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Would you please send me the data on your information as to our family being "pirates, etc" in Britain? I have never heard of this history before. Quite the contrary, all of the data that I have shows that we come from people who are mostly law-abiding. Also, if you will check the records, you will find that we have a great number of ancestors who were in law enforcement and/or surveyors. Even back into England, I understand our families were mayors and such, who came from the shire of York. I am most interested in learning where the data came from for your statement.
I grew up in Rockingham, N.C. (Richmond Co.), just across the Great PeeDee River, where my ancestors came into Anson Co. c1749.
They had originally come into Virginia, gone up into Anne Arundel Co., Md.; then to Kent Co., Md. (Kent Island, actually); then back down into Virginia, and on down into N.C., and Anson Co. and even down the PeeDee River into S.C.
Have you ever read the court records showing how JOHN DABBS (b. c1626/7 in England) lived a respectable life? After his first wife, NAN EATES/EVANS died, he married ANICAKE (HANSON) (ELENA) (McKINNEY), who had children. He and she lived on Kent Island, a beautiful place, and they had one daughter named LETTICE. Records show that he and NAN EATES/EVANS had several girls and one boy, JOHN. It is a wonderful testimony to resilience. You should get your hands on the article about ANICAKE, whose name was ultimately anglicized.
There was a great movement from Maryland, down into Virginia, and then down into the area around the PeeDee River. If you will check some of the families in Maryland; then check the ones in Anson Co., you will see that there are a great many of the same family names.
Also, there is a documented record of THOMAS WALKER & JOSEPH DABBS, sub-sheriffs in Goochland c1750 taking the quartered parts of slaves who had killed someone around the county, and placing the parts on posts, as a warning to other slaves, I suppose. A grisly story, for certain, but that was the way the people lived in those days.
NATHANIEL DABBS, who lived in Anson Co., N.C., was a constable there; then moved to Union Co., S.C., where he was either a sheriff or a constable (I forget which, although I have records to prove this.). NATHANIEL DABBS died in Union Co., S.C. in 1800. You can get a copy of his will if you so wish. His will is one of love and compassion.
I was raised by my greatuncle and greataunt, who took me in and legally adopted me when my mother, EVA MILDRED (DABBS) WILLIAMSON died shortly after I was born. My father could not take care of a newborn. I had never been taken out of the hospital; not until I was three months old.
The name of these terrific people were HENRY HARRISON & DORA MAE (HICKS) DABBS. He was born in 1889; she in 1897. They had lost two little boys of their own. When they adoped me, in deference to my dead mother, they decided to keep my name as it was, and just added theirs to it.
My adoptive father owned a mill store. During the depression, he let people have food and the things they needed on credit. Naturally, he lost everything. He then became a policeman in Rockingham. He worked hard, and so did my adoptive mother just to get their heads above water. I did not know that we were not wealthy. We never went without. We ate well. There was a large back yard where Daddy had a few chickens, and raised a garden. Mother canned, freezed food, and sewed for me. They struggled to send me off to school. That was when I realized just how much they had sacrificed for me!
I will tell you one thing. These people were absolutely assured that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. There was no doubt about our going to church. That was what one did on Sundays, and THAT was THAT! The love of God, country, their families and their fellowman had been instilled in them through their ancestors.
I could have found out so much from them about my ancestors, but who cares when you are very young about such things? They have been gone for quite some time. I have no one to ask these things of now. But I will tell you one thing. They are still alive in my heart, and, I am sorry, but my heart hurts when someone writes something, as though it was the "gospel", without any documentation.
I read one record that stated that the family of D'ABBE was one of the great families of France. The name of DABBS comes from the French, D'ABBE, meaning "the Abbey". That is another reason why I have a hard time believing there are records that show what you state.
I do not know at what date the "D'ABBE FAMILY" came over into England, into Yorkshire.
My records show that there was a SIR RICHARD DABBE who was the Mayor of London in 1551. His father was named ROBERT, and lived in Yorkshire, or so the records state. In SIR RICHARD DABBE'S will, his name is spelled several different ways. If you would like to get a copy of it, I suggest you write to William and Mary Library for a copy. It is in the CANTERBURY WILLS, VOL. 3, 1558-1583.
The name of JOHN DABBS, who lived in Maryland, is shown spelled several different ways, such as: DABBS/DAB/DABB/DOBBS/DOBB.
DAVID SYDNEY DABBS (b. 1812 N.C.) and his wife, ELIZA WEBB are the earliest that I can document my line. I believe his father to be JOHN DABBS, the eldest son of NATHANIEL DABBS. JOHN DABBS was a Revolutionary Soldier, dying in DeKalb Co., Ga., 1833. NATHANIEL DABBS was a Revolutionary Patriot, supplying beef to the troops.
I had the wonderful opportunity to have corresponded with and talked with a wonderful man, DR. JACK AUTREY DABBS, who taught at the university in Austin, Texas, yet still found time to compile a wonderful book on the DABBS FAMILY. Unfortunately, Jack died a few years ago, and I do not know if his book is available anywhere except through interlibrary loan. It is in the Library of Congress. The book shows a lot of DABBS FAMILY MEMBERS listed alphabetically. Not all the data is correct, as is the case in most genealogical books of this kind. He compiled whatever any family sent to him. Besides the book, he also found the time to send out a family letter periodically. I was asked to take over the task, but, unfortunately, due to health problems of my own, and all the research I am doing on four families, I could not do it. I do not know who has all of Jack's records now. I wish I did. He had collected a treasure-trove of data sent he published his book.
To this day, even though I am by birth a WILLIAMSON, I feel more like a DABBS, because of all the love and sacrifice that was shown me all my life by these wonderful people.
My WILLIAMSON father MAY have seen me three or four times in my life.
I am sorry to have gone on so. I have done, and am still doing a lot of research, at great cost to me in time and money, to prove that the DABBS FAMILY is one to be proud of. I love the research, and the wonderful people I am in contact with.
EVEN IF I EVER DO find that all my research proves to be wrong, I will still have the utmost love and affection for all of the DABBS CLAN.
To all my wonderful Dabbs relatives, I wish a most Blessed Christmas and a Wonderful 1999!
Bobbie Williamson-Dabbs Ledbetter
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