Courtesy Archives of the College of William and Mary / Colonel John Dawson
Researching the Castellaw family has always been rewarding, but one Castellaw ancestor in particular has always captured my imagination. My 4th great-grandfather, John Dawson Castellaw (1780-1859), led many of the wagon trains from Bertie County, North Carolina to Haywood County, Tennessee in the early 1830s. He and his wife, Zilpha Spruill, were also the parents of two siblings who show up in my family line. Harriett Warren Castellaw Cobb is my maternal 3rd great-grandmother, while her brother Thomas Jefferson Castellaw is my paternal 3rd great-grandfather.
John Dawson Castellaw’s father was John Castellaw (1723-1813). He was prominent in Bertie County society and politics and shows up in many of the legal documents of that period. Interestingly, he had a long relationship with a “free mulatto female” (possibly an Indian) with whom he fathered several children. Around 1755, when he was in his early thirties, he married Margaret Dawson. Some documents specifically state he married “a Dawson from Eden House on the Chowan River.”
Trying to find a connection to Margaret Dawson and Eden House has been a challenge because there were so many John Dawsons in the area at the time. Many people through the decades have worked on this family’s genealogy lines. One bit of interesting research can be found here. (Thanks to Trev Sherrod for the link).
Colonel John Dawson and his offspring would definitely be considered “Dawsons from Eden House.”
He made the connection with Eden House when he married Penelope, a daughter of the four-times married Penelope Golland Maule Lovick Pheney Johnston.
Colonel John Dawson’s mother-in-law was a step-daughter of Governor Charles Eden:
“Governor Eden married Mrs. Penelope Golland, the widow of a Mr. Golland who lived at Mount Golland (now Mount Gould), on the Chowan river in Bertie Precinct. Eden had no children of his own; but, by her previous marriage, Mrs. Eden had at least two children, John and Penelope Golland. The last named was four times married: first, to Colonel William Maule; second, to Secretary John Lovick; third, to George Pheney; and fourth, to Governor Gabriel Johnston. It has been generally supposed, and often stated in print, that this lady, who eventually became the first wife of Governor Johnston (Johnston was twice married), was Governor Eden’s own daughter. This, however, is unquestionably an error.” From “Governor William Tryon and His Administration in the Province of North Carolina, 1765‑1771” by Marshall Delancy Haywood (excerpted here).
Penelope Golland Maule Lovick Pheney Johnston is a fascinating historical character worthy of being remembered whether she is in my family line or not.
Her mother, Penelope Golland Eden (born 1677) died when Penelope was very young and just three years after her second husband had been appointed Royal Governor of North Carolina.
More about Charles Eden
Charles Eden is well known in history both for his efforts to end piracy in the area but also for suspicions that he was partnering with the very pirates he was pardoning.
“Gentlemen pirate” Stede Bonnet and the notorious Blackbeard, whose real name was Edward Teach, surrendered to Governor Eden and received the “King’s Pardon” as long as they promised to change their ways. Both, however, would eventually return to being pirates. When he was finally killed, Blackbeard had in his pocket a letter letting him know Eden needed to meet with him.
Eden’s reputation was forever clouded by his connections to Blackbeard and other Pirates. He was even featured in a Hallmark mini-series, “Pirates: The True Story of Blackbeard,” in which his step-daughter, Penelope, is also portrayed. In the movie, Eden tries to arrange her murder so he can claim her inheritance.
Richard Chamberlain as Governor Charles Eden with Jessica Chastain in “Blackbeard.” Watch the trailer
Governor Eden died of yellow fever in Bertie County in 1722 at the age of 48. You cancheck out his grave at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Bertie County.
His step-daughter went on to marry some fascinating men from early American history. The Alston book states that Penelope’s first husband was actually William Cathcart while other research indicates he was William Maule. If and when I can determine the truth, I will post it here.
Marriage to William Maule
Penelope Galland’s possible first husband was William Maule who, among other things, was the Surveyor General of the Bertie County area.
Maule, who had been born in 1690, was a planter, politician and military leader who had been captured twice by the French in the War of Spanish Succession. From 1711 – 1713, Maule led military operations in The Tuscarora War, Cary’s Rebellion and The North Carolina Volunteers. After this period he became known as Colonel Maule and began concentrating on building a fortune in land, eventually acquiring over 16 thousand acres mostly in the area that would become Bertie County.
Maule continued to be the surveyor general, and for every survey of land he was supposed to pay Governor Eden “two shillings and six pence.” In 1720 Eden brought into the General Court a complaint against Maule because Maule had allegedly not turned the money over to Governor Eden for a number of years.
He left his plantation and home, Eden House, along with much of his estate to his friend and associate John Lovick and left Penelope and her husband, William Maule nothing. Maule died just a few years later in 1726.
Marriage to John Lovick
Charles Eden purchased property along the banks of the Chowan River and Salmon Creek in 1719 and constructed “Eden House” a few yards north. His home in time became an elegant center of social life for the Albemarle aristocracy. Eventually, after Gabriel Johnston married Penelope around 1740, they lived at Eden House. Later, their daughter, also named Penelope would bring her husband, John Dawson, to live at Eden House.
The widow Penelope Golland Maule then married and became the second wife of John Lovick. This was the same John Lovick who had inherited Eden House along with much of Eden’s estate, several years before.
