Brief Life History of William
When William Dawson was born about 1680, in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, his father, William Dason, was 20 and his mother, Mrs Sarah Dawson, was 28. He married Elizabeth Simes on 4 November 1703, in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 3 daughters. He died in 1748, in his hometown, at the age of 69, and was buried in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.
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Family Time Line
Sources (19)
- William Dawson, "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
- Willm. Dodson, "England Marriages, 1538–1973"
- William Dodson in entry for Edward Dodson, "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
Spouse and Children
Children (7)
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Parents and Siblings
World Events (2)
1688 · Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution brought the downfall of Catholic King James II and the reign of his Protestant daughter Mary and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange.
1720 · South Sea Bubble
The South Sea Bubble Bill was passed by the House of Lords in 1720. This allowed the South Sea company to monopolize trade with South America. The company underwrote the English National Debt which promised 5% interest from the government. As shares rose exponentially, many companies were created and many fortunes were made. The stocks crashed and many people lost their money which caused them to become destitute overnight and suicide was common. Robert Walpole took charge of the South Sea Bubble Financial Crisis by dividing the national debt between the Bank of England, the Treasury, and the Sinking Fund.
Name Meaning
English: patronymic meaning ‘son of Dawe’, from the Middle English personal name Daw(e) (see Daw 1 and 2), which is sometimes a pet form of David (see 2 below) but more generally of Rauf or Raw (i.e. Ralph ), of which Daw(e) is a rhyming form. Alternatively, the patronymic could mean ‘son of Daud(e)’, another Middle English pet form of Ralph evidently used interchangeably with Dawe. Dawson is one of the most numerous patronymics.
Scottish: patronymic, ‘son of Dawe’. In Scotland Dawe is a diminutive of David (compare 1 above).
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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