Who is Joseph Daveson in the 1820 Gibson Co.,IN Census?

     To learn more about my great, great,great-grandfather, Josiah Davisson of Ohio and Indiana, I like to explore his relatives, possible relatives and their neighbors.   In Gibson County and Pike County, Indiana, there were several Davissons, Davisons and Davidsons.   Among these were several Josephs.

     One in particular was" Joseph Daveson" in the Gibson County 1820 census.   There were two adult males in his household, one in the 16-  26 age range, and the other in the 26-45 age range.   There was a young woman in the age range of 16 to 26, possibly a wife.  Also there was a woman in the age range of 45 and upwards.   I used to think this Joseph had to be the Joseph Davidson, born 1798 VA, son of John Davidson of Pike County, and the other adult man, 26- 45 was his father, John, along with his mother, Mary, age 45 and upwards.   The children in this household were 2 boys, age 0-10, and 1 girl, age 0-10, evidently born in 1820 and before.   So where were these children in the 1830 Pike County census?  They were not with Joseph and Elizabeth (Conger) Davidson, who were married in 1824.  The 1830 Pike Co census has Joseph and Elizabeth (Conger) Davidson with only their first two children, age under 5 years; Thirzah and James Edwards Davidson. 

    " Joseph Daveson", in the 1820 Gibson Co. census, had two close neighbors, Fielden Colvin and Michal Frederick.  Fielden (or Fielding) Colvin married Elizabeth Davison Whipps in Mason Co.,Kentucky in 1813.1   Fielding and Elizabeth Colvin attended a church that was first held on Dr. Joseph Davisson's land, west of Union, Pike Co.2  ( My Josiah Davisson lived next door to Fielding Colvin in 1840.)  Fielding had a land patent for land just west of Union, Pike Co.  It was located in Gibson Co., near Dr. Joseph's land, in Twp. 1S, Range 9W, Section 6.3    I do believe that Fielding's wife, Elizabeth, was a sister to Dr. Joseph Davisson.   So having Fielding Colvin as a neighbor pointed to Dr. Joseph Davisson.

     Michal Frederick, Joseph Daveson's other neighbor, presented a challenge  I knew the Fredericks to be connected to Joseph Davidson, born 1798 VA.  (Mary Frederick Glass was the mother of Elizabeth (Conger), wife of Joseph Davidson, born 1798 VA.)   "Michal Frederick", 1820 Gibson Co., was in the 16-26 age range.  He had a wife age 16-26, and one son, aged 0-10.  With further investigation, Joseph's neighbor is Michael C. Frederick who married Mary Lindy in 1818. 4  She was the daughter of Frederick Lindy who bought land located a mile or less north of Dr. Joseph's land.   On an old historical, 1881, map of Gibson Co., there is also Lindy land about 1 mile northwest of Dr. Joseph's land.5  So it's not impossible that Michal and Mary Frederick lived near her father in 1820, which would place them in the neighborhood of Dr. Joseph Davisson.  Michal's parents, Lewis and Elizabeth gave 234 acres to their sons, Michael and Peter in 1826.  So Michal and Mary, no doubt, moved about 2 miles northeast of Frederick Lindy's land.    
    
     The next step was to find out where the neighborhood of Joseph Daveson (and Michal Frederick) was located.  I assumed that when the census taker wrote each name on the record, he went from farm to farm in a general direction.  At the top of this particular census record page was the name, Frederick Lindy.  Toward the bottom was the name,  Alexander Harvey.   Frederick Lindy had land in Twp. 1N, Range 9W, Sec. 31; this was a mile or less, west of Union, Pike Co.6  Alexander Harvey had land in Twp. 1S, Range 9W, Sec. 18; this about 2 miles southwest of Union.7     The other neighbors, that I found in the land patent records, were in the general area between Frederick Lindy's land and Alexander Harvey's land.   So it appears that the census taker traveled from north to south on this page.  Dr. Joseph Davisson had a land patent right in this area; Twp. 1S, Range 9W, Section 6.  This same section 6 is where Fielding Colvin had land.  I might mention too that Dr. Joseph Davisson and Fielding Colvin had land in Section 5, near Union, along with Phillip Devendall.  Phillip is on the same 1820 Gibson Co. census page as Joseph Daveson and Fielden Colvin.    The fourth person down on the census page is Wilford Hager.   A Deffendall (Devendoll) researcher says that Wilford married Mary Deffendall, daughter of Philip Deffendall.  Wilford was next to Simeon Devendoll who was next to Philip Devendoll.   Clay Twp., Pike Co. area was still a part of Gibson Co. until 1824.  