Lovick was born in 1691 so he was at least 20 years older than Penelope. He had arrived in America in 1713, as a member of a sailing party of Edward Hyde and, although colonial records of North Carolina identify John as “attorney for Dame Catherine Hyde,” in “Secret History of the Dividing Line,” William Byrd stated that Lovick was Hyde’s valet. He also describes Lovick as “a merry, good-humored man.”
John was about 18 years old when he arrived in the American colonies. He quickly became involved in the colonial government of North Carolina. He served as a member of Penelope’s step-father, Governor Charles Eden’s Council from May 28, 1714 through March 26, 1722. After Eden’s death, he continued to serve on the Council under the Governors who came after Eden. He was also one of four commissioners representing North Carolina charged with drawing the dividing line between Virginia and North Carolina.
John and Penelope had no children when John died in 1733 after they had been married around seven years. His inheritance left Penelope Galland Maule Lovick one of, if not the, wealthiest women in the colonies.
Woodes Rogers (seated) who was Governor of The Bahamas before and after George Phenney.
Marriage to George Phenney
She quickly married her third husband, George Phenney. At the time of their marriage, Phenny’s official title was “Surveyor General of His Majesties Customs Southern District on the Continent of America,” although he had been Governor of the Bahama Islands from 1721 to 1727. It was under George Phenney that the first substantial cargo of slaves was imported directly to the Bahamas. Phenney was fired from his position in a large part because of his wife at the time. The first Mrs. Phenney, while credited with introducing basket weaving to the natives, attempted to enslave many of the people of the Bahamas, forcing them to work for free and creating a monopoly on trade in Nassau. She was also accused of bullying competitors and threatening other businesses on the island.
At some point after 1727, Phenney either divorced his wife or she died. After 1733, he married Penelope but they would only be married a few years before his death. Phenney wrote his will on June 23, 1736 and it would be probated after his died just one year later to the day. In his will, he mentioned his “unborn child.” Penelope did give birth to a son but he died just four months before George. “The Virginia Gazette” included an article on May 6, 1737 that stated the loss of his infant son “afflicted him so much it occasioned his death.” Soon thereafter, Penelope married for the final time.
Gabriel Johnston, was born in 1698 in Southdean Scotland to Reverand Samuel and Isobel Hall Johnston. In 1717 he entered the University of St. Andrews as a divinity student, graduating with a Master of Arts degree. In 1721 he began attending the University of Leiden to study medicine but then after a month applied to teach Hebrew at St. Andrews. In 1727 he moved to London to pursue political opportunities. For seven years he lived in the house of his benefactor Spencer Compton, first Lord of Wilmington and his primary occupation was as a political writer. He primarily wrote articles for a publication called the “Craftsman.”
Wilmington helped him obtain an appointment in the Colonies as governor of North Carolina. On October 27, 1734, he arrived in North Carolina almost penniless with two children. One, a son named Henry and the other, a daughter who had a mentally disability. He began a plantation on Salmon Creek on the Chowan River.
But, around 1737, Johnston became wealthy when he met and married the widow Penelope Galland Maule Lovick Phenney who by this time, appears to have liked politicians.
While he was Royal Governor of North Carolina, he and his brother built the largest collection of books in the colonies which was kept at his brother’s home, called Hayes Plantation. Also, under his leadership, the first printing press began operation in North Carolina. The population of the colony tripled thanks to the immigration of Scots, Irish and Germans and many acts were passed into law that regulated marriage, interest rates, building of roads and improving the prisons.
At home, Governor Johnston and Penelope had a daughter, also named Penelope.
Penelope Golland Maule Lovick Phenney Johnston died in 1751 around age 41 while her husband was still Governor.
Tablet that was erected May, 1911 by the North Carolina Society of Colonial Dames of America to mark the site of Fort Johnston, the first fort in the Province of North Carolina, built under Act of Assembly of 1745 and completed 1764, and named in honor of Governor Gabriel Johnston.
In 1751, Governor Johnston married a widow, Frances Button, but then just a year later, on July 17, 1752, he died.
In his will, the Governor begs of his “Dearest wife” to be a kind mother to his “dear little girl.” He left his daughter, Penelope, much land and many slaves, but did not include her among those who had a share in the money he was owed for being Governor. He had not been paid for a number of years and his estate was owed a great deal of money. On the death of her half brother, Henry Johnston, in 1772, Penelope fell heir to Henry’s fifth of Johnston’s estate. It took many years of legal battles to secure her portion. She married Colonel John Dawson, a Virginia lawyer, who came to live with her at Eden House.
In 1889, the graves of Governor Charles Eden, Governor Gabriel Johnson and Penelope Golland were moved from Eden House to St. Paul’s Church Cemetery in Edenton, North Carolina.
John and Penelope Dawson’s son, William Johnston Dawson, became a member of Congress and was one of the commissioners to select the site and prepare the plan of the city of Raleigh, giving his name to one of the streets.
Unfortunately, in none of the research I’ve done has a Margaret Dawson shown up in this particular Dawson family. However, I have found a Margaret Dawson in a different Dawson family and you can learn more about that here.
General Sources:
Special thanks to Trev Sherrod for some of the information relating to the Dawson family.
Tablet that was erected May, 1911 by the North Carolina Society of Colonial Dames of America to mark the site of Fort Johnston, the first fort in the Province of North Carolina, built under Act of Assembly of 1745 and completed 1764, and named in honor of Governor Gabriel Johnston.