The following "History of Lawtons" was contained in an envelope found in a drawer of a kitchen cabinet in the house a Hazel Walpole a year or so after her death and many years after Janie Varn's death. On the front of the envelope was written:
Mrs.
Janie L. Varn
Hazel
V. Walpole
History
of Lawtons
from
Florence Lawton
Lawton Silhouette
Winborn Lawton of James Island, S. C.
Was a Revolutionary soldier
A member of the S. C. Legislature
1/2 brother of Col. Joseph Lawton of Black Swamp, S. C.
Coat of Arms: Lawton
Lawtons were from Cheshire County [and the town of] Chester, England, which is in the oldest part of England going back to 1066.
Winborn Lawton visited his 1/2 brother at Black Swamp for a month at a time, and while there, Col. Jos. Lawton begged Winborn Lawton not to cuss while there as he was raising 3 sons for the Baptist ministry. Well he held in and returned to James Island, and after his month's visit, he had his negro slave boy with him. He arrived at James Island and asked the slave if he was in his home and alone; slave replied, "Yes, Master," whereupon he tossed his top (beaver) hat in one corner of the room and his cane in other end of room and said, "Now I can say Damn." He was an Episcopalian and very learned.
Col. Joseph Lawton was a Revolutionary officer in American War of Independence.
I think this Winborn Lawton is buried in St. Andrews Parish near Charleston, SC as my record says so. But this I know; his wife is buried on James Island, and I think he married twice: 1st Miss Matthew's; 2nd mar. to Miss Hughes. [Here I believe Florence is confusing Winborn, Jr. with Winborn, Sr. Winborn , Jr. did marry Martha Waring Hughes (2nd wife), although the records I have list his 1st wife as Margaret McLeod, nee Framton. #1] This Winborn Lawton had a sister Mary, and their father, William Lawton settled on Edisto Island 1745. He married 3 times: 1st, Miss Mary Phoebe Clark and had 4 children; then he married 2nd time Susannah Townsend who was at the time the widow of Thomas Winborn, Jr. and after her marriage had your Winborn Lawton and Mary Frampton Lawton (Mrs. Pope) and after her death William Lawton married 3rd time to Mary Winborn (wid. of Thomas Gimball) and had my g. grandfather, an only child, Joseph Lawton. This Mary Winborn was related to Thomas Winborn, Jr., maybe his sister. Then after William Lawton died, he left a long will, she married Samuel Fickling.
Our Joseph had 11 children.
Now it was said that 3 brothers came from Eng., namely William, James, and one brother went north, and I think that I have found him if that was him. Jeremiah Lawton and his 6 descendent is Major Kirk B. Lawton of Ahtol, Mass. I wrote him (he is retired Army man) to come down and see us and he said he would. His family names are like ours.
I have only given you a little of the Lawton history. Lawtons owned vast plantations, and each widow was rich. Lawtons spelled name originally LLawton; Welsh as they were born on the line between Wales and Cheshire Eng. They, these brothers and one sister, Bulah, came to America before 1700 with an amount of money to buy lands; they were too heavily taxed over there. They were Episcopalians, but when Joseph, our g. grandfather, married Sarah Robert, a granddaughter of Rev. Pierre Robert of France, they joined this church (Baptist) at Black Swamp. Co. Joseph Lawton bought Gen. Greene's Mulberry Grove Plantation on Savh [Savannah?#1] river 18,000 acres; in 1790 George Washington visited Mrs. Greene after her husband's death. Plantation valued at 50,000 shillings. And besides Joseph Lawton owning that, he own[ed] Transpine, now Pineland plantation as a summer plant[ation]. He owned a fine house there, and the British burnt it, then also the church with clock in steeple and fine carpets also slaves worshipped up in galleries like in Bft. [Beaufort? #1] and fine Communion silver. Well, he died in 1816; he was deacon of the Baptist church there and is buried at Black Swamp Cem. (Bapt.). He owned 20 slaves in 1790 census.
Your Winborn Lawton was owner of slaves and a large plantation, maybe more than one.
William Lawton's will (that I have copy of) said he had slaves and gave names of some and said in his will that he provided a burial plot on Edisto Island.
Old Sherman burnt the churches up here and fine homes and fine plantings and libraries.
I hope you all will take an interest in family history there is much more to learn of these; Johnston Traditions says Lawtons were respectable people; he was historian.
Fondly, your cousin
Florence Lawton
Hampton. S.C.
NOTE
I have a copy of the Lawton silhouette described above. My mother had it, and it came into my possession after her death. It is not the original but is a photographic copy. I do not know who has the original, but I gather that it is probably a valuable collectors' item.
My mother kept the silhouette in a small frame, and on the back she had taped an envelope containing a typed copy (which she herself had evidently made) of Florence Lawton's letter. In a separate note, my mother listed Winborn Lawton as her great grandfather; however, I believe that the Winborn Lawton depicted may actually be her great, great grandfather. Her great grandfather, Winborn Lawton, Jr., was born on James Island, S.C. in 1782 and died there on March 24, 1861. Winborn Lawton, Sr., her great, great grandfather, was born on Edisto Island, S.C. in 1745 and died on James Island Sept. 22, 1809. Thus if the man pictured in the silhouette was a "Revolutionary soldier" as described by Florence Lawton, he must be Winborn, Sr., as Winborn, Jr. was not born until after the Revolution.
On the other hand, the figure in the silhouette is dressed in a "frock coat" and is wearing a tall hat more like what one might associate with styles in Lincoln's time. So perhaps my mother is right after all, and Cousin Florence was wrong in describing the man as a Revolutionary soldier! One thing for certain, the silhouette makes clear that what in my mother's generation (and in mine as well) was referred to as the "Varn nose" was most definitely derived from our Lawton heritage!
John V. Cathcart
Knoxville, Tenn.
January 6, 1995
1. Notes of John V. Cathcart