Commemorative Biographical Record of Kent County, Ontario, J.H.
Beers & Co., Toronto, 1904, pg. 178-179:
William Dawson, a prosperous and enterprising farmer of Romney Township,
County Kent, is a son of John Dawson, one of the pioneers of this
locality.
John Dawson, a son of Thomas and Hannah Dawson, was born near St. John's Chapel, Parish of Stanhope, County Durham, England, July
6, 1789. He was married in England, Sept. 21, 1812, to Sarah Potts, who was
born in the same place July 8, 1789, a daughter of Joseph and Jane Potts. In
the handwriting of John Dawson is found an account of his coming to Canada,
which reads as follows: "John Dawson with his wife Sarah, and his sons Joseph
and Thomas, and his daughter, Hannah, emigrated from England to Canada,
British North America, sailed from Sunderland in the County of Durham, May 21,
in the year 1817, and lost the vessel they sailed in on the Orkney Islands,
and landed at America in New Brunswick, in the month of July, 1817."
Upon landing the family came directly to Long Point
where the father secured employment under Col. Nichols, but after several
years he moved to Mersea township, County Essex, and settled upon a farm some
three miles west of Wheatley, now owned by Russell F??, and there his wife
died in October, 1823. Later, in Gosfield township, Mr. Dawson married Mary
Edwards, a daughter of John and Sarah Edwards, who was born Sept. 2, 1808, and
died Dec. 16, 1882. To John and Sarah (Potts) Dawson were born the following
children, the first three in England, the others in Canada: Joseph, born July
6, 1813; Thomas, born Jan. 16, 1815; Hannah, born Nov 1?, 1816; Robert, born
at Long Point, May 20, 1819; Walter, born at Long Point, July 22, 1821; and
John, who died young...
In the early twenties John Dawson came to Romney
township, settling upon Lot 194, where he underwent all the privations
incident to pioneer life, but he was rewarded by seeing the country change
from a wilderness to a thickly settled community. He cleared a good part of
the land upon which he settled, and the second house which he erected is still
standing. As soon as his land was under cultivation, he engaged in tobacco
raising, shipping his product by boat to Montreal. For some years he carried
on a store in his house for Col. Little, of Raleigh. In politics he was a
Conservative, but he also believed that in local events it was wiser to
considered the worth of the man rather than the party. His death occurred Oct
1?, 1872, when he was eighty-three years of age...
Walter
Dawson
Hannah Dawson 1816-
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