Henry County AlArchives Biographies.....Dawsey, Thomas J. 1840 - living in 1893
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Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 26, 2004, 9:59 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
  THOMAS J. DAWSEY, planter and stock raiser of Henry county, Ala., was born in
Decatur county, Ga., in 1840. His paternal great-grandfather, Michael Dawsey,
came from England in 1761, and settled in Virginia. He there became a farmer and
engaged in the Revolutionary war, enlisting in the Second Virginia infantry
under Greene, and was killed in 1783 near where now stands the city of
Charlottesville. He left two sons, Thomas, grandfather of Thomas J. Dawsey, and
Michael, who settled in Tennessee, whose descendants still survive, and one of
whom was, at one time editor of the Macon Telegraph, published at Macon, Ga.
Thomas Dawsey was born in November, 1766, near Charlottesville, Va., and while
in his youth received a fair education. At first he began life by teaching
school, and in his nineteenth year went to South Carolina and there became a
dealer and speculator in negro property. He was married in that state, about
1800, to Miss Elizabeth Hooks, and in 1815 he removed to Georgia, settling in
Tattnal county, and there engaged in stock raising and dealing in stock, in
which he was very successful. In 1819 he removed to Florida and settled in Leon
county, where the city of Tallahassee now stands, and established a mercantile
business. At the same time he became a Methodist minister, and filled the pulpit
of the Methodist church for many years in connection with his mercantile
business. He was appointed judge of probate for Leon county, and was the first
to fill that office in that county. In 1828 he removed to the present site of
Quincy, Fla., cleared a farm and engaged in farming. In 1838 he removed to
Alabama, and became one of Henry county's earliest settlers. Here he lived until
1845, and then he moved to Sylvan Grove, Dale county, where he lived until 1851,
when he moved to the house of J. J. Dawsey, and lived there until his death,
which occurred November 19, 1854. At this time he was in his eighty-eighth year.
Elizabeth Hooks, his wife, died August 7th, 1854, in the eightieth year of her
age. The father of Thomas J. Dawsey, James J. Dawsey, was born in South
Carolina. He was reared a farmer boy, and at eleven years of age he moved with
his parents to Tattnall county, Ga. In 1840 he came to Alabama, and settled in
Henry county on the farm now owned and occupied by Thomas J. Dawsey, and became
one of the largest stock raisers in the county. He was county commissioner for a
number of years, and assisted in the erection of the first court house in the
county. He filled the office of justice of the peace for a number of years, and
remained a planter until his death, which occurred in 1871. In politics he was a
democrat, and he was a member of the Missionary Baptist church. He was married
in Georgia, in 1838, to Miss Parmelia Privatt, who was born in Robeson county,
N. C., in 1819, and who at fourteen years of age was taken by her parents to
Georgia, where she was married in her sixteenth year, and she became the mother
of fourteen children, six of whom still survive. She lived a consistent
christian life until her death, which occurred December 19, 1891, when she was
seventy-two years old. Thomas J. Dawsey removed to Henry county with his
parents, and in this county grew to manhood, taking an active interest in the
management of the plantation until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted
in the Seventh Georgia infantry under Captain Merrell, and served the
Confederate cause about two years, and then becoming dissatisfied with that
cause he united with the Federal army and fought for the Union cause until the
war closed. He was mustered out of service at New Orleans in June, 1865. He then
went to Texas, and subsequently to Mexico, returning to Alabama in the latter
part of 1866. He then settled on the farm he now owns and occupies, and has ever
since been engaged in farming and stock raising. Mr. Dawsey was married, in
1860, to Miss Mary Smith, daughter of Wyley Smith, a farmer of Henry county, and
a native of Barnwell district, S. C., who after his marriage came to Alabama in
1846, settling in Henry county and dying in 1847. His wife, Elizabeth Knight,
was also a native of South Carolina, where she was married. She survived her
husband a number of years, and lived with Thomas J. Dawsey until her death,
which occurred in March, 1890. Mrs. Thomas J. Dawsey was born in South Carolina
January 13, 1844. She was brought to Alabama by her parents when two years old.
She was married in her sixteenth year, and became the mother of sixteen
children, thirteen of whom still survive, viz.: Parmelia A., wife of James
Beckett, farmer of Henry county; Thomas W., a farmer of Henry county; James R,
traveling man; Abner P., resident of Ashford, Ala.; Mary, deceased wife of
Samuel Beckett; John J.; Stephen; Sarah V.; Lillie and Lelia, twins; Learoy;
William C. and Sampford M. Thomas J. Dawsey owns in his own right 600 acres of
land, five miles from the city of Dothen. His is a model farm and he is regarded
as a model farmer. His buildings are large and commodious, and his plantation is
well equipped with everything necessary to make farm work as light as
practicable. He raises cotton, corn, cane, Bermuda grass, stock and fruit of all
kinds. He has always been a democrat. He is a member of Dothen lodge, No. 466,
A. F. & A. M., and has been a Mason since 1869. He is also a member of Smyrna
grange, No. 699, and is a worthy treasurer of the grange. He is a member of the
Missionary Baptist church, and he is a public-spirited and highly respected
citizen.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 1083-1085
Published by
Brant & Fuller (1893)
Madison, WI

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