Dawson of Isle of Wight County and Northampton County, North Carolina

Henry Dawson of Breeden in Leicester, England had three sons who came to Virginia with William Claiborne, locating in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. They were John, Thomas and William Dawson.

William Dawson obtained a patent of 150 acres on 20 November 1635 in Isle of Wight County which involved a deed of sale from Hugh Williams. The tract was located Northwest between Henry Hooper and Hugh Williams on Great Creek. On 5 May 1637, William Dawson, planter of Isle of Wight County, asigned this same land called "Dawsons Neck" to John Garling of Upper Norfolk. In 1664, William Dawson and his wife, Joan, sold to Edward Miller the land whereon he resided, located between Edward Bennett and John Davis. Edward Miller later sold this land (in 1671)formerly sold by Captain John Upton and William Dawson. Since this land was in Upper Norfolk, he must have lived in Nansemond County. On 22 May 1683 William Boddie let to Henry DAwson all the woodland grounds formerly let to Ambrose Hadley, " and to his wife Martha and their four children for as long as they shall live." The rent was 2 yards of Indian Corn annually. In 1698 Margery Shepard of Warwick died and her property fell to her niece and next of kin, Martha Dawson, widow. Martha appointed her eldest son, Henry, as her attorney to take possession of the estate.

In 1704 Henry Dawson of Warwick held 200 acres and John Drawson, 300 acres. On ( June 1703 William Boddie sold to Nicholas Casey the plantation and woodland of 100 acres where Martha Dawson, widow, and her three sons, Henry, John and Martin Dawson, lived. But their rights to live there during their lifetimes remained in force.

John Dawson, son of William, was married to the widow of the son of his landlord, John Boddie. They left Isle of Wight County about 1732 to go with the two young sons of John Boddie (John and William) to Northampton County, North Carolina. John Dawson became a representative in the General Assembly of Northampton County in 1734; a member of the Governor's Council, Justice of the Supreme Court and Colonel of the Northampton Regiment in the Spanish Alarm of 1748. He died in 1762.

Henry Dawson, son of John Dawson, was a member of the General Assembly from 1766 to the time of his death in 1770. John Dawson, son of Henry, (by his second wife Charity Alston) represented Northampton in the House of Commons from 1780 to 1782 and Halifax County from 1787 to 1798.

Martin Dawson, the youngest brother of John Dawson, Sr., remained in Isle of Wight County where he patented 350 acres in 1713 and 200 acres in 1727. He died in 1745.