What relation are you to the Lawson family? (Any Lawson family at this point) :) I just received an e-mail from someone who knows of a Gaines Lawson who bore a son named Lawrence, and I believe this is the man I'm looking for. I will keep you posted in case any info is helpful.

Mr. Jones may be able to offer some insight. I am fairly sure that the Gaines Lawson I am related to was born in TN and his parents were, too, I believe. That is not to say that he is not related to your people in some way, but the connection might be too slight. Sorry!

I am descended from Banks Lawson and part of this exercise relates to who Banks belonged to. The Gaines Lawson and Sophrona Mabe marriage is part of it because these folks tended to marry their second and third cousins and sometimes a first cousin or a first cousin removed. We know that Sophrona was the grandaughter of Banks' likely brother Hennis. So, one question that has been asked is whether Banks was more closely related to Richard Lawson or Piney Lawson. That is my only interest. And this Gaines Lawson is a clue to it.

We are all related to the same set of Lawsons. The mystery is the name. Gaines is an unusual name for the Lawsons. So, it is possibly and even likely that all of these Lawson shared a common ancestor at one time. It could have been through their mother's wife though. So, when you have an unusual name it is always a good idea to look for neighors with the same name and see if the family married into that line.

As an observer I would suggest Capt. Lawson's military record be obtained. Better than the census to track an individual. Trying to think back, I wouldn't be surprised if my 201 record had my shoe size.
Good luck, Walt

We know that her Gaines Lawson was the son of Piney Lawson. This Gaines died in CA about 1906 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetary. He was a Medal of Honor winner. As far as I know, he was the only Gaines Lawson to win the award. So, there should be quite a bit known about him. The real problem was that the 1890 census burned up in a fire, limiting information about his location. He could have lived anywhere in the intervening years. But, I presume that one can track down his pay records and determine exactly where he was living from year to year.

David

Gaines Lawson was stationed at Fort Davis Texas 1867-1875 with the 25th infantry. He reviewed the troops at Camp Lincoln in Sptingfield IL. 1885-86.
See the history of Fort Davil and Fort Lincoln.
P. L. Anderson

If this was Gaines Lawson b. 1840, Medal of Honor winner, then he was the son of Piney Lawson of Hawkins County, TN. He reportedly died in 1906 in California. Gaines gave his property to his sister Jane Shanks with the condition that she take care of his mother until her death. Did Gaines and Laura have any male children? A DNA test could resolve the issue of who the father of Gaines really was. Some think that Piney was the daughter of Burrell Lawson and the mistress of James Willis. Others think that she was the daughter or sister of James Willis who married an unknown son of Burrell Lawson

David, are there three Gaines or more?
1. Is military Gaines
2. Is Richard's Gaines
3. Is Ambrose's Gaines.

Is the Gaines L. on the 1920 census Richard's Gaines?

Is the Gaines w/Betty H. in Mooresburg one of these guys?

There are multiple Ganes/Gains/Gaines Lawsons. But, the fact that many of them occured in one county may hint that the families are related. That is a leap of faith of course, but is one additional piece of evidence.

Piney Lawson was the mother of MOH winner Gaines Lawson b. 1840. He identifed his mother in a deed involving the Shanks and his military records can be traced through the mid-1890s when his wife died in Washington, DC. There is a lot of controvery about Piney. She lived next to Burrell Lawson in 1840 but Burrell is missing from the census records in 1830. Some believe that she was the mistress of James Willis, but it seems more likely to me that she was a widow of a son of Burrell Lawson--pehaps an unknown Willis herself or a Willis cousin. No one yet has come forward with a document supporting either position. But, James Willis was involved in a number of L&A prosecutions in the courts of Hawkins County, so I believe it unlikely that he was a participant in L&A himself. L&A is having a marital relationship with being married. It was prosecuted off and on in the 1800s. Willis did post a prosecution bond for Piney in 1859 in a trespassing case.

Richard and Franky Hart Lawson were the parents of a Gaines Lawson b. 1850 who moved with the family from Hawkins County and then Gaines came back to Hawkins County in 1890s. He and Sophrona Mabe were charged with L&A repeatedly, and I believe that they subsequently married in Hawkins County. Sophrona was married to John Minor before that. I understand that he may have died of TB about 1890. There seems to be sufficient documentation to suggest that Richard Lawson was the son of Thomas Lawson Sr.

Ambrose and Amanda Murrell Lawson had a son named Gaines Lawson b. 1872 who married Cordelia Brown, daughter of Commodore Brown.

McClenan and Lucinda Webb Lawson had a son named Gaines Lawson b. 1891 who married Bertha Baker.

Recently, a descendent of Hennis Lawson had his DNA tested and this shows that he was closely related Jacob Lawson (genetic distance of 2) and closely related to a John Lawson from NC who moved to Walker County, AL about 1820 (genetic distance of 2). This John had a son named Patmon. In the early 1800s in Stokes County there was a deed transaction in which John Lawson, Patmon Lawson, Letty (later Lacey?), Thomas, and Clement Lawson were participants. These may be the same John, Lacey, Clement, and Thomas Lawsons mentioned in deed transactions in the 1830 period in Hawkins County.