John Davis, Jr., of Varina Parish - Mix Up between the Davis Families of Virginia and Roxbury, MA

Started by Hatte Anne Blejer on Tuesday, March 15, 2016
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3/15/2016 at 12:13 PM

I have written to most of the managers involved, but I want to start a public discussion to document on the profiles involved who belongs to which family.

There are two John Davises:

1. John Stringer Davis, of Roxbury

2. John Davis, Jr., of Varina Parish

There are two or three Mary Davises:

1. Mary Davis married to Jacob Colson

2. Mary Davis married to George Bacon

3. Mary Davis, daughter of John Davis Jr., of Varina Parish who appears to be married to a third person

I believe that Jacob Colson's wife was Mary from Virginia and/or NC.
I believe that George Bacon's wife was Mary Davis, of Roxbury, daughter of John Stringer Davis, of Roxbury

There may be additional profiles that need to be attached to the correct parents, children, spouses. I already moved a William Davis, of Roxbury from the Virginia family.

3/15/2016 at 12:16 PM
3/15/2016 at 12:16 PM
3/15/2016 at 12:17 PM
3/15/2016 at 12:18 PM

And here's why I think we are missing a Mary (daughter of John Davis, Jr., of Varina Parish):

4 children of John Davis and Mary Burton:

William Davis, born 1667; died 1667.

Mary Davis, born 21 Jan 1669/70 in Henrico County, VA; died 1735 in Henrico County, VA; married John Cocke 10 Nov 1686 in St. John's Church, Henrico County, VA; born cir. 1657 in Henrico County, VA; died 1724 in Henrico County, VA.

John (3rd) Davis, born cir. 1672 in Henrico County, VA; died 1701; married Elizabeth King 1699 in Henrico County, VA; born Bef. 1681.

Elizabeth Davis, born 18 Feb 1678/79 in Henrico County, VA; died 08 Feb 1731/32 in Mulberry Hill, Chowan Precinct, NC; married John (Sr) Blount 11 Jan 1694/95 in Berkeley County, NC.

3/16/2016 at 3:12 PM

Thanks for cleaning this up Hatte Anne Blejer!

I can't help you with the Virginia family but I can help you with the Roxbury branch. I looked up on the vitals of her parents and siblings and cross-referenced them to several other sources and wrote a biography for John Davis (May's father) to post on GENI and Wikitree:

== Biography ==

John settled on a farm of approximately 100 acres near present day Roslindale, now part of the Arnold Arboretum. By trade, John was a blacksmith.[1] He was born on 1 Oct 1643 (“Davis: John [Davies]. CT. R], s. William, Oct 1, 1643” Roxbury Births Vol 1 p 94).[2][3][4][5][6] On 5 Feb 1667 in Roxbury he married Mary Devotion. Mary was the daughter of Edward Devotion and Mary Curtis baptized 25 Feb 1648/49 at 4 days of age.[7] Mary joined the First Church of Roxbury in 1671.[8]

== Children ==

John and Mary Davis had six children:

