Clay Twp. used to be part of Gibson Co. until 1824. Part of it, west of Conger's Creek, used to be in White River Twp.,Gibson Co. This is important to notice when reading old census records. The first settlement of Pike Co. was in this Clay Twp. when this area was part of Knox Co. There was a Davidson/Davisson settlement in Clay Twp. in the early days. Early settlers included Jonathan, Sebastian and Levi Conger, Peter, Sebastian and Michael Frederick, Henry,James and John Hillman, Fielding, George and William Colvin, James and Thomas Lawnsdale, Andrew Knight, John and Joseph Davidson, William M. Wright, John, James and George Chambers, Joseph Shawhan, James Thornton,John Decker,Frederick Lindy, Samuel Dedman, James Oliphant, Phillip Catt, Jacob McAtee, Charles White, Robert Crow,Captain Reedy and many more. All these people are clues to more information about my Josiah Davisson.
Dr. Joseph Davidson, who lived in Washington Twp. of Gibson Co., also lived in Clay Twp. near the town of Union. In 1816, another Joseph Davison, with wife Edith and six children, moved to Clay Twp. This Joseph was related to the large Davisson family of Harrison Co., West Virginia; I believe his parents were Joseph Davisson and Mary Burns; his grandfather was Andrew Davisson who moved from Harrison Co., WVA to Mason Co.,Kentucky by at least 1792. Joseph married Edith Davison, daughter of John Davison of Mason Co., Kentucky. Joseph died in 1818 and is buried in the Hornbrook Cemetery near Union, Clay Twp. Dr. Joseph Davidson is also buried in this same cemetery.
Another Davidson family in Clay Twp. was John Davidson, born ca 1773, and wife Mary, with a son, Joseph Davidson (b. 1798 VA), and daughter Matilda These also came from Kentucky around 1815/16. Joseph married Elizabeth Conger in 1824 and Matilda married Sebastian Conger in Pike Co. I have not figured out if these Davidsons are related to Dr. Joseph Davidson or Joseph and Edith Davison. Joseph Davidson (b. 1798) of Clay Twp.,Pike Co. lived right among the same people as my Josiah Davisson in 1840.
There were several families living in Clay Twp. that came from Kentucky, knew each other in Kentucky and probably came together about 1816. At this time I believe that Edith and Joseph Davison along with Elizabeth (Davison) and Fielding Colvin went from Kentucky to Indiana together in 1816. Edith's husband, Joseph, died in 1818 in Pike Co., Indiana. Exactly when Mary Ann (Davison) and John Hillman arrived in Pike Co., Indiana is unknown to me at this time. (See my post about Mary Davison and the Hillmans)
In 1860, my Josiah Davisson's daughter, Nancy Ann Davidson Kelly, and her family also lived in Clay Twp., Pike Co. Her neighbors were John Hornbrook on one side and John L. Hillman on the other. These are very common names in Clay Twp. An older John Hillman, of Clay Twp., was married to Mary Ann Davison and they came from Mason Co., Kentucky. When John Hillman was an older man and widower, he lived with Richard and Dorcas Colvin who lived by my Josiah Davisson in 1840 in Washington Twp.,Gibson Co.
When Joseph died, guardianship of his and Edith's children was given to another Joseph Davidson through the probate court of Gibson Co., IN on 3-8-1819. The name Davisson is spelled Davidson in the probate transcription. The only other Joseph Davidson/Davisson in the area that I can find is Dr. Joseph. I would think that he was related somehow. Perhaps Dr. Joseph was, indeed, Edith's brother. He is buried in the same cemetery as Edith's husband, Hornbrook Cem, Union, Pike Co., IN.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Kentucky Marriages 1802-1850 show Edith Davisson marriage David Davisson Sep 24, 1805 in Mason County. I'm wondering if Joseph's middle name was David and that's what he went by. There are 3 Joseph Davissons written in Henry C. Miley's Family Bible. Two of them have D. as a middle initial. They are: Dr. Joseph Davisson MD B. Jan 10, 1785 D. Jan 8-----
ReplyDeleteburied Union______(can't read) graveyard 8 & 7?
