Christian Davis

Christian

• Birth: about 1605, of Marlborough, Wilthshire, England
• Death: 07 APR 1668 in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts

Marriage 1 THOMAS DAVIS b: 1603 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England Married: 14 NOV 1622 in Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England 1

Children

• Joanna, b. about 1625, m. first George Corliss, m. second James Ordway
• Joseph, about 1627, d. 1671, "apparently unmarried"
• Mary, baptized 29 Mar 1629 in Chipping Sodbury, "no further record"

"Before leaving England, Thomas Davis married Christian Coffer [SIC: also seen as Bellsire], and had three children: John [SIC], Joseph, and Joanna. They came with him to the New World."

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notes

The surname of Thomas Davis' wife Christian has variously been labeled Coffer, Coffin, and Bellsire with no documentation. Sanborn's 2nd Supplement to Torrey, reported the surname to be Bellsire. Douglas Richardson got the information from the Bishop's Transcripts for Chipping Sodbury, County Gloucester. This appears to be the couple who immigrated to New England, as Thomas Davis himself originated from nearby Acton Turville, County Gloucester. The name Bellsire (an alternative form of Belcher) is a common name in the area.

Why is this person listed as daughter of Peter?
I can find no reference to a daughter of Peter's named Christian.

• [http://jhowell.com/tng/getperson.php?personID=I3160&tree=1] The source cited reads as follows; "Before leaving England, he married Christian Coffer, and had three children: John, Joseph, and Joanna. They came with him to the New World." [N.B.: Davis states that Thomas Davis married Christian Coffer. Others have various reported it as Coffin and in Torrey (2nd Supplement) the spouse is reported as Christian Bellsire. However, none of these secondary sources provides a refence for their information.] [4, 5]"

So...Peter Coffin were from Brixton, Devon, Eng. The Davis's were from Marlborough, Wiltshire, Eng. area. In those days, that was not close. (120 miles - or a 4-5 days ride) There is nothing to suggest that she was Peter Coffin's daughter

Notes

Christian's surname has been in doubt. In various secondary sources (IGI, LDS Ancestral files, web-based genealogical records, publications) it has been reported as Coffin, Coffer, Bellsire or unknown. With but one exception, no evidence has been provided. The exception is that Douglas Richardson provides the following basis for Bellsire, as reported in Sanborn's Second Supplement to Torrey's work: " ...I got the information from the Bishop's Transcripts for Chipping Sodbury, co. Gloucester. This appears to be the couple who immigrated to New England, as Thomas Davis himself originated from nearby Acton Turville, co. Gloucester. The name Bellsire (an alternative form of Belcher) is a common name in the area. I ordered several Bellsire wills but found nothing to connect them to Christian (Bellsire) Davis." [4]

Sources

• [SAuth] John Spencer Howell, Jr., John Spencer Howell, Jr., (http://www.jhowell.com/ jhowell@jhowell.com).
• [S874] Ladd Family, (http://www.laddfamily.com/), http://www.laddfamily.com/5579.htm.
• [S841] Second Supplement to Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Melinde Lutz Sanborn, (Genalogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, MD, 1995), LC Number 91-70357., p. 18.
• [S834] Bill Prokasy, Bill Prokasy, (wprokasy database on RootsWeb), http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=wprokasy....

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http://www.themorrisclan.com/GENEALOGY/DAVIS%20Thomas%20F14998.html Thomas DAVIS HUSBAND: [F14998]. Thomas DAVIS Born (in March 1601-1602-S1)(about 1603-S1) in England; son of John DAVIS [F29996] and (Agnes?) [F29997]. .

He married Christian COFFER ON 14 November 1622 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England.

As a young man, he looked for opportunities beyond his farming community in Marlborough. He acquired a trade, becoming a sawyer according to one history, or a mason, as stated in a deed of 1664. Thomas left his home and made the dangerous journey to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 aboard the ship James. He arrived in Boston on June 3rd and was made a freeman in 1641. In 1642, he removed to Haverhill, where he became a prominent citizen. He was one of the first selectmen of the town in 1646, and was again selectman in 1648. Thomas signed the deed from the Passaconaway indians to purchase the village of Pentuckett, which was 'Entered and recorded in ye Couny Records for Norfolk ye 29th day of April 1671 as attested, Tho Bradbury Recorder.' In 1648, Thomas and two others were appointed to try 'small causes under forty shillings.' In 1655, repairs to the meeting house were needed and Thomas was granted 'ground-pins and dawb' providing stones and clay for the underpinning. In 1655, he was also appointed Constable. Thomas remained active in town affairs until his death.

He died on 27 July 1683.

WIFE: [F14999]. Christian COFFER. (COFFER-s1)(COFFIN)(BELLSIRE-S1). Born about 1604 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. She died on 7 April 1688 in Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts; and was buried there on 14 April 1688. CHILDREN of Thomas DAVIS

John DAVIS [SIC - probably not],Born in (1633-S1)(1623-S1) in England. He grew up in Newbury or Haverhill, the entire area being known as Salem at that time in history. Salem records (and Savage, Gen.Dictionary) show that he married Mary, possibly of the family Milford, in 1641 and had seven children. His will shows his wife to be Elnor. He died in 1675 in Newbury, Massachusetts.

[F7499]. Joanna DAVIS. Born about 1624 in (Wales)(England-S1). She married George CORLISS [F7498] on 26 October 1645 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. She died on 17 April 1688.

Joseph DAVIS. Born in 1626. From the History of Haverhill, p. 54: 'Joseph, son of Thomas, was doubtless a wild boy, if we may judge from one of his capers. Under the date of 1652, the Portsmouth Court records thus refer to him: 'Whereas it doth appear that Joseph Davis of Ha verhill was presented for putting on women's apparel and going from house to house in the night time with a female and whereas the said parties being removed from Haverhill into this jurisdiction, and being apprehended and brought into the Cour t of Strawberry Bank; the said Joseph Davis is judged to pay a fine of eight shillings and is also to make public acknowledgment of his fault on a lecture day, before the next Court, in default of which he shall forfeit forty shillings more. ' We may charitably presume that the unpleasant termination of his nocturnal adventure suspended his pursuit of pleasure in that direction, at least.' He died on 15 September 1671.

SOURCES:

• [S1]. Smith - Tilton Genealogy, The Never Ending Search. http://www.mindfreedom.net/gen/t-s-p/p43.htm. QUOTES as sources:
• Robert Piercy et al Dow, The Book of Dow.

       Unknown author, Early Vital Records of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Counties, Massachusetts to about 1850, 384.

       David W. Hoyt, The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts (3 volumes).

       Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins, Immigrants to New England 1620-1633. 5.[S811] Unknown author, Genealogy Questions and Answers.

       Charles Henry Pope, The Pioneers of Massachusetts, a Descriptive List Drawn from Records of the Colonies, Towns and Churches, and other Cont, 133.

       Melinde Lutz Sanborn, Second Supplement to Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700.

       Melinde Lutz Sanborn, Supplement to Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700, 18.

       Sandi Goetze correspondence December 21, 1998. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/rockport/f000667.html

       Julie Andre Lund correspondence of May 08, 1999. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/rockport/f000667.html 

The surname of Thomas Davis' wife Christian has variously been labeled Coffer, Coffin, and Bellsire with no documentation. Sanborn's 2nd Supplement to Torrey, reported the surname to be Bellsire. Douglas Richardson got the information from the Bishop's Transcripts for Chipping