Randolph Lawson
Randolph Lawson (1752-1848) was a Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia who moved to present-day Scott County after the war.
See Also: Revolutionary War Veterans
See Also: The Scott County Lineage Project
Biography
Born in Bedford County, Va., Lawson was the son of Bartholomew Lawson and Susannah Simpkins. He was one of about 15 children, and had two brothers — David Lawson and John Lawson — who also served in the Revolutionary War and later moved to Scott County. He appears to have had a third brother — Robert Lawson — who also served in the war and later moved to Scott County. Two other brothers, Morman and William, also fought in the war.
As an aside: Lawson stated in a court appearance late in his life that he was born in Cumberland County, N.C. However, the Lawson family did not move from Virginia to North Carolina until between 1755 and 1758. There are sources that place Lawson’s birth as late as 1765, in which case he would’ve been born in North Carolina. At the court appearance, however, he testified that he was born in 1752.
Revolutionary War
Lawson entered the North Carolina militia with his brothers and fought in the Battle of Camden. He later re-entered the war for a second six-month tour.
There are sources that state Lawson was not directly involved in the battle but instead guarded the militia’s luggage because of his young age. If that is true, he would have almost certainly have been born closer to 1765 than 1752.
Lawson is one of at least three Revolutionary War veterans — the others being Abraham Goad and Abel Peak — whose names aren’t included on the plaque outside the Scott County Courthouse in Huntsville that recognizes Scott County’s War of Independence veterans. A fourth, Randolph’s brother, Robert Lawson, may have also been omitted from the plaque.
After the War
Lawson married Susannah Cross in 1791. They had at least seven children: Elizabeth (about 1786-1838), Catherine Lakey (about 1792-1838), Lucretia (about 1792-1880), Elisha (1793-1873), Maxwell (1802-1872), Thomas (1803-1891) and Clary (1812-1897). There may have been five more, including Mary Louise, Randolph Jr., Samuel, Nancy and Suzanna.
While Lawson’s name is not listed on the plaque outside the old Scott County Courthouse recognizing Scott County’s Revolutionary War veterans, an 1826 court document shows that he purchased five acres of land on Paint Rock Creek near Huntsville. He was listed in the 1830 census as living in Campbell County, Tenn. Paint Rock Creek would have been a part of Campbell County prior to the establishment of Scott County in 1849.
Lawson was likely living in present-day Scott County much earlier than 1826. He was listed as a chainman on a New River property deed filed by fellow Revolutionary War veteran Abraham Goad in 1808.
Lawson’s daughter, Catherine, married Thomas Chambers, the son of Revolutionary War veteran William Chambers, who moved to present-day Scott County after the war. One of their eight children was Riley Chambers, who was elected Scott County’s first Registrar in 1850 and served on the committee responsible for choosing Huntsville as the county seat.
Another of Lawson’s children, Elizabeth “Millie” Lawson, married Joseph Phillips. They had at least three children, and both are buried at the Phillips Cemetery on Bull Creek south of Huntsville. One of their children was Jehu Phillips, who served as Scott County Trustee for six years. In 1904, Jehu Phillips wrote a series of articles for the Cumberland Chronicle, later reprinted by the FNB Chronicle, which provide valuable insight into early Scott County. In those writings, Phillips states that Reynold Lawson built the first water grist mill in Scott County on Paint Rock Creek. This is almost certainly a reference to Randolph Lawson. He mentions Elswick Thompson, Johnnie Carson and Wayne Cotton as other early settlers on Paint Rock Creek.
One of Lawson’s sons, Elias Lawson Sr., married Joseph Phillips’ sister, Rachel Phillips.
Only two of the Lawson children — Catherine Lakey Chambers and Elizabeth Millie Phillips — remained in Scott County all their lives. The rest moved to various parts of Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas.
Death
Lawson left Scott County and moved to Clinton County, Ky., north of Jamestown, Tenn., sometime prior to 1840. In court testimony, he stated that he left this area in 1832. The family was on its way to Illinois, but he fell ill along the way, prompting them to stop in Clinton County, Ky. He may have lived out the rest of his life there, dying in Albany, Ky. in 1848. However, there are records stating that he completed the move to Illinois before his death and is buried in Illinois. His exact burial location is unknown. His wife, Susannah, died in 1844, maybe in Albany, Ky. Her burial location is also unknown.
There is evidence through census records that three of Randolph and Susannah’s children, Clarissa, Elisha and Thomas, were living in the Albany and Burkesville areas of Kentucky in 1850, while there’s no evidence of any of the Lawson children having moved to Illinois in 1850. This would suggest that Randolph and Susannah did indeed live out the remainder of their lives in the Albany area and die there.
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