AFRICAN - AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
EIGHT GENERATIONS
A SOCIAL HISTORY OF AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILY
SHEARER/LAWSON
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
This is to introduce the SHEARER/LAWSON family.
This family is of African origin, with the date of entrance into America being unknown, although it appears their ancestors originated in Virginia, also the origin of ancestors being unknown.The information contained in this report was obtained from documented facts as well as verbal recollection of facts from family members, dating back to pre-civil war days.Most current family members are descendants of two SHEARER brothers, Reuben and Willie and two LAWSON brothers, Edward and Isom. Considerable information was obtained from census records Genealogical Section at the Birmingham Alabama Public Library. Blacks were not enumerated in the census until years 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and the slave census of 1850 and 1860. The slave census records did not contain names of slaves, only gender, age and Owner.The 1890 census records were destroyed by fire at the archives in Washington DC.
Descendent families include:
BALDWIN; BEAVER; BENNETT, BLAKE; BOSE; BRAND; CARDEN; CARSON; CHAPPELL; CLARK; COLLIER; COLLINS; CONWELL; COOPER; CROWELL; DANIELS; DAWSON; DUFF; EBERHARDT; FARROW; FIELDS; FOSTER; FREEMAN; GAINES; GEORGE; GIBBS; GOULSBY; GRANT; GRATTON; GREEN; HAMNER; HAMPTON; HASKINS; HOLLAND; JACKSON; JARMAN; JOHNSON; JONES: KEON; LEANO; LEE; LEWIS; LOVE; MATTHEWS; MCCLAIN; MCCONICO; McCUISTON; MILLER; MOBLEY; MOORE; NEAL; NELSON; NICHOLS; NUNN; PALIMORE; PRATT; RAMSEY; REECE; REESE; ROBINSON; ROWSER; RUSSELL; SAVAGE; SMITH; SOUTHERN; SPEARS; STOKES; SULLINS; TERRY; THOMAS; TURNER; VANDERGRIFT; WATKINS; WATSON; WEATHERSPOON; WEEDEN; WHITE; WILSON
SHEARER FAMILY
The “Shearer” surname has been traced to Virginia in approximately 1810 during the time of slavery. The 1880 census identified the name as “Sherrer” and the 1870 census identified the names as “Sherra” and “Sherrah” , pointing out a problem that was noted in numerous former slave adopted surnames. It appears most former slaves adopted the slave owners surname.During the 1870 census, which was the first census to identify slaves or former slaves by name. The surnames were often mis-spelled by census takers, because the correct spelling could not be verified by the former slaves due to their inability to read or write.The information obtained on the Shearer family was obtained from Martin Shearer, Jr. The Shearer family’s history starts with Smith Shearer, born in Prarieville (Demopolis, Marengo County) Alabama in 1836. The Shearer descendants still retain forty acres of land in Demopolis Alabama. Smith and Cassandra parents were both born in Virginia during slavery in approximately 1810.Smith and Casandra were “married” in 1860. Ten children were born, of which seven (7) were still living in 1900.Reuben and his wife Katie Freeman Shearer were married in approximately 1887 and five children were born. He was identified as widowed in the 1900 census and four of five children were living with him. Reuben and Julia were married in 1901 and did not have any children.
LAWSON FAMILY HISTORY
The Lawson family first reported was Leroy Lawson, The Great, Great Grandfather of the reporter, who was born during slavery in 1829 in Prairieville (Demopolis, Hale/Marengo Co) Alabama. He was freed by the Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, but was not liberated until after the end of the Civil War on April 9, 1865. Because the slave owner named, Thomas Hennessee, would not free his slaves until after the war, Issac adopted the surname LAWSON. The 1850 slave census indicated that Thomas Hennessee owned 6 slaves, 2 females and 6 males, in Marengo Co, Alabama. The 1860 census indicated he owned 19 slaves, 13 males and 9 females. The Lawson family descendants still retain approximately 3 acres of land in Prarieville (Marengo Co) Alabama near Demopolis. Isom and Harriet Barnes Lawson were married and had 10 children. Nine were still living during the census of 1910. They also had 2 adopted children, Gloria Hollis and Eugene Frazier in 1910. Edward and Laura (Allen) Lawson had 8 children, of which 5 were living when the 1910 census was accomplished on April 7, 1910. Information on sons Eugene and Mack was not shown because they left for West Virginia at an early age to work in the coal mines.