From: Richard Dotson (1752-1847) and his Descendants by James M Dotson & Barr Wilson Appendix A Myths, Legends Concerning Richard Dotson's Ancestors The following account of Richard Dotson's ancestors was presented, with disclaimers as to its validity, in Barr Wilson's 1983 edition of Richard Dotson (1752- 1847), and his The Descendants of John Wilson. The latter book was published in 1975 by the author and printed by McClain Printing Company, Parsons W. Va. Further research has shown many parts of these accounts of Richard's ancestors to be inaccurate. The reason for including them here is to bring the source of this misinformation to light and set the record straight. From the 1983 edition of Richard Dotson (1752-1847) by Barr Wilson Early Pioneer Dotson. First Three Generations The information for the first three generations was gathered by Hazel Seevers, b. 3 Jan. 1902 in Kansas City, Kansas. She m (2) Roy Layton Beck. See, page 66 . . . "The Dotson Family" by Bertha Dotson Sellers. Also page 3 of this "Dotson History." Her (Mrs. Hazel Seevers Beck's) intention was to write a "Dotson Family Genealogy." She collected information but finally concluded that she would not write the "Dotson Family History". She sent this material to Bertha Dotson Sellers of Toll Gate, WV, who added to it and put together a "Dotson Family History." We do not know whether the information of the first three generations in America, is correct or not. I will use Bertha's information in "The Dotson Family." Also the information from "The Dotson Family" page 416, "Descendants of John Wilson: Also some Dotson information furnished by Ed Dougherty of Nashville. Tenn. I will copy this information from, "Descendants of John Wilson" and make corrections of errors. "SAMUEL DOTSON, b. ca 1675, or earlier in England, came to America on the ship 'Assurance' 17 July 1692. His wife's name was Sarah, but we do not know if she came with him or whether he m. her here. However, Samuel landed in Northumberland Co., VA" "Samuel and Sarah were the parents of Abraham Dotson, b. 13 Jan. 1690, so we must assume that they were m. and that Abraham and Sarah came, at the same time, Samuel did. But there is no proof of this at this time. The dates are conflicting, as Abraham's birthdate and birthplace are listed as North Umberland Co., VA. He also d. in the same Co., so he probably spent his entire life there. H, m. Elizabeth Dameron, who was b. 18 April 1692 and also lived and d. in Northumberland Co., VA. She was the dau. Of Richard and Margery Dameron." "ABRAHAM and ELIZABETH DOTSON were the parents of Thomas Dotson, b. in Northumberland Co., VA, 4 Nov 1731. Thomas was m. to Frances Minor, dau of John Minor and Ann Washington Minor. Ann Washington Minor d. in Westmorland Co, VA. John Minor d. 2/22/1698. Ann Washington Minor was the dau. Of John Washington and Ann Pope Washington." THOMAS and FRANCES MINOR DOTSON were the parents of RICHARD DOTSON, b. Shenandoah Co., VA, 23 Oct. 1752." Thomas Dotson may have m. Frances Minor but she was not the daughter of John Minor and Ann Washington. Ed Dougherty gives this information from Virginia History Magazine, Vol. No. __, page 297. "The will of John Minor who d. in 1698, also recorded in Westmoreland Co., gives his wife as Ellenor, eldest son, Nichols, second son William, youngest son, John. Eldest daughter, Frances, youngest dau. Elizabeth." This cannot be the Frances Minor (b. before 1700, from the d., 1698 of her father, John Minor, who was b 1731) who m. Thomas Dotson, b. 1731. Frances was the oldest daughter so there is just too much differences in their ages. From. "Tyler's Quarterly Magazine" Vol. 4, Jan. 1923, page 156: "Mr. Lawrence Washington, at the date of the appear, was the brother-in-law of Francis Wright, Gent., who m. Anne Washington a year or two before 1682. The exact date of the m. is not recorded, but the fact that her son, John Wright, became 21 in or before 1704, fixes the m. date approximately. Ann Washington was named as unmarried in her father's Col. John Washington's will dated 21 Sept 1675; he d. in 1677, between Aug 14 and Sept 26. Anne is not specified in that year in the settlement of the estate, as then being married." From page 157: "The jury finds that Col. John Washington being seized of 1400 acres of land in Rappahannock County by his last will gave the same to Anne, his daughter, who married Francis Wright, Gent., by whom he had a son, John". "Capt. Lawrence Washington in March 1698, whose will named his deceased sister Anne and her husband, Francis Wright." From page 167: "Anne (Washington) Wright had died before the date of this will, March 11, 1697-98, hence no request to her." From: "Descendants of John Wilson" "The genealogist Mrs. Miller (I have no idea who Mrs. Miller is), lists her as Ann Hines, sister of Thomas Pope, so therefore the dau. Of Nathaniel Pope. It is almost a certainty that she was m. before, but in (page no. 3) Minnie Kendall Lowther's History of Mount Vernon, she was the wife of Walter Broadhurst. In the Northumberland records reference is made to a suit which was brought by Anne Broadhurst, relict of Walter Broadhurst and administratrix of 30 Sept. 1659. Anne Pope's father was John Washington, who was ggf of George Washington." The above is a mixed up paragraph. The following will