# John Davis born on January 11, 1670/1 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, (“John, s. John, Jan. 11, 1670” and “John s. John, bp. 14:3m:1671. C.R.1.”) Roxbury Births Vol 1 p 94.[2] Note he is not mentioned in his father's will so it may have died young. He is not the John Davis of Amesbury who married Elizabeth Cilley. He is not the John who died in Jul of 1683 - he was the wrong age. No further record.
# William Davis born on August 11, 1673 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts (“William [Davies. C.R.1.], s. John, Aug. 11, 1673.” Roxbury Births Vol 1 p 97).[2] He died on 23 Jan 1705/6 in Roxbury.("DAVIS, William, [died] Jan. 23, 1705-6." Roxbury Deaths Vol. 2, p. 506)[9] He married Charity Holmes before 1701.[5]
# Mary (or Marie) Davis born on April 6, 1675 or 1676 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts,(“ Mary, d. John, jr., bp. 14: 2 m: 1675. C.R.1.” and “Marie d. John, Apr. 6, 1676” Roxbury Births Vol 1 p 96 note the discrepancy of year).[2] She married first to George Bacon on 4 May 1699 in Roxbury ("Bacon: George and Mary Davis, May 4 1699" Roxbury Marriages Vol 1 p 17).[10] After his death she married second to Nathaniel Carpenter on 13 Nov 1716 ("Carpenter: Nathaniel [of Attleborough C.R.2.] and Mary Bacon [Boson C.R.2.], Nov. 13, 1716]" Roxbury Marriages Vol. II p 62).[10][11] She must have died after 1716 (the date of her second marriage) and may even have remaried a third time after her second husband died on 28 Feb 1727 in Rehoboth. There is no death recorded for Mary Carpenter in Rehoboth after 1716 that matches her.
# Elizabeth Davis born on April 18, 1678 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts (“Elisabeth, d. John, Apr. 18, 1678.” Roxbury Births Vol 1 p 92)[2][5][1][12]and died 1756 at age 77 years.[1][13] She married Thomas Mayo on 4 May 1699 in Roxbury.[5][1][12][14]
# Deacon Samuel born on June 23, 1681 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, (“Samuel, s. John [sr. C.R.1.], June 23, 1681.” Roxbury Births Vol 1 p 97)[2] and died 8 Apr 1760 a. 78 y. 9 m. 3 d. ("Davis, Dea. Samuel, [died] April 8, 1760, a. 78 y. 9 m. 3 d." [Birth calculates to about 5 Jul 1681.] Oxford Deaths p p 278[15] Samuel married first Mary Chamberlain on June 23, 1709 at Roxbury, Massachusetts. Mary was born at Roxbury on August 1, 1687, a daughter of Jacob Chamberlain and Mary Child.[16] and married 2nd Oct 13 1731 Mary Weld.
# An infant died at birth on January 4, 1683 in Roxbury, Suffolk ("Davis: ____, inf. ch. joh[n], sr., bur. 7:11m: 1683-4 C.R.1.") Massachusetts.Roxbury Deaths Vol 2 p 506)[9]

== Death and Will ==

John’s wife Mary died eight days later on January 12, 1683 apparently in connection with the birth of that last child.
His will was dated February 23, 1704/5. It was John’s will that his son William should have his upland and meadow homestead lying on both sides of the road leading to Dedham, also two acres of salt marsh and all of his “movable” estate except two guns. The will directed that William pay twenty pounds to John’s daughters Mary Beacon and Elizabeth Mayo within four years, five pounds each year. Son Samuel was left two small wood lots (10 and 7 acres each) and John’s two guns. Samuel was directed to pay daughters Mary Beacon and Elizabeth Mayo five pounds each within one year, their inheritance from their grandfather Edward Devotion. Finally, John directed that upon the death of his son William, the homestead left to William would go to John’s grandson John Davis.[17]
John Davis died at Roxbury on March 16, 1704/5 within a month of writing his will (”Davis, John. Sr. Mar 16 1704-5 [a. abt. 62 y. G.R.1]” Vol 1 Roxbury Deaths p 504)[18] He is buried with his wife Mary at Eliot Burying Ground. Their grave markers read:

* Here Lyes Ye Body of John Davis Aged About 62 Yrs Died March Ye 16th 1704-5
* Mary Davis Wife to John Davis Aged 35 Yrs. Decd Jan 12 1683

See Find A Grave Memorial# 27065497 John Davis[19] and Find A Grave Memorial# 27065530 Mary Devotion Davis.[20]

== THE WILL OF JOHN DAVIS ==

The last Will and Testament of John Davis of Roxbury in the County of Suffolk in New England the Three and Twenty of February One thousand seven hundred & four or five, as followeth having my perfect understanding and memory by the blessing of my merciful father into whose hands I commit my soul & dispose of my worldly estate; in the first place my will is that all my just debts & funeral charges be paid and discharged by my Executors hereafter named with all Convenient speed after my Interment.