Joseph D. Davisson B. 1783 D. Sep 21, 1818
Joseph D. Davisson B. May 18, 1822 Eva Evelyn? (there is a question mark written there in old-timey ink and pen)
I can find nothing on the younger Joseph D. Davisson. The second Joseph D. is Edith's Davisson's first husband who is said to have drowned when he fell into the river, possibly caused by a seizure. No one seems to know who Eveline Davisson's parents were. She married Henry C. Miley June 25th 1840 in Pike Co., IN.
Thank you so much for your helpful comments! I think Dr. Joseph was Edith's brother and they came from Mason Co.,KY along with sisters, Mary Ann Hillman & Elizabeth Colvin & their families.
ReplyDeleteI haven't figured out who David Davisson was exactly. There was a David Davisson in the 1820 Gibson Co.IN census but he couldn't be Edith's first husband because of the date. And this David of 1820 Gibson had 4 daughters whereas Edith had mostly sons and 1 daughter. David of 1820 Gibson is about the age of the John Davidson b. abt 1773/4 in VA. So was he a brother to this John? A Joseph that married Elizabeth Conger is the son of this John. John also had a daughter, Matilda, who m. Sebastian Conger. In the 1820 Gibson Co. census, there was a Joseph Daveson with a wife & 3 children ages 10 & below. His neighbors are people who lived in the area where Joseph & Eliz.(Conger) lived. But Joseph didn't marry Eliz.C. until 1824. So was Eliz C. a 2nd wife? The census record also shows a couple about 45 yrs. old living with Joseph Daveson. I wonder if this is John & Mary Davidson, his parents? And who are the 2 boys & 1 girl, aged 0-10 (b. btwn 1810-1819)? What happened to them?
Henry C. Miley's Bible is very interesting! Eveline must be related to Dr. Joseph. Otherwise why is he listed in the Bible? Joseph D. b. 1783 & d. 1818 is definitely Edith's first husband. Could Joseph D. b. 1822 possibly be a brother to Eveline since she was b. 1821? I can't find any evidence that Dr. Joseph married ealier than 1849. I assume he had no children.
In 1822, there was a newspaper article about a Joseph & Elijah H. Davisson from White River Twp. Gibson Co. finding a stray horse. Early White River Twp. was in the general area of all these Davissons. Don't know yet just who these two are.
Would love to explore this further with you. As I can think & look over my notes, I'll be glad to share!
Hi Billie,
ReplyDeleteI wrote a long comment here yesterday, but it doesn't seem to have posted.
First, I want to thank you for presenting your genealogy research in this blog platform. You have provided a lot of great information and I admire the presentation of it all.
Henry's Bible appears to contain the hand writing of 2 or 3 different people and some of the information is duplicated. To me, it appears that someone was trying to document Eveline's father. I've seen some files that state "Eveline was a Tislow." But, Eveline Davisson married Henry C. Miley when she was not quite 16 so seems doubtful she was married to a Davisson prior to marrying Henry. I suppose she could have been a Tislow, adopted by a Davisson but have seen nothing which indicates such. If that's the case, there should be some sort of documentation "out there" regarding such an adoption.
I find it interesting that John Davisson b. 1773 d. 8 Feb 1851 had a daughter named Matilda (b. 4 Dec 1796 who married Sebastian Conger.) Henry and Evaline also named one of their daughter's Matilda (b. 31 Dec 1848.) Their oldest son was named Joseph D. Miley (b. 8 July 1851.) Perhaps this John (1773-1851) and his son, Joseph (b. 23 Jan 1798 m. Elizabeth Conger) were her relatives. Evaline was born 5 Aug 1824 in Pike Co. I'm not certain now just which Joseph Davisson was given guardianship of Edith and Joseph Davisson's children. John's son, Joseph would have been 21 in 1819 but I'm not certain he was even in the area then.