      Below is a diagram showing where some of the names on the 1820 Gibson Co. census page had land.  This is according to the Gibson Co. Tract Book which included early dates before the actual land patents were obtained.   Names without dates got land patents basically after 1830.  Other names on the page could not be found in the land patent records or the tract book.

        Notice "Joseph Davidson" in section 18 of Twp. 1N.  This is Joseph, son of John and Mary Davidson (sometimes spelled Davisson), who married Elizabeth Conger.   I included this Joseph and John Davisson to show where they had land.  Joseph got land patents in 1835 and 1837.  His name was spelled "Davidson" on these patents.   His land was in the neighborhood of John Glass, Sebastian Frederick and Levi Conger.  This Joseph is said to have stayed on his farm until he died in 1871.

       The names on the 1820 Gibson Co. census page with Joseph Daveson were:  (starting at the top) Frederick Lindy, Phillip Devendall, Simeon Devendall, Wilford Hager, Nathaniel West, Thomas West, Wm Cheek, James Cheek, Robert Black, Joseph Daveson, Michal Frederick, Fielden Colvin, James Scantlin, Daniel Hank, James Windert, Thomas Sheels, Polly Bullard, John Boolard, Polly Phillips, Wm Phillips, Wm Hearvy, Thomas Sullivan, Henry Oneal, Alexander Harvey, Peter Bullard, and Elizabeth Garner.

       All this information above, leads me to believe that "Joseph Daveson" was Dr. Joseph Davisson.  The other adult male in the household is, I believe, Elijah H. Davisson.  The children are not Elijah's since Elijah married Elizabeth Wright on Aug. 17,1820.  As of now, I believe Dr. Joseph was an older brother to my Josiah Davisson of Ohio and Indiana.   I welcome any corrections.

SOURCES:
1.  Marriages of Mason Co.,KY at kykinfolks.com/mason/
2. " History of Pike and DuBois Counties..." by  Goodspeed Bros. 1885
3.  Bureau of Land Management- General Land Office Records; Tract Book of Gibson Co.,Indiana, compiled by Phillip R. Earles--at ingenweb.org/ingibson
4.  Frederick Family Intro found at: webpages.charter.net/moorepage/stories/2004  fred page1. htm

5.  Gibson and Pike Cos. 1881 map by D.J. Lake & Co. ; historicmapworks.com
6.  http://www.ingenweb.org/inpike/Piketwp.htm--article about Clay Twp. of Pike    County
7. Tract Book of Gibson Co., Indiana at ingenweb.org/ingibson/
 

Dr. Joseph Davisson/Davidson of Indiana--Was He an Older Brother to Josiah?

      Dr. Joseph Davisson was born in 1798 in  Harrison Co., West Virginia, according to other researchers.   One researcher says that he had a brother, Andrew, and both attended Randolph Academy in Clarksburg, Harrison Co., West Virginia.  ( I personally have no proof of this).  

     
      In 1813, he enlisted  as a private in John Payne's Company of Kentucky Militia.  John Payne was from Mason Co.,Kentucky (1).   Joseph also alleged that he served with Capt. McClelland's Co., Ohio Militia, in 1812. (2)  Robert  McClelland of Greene Co.,Ohio had a company of volunteers from Greene Co., Ohio in 1812.  Joseph's name is not on the official roster.  But if we believe his claim, this would put him in Greene Co., Ohio about 1812.  Dr. Andrew W. Davisson was there at that time and his brother-in-laws were on the roster.  This is also the place where my Josiah Davisson lived, at least by 1817, before moving to Gibson Co., Indiana.   What was Dr. Joseph  doing in Greene Co.,Ohio?  I can't help but think this connects him to Dr. Andrew W. Davisson.   My theory is that Dr. Joseph, Dr. Andrew and my Josiah were brothers.   In 1840, a Clarendon Davisson, attorney-at-law, was listed along with Dr. Joseph Davisson, physician, in the Petersburgh, Pike Co.,Indiana City Directory.  Clarendon was a son of Dr. Andrew W. Davisson of Xenia, Greene Co.,Ohio, mentioned above.  Could Clarendon have come there because he knew Dr. Joseph and the other Davissons?

