ANCESTRY

It is imperative that each generation of descendants know their ancestry…

lest it be lost.

By Cynthia R. Thomas

HAWKES ANCESTRY

Nottoway County, VA, USA

   I, Cynthia R. Thomas, am the Great Great Great Great Granddaughter of Aggy (Agnes) Hawks(es), born somewhere between 1802-1806, who lived on the land of Philip Hawks(es) and who bore him seven children; Jane, Richard, Anderson, Delphia, Leonidus, Archer and Martha Hariet; all of whom he acknowledged in his Last Will and Testament-circa 1847. Therein Philip indicated that upon the youngest of Aggy's children reaching twenty-one years of age, it was his will and desire that they all be set free.

  And, in the next Virginia Census of 1850, for Nottoway County, Aggy Hawkes, her children and others are listed as "Free Inhabitants" living on the land of Philip Hawkes, Deceased. The family's freedom is further evidenced by the fact that they are self-sufficient farmers on this land. Aggy, (her children and others-Daniel Hawks and Crawley Hawks) are also listed in the 1850 Federal Agricultural Census for Nottoway County, Virginia, on the same land- improved land is 100 acres, unimproved land is 37 acres...cash value of farm is $275; farm implements-$10; and 1 horse, 1 milch cow, 2 working oxen, 4 cattle, 2 sheep and 10 swine with a total value $113; 10 bushels of indian corn and 1000 lbs of tobacco. 

  Jane Hawks(es), Aggy's oldest child, was my mother's, Eunice Hawkes', Great Great Grandmother. During one of our many conversations, Eunice told me that she had memories of living in Jane's house as a little girl. She never met Jane, but had heard many stories from her father, Jane’s Great Grandson, William Lafayette Hawkes, who always referred to her as “Mamie Jane”.

       The Great Grand-daughter of Branch Edward Hawks(es) and Roda (Rhoda) Hawkes, Grand-daughter of Lafayette Danridge Hawks(es) and Helen Williams Hawks(es); Eunice interacted with, and knew both, her Great Grandfather and Grandfather, personally ... she had first hand knowledge.

  Her Grandfather, Danridge Lafayette Hawks(es) predeceased his father, Branch Edward (Johnson) Hawks(es) at the age of __. But, Eunice remembered him. A most endearing memory that she shared with me was ... and laughing, she said, 'He would come to their house bringing food because some how it had got around that William Lafayette's (his son's) family didn't have any food.' She laughed again, while telling me that, 'We always had food ... we had a garden, daddy had pigs and we had the cow for milk.'

  She also spoke about the way her Grandfather, Danrige...how he drank his coffee...from a bowl with two dainty handles on each side.

    My mother, Eunice and her brother Leslie had a longer personal relationship with their Great Grandfather, Branch Edward. She spoke about how, as small children, she and her older brother, Leslie, would go to visit him and he would talk with them. And, then giving them them each a sweet potato from his root cellar would say, 'Now Git'. 

     My Great grandfather, Danridge Lafayette Hawkes died in ___, predeceasing his father, my Great great grandfather, Branch Edward (Johnson) Hawkes who lived into the 1930's. Branch Edward was born a slave, and freed at the tender age of 4 years old, following the death of his grandfather, Phillip Hawkes, by his Last Will and Testament, in Nottoway County, Virginia. 

   My mother, Eunice Maybelle Hawkes, Branch Edward's great granddaughter would have been 12 years old at the time of his death.  

   The eldest daughter of the ten children of William Lafayette Hawkes and Della May Fitzgerald Hawkes - as of this writing, eleven Great Grandchildren survive Eunice and we are twelve generations and research is ongoing.

 

OUR FAMILY TREE 

 HAWKS(ES)

GENERATIONS:

 

Gen 1

(1) Jeffrey Hawks & Sara Talley (4 Children: Joshua, Joseph, Abraham and John)

Gen 2

Child: (2) Joshua Hawks & Angelica Tucker

Gen 3

Grandchild: (3) Richard Hawks Sr (Wife unknown but he had 12 or 13 children- Joshua, Richard Jr., Anna Hawks Hall, Mary Polly Hawks Clay, Frances Hawks Hall Sammons?, Patsy Hawks Worsham, Rebeckah aka Rebecca, Ruben, and Philip)

Gen 4

Great (4) Philip Hawks & Aggie Hawkes

Gen 5

Great Great (5) Jane Hawks (mother of Branch Edward Johnson Hawks) & Griffin Hawks

Gen 6

Great Great Great (6) Branch Edward Hawks & Roda Hawks

Gen 7

Great Great Great Great (7) Danridge Hawks & Helen Williams

Gen 8

Great Great Great Great Great (8) William Lafayette Hawks & Della Fitzgerald

Gen 9

Great Great Great Great Great Great (9), Eunice Hawkes & Lowell Manswood Thomas

Gen 10

Great Great Great Great Great Great Great (10) (9) Children of Eunice M. Hawkes  

(Child of Eunice Thomas - 1) (Children of Eunice M. Hawkes & Lowell M. Thomas - 8): (Deceased - Nanette Yvonne Thomas Young, Lowell Manswood Thomas Jr., Kenneth Miles Thomas); Living-6; deceased-3

Gen 11

Great Great Great Great Great Great Great Great (11) living grandchildren - 12 in number; 

Gen 12

Great Great Great Great Great Great Great Great Great (12) living great grandchildren  - 11 in number. 

 

Key ( ) = Generation.

Hawks (Hawkes)