William Davis

William “Bottom Billy” Davis
BIRTH 11 Mar 1754
Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA
DEATH 11 Sep 1834 (aged 80)
Clark, Coshocton County, Ohio, USA
BURIAL
Seventh Day Baptist Cemetery
Jackson Center, Shelby County, Ohio

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152838958/william-davis

A Patriot of the American Revolution for NEW JERSEY with the rank of PRIVATE. DAR Ancestor #: A030725

The below info may belong to a different William Davis- help needed.
DAVIS, THE SETTLERS OF SALEM, WEST VIRGINIA, by Susie Davis Nicholson, Salem, West Virginia, 1992. p. 10, 16-17

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Biography: Sketches of Pioneers. William Davis. William Davis is supposed to have been born in New Jersey, and came to Harrison County some time after the war of the Revolution. He settled in the Bottom land between Salem and Bristol. Was a large owner of lands, removed to Ohio and died there some time in the thirties. He always signed his name William Davis 'Bottom' to distinguish him from two or three other William Davis' who lived in the neighborhood. Tradition says that he had been a sailor and that during the Revolution he was loyal to the King and that he piloted the British fleet through the Hell Gate Channel, under the command of Lord Howe, at the time New York was captured in 1776, and for his services on that occasion he received a large bag of gold. After the close of the war and upon his return home, he found it a little unpleasant for persons of his political opinions, and emigrated to the western country as it was then called, where some of his relatives had come before. Deeds executed by him show that he lived in this county as late as 1825. His father resided near the Battlefield of Brandy Wine, and rode out from home, on a white horse, to see the battle, and the color of his horse attracting attention, he was fired on and killed. [History of Harrison County, WV, by Henry Haymond, pg. 369]

Story: William was a ship carpenter. One day he went into a ship yard looking for work. The boss said to him " Can you make a pin?" He says "I can try." The boss gave him a new hand ax and a piece of timber for a pin and led him to the "hack block" which proved to be a large stone. He finished his pin without touching the block with the edge of his ax greatly to the surprise of the boss, and raising his ax high into the air, struck a tremendous blow into the face of the rock as though he took it for an ordinary hack block into which he was accustomed to stick his ax after finishing a job. "Thad will do", says the boss. " I will give you $30 a month." He worked here but a short time, shortly after being a sailor on the high seas. At the beginning of the Revolutionary War he was a Tory and joined the British Army. It is said that he ran the first British gunboat through Long Island Sound to New York. The following story is told as related by him. "one day while consulting with the British Officers, concerning the strength of the Colonists, it began to thunder and not a cloud in sight, we took a spy-glass and discovered a small black cloud not larger than a man's hand rising in the west. It kept getting larger until we could see it with the naked eye. It came up and settled over the vesselling at anchor nearby and a flash of lightning struck her magazine which blew up completely destroying the vessel." He believed it was an act of providence, which convinced him that he was fighting on the wrong side. He deserted the British and joined the American forces. After the close of the war and about 1789 0r 90 he moved from Shrewsbury NJ to Harrison county Virginia and settled on a tract of land near the mouth of Cherry Camp Run. The villlage of Cherry Camp was afterward built on this farm. He built the first mill in that vicinity. The foregoing is an illustration of the sterling worth and character of the man. He had strong likes and dislikes and was ready to fight for that which he believed was right. The following historical facts prove his patriotism and courage in fighting for his country when convinced that the then present authority was in the wrong. William Davis of Monmouth County, New Jersey, Private in the detachment of Monmouth County NJ Militia enlisted at Monmouth, July, 1776, served one month as guide. Private under Lieut. Colonel Auke Wykoff's third regiment for one month. Served as private in Capt. Dennis' Co. 3rd Reg. Monmouth county militia. While en route to Philadelphia, PA he was taken prisoner by the British and was confined to New York for two months. He was private in Capt. Stephen Fleming's Co. 3rd Reg. one month. Was engaged in the battle of Sandy Hook, NJ. He furnished as a substitute in the same company, Joseph Bishop. While serving as private in Capt. John Dennis; company, 2nd Reg, Monmouth County Militia he was shot in the breast in an engagement at Somerset Courthouse. He resided in Clarke County, Ohio, 1832 to 1834. The wound in his breast was from a rifle ball, which was removed, leaving a large scar for the remainder of his life. James Davis, the oldest son of William, appeared before the President at Springfield, Ohio, where he lived, June 28th, 1833, and testified that he was a son of William Davis and was born April 1, 1774, that he remembered well when his father left home, and that he and his mother went to live with her father, John Havens of Shrewsbury, NJ and he remembered distinctly when his father returned home from captivity, when he was five or six years old and that afterward he went away again to serve in the Militia. William Davis 1663-1745 And Descendants Compiled by Thomas Clayton Davis as published in The Alfred Sun, Alfred, NY, 1945-1948]

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Bottom Billy and Eliz. HAVENS were first cousins, once removed.

Served in the Revolutionary War. According to tradition, at the time of the Revolutionary War, William worked in his father's shipyard. They had been Royalists until their shipyard was burned. William

having guided the British fleet through Hell Gate Channel into New York City at the time of its capture. After the loss of the shipyard, William took his wife and children to her parents' home and joined the Army of the Co. Colonist and fought for the American Cause.

William migrated to Washington Co. Pa. 1789 and to Harrison Co. , Va. 1792. He bought all the bottom land east of Salem, where Bristol is now located and from that acquired the name Bottom Billy. He was at one time Sheriff of Harrison Co., Va now W. Va.

About 1832 or 1833 he and his wife and several of the children migrated to Clark Co., Ohio. It is believed that she died in Clark Co., 1834 and he in Clark or Shelby Co., 1834 or 1840.

Migrated to PA in 1789 and

to Harrison Co., (West) VA in 1792--bought all the bottom land east of

Salem, which is how he acquired the nickname of Bottom Billy. Abt. 1832

migrated to Clark Co., Ohio. Child of Bottom Billy DAVIS and Elizabeth

HAVENS is James DAVIS.

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William “Bottom Billy” Davis BIRTH 11 Mar 1754 Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA DEATH unknown Shelby County, Ohio, USA BURIAL Seventh Day Baptist Cemetery Jackson Center, Shelby County, Ohio,

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/152838958/william-davis

Children John Davis 1774–1842

Photo James Davis 1774–1851

Photo Jonathan Davis 1776–1845

Joel Davis 1779–1798

Photo George I. Davis 1783–1863

Photo Anna Davis Chaney 1785–1852

Jesse S. Davis 1788–1823

Photo Asa Davis 1790–1851

Photo William Flint Davis 1792–1865

Photo Phineas Davis 1794–1845