     
     In 1815, in Mason Co., Kentucky, a Joseph Davison was bondsman for John Davison, Jr. and Charity Cain. (3)  I believe that John Davison, Jr. was Dr. Joseph Davison/Davisson's brother also.   There were other Davison marriages in Mason Co., KY that involved people that moved to Gibson and Pike Cos., Indiana.  

     
     Dr. Joseph Davisson, along with Fielding Colvin, James Lounsdale, James Hillman and others, bought land  from Toussant DuBois in the Gibson and Pike County areas of Indiana. (4)    If they bought their land directly from Mr. DuBois, it had to be around 1816 or before because DuBois died March 11, 1816. 

       
     On March 8, 1819, a Joseph Davidson was appointed a guardian of the children of a deceased Joseph Davidson ( Davisson).  The children named are those of Edith and Joseph Davisson.  Edith's husband, Joseph, died September 21, 1818.   Was Dr. Joseph appointed guardian of the children?   As of now I have no recorded proof, so I base my theory on clues found in excerpts of books found online.(5)   Note that Dr. Joseph was buried in the Hornbrook Cemetery just outside the town of Union, Pike Co.  This is where Edith's first husband, Joseph Davisson, and her second husband are buried.  Others include Fielding Colvin and his wife, Elizabeth Davison Whipps Colvin (married Feb. 11, 1813 in Mason Co., Kentucky; moved to Gibson Co., Indiana.  I  believe that this Elizabeth Colvin is also a sister to Dr. Joseph and Edith.  Since Dr. Joseph is buried in the same cemetery with these particular people, they could be his relatives.  

    
      In 1823 an early church group was constituted at the home of James Lumsdale, a short distance west of Union.  Members of the constitution included Fielding Colvin and wife, Mary Lumsdale (Mary Hillman Lounsdale), Elizabeth Shawhan (Elizabeth HIllman),  Elizabeth Davidson, and William Wright and wife.  The members  first met in a log building on Dr. Joseph Davidson's land. (6)  The names here are very interesting.  The Lumsdales ( also spelled Lounsdale or Lawnsdale)  were from Mason Co., KY and James had been in the militia with Josiah Davisson, son of Andrew (b.1722 NY)   I think that Elizabeth Colvin was Dr. Joseph's sister and these other people were interconnected friends and relatives from Mason Co., KY.   The Hillmans are connected; John Hillman married Mary Ann Davison in Mason Co.,KY.  John was also in the Kentucky militia with a John Davison, Samuel Whipps, and James Colvin,etc. and mustered out in Mason Co.,KY.    Elizabeth and Mary Hillman (maiden name) were sisters and were also from Mason Co.,KY.    Fielding Colvin married Elizabeth Davison Whipps of Mason Co.,KY.  Her first husband was James Whipps of Mason Co., KY.   (Note too that Edith and Joseph Davisson named their son, James Whipps Davison.   I believe that Edith is a sister to Dr. Joseph and Elizabeth Colvin.)  Next, the Wrights may be relatives to the Elizabeth Davidson, listed as a member, because Elijah Davisson married Elizabeth Wright and lived in Gibson Co.,IN.  He died between 1822 and 1825.   Elijah H. Davisson was with a Joseph Davisson in a newspaper article in 1822.(6)   Dr. Joseph seems to be related to some of these church members and this would appear to put  him in the Davison/Davisson family of Mason Co.,KY.   I think Dr. Joseph and these other Davissons are relatives to my Josiah Davisson. 

Sources:
1. Index to Texas CSA Pention Files, War of 1812, by Virgil D. White
2. History of Greene County, Ohio; Its People, Industries and Institutions by Michael A. Broadstone  Page 244
3. Marriages of Mason County, Kentucky found at http://kykinfolk.com/mason/
4. Article about Clay Township, Pike Co., IN found at www.ingenweb.org/inpike/Piketwp.htm
5. Excerpt from "The Davisson/Davidson Family from Immigrant to Present" by Mary Belle Lontz;  another excerpt from a book, title unknown, found online.
6. "History of Pike and DuBois Counties...", published by Goodspeed Bros. 1885.
7.  "Western Sun and General Advertiser 10-5-1822 V. 13 No. 36 P.I.C.I.  Vincennes newspapers at the Indiana State Library Database 1804-1827