identify Ann Pope as the first wife of John Washington and the mother of Ann Washington. Ann Pope was never married to Walter Broadhurst. From the Magazine, "Lookout." (These magazines are in Chattanooga, TN and Nashville, TN libraries). Index to these magazines may be found Ritchie Co Historical Society. "John Washington, brother to Lawrence, the immigrant was born in 1633 and died 1677 (note 1697 above - one is in error); he m. three wives: Ann Pope, Mrs. Anna Broadhurst- Brett (nee Gerrard and twice a widow); Mrs. Frances-Speke-Peyton-Appleton (thrice a widow and also nee Gerrard). By his first wife, Ann Pope, John Washington had four children: Lawrence, John, Ann and Elizabeth." Taken from the book, "The Wolfe-Hawkins-Sheets-Yates-Wheeler and Allied Families," printed 1964 by Lelia Wolfe Preswitt . . . page 101: "Children of Dr. Thomas and Susannah Snow Gerrard: Anne Gerrard married 1st Walter Broadhurst; 2nd Henry Brett; 3rd John Washington, great grandfather of George Washington. Frances Gerrard married 1st Col. Thos. Speake; 2nd Col Valentine Peyton; 3rd Capt. John Appleton; 4th John Washington and 5th William Hardwick." The foregoing information proves, "That the Dotson Family is not descended from, or in any way, related to the Washington Family,." THOMAS DOTSON and FRANCES MINOR DOTSON were the parents of Richard Dotson, born Shenandoah County, Virginia, 23 October 1752. Miss Lowther's History of Ritchie County: "The original spelling of the name in the old world was 'Dodson,' but for some unknown reason (probably from the natural inclination for mis-pronouncing names) it became changed to the present form." I believe just the reverse is true. The first immigrants spelled (page 4) the name "Dotson." I believe that in the writing of the early records in America, some of the Dotson names were copied as "Dodson." Taken from a letter written by Miss Genevieve Ward, Box 323, Beverley, 7 April 1973. This is Randolph Co. The Hezekiah Dotson mentioned may be a brother of Richard Dotson. (We have no proof). "Fee 1786, Henry Banks makes a deed to Benjamin Wilson in which it is stated that he was including the land on which Hezekiah Dotson and Benjamin Cutright lived. This land was later owned by Thomas Collett, and when he sold the land, he stated the corners were the same as that of Cutright and Dotson corners." Richard Dotson and Sarah Jeanne Hollyday Richard Dotson, m (1) Sarah Jeanne Hollyday** ca 1772. We do not know whether this m. was in Virginia or Greene Co., PA. Richard Dotson removed from Virginia to Green Co., PA ca 1772. Sarah Jeanne Hollyday was born 11 June 1752 in Easton Maryland. She was a dau. of Henry Hollyday, b 9 March 1725, Calvert Co., MD, d Nov 11, 1789 Easton MD. He m. Anna Marie Robins, b. 5 Jan. 1727, Calvert Co., MD, a dau of George Robins, d. 1 Dec 1835(?), Calvert Co, MD and Henrietta Tilghman, d 21 Jan. 1739, Calvert Co., MD (Henrietta's parents were Richard Tilghman, d. Prince George Co., MD and Anna Marie Lloyd, d Prince George Co, MD James Hollyday was a son of Thomas Hollyday. Thomas Hollyday, d 17 Jan 1703 in Prince George Co., MD m Mary Truman, dau of James Truman and Ann (Storer) Truman." The . . . reader should not accept this Hollyday information as being correct. There are references given in Bertha Seller's book. Mrs. Beck must have checked these records, but her information was mixed up. Any information before the birth of Richard Dotson in 1752 and Sarah Jeanne Hollyday in 1752 is to be questions. Richard Dotson and Sarah Jeanne Hollyday returned to Shenandoah Co, VA in 1782 or 1783." End of quote from 1983 edition of Barr Wilson's Richard Dotson (1752-1847). *Note about Mrs. Miller: In his book The Dodson (Dotson) Family of North Farham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia: A History and Genealogy of Their Descendants Vol. II, p. 1176-1188, 1989, two versions (legends/myths) of the ancestry of Richard Dotson are presented. Version #1 compiled by Edythe McKinstry Gaston of Denver, CO in 1969, and Version #2 compiled by Gladys Pearl Cyphers Wilson, Fairmont WV and contributed in 1987; the latter is the same (that is, Samuel Dotson, ship Assurance, etc.) as that of Bertha Sellers who in turn got her information from Mrs. Hazel Seevers Beck. The author Rev Silas Emmett Lucas, Jr. commented on this account of the ancestors of Richard Dotson to the effect that some of legend (#2) had originated with a Mrs. Sandy Miller of Starke, FL who several years ago earned a reputation for selling phony pedigrees. References coming from Mrs. Beck and given by Bertha Sellers in her Dotson Family History included the following purporting to prove that Sarah Jeanne Hollyday was the first wife of Richard Dotson. "Archives Hollyday Lineage (Colonial Families of the United States of America) Vol 2, p 333-342 by Machenzie Pub. 1866". On the contrary, this reference proves just the opposite, that is, that Sarah Hollyday instead married a Henry Nicols of Darly. On page 335 "Henry Hollyday, b 9th Mar. 1725...Issue...11. Sarah Hollyday, b 29th Jan 1753 m. 12th May, 1812, Henry Nicols of Darly; d. 14th Oct. 1829." This information is confirmed in another reference "The Hollyday and Related Families of the Eastern Shore of Maryland" p. 124 by James Bordley, Jr. Maryland Historical Society Baltimore 1962.