Item. I will and constitute and appoint my 2 sons William and Samuel to be my Executors.

Item: my will is that my son William shall have all my hosted of upland and meadow lying one both sides of the country road leading to Dedham Including in it that part of wood Land and pasture land adjoining upon Johne May and Josheway Seivers and also I give my son William all my movables with outdoors and within excepting 2 guns one at the castell and my hunting gun itis my will that my son William shall pay to my daughters Marah Beaken and twenty pound to Elezebeth Mayo in curr[ent] money of New England within four years five pound to each a year.
Item. I give to my son Samuel all my land lying up at Jacob Chamberlins with all appurtenances belonging there too with too small wood lots lying in the 2 division now to Sammuell Morelis the one being for ten acres and the other Seven Acres, likewise I give to my son Samuel my hunting gun and the other gun mentioned.
Item. My will is that my son Samuel shall pay to my 2 Daughters Mary Baken & Eliz Mayo Ten pound in curr[ent] money of New England, in one year’s time as their Legacies given to them by their Grandfather Edward Devotion, which is to each five pounds it being forgot in the place of it by recollecting of my thoughts.

I do will that my Son William shall have my 1 acres of Salt marsh lying in Gravelye point.

Item. It is my will that this my Estate of house and lands given by me to my son William might not at his decease be any ways alienated but that it might successively fall to my grandchild John Davis if he lives till he come of age and if he dye that it should fall to the next heir.

John Davis. (L.S.)

Signed sealed in the presence of us: John Paison, Joseph Weld, Benjamin Davis.

Deposited with this will in the Probate records of Suffolk County is "The Account of Samuel Davis the surviving Executor of the Estate of John Davis late of Roxbury, Husbandman, deceased." This account was approved 31 March, 1718 and bears the signature: Samuel Davis. [17]

