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Last month's Found in the Archives explored the journey of Fairfax resident Lizzie Dodson. Charged with burglary and then charged with shooting with the intent to kill, Lizzie spent her late teens and early twenties traveling back and forth from Fairfax and Richmond and giving birth and raising a son in jail.
While the 1900-1909 Term Papers reveal a brief glimpse into Lizzie's life it raises a few questions regarding her name. Term papers frequently state different names for her including “Lizzie Dodson Alias Lizzie Watson,” “Eliza Watson,” “Lizzie Watson alias Lizzie Dodson,” and a newspaper article even refers to her as a “Lizzie Dotson.” It should be noted that the name inconsistencies are seen more frequently in documents regarding her 1897 burglary case. In the 1900 to 1909 Term Papers, she is more consistently referred to as Lizzie Dodson. In her pardon of 1800, her signature proposes another alternative "Lizzia" Dodson, or perhaps this is simply a variation in spelling of Eliza.
 Figure 1: Signature of 1900 Pardon
 Figure 2 - Detail of various court records that refer to Lizzie by different names. Red line added.
 Figure 3: A 1897 and a 1901 Sheriff Report that lists Lizzie as Lizzie Watson and Lizzie Dodson.
What was her name? Were the different names chosen by Lizzie or were the different names chosen by the officials keeping records? What else can we learn about Lizzie and her life in Fairfax? While records in the Library of Virginia regarding her incarceration state that she was single, was one of the names related to the father of her child or not at all?
By exploring other records in HRC’s collection as well as outside census records and newspaper articles, HRC staff were able to find out more about Lizzie and her possible family. HRC staff began by looking through HRC records for all names that could be she could be under.
Several Dodson families were found but none with any name was close to Lizzie, Elizabeth, or Eliza. It should be noted that on a document that HRC has where Lizzie presumably signed her name, she signed it Dodson. Her son would also share the name Dodson.
While there are Dodsons in Fairfax County at this time, the most promising person located is a Watson. There is an Elizabeth Watson, age 9, listed in the 1890 Providence school district. Records show that Lizzie was 16 in 1897 at the time of her first arrest, so this 9-year-old Elizabeth Watson could be her.
The Elizabeth Watson in the school register is listed as living with four siblings Garfield age 5, Robert age 10, and Mattie age 6 and the oldest child was Charles Turner, age 13. The head of household was listed as Wilson Turner. Charles was the only one attending school who could read or write. (Although we know from records in Richmond she did learn how to write as it was noted she was caught writing “indecent notes” in 1907. Mentioned above, we also may have her signature as well).
While noting siblings were helpful, the fact that they were living with a Wilson Turner raised questions. Who was Turner and why was she living with him?
 Figure 4 - 1890 School Ledger Providence District Box 1
Wilson Turner was a Union veteran and is listed in multiple documents as living in Providence, Kenmore P.O., and near Andrew’s Chapel, all within the same area. A Wilson Turner is recorded as purchasing 1 acre from George P. Taylor and his wife in 1890. A little over a decade later, it would be George P. Taylor that would order the arrest of Lizzie. Perhaps he was acquainted with her residence due to this transfer of property.
Looking through 1880 Census in HRC's archive we find an Elizabeth Watson was living with her parents Charles and Martha Watson, her siblings, and a Turner cousin living in Dranesville (she is listed as Charles’s sister-in-law), revealing a second Watson/Turner connection.
Taking that information, HRC looked in the Fairfax marriage register to see if Charles Watson and Martha were married. There they appear. They are listed as being married on January 21, 1878. Charles is 22 and lists his parents as Henry and Jenny and he was born in Strafford. With the lack of last names and the timeline, it is likely then that Henry and Jenny had been enslaved. Charles may have been in Dranesville as early as 1870. The 1870 census shows a Charles Watson, a farmhand, living with Michael and Rose McMulla in Dranesville.
In the marriage register, Martha is 18 and lists only her mother Rhody Turner and was born in Sussex, identifying the Turner connection again. Neither had been married previously. While it’s unclear why Wilson is not mentioned as a parent, census records state that Rhody and Wilson Turner were married. Therefore, Wilson and Rhody Turner were Elizabeth Watson’s maternal grandparents.
 Figure 5 - Register of Marriages 1853-1933 page 23A
In addition, the 1900 census lists sister Mattie still living with Wilson and Rhodia (Spelled in the marriage register as Rhody) Turner. Mattie is listed as their granddaughter. Notably her older cousins and siblings, including Elizabeth (who was likely in Richmond at this time), are no longer a part of the household. These connections reveal the family tree, even if they don’t explain how Elizabeth got to live with her grandparents.
 Above: Figure 6 Watson / Turner Partial Family tree. Below: Figure 7 Road Record showing location of Andrew's Chapel (Record of Roads 1860-1904 page 154)
Is this enough to conclude that Lizzie is Elizabeth Watson? Perhaps not. Geography, however, also supports this theory. Census records list Elizabeth Watson in Dranesville and then with Wilson Turner in Providence. Wilson Turner’s residence in Providence can be narrowed down to the Kenmore Post Office area / near Andrew’s Chapel with the assistance of deeds and census records. Lizzie, in newspapers, is described as “of Ashgrove,” and was arrested in 1901 at her home near Andrew’s Chapel. By returning to the 1897 term papers concerning Lizzie and tracking down where she broke into houses, we find that she robbed Mr. Mankin of Falls Church and Marian Mean’s store in Ashgrove. Lizzie Williams was harder to track down. There are Williams’ living at this time in both Dranesville and Vienna.
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If Lizzie Dodson is not Lizzie Watson, it is interesting to think that there was a Lizzie Watson and a Lizzie Dodson living so near each other around the same time and that Lizzie Dodson would use Watson as an alias.
 Figure 8 - 1879 Hopkin's Atlas edited to show possible locations associated with Lizzie's story. All locations are approximate.
A Certificate of Death was found outside of HRC records where a Lizzie Watson is listed as dying on November 16, 1932, in Richmond Virginia. While the birth date/age is incorrect (and indeed impossible as the birth date is listed as 1932, the year the record was written, with her age listed as 40), her parents are listed as Charlie Watson, unknown birthplace, and Martha Turner, birthplace Fairfax. If Lizzie Watson is not Lizzie Dodson, Lizzie Watson also still managed to find herself in Richmond.
Lizzie’s story raises more questions than it answers. If her name was truly Watson, where did Dodson come from? We don't know why Lizzie had two names or the meaning behind them. Perhaps she chose two names for personal reasons or to obscure herself. If the Watsons and Turners are not her relations, we have learned a lot about their close family ties, if not about Lizzie herself.
Lizzie’s story, however murky, is just one example of how term papers, and other HRC records, can be explored to learn about Fairfax County residents of the past. Explore the Term Paper index here: Term Papers | Circuit Court or come into HRC for a research visit to see records in person.
If you would like to learn more about Lizzie in Richmond, the Library of Virginia’s Uncommonwealth post is a great read and includes a photograph of Lizzie: Born to Run: The Odyssey of Lizzie Dodson – The UncommonWealth
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