A collection of family records (1874) Dawson Family
PREFACE.
This book had its origin in the desire of the compiler to know
something of his own family history. The purpose of compiling
it was formed in boyhood, after his father's death ; and the first
crude notes which he committed to paper, containing the facts
which had been treasured up in his mother's very retentive
memory, are yet preserved. The occasion of meeting with any
aged relative was always improved to add something to the in-
formation already secured, and the swelling bulk of the carefully
kept " notes," when further interlineations and additions seemed
inadmissible, made repeatedly necessary the task of transcribing
and rearranging them, each time in a new and larger volume.
The series of books which have been thus laboriously filled finds
an end in the volume which is now presented.
The family name, common and widely disseminated as it is
known to be now, was, in the early days of this enterprise, rarely
met with and scarcely known outside of a few nearly related
families. It was natural to suppose that all of the name, at least
in this country, must be descended from a common ancestor,
discoverable by genealogical researches. How far this early
belief was from the truth, this collection of records will bear
but partial evidence.
Records, more or less nearly complete, of a large number of
families, the descendants of different American ancestors, not
known to be otherwise connected than by identity of family name,
are here presented. These are generally classified according to
the states in which the ancestors first settled or chiefly resided.
Of some families, believed to be quite considerable in point of
numbers, records are almost entirely wanting. Greater fullness
and accuracy would gladly have been secured, but it was im-
possible to publish information which those who were applied to
for it, failed, for various reasons, to furnish.
To such as have kindly responded to his inquiries, the compiler
would tender his grateful acknowledgments.
C. C. D.
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