I have considered that the Joseph D. Davisson b. 1822 may have been Evaline's brother. None of Henry's nor Evaline's siblings are written down here so this entry seems very curious. If this younger Joseph was her brother, he's the only Davisson sibling listed in the Bible.
Thanks again for your input. It's very helpful and has me digging through my files for more clues. First I checked out Eveline Davisson Miley's birthdate and according to the stone or record for the Miley-Tislow Cemetery found at http://www.ingenweb.org/inpike/Wasmyti.htm, the date is 8-8-1821. So she would've been 19 when she m. Henry. That leaves a small time span to have been married to a Davisson? And I noticed her dau. Matilda too & wondered if there's any connection to Matilda Davisson Conger. It can be so confusing. A person has to look very closely for tiny clues. Are there any other names listed by the Joseph Davisson names? Seems to me though that Eveline & Henry would not name a son after a 1st husband of hers-- (Joseph D. Miley). It's more likely he was a relative (brother). Unless Henry was very understanding..ha. I'll keep digging...
ReplyDeleteI really don't, as yet, have definite proof that Dr. Joseph was the one made guardian of Edith & Joseph's children. He's buried in the same cemetery as Edith's husband, Joseph. Dr. Joseph was in the War of 1812 under Capt. John Payne who lived in Mason Co., KY and organized a company in May 1813. This is how Dr. Joseph got the pension; it says he enlisted May 20,1813. So he must have been living in Mason Co. at the time; this is where Edith & Joseph were from by the marriage record. Also John & Mary Ann (Davison) Hillman; Fielding & Elizabeth (Davison Whipps) Colvin and others were from Mason Co. and then moved to Gibson Co. IN abt. 1815/16. Some of their neighbors in Ind. were also friends in Mason Co., KY. These and other little clues make me think that Dr. Joseph was Edith's brother and would be guardian of her children.
About the John Davidson (b. 1772 VA) and his son, Joseph (b. 1798): I'm still researching them. I've been studying on the 1820 Gibson Co., White River Twp. about a Joseph Daveson. Appears that he was in his 20's with a wife and 2 boys aged 0-10 and 1 girl age 0-10. Also there is an older couple above the age of 45. This older couple could be John Davidson (b. 1772) & Mary. If this is true, then Jospeh, who m. Eliz. Conger in 1824, had a 1st wife and 3 children. I haven't been able to find them later on. The children are not with him in 1830. This couldn't be Dr. Joseph, who was 35 in 1820. White River Twp. was formed about 1813 and covered a much bigger area than it does today; It used to include Washington Twp. and possibly part of Clay Twp.,Pike Co. Indiana Pioneers Proven Ancestors at indianapioneers.com says:" Joseph Davidson born 1798 in Virgina arrived Gibson County from Kentucky 1815-16." This is about the same time the other Davisson family arrived from Mason Co.,KY. Makes it confusing. There were plenty of other Davidson families in Kentucky in other counties. And plenty of Kentuckians were pouring into Indiana at that time.
Billie,
ReplyDeleteAs to Evaline's (spelling on her grave marker) date of birth. As you know, she is buried in the Tislow Cem. in Petersburg, Pike Co., IN. The memorial page at findagrave.com shows her as being born 8 Aug 1821. However, when the photo of her marker is enlarged, it clearly says 5 Aug 1824. She is shown as 26 in the 1850 census, taken on 26th of July, though according to her grave marker, she wouldn't have turned 26 for another 10 days. If the date on her marker is correct, she'd have been a month and about 10 days shy of turning 16 when she married Henry on 25 June 1840. I have edited the birth information for her at the findagrave site and am awaiting approval of the change. Also want to let you know that it's a good idea to enlarge pics of markers, when available, at this site as I have discovered errors in the info on memorial pages. Often, too, there will be dates listed as "unknown" but when you enlarge the pic of the stones, the dates are carved into the stones.