The Mystery of Dawson Cryer

My journey to find Dawson Cryer, my 4th Great Grandfather, began after locating the 1923 obituary of my 3rd great grandmother, Melissa Cryer Montgomery.

MONTGOMERY, MELISSA CRYER

Old Aunt Melissa Montgomery died at her home near this town last Monday at 
the age of 104 years, according to the best information obtainable. She 
was an old-time darkey, indeed, and of that tribe whose ranks are so near 
depleted that but few are left, but they will live in song and story as 
long as the worlds stands. She had a number of children before the Civil 
War, many of whom long since died of old age, and some children at the 
funeral Tuesday had long ago passed their three score and ten years, all 
honorable and well esteemed by both races, not one of whom was ever 
charged with any crimes. We have been unable to secure anything like a 
definite number of her descendants, but they run into the hundreds, even 
to the fifth generation. She had often been referred to as the Mother of 
Cross Roads A.M.E. Church, and no one ever doubted her sincerity as a 
Christian. In that church yard cemetery she was laid to rest Tuesday with 
suitable and imposing ceremonies to rise again in "That Great Day"

Published around November 5, 1923

This listing intrigued me and I set out on a long journey to find out as much as I could about Melissa Cryer Montgomery, her family and origin. A search of the Louisiana Death index proved to be beneficial and provided me with her death record, which listed her father's name as Dawson Cryer, and mother, Easter McMorris.

After searching numerous documents, my search did not result in much information about Dawson. All I knew at this point is that he was the father of Melissa, lived in St. Helena and was born in Georgia. I researched the history of the Cryer Family and found that  the first Cryer moved to the area that is now St. Helena in 1804. Thomas Cryer was a planter, born in 1730 in England. He migrated to Amelia Township in the late 1700's, then in1786 to Georgia and finally West Florida ( now St. Helena Parish). Below documents that journey:

South Carolina Historical Commission Archives; So Carolina Council Journal 1755, 1756 page 252

Proceeding of his Majesty's Honorable Council beginning August 5th, 1755 AM. Read the petition of Thomas Cryer, humbly setting forth: That the petitioner had a wife, one child and one negro for whom and himself he had never had any Warrant or grant of land. Therefore humbly prayed his Excellancy and Honours Order to the Sureyor General to lay out to the petitioner two hundred acres of land in the Amelia Towenship and that he might have a grant for same. Dated August 4th, 1755. Thomas Cryer

By the time Thomas relocated to St. Helena Parish he had acquired much more than he began with in 1755:

St Helens Parish Louisiana - An inventory of the property of Thomas Cryer, Deceased by Field P Hunter (executor?) is as follows:

1 Plantation and corp, 26 head of horned cattle, 3 bells, 26 head of hogs, 3 saddles & bridles, 1 grind stone, 4 axes, 1 grubbing hoe, 3 weeding hoes, 1 small hatchet, 2 pr horse harnesses, 1 shovel plow 1 block wagon, 2 horses, 6 sheep, 6 negroes (2 fellows, 3 wenches and 1 girl), 9 pots, 2 ovens, 1 spider, 2 pails, 2 piggins, 1 keeler, 1 churn, 1 hand saw, 1 iron square, 1 gun and shot bag, 2 pair pot hooks, 2 reap hooks, hand mill and mill pock, 2 small trunks, 2 tables, 1 spinning wheel, 8 plates, 1 tin coffee pot, 1 tea pot, 1 sugar bowl, 5 cups & saucers, 1 butter dish, 6 knives and forks, 1 barrell of sugar, 40 lbs coffee, 3 beds and furniture, 1 chest, 1 tin sugar box, 1 barrell of flour, 1 parcel of seed cotton, 1 pr smoothing irons, 2 dress coats, 2 pair s of stockings, 4 pair of pantaloons, 4 vest coats, 3 chairs, 1 hat, 2 blankets, 2 earthen pit chers, i looking glass, 2 pair of cotton cards, 1 tar kiln 21 ft wide, timber for 300 barrels, 5 bushels rice, 2 books.

One day as I was searching Dr. Gwendolyn Midlo Hall's slave database researching another branch of my family, I  located a  transaction between Morgan Cryer and William Day for a male slave named Doss. Morgan sold Doss to William Day for $450, and the transaction was recorded in St. Tammany Parish(which includes portions of  Tangipahoa and Washington Parish).  A comparison of this info with St. Helena Parish Conveyance records  shows Morgan did have possession of 4 slaves owned by his father, Thomas Cryer. The document shows Thomas left to his son, Morgan 4 slaves. An adult woman, Liddy and 3 children, Doss, Chloe and Noble in 1810.

January 28, 1810: Thomas Cryer gave to his son Morgan Cryer four negroes - woman Liddy, boy Doss, girl Chloe and boy child Noble. Also gave to Morgan all goods and chattles belonging to Timothy Cryer, deceased son of Thomas. Witnesses William Cooper, Skipwith Durbin, Joseph Slatter and Carlton Cooper

The only documented slave transaction for Morgan Cryer was the sale of Doss in 1813. Doss was 18 years old at the time of this documentation, which means he would have been born about  1795 and would match the Louisiana Death record, that shows he was born in Georgia. The description of Doss said he was 5 feet 7 and had a yellow complexion. There is no record of Liddy, Chloe or Noble being sold.
 Shortly after the sale, Morgan Cryer moved to Opelousas, La and then to Arkadelphia, Arkansas. His brother, William remained in St. Helena Parish and died there in 1840

Based on the above inventory of Thomas Cryer in St. Helena Parish, he owned a total of 6 slaves, 2 male, Three women and 1 girl. Well, Thomas left his granddaughter a slave named Love and to his grandson, 2 slaves, Siller and Pompe.

It is my last request that my sun Morgain Cryer tack in to his pursisian the negor woman Love that I have given to his Grand Dater Hariet Beneet and capt her as his ownproperty while the said Hareat Beneat Mareas and forder I depose in the purseon of my sun Morgain Cryer the two Negors Namely Pompe and Siller which Two Negors I have Given to my Grand Sun Arter Lamb and fer my Sun Morgain Cryer to Ceapt the said Negors as his own property while my Grand Sun Artor Lamb Comes or Sends a Legal Arterney to Resove the Said Negor. given under my hand 6 August 1808. Thos Cryer Witness by William Coopers, Skipeth Durbin & Samuel Richardson

 After careful research of the Cryer family in the parish and historical documentations, I believe Doss. was actually, Dawson Cryer, father of Melissa Cryer Montgomery of St. Helena Parish and my 4th great grandfather.