== Sources ==

* 1. Chester Garst Mayo, John Mayo of Roxbury, Massachusetts 1630-1688 A Genealogical and Biographical Record of His Descendants, (Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1965).
* 2. Vital records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849. (Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute, 1925-1926) Vol. I. Roxbury births. Link
* 3. Mary DeWitt Freeland, The Records of Oxford Including Chapters of Nipmuck, Huguenot and English History, (Albany, New York: Joel Munsell's Sons, 1894)
* 4. George Norbury MacKenzie, Colonial Families of the United States of America, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1966).
* 5. George L. Davis, Samuel Davis of Oxford, Mass and Joseph Davis of Dudley, Mass. and Their Descendants, (Worcester, Massachusetts: Charles Hamilton, 1884).
* 6. Ancestry of Robert Roy and Related Families
* 7. First Church of Boston
* 8. Walter Eliot Thwing, History of the First Church in Roxbury, Massachusetts, 1630-1904 p 64, list of church members Mary Davis, wife of John Davis, under date 2 m. 30 d. 1671. Also mentioned on page 120 along with John Jr., with a date of March 7, 1674.
* 9. Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. (Salem, Massachusetts: Essex Institute, 1925-1926)
* 10. Vital records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849. (Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute, 1925-1926) Vol. II. Roxbury Marriages.
* 11. William3 Carpenter (William2-1) of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, in Zubrinsky, Eugene Cole. Carpenter Sketches: Links to Sketches And Articles Representing the Most Current and Reliable Scholarship Concerning Early Generations of the Carpenter Families of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island and Their Ancestors. (Carpenters' Encyclopedia of Carpenters, 2008), pages 3, 5. 'CHILDREN: All born at Rehoboth (RVR 1:9). ... NATHANIEL CARPENTER, b. 12 May 1667, d. prob. Rehoboth or Attleborough, date unknown (not 28 Feb. 1727 [see bro. Josiah, above]), living 1740/1 (will); m. (1) Rehoboth 19 Sept. 1692 or 18 Sept. 1693, RACHEL COOPER, b. Rehoboth 6 Aug. 1671, d. or bur. there 9 July 1694, aged 23, dau. of Thomas Jr. and Mary (Kingsbury) Cooper; of Attleborough when he m. (2) Dorchester 13 10th mo. [Dec.] 1695, MARY PRESTON, b. Dorchester 1 Sept. 1675, d. Rehoboth 26 (not 25) May 1706, in 31st yr., dau. of Daniel and Abigail (Jackson) Preston; m. (3) Rehoboth 18 (not 8) July 1707, MARY (SABIN) COOPER (widow of Nathaniel), b. Rehoboth 8 Sept. 1675, d. there 9 April 1712, aged 36, dau. of William and Martha (Allen) Sabin; of Attleborough when he m. (4) Roxbury, Mass., 13 Nov. 1716, MARY (DAVIS) BACON (widow of George), bp. Roxbury 14 1st or 2nd mo. [March or April] 1675 (Mary, dau. of John) or b. there 6 or 16 April 1676 (Marie, dau. of John), dau. of John and Mary/Marie (Devotion) Davis (Carpenter [1898] 53 [unrecorded will]; RVR 1:7, 10, 89 [not 91], 93a, 162 [not 94], 163 [not 95], 164 [not 96], 160, 175 [not 171], 178 [not 179], 181 [not 173]; NEHGR 5:255, 14:26, 16:338, 36:52; DVR 14, 102; Old Rehoboth Cem 16, 18; RI Cems 69; RVR [pub] 5, 331; RoVR 1:96, 2:17, 62, 108, 459; Davis Fams 43-46; Woodstock Hist 2:281).'[Note: stricken text is another John Davis, John Davis Junior in the records, whose daughter Mary was born in 1675. The baptism of Samuel in 1681 calls the father John Davis Senior, and Samuel is named in John Davis' will, as given in the Davis source cited, along with "Marah Beaken". John Davis Jr. had no son Samuel per Roxbury VRs.]
* 12. George F Daniels, History of the Town of Oxford, Massachusetts, (Oxford, Massachusetts: by the author, 1892)
* 13. Suffolk County Probate Records: Elizabeth Davis died in 1756 in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, at age 77 years. The estate of Elizabeth Davis was administered on 27 March 1761 in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, by Thomas Hutchinson
* 14. Davis, George Lucien. Samuel Davis, of Oxford, Mass., and Joseph Davis, of Dudley, Mass., and their descendants. (North Andover, Mass.: George L. Davis, 1884), p. 5. Children of John Davis and Mary Devotion: 4) Elizabeth, b. 18 Apr 1678, m. 4 May 1699 Thomas Mayo of Roxbury. [Note: the transcript of the will of John Davis in this source, dated 23 Feb 1704/05, names daughter Eliz'a Mayo, mentioning a legacy given her by her Grandfather Edward Devotion.]
* 15. Oxford, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Oxford, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. (Worcester, Massachusetts: Franklin P. Rice, 1906)
* 16. Linzee, John William. The history of Peter Parker and Sarah Ruggles of Roxbury, Mass. and their ancestors and descendants. (Boston, Mass.: Samuel Usher, 1913), 233. Mary, d/o Jacob Chamberlain and Mary Childe, m. Roxbury 23 Jun 1709 Samuel Davis, s/o John Davis and Mary Devotion, b. Roxbury 23 Jun 1681, d. Oxford 8 Apr 1760. [p. 229:] Will of "Jacob Chamberlaine of Roxbury", dated 3 Nov 1731, mentions "my Eldest Daughter Mary Davis the wife of Samuel Davis"
* 17. Suffolk County (Massachusetts) Probate Records, 1636-1899; Author: Massachusetts. Probate Court (Suffolk County); Probate Place: Suffolk, Massachusetts (Database Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2015). Case Number 2918 John Davis 20 Feb 1704, Item Description Probate Records, Vol 15-16, 1699-1709 Index P 216
* 18. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 for John Davis, Roxbury, Records Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1630-1785; Vol. 1 p 504
* 19. Find A Grave Memorial# 27065497 John Davis
* 20. Find A Grave Memorial# 27065530 Mary Devotion Davis
* Descendants of William Davis by: Janet Johnson Franke
* Public Tree with sources
* Descendants of William Davis, (1) Elisabeth, (2) Alice Thorpe, (3) Jane Adams
* The Davis Family of Oxford, MA & Woodstock, CT
* History of an American Family

