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In browsing on the site, I came across Bill Child’s postings about Joseph Laws. They caught my attention because I have a Laws line that has caused me no end of heartburn in trying to unravel all the knots and twists.
Some of the bits and pieces about my Laws family. The oldest name I was given was Joseph Laws who supposedly lived on an Indian Reservation in North Carolina. I was told he was Cherokee. Of course, I was also told that the Laws family came from Scotland or Ireland. A descendant of Joseph, named Mary Laws had a son out of wedlock by Kels Rose. She named her son James Laws. James ended up in Madison and Whitley Counties in Kentucky. He married at least two women whose names I have had trouble verifying. James’ son William who was born about 1850, married Molly Ellison in Whitley County, Kentucky. William and Molly’s children were: Olive Josephine, Mattison Powell, Mary Frances, John Melton “Melt” (my great grandfather), and Melinda Allifair.
Does any of this tie in with what you know of the Joseph Laws you mentioned? Thanks for your help!
Beth
Hi Beth,
I have James (E.) Laws, b.abt.1816, on 1860 (with William) and 1840 census and William (B.) Laws, b.abt. 1845/6, on 1860, 1870 & 1880 census, but can’t carry James back any further with certainty. (If you don’t have any of these census, let me know.)
Maybe a clue….
James Laws was in 1840 Whitley Co., which was created in 1818 from “Knox Co” which was wholly a part of the Jackson Purchase of 1819 and until which was designated “Indian Land” on early maps.)
Of the Laws in 1830 Knox, only Thomas (age 50 to 59) and Masha (?),(30 to 39), had males in the age range of 10 to 14 (none had males of 15 to 19). (No Laws/Law found in early Madison).
In 1810 Knox (pg.90), the only one there was John Laws, living in the middle of David COLLINS, Richard WRIGHT, James WRIGHT, Isaiah GOINS (FPC) and a TAYLOR.
There are also two Samuel ROSE’s there in 1810.
I didn’t find any “Kel” Rose in anything so his first name might have been a nickname. (I didn’t look for him in Tenn which is also a possibility.)
There is a Joseph Laws/Law, back up my line, a brother of a 5th Grt Grandfather John, both sons of William Laws, b.1690 Aberdeen, Scotland and Elishaba (some say LAWSON, and some say LITTLEBERRY – prob. LAWSON), b.abt.1694 Va., d.after 1733 now Franklin/Henry Co lines (then Lunenburg Co), Va.
John m’d Lazinka (a.k.a. Sarah) COCKERHAM, b.abt.1731 prob.
the present Halifax Co., dau of Abner, Lunenberg (Halifax) area Indian trader. Their children were born in areas from Halifax to Pittsylvania to Russell & Henry Co., Ky. Most were in S.E. Indiana by 1790s.
I don’t know who Joseph m’d but will see if I can find that in the “stuff”. The Joseph Laws in the earlier posts is likely a son of this Joseph or one of his brothers William, James S. or Littleberry S. Laws. This info does exist, I’ll just have to dig it out.
Bill
Bill, you are amazing! Thank you for the quick response and loads of information. I have William on the Whitley County Kentucky census in 1870 and 1880. I do not have the 1840 for James or the 1860 for James and William. What county did you find them in? I can look them up on Ancestry if I know where to look.
It would be so interesting to tie this line to native american roots. This line is my grandmother’s (Bessie Lena Laws Van Fossen). My Guy/Jones relations are from my grandfather’s side. He was Carl Anderson Van Fossen and his grandparents were Mary Jane Guy Jones and William Bradrick Jones.
Again, thanks!
Beth
Beth,
On ancestry.com’s census online, look at:
1860 Jackson Co., Ky, image 38 – indexed as “James E. Laws” in “My” Division (actually “Ky”) Division. William is 13.
Mary A. is probably the same as Molly. Remember that “Ellison” is a spelling variation of “Allison”.
