Rebecca Russaw. Sorry to say, you probably got that misinformation from my book in which I quoted an account by Claris Clayton Pritchard written during the 1940s. After the publication of the Pritchard Family History, I received verifiable information from a descendant that the wife of Theopolus was Rebecca Hancock whom he married in 1804. Theopolus, b. 1785, was the son of John Lawson and his wife Rebecca of Virginia. His siblings were: Nancy Lawson, b. 1779; Rebecca Lawson, b. 1781; Alexander Lawson b. 1783; William
M. Lawson, b. 1786, m. Rebecca (Rebeka) Grigsby 1809), Frederick County, Virginia; Mary Ann Lawson, b. 1788; John Lawson, b. 1792, Holzen Lawson, b. 1794.
The Children of Theopolus and Rebecca Hancock are: Elias Lawson; John Lawson; William Lawson, m. Eliza Marshall, daughter of Francis Marshall (said to be a Rev. War veteran, but the data is elusive), June 10, 1825, in Shenandoah County, Virginia.
I'm sorry that several people were misled by the material I used. My father was certain that his cousin Claris, a minister, could not be mistaken; however, his desire to be connected somehow with American Indians must be denied. He interpreted Russaw as an Indian name. In fact, it is derived from Rousseau, a name of French extraction which belonged to a family living in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Frederick Counties, Virginia. Several of their members, like George Washington, were surveyors for Lord Fairfax, as Thomas Pritchard, Sr. was also said to be (possibly true, possibly not). The only possible Rebecca Russaw could be the sister of Theopolus, as we have not confirmed her married name (if indeed she was married).
Because I added 150 more pages of information to my original data, Heritage Press is publishing an updated edition in June 2001 which will have several more pages of the Lawson history.
Emily Pritchard Cary