3/16/2016 at 3:57 PM

I added a biography for Mary Davis of Roxbury. I connected her to her first husband George Bacon.

Hatte Anne Blejer can you please disconnect George Bacon from Mary Davis of Virginia? And also change the birth place of Mary Davis of Roxbury to Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts?

Thanks!!!

Biography

Mary (or Marie) Davis was born on April 6, 1675 or 1676 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, to John Davis and Mary Devotion of Roxbury. (“Mary, d. John, jr., bp. 14: 2 m: 1675. C.R.1.” and “Marie d. John, Apr. 6, 1676” Roxbury Births Vol 1 p 96 note the discrepancy of year).[1]

She married first to George Bacon on 4 May 1699 in Roxbury ("Bacon: George and Mary Davis, May 4 1699" Roxbury Marriages Vol 1 p 17).[2]

In his will dated February 23, 1704/5 John Davis of Roxbury names his daughter Mary Baken (sic) when he instructs his son Samuel to pay daughters Mary Bacon and Elizabeth Mayo five pounds each within one year, their inheritance from their grandfather Edward Devotion:

"Item. My will is that my son Samuel shall pay to my 2 Daughters Mary Baken & Eliz Mayo Ten pound in curr[ent] money of New England, in one year’s time as their Legacies given to them by their Grandfather Edward Devotion, which is to each five pounds it being forgot in the place of it by recollecting of my thoughts."[3]

George Bacon was sadly killed by a falling tree on 19 Sep 1715 in Roxbury ("BACON: George [Beacon. C.R.1.]. "being at a Raising had a piece of timber fall upon him, and he dyed before the next morning." [died] Sept. 19, 1715 in his 41st y. G.R.1.]" Roxbury Deaths Vol. 2 p 459)[4] He is buried in Eliot Burying Ground - see Find A Grave Memorial# 64830109[5]

After George's death Mary married second to Nathaniel Carpenter on 13 Nov 1716 as his fourth wife ("Carpenter: Nathaniel [of Attleborough C.R.2.] and Mary Bacon [Boson C.R.2.], Nov. 13, 1716]" Roxbury Marriages Vol. II p 62).[2][6]

She must have died after 1716 (the date of her second marriage) and may even have remarried a third time after her second husband died on 28 Feb 1727 in Rehoboth. There is no death recorded for Mary Carpenter in Rehoboth after 1716 that matches her. Her second husband was buried in Rhode Island see Find A Grave Memorial# 72812747[7]
Sources

