The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1901-03-20
THE IRWIN AND LAWSON FAMILIES.

GRAVES STATION, March 16.-EDI
TOR NEWS | am requested to write
the history of the Irwin and Lawson
families, and to show their relationship
My great grandfather, Hugh Irwin
came from Ireland and settled first in
Mecklenburg county, N. c., but later
came to Burke county. Georgia, ther
the parish of ST. George (see Whites
Historical Collections of Georgia, page
2S3). He had four children (see DR.. j.
|. Twins History Of the Irwin Family,
page a, one girl and three boys, Mar
garet, Jared, John and William. Will
liam was my maternal grandfathe The
three brothers moved from Burke to
Washington county, Georgia, and were
among the first settlers of the county,
and my grandfather, William Irwin, was
a member OF the first grand jury Wash
ington county ever had. The first SUI
perior court was held May %, 1887, with
his honor Henry Osborne as Judge
(see Whites Historical Collections of
Georgia, page $751;
Jared Irwin married Miss Stewart,
relative of General Stewart, for whom
Stewart county was named. He was
twice elected governor, first serving
from 1896 to 1898, and again from 1906
to 1909. John Irwin married Miss Re-
becca Sessions, daughter of Joseph
Sessions the first ard sister of Joseph
Sessions the second and Captain Ben
iamin who.Sessions, carried a company
from Washington county to the Indian
- n Mo-
Berry Lawson.
Grandfather William Irwin married
Miss Nancy Whitaker of Jefferson
county, sister to Benjamin Whitaker,
who was speaker of the house of repre-
sentatives fifteen years. Miss Sarah
Whitaker, sister of my grandmother
and Benjamin Whitaker, married Hugh
Lawson the first. After his death she
married a Mr.. Glenn. Hugh Lawson
the first was one of a committee to Sc
lect site for the public school in 1901,
and the present university at Athens,
Ca, is that place and his name is
carved on a tablet of marble with the
names of the committe that located and
superintendent the building. Hugh
Lawson the fiji st had son, Hugh the
second, who was first cousin to my
sainted mother, Miss Rebecca Lawson
Irwin. Hugh the second came to
Houston county and settled in the vi
cinity of Dempsey and Stephen Brown
on the road leading from Old Travel
ers' Rest to Hawkinsyille. He mar
ried Miss Penelope Franks, and was
president of the Georgia state senate
for fifteen years. He raised a large
family, several of whom are still liv-
ing.
The Lawsons, too, were from Ireland.
Margaret Irwin, sister to the three
Irwin brothers, married Mr.. James
Darby of Washington county, Georgia.
Several of her descendants are still
living there. Governor Jared Irwin
had four children, Jared the second;
John, Light Horse john" the syno-
nym of poIiteness and gallantry; Isa-
bel and Jane. Both of the boys gradu-
bel married William Whitaker, who
had son named Jared Irwin Whita.
ker, who was editor of the Atlanta In
telligencer and was many times solic-
tied to become a candidate for govern
or. Jane ne yer married, as she thought
little more of the name Irwin than
any other. John Irwin the first, one of
the brothers, had two sons. William
and Alexander. William became a
general in the Indian war of 1886 and
commanded at the battle of Irwinton,
now Eufaula, Ala. Uncle Archie Nc
Neal, who lived and died few years
ago just south of Dawson, was with him
throughout the campaign, and told the
writer that General Irwin was as great,
grand and gallant a man as ever
charged the enemy, and that all his
Old soldiers were opposed to the name
Irwinton being changed to that of Eu-
faula or any other. He married his
cousin, Miss Margaret Gamble, and
moved to Shorterville, Ala. He was
drowned in the Chattahoochee river in
1850. The steamboat took fire, and
being good swimmer he jumped over
board with $4,000 in gold upon his per-
son His body was tou I'd, but the gold
many tales were told about that
Alexander Irwin, his brother, mar
ried Miss Margaret Moore Lawson,
daughter of Andrew Lawson. He was
the grandfather of Colonel Jno. r. IT.
win of Dawson, one of the fourth gen.
Grafton of the family. The three
brothers and wives, their sister and
her husband, together with many of
their children and grandchildren, have
long since slept in the Irwin cemetery
at Union Hill, and in sight of the iden-
tical house in which Governor Jared
Irwin lived and died; yes, in that SOL
emn pile genius sleeps in dreams of de-
light. Gentle readerSit is like passing
over the Niagara Falls to step from
the shoulders of my ancestry to my
own. Ny little head becomes dizzy at
the thought. l have passed my end
milestone. and already has whitening
age showered his sterile SHOWS upon
my brow, and upon my temple long
since has the finger of time written,
Passing away" This genial warmth /
which still fingers may soon be chilled
forever. HAPPY, this frail compound
of dnSt " hinh hn ori,rnr, Ii, q. |