JAMES MASON RAWLINGS, a Tory, and PRISCILLA BLOUNT of NC

Tradition says that he fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain, a pivotal battle in the Revolution. The Tories were defeated and many were left dead on the battlefield. Others were taken prisoner or executed later. It is claimed by some that James was captured and imprisoned at Raleigh, NC at this time.

But, according to Lola La Rae Sorenson in �The Quest for James Rawlins / Rawlings / Rolens / Rollins�, 1986, this account of his capture is recorded in the North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 2 (975.6D26N) pages 398 - 404.

"One Friday, August 1777, I understood by report that a certain James Rawlins was one of the heads amongst the Tories and that he was expected to pass by the settlement of Mattamuskeet, or to call there about the next day, and, as I was resolved to apprehend him, if possible, and keeping a watch out for him spied a small sail off in the sound. I fitted out in a boat with four men along with me, came up with said sail, and found it to be the same James Rawlins with his family, upon which I apprehended him and carried him before a majistrate which took the deposition of the said James Rawlins, 6 Aug 1777. - Abram Jones".

Legend says that James later returned to England, leaving his wife and five children. But, Ms. Sorenson believes that this account of his capture shows that he intended to take his family with him.

Apparently, James soon escaped, as Ms. Sorenson further writes that The Virginia Gazette, an early newspaper of Colonial Virginia (GS film 029,723), contained this notice from North Carolina Craven County; complaint was made by John Bryam, issued 24 October 1777:

"James Rawlins for high treason, he is a noted villain, and one of the principals in the late conspiracy against the state, has lived for 2 years past in Martin County, and is very famous in the art of Legerdemaen, about 40 years of age, of a very black complexion and had a cut on one of his cheeks, given under seal 9 Sep. 1777."

The notice was signed by Joseph Leech. Ten pounds was offered for Rawlins as a reward.

After the war, the �g� was usually dropped from their name, rendering it �Rawlins�. Some family members, especially those remaining in the East, changed their name to Rollins.

2nd Generation

RODERICK RAWLINS, SARAH KING and MILLY PARKS

from Guilford Co., NC, to TN, KY, IN, IL, and Dallas Co., TX

Roderick and Sarah then moved to Indiana to the East Fork of the White River in Lawrence County. Sarah died here in 1814. In 1816, he married Mildred Parks. Milly was born in NC in 1783 the daughter of George Parks.

Roderick fought in the Blackhawk War against the Indians in a company of Rangers for two years. He represented Lawrence and Monroe Counties in the Legislature and then served as County Clerk of Monroe County. During this time, he donated part of his salary for a town clock at the courthouse. But, the donation was overlooked and the clock wasn�t put up until 50 years later. He designed and built the first jail north of the courthouse in Monroe County. In 1823, he moved to Greene Co., Illinois near Roodhouse and remained until 1844.

Roderick and Milly had eight children: Pleasant King (b. 1817), Nancy Priscilla (b. 1820), Elusia Catherine (b. 1822), Lucinda Ann (b. 1825), Mary Parks �Polly� (b. 1826), Mildred Talitha (b. 1826), Hannah M. (b. 1831) and Roderick Alexander (b. 1833).

In 1844, he led his family and a group of settlers to Texas where they settled on Ten Mile Creek in Dallas County. This was part of the Peters Colony. After arriving in the Dallas area, the travelers camped at Cedar Springs. According to Robert Westbrook Sears in "Pioneer Families of Dallas County", his daughter, Nancy wrote in 1891:

�The next morning we started for our home, as we called it, on Ten Mile Creek. There were no roads in those times and we had to head the creeks, which made the distance so much farther that we could not reach home that night; in the meantime (it) clouded up and commenced raining, we could find no water therefore we stopped somewhere, I never did know exactly where; we had been lost, we had neither dinner, supper nor breakfast. As soon as it was light we made another start for our destination and reached it on the second day of January 1845 at two o�clock in the afternoon. The boys that had gone on ahead of us had made a shelter for us out of some old boards that were found by some of the party and pressed into service.�

Also in "Pioneer Families of Dallas County", Robert Westbrook Sears reports, �The cabins were built in a double line divided by a street, running north and south. This arrangement provided a secure defense against the Indians. The settlement became known as �Hardscrabble�. It was later named Lancaster.

Roderick Rawlins was a dedicated worker in the Baptist Church until his 2nd marriage when he changed to the Christian/Campbellite Church. He was the main founder of the Christian Church in Lancaster and became a lay minister. In politics, he was a whig and was only one of two persons who voted against annexation of Texas in 1846.

He died 27 April 1848 in Lancaster (Dallas) TX and is buried in Edgewood Cemetery. Milly Parks died 20 July 1875 and is buried beside her husband. Much of this information came from a biography written by his son, Roderick A. Rawlins in 1892.

3rd Generation

ANGELINA RAWLINS AND FELTY VALENTINE WAMPLER

She died in IL -- never made it to Texas