Dunagan Family History- My mother's mother's family!!

One of the nice things about living in VA is that most of my family tree started right here, at least once they got to the USA. THAT IS TRUE FOR THE Meltons, Dodgens, and DUNAGANS. You will not believe that the Dunagans, upon leaving IRELAND came to Orange County VA where my family lived for 12 years from 1983 to 1995!!! THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW MY MOTHER's maternal family came from Ireland to Orange VA to GEORGIA. THE FIRST Dunagan I know about was WILLIAM Dunagan who lived in LIMERICK IRELAND circa 1680.( MUCH OF WHAT I know of the DUNAGANS CAME FROM COUSIN GEORGE DUNAGAN of GAINSVILLE Ga. I FOUND HIM ON THE INTERNET and soon learned he had done OUR entire Dunagan family tree research back to IRELAND. I was thrilled when he invited my family and my Father to visit him in 1993.) WILLIAM OF Limerick IRELAND son's name was THOMAS, christened in 1706 and married to SARAH. He was the FIRST Dunagan to travel to America. HE MOVED HERE WITH HIS FAMILY IN 1738 and settled in ORANGE County VA, to live with the John Pickett family. They lived and worked there for 3 years until he could pay MR. Pickett for his travel costs to the USA. THOMAS's son was Joseph Sr. In the 1760's he moved to GREENVILLE County SC, and later in 1796 to Ga. Joseph was born prior to 1742. HE WAS MARRIED TWICE and had 6 sons. HE WAS A METHODIST preacher. HIS SON born in 1771 was Ezekiel. HE WAS CALLED MAJOR by the Cherokee Indians. HE had 13 children with Lydia Ann BROWN, and 1 child with MARGARET Wallace. COUSIN George, who did this research descends from EZEKIEL AND his first wife's son Joseph. OUR family descends from his son ISAAIH who was born September 25, 1808. EZEKIEL had been a soldier in the war of 1812. HE RAISED HIS FAMILY NEAR DUNAGAN CHAPEL , a METHODIST CHURCH IN Gainsville Ga, and was buried next door in the Dunagan family cemetery. I WAS ABLE TO SEE HIS GRAVE WHEN I visited Cousin George in 1993. HE DIED March 10,1836 and was buried there with his wife Lydia. ( More DUNAGAN family history to come in my next post.)