(On the next image/page, “working-out” at “S.R. Baker” is Garland Laws, 17, another son of James Laws, per a descendant of Garland’s son Caleb, b.1876, who says Caleb moved to N.E. Tenn (?!).
(Surrounding this isolated LAWS family are many POWELL families, about which I have sometimes commented…. “they are always there…. how do they fit in?!” …. and William’s son Mattison/Madison’s middle name is “POWELL” ?! It’s starting to drive me nuts 🙂
On the 1840 Whitley Co census, image 14 (page 193), James Laws = 20001-00001-0-0.
The two young boys would match the age ranges of James’s sons John and Garland. (Whitley County was created 1818 from Knox County, among others.)
In 1810 Knox Co., there is a John LAWS. The geography and naming convention of the time, argues in favor of this guy needing more research. Altho there were more than a few non-Indian people in S.E. Kentucky before 1819, the “Jackson Purchase” Treaty became effective in that year. Prior to the Jackson Purchase, S.E. Ky was, and is shown on early maps as, “Indian Lands”.
Bill
Hi Bill. I’ve been digging through my Laws file trying to make sense of all the scattered notes I’ve taken over the years and thrown in there. Part of the problem, as you’ve gathered, is their penchant for using the same first names over and over in various branches which are the same names used over and over in other Laws families scattered throughout Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. They just couldn’t make it easy! That’s why I love Garland Laws. Bless him for having a different name!
First, here is a short family history written by my Dad’s cousin, John Earl Laws, based on information his uncle George Laws gave him. George contributed material to “The Moses Tribe of Kentucky” book written by his uncle, Richard Asberry Moses.
“The family of Laws came from North Carolina to Kentucky, then Knox County on Clear Fork River, near Wolf Creek, just a few miles north of Jellico, Tennessee. It is approved [sic] that they lived near Murphy North Carolina on a Cherokee Indian Reservation in the Smokey Mountains.
Joseph (could this be a mistake and should be John?) Laws married a young girl by the name of Beames and a Mary Laws had a son by the man she worked for (Kels Rose). She named him James Laws. When he was about 8 years old Mary took him to Big Hill Kentucky about 8 miles from Berea, Kentucky. James later married Lizzie Powell and had a large family and a big farm. The youngest son of this marriage was William Laws.” * end of quote from John Earl Laws*
Garland’s death certificate confirms that his mother’s last name was Powell, The handwritting is too poor to read the first name but it could be Mary. Mary Elizabeth is a pretty common combination so that is not necessarily contradictory.
In that 1860 census entry for James, his wife is given as “Loukey” or “Lucky” and there are two Casteel children listed as James’ step children. This is apparently James’ second wife, who was the widow of Casteel. Another cousin speculates that her maiden name was Wild. She apparently married James in 1858 in Jackson County.
I found Loukey again in 1870 in Madison County, Glade Precinct, Image 135/504 on Ancestry. She is listed as the head of the household and has Daniel, Mary, Maggie and Jane (Elsina) with her. As I haven’t found a listing for James and Loukey is listed as head, I assume James has died by this census. I found Loukey in 1880 in Madison County, Union Twp., District 73 image 13/43 as an inmate of the Madison County Poor House. Must not have been a popular step Mom!
That is as far as I gotten so far in collating all my notes. Any comments?
Beth
Were it not for your cousin’s input, I’d think her name on that census was written as “Suckey”, a common nickname then, not “Lucky”. I compared the census taker’s L’s, S’s & T’s and decided it probably was an “L”.
The 1870 Madison Co location makes sense.
The “it is supposed” he lived on the Cherokee reservation, raises a couple of flags …… is the origin of this a family story or a later supposition? I don’t know. Something would be needed to back this up.
Bill
Howdy!:) I was breezing through the Staton Post of Kerry’s and we have an 1802, Sussex County, Delaware.
viii. Anna Staton, m. (1) Ludwick Laws; m. (2) Ludwick Laws.
What’s up with that?:eek:
Anyway, just thought I’d toss that in. Let me know if it helps or not. Love & Light, Lynella.
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