1 Vital records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849. (Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute, 1925-1926) Vol. I. Roxbury births. Link
2 Vital records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849. (Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute, 1925-1926) Vol. II. Roxbury Marriages.
3 Suffolk County (Massachusetts) Probate Records, 1636-1899; Author: Massachusetts. Probate Court (Suffolk County); Probate Place: Suffolk, Massachusetts (Database Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2015). Case Number 2918 John Davis 20 Feb 1704, Item Description Probate Records, Vol 15-16, 1699-1709 Index P 216
4 Vital records of Roxbury, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849. (Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute, 1925-1926) Roxbury Deaths Vol. 2 p 459.
5 Find A Grave Memorial# 64830109
6 William3 Carpenter (William2-1) of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, in Zubrinsky, Eugene Cole. Carpenter Sketches: Links to Sketches And Articles Representing the Most Current and Reliable Scholarship Concerning Early Generations of the Carpenter Families of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island and Their Ancestors. (Carpenters' Encyclopedia of Carpenters, 2008), pages 3, 5. 'CHILDREN: All born at Rehoboth (RVR 1:9). ... NATHANIEL CARPENTER, b. 12 May 1667, d. prob. Rehoboth or Attleborough, date unknown (not 28 Feb. 1727 [see bro. Josiah, above]), living 1740/1 (will); m. (1) Rehoboth 19 Sept. 1692 or 18 Sept. 1693, RACHEL COOPER, b. Rehoboth 6 Aug. 1671, d. or bur. there 9 July 1694, aged 23, dau. of Thomas Jr. and Mary (Kingsbury) Cooper; of Attleborough when he m. (2) Dorchester 13 10th mo. [Dec.] 1695, MARY PRESTON, b. Dorchester 1 Sept. 1675, d. Rehoboth 26 (not 25) May 1706, in 31st yr., dau. of Daniel and Abigail (Jackson) Preston; m. (3) Rehoboth 18 (not 8) July 1707, MARY (SABIN) COOPER (widow of Nathaniel), b. Rehoboth 8 Sept. 1675, d. there 9 April 1712, aged 36, dau. of William and Martha (Allen) Sabin; of Attleborough when he m. (4) Roxbury, Mass., 13 Nov. 1716, MARY (DAVIS) BACON (widow of George), bp. Roxbury 14 1st or 2nd mo. [March or April] 1675 (Mary, dau. of John) or b. there 6 or 16 April 1676 (Marie, dau. of John), dau. of John and Mary/Marie (Devotion) Davis (Carpenter [1898] 53 [unrecorded will]; RVR 1:7, 10, 89 [not 91], 93a, 162 [not 94], 163 [not 95], 164 [not 96], 160, 175 [not 171], 178 [not 179], 181 [not 173]; NEHGR 5:255, 14:26, 16:338, 36:52; DVR 14, 102; Old Rehoboth Cem 16, 18; RI Cems 69; RVR [pub] 5, 331; RoVR 1:96, 2:17, 62, 108, 459; Davis Fams 43-46; Woodstock Hist 2:281).'[Note: stricken text is another John Davis, John Davis Junior in the records, whose daughter Mary was born in 1675. The baptism of Samuel in 1681 calls the father John Davis Senior, and Samuel is named in John Davis' will, as given in the Davis source cited, along with "Marah Beaken". John Davis Jr. had no son Samuel per Roxbury VRs.]
7 Find A Grave Memorial# 72812747

3/16/2016 at 10:45 PM

Wonderful. I had to stop working on this but will come back to it tomorrow. I do the disconnect and edit now however.

Thank you so much.

3/16/2016 at 10:55 PM

Roland Henry Baker, III - I suspect that it's John Davis, of Roxbury not John STRINGER Davis. Did you find the name Stringer used for this person?

3/17/2016 at 9:05 AM

Thanks for doing the disconnection!

I'm glad to help with genealogy in Roxbury, MA when I can.

Cheers!

3/17/2016 at 9:07 AM

Just remove the "Stringer" please. I can't find any sources that cites the name Stringer. And I've checked a lot of sources for this profile.

3/17/2016 at 5:00 PM

I ended up doing most of the work on these families last night.

I'll remove Stringer. Middle names were rare in this era in these families, so it was suspect.

I need to go over everything to see what I've missed tomorrow. If anyone else wants to help look over these families, it would be appreciated.

I need help with the Virginia and NC families. I believe Davis and Cocke are well known families and will be easy but I don't know about Colson.

10/16/2020 at 7:42 AM

Mary Elizabeth Burton Davis on FS • LV7G-6T5

Seen today as daughter of
John L. Davis II
1648–1720 • LYVT-R3Z​​
Marriage: 1671
Henrico, Virginia, British Colonial America

Mary Burton
1652–1696 • LR2X-CP5

No source but cites an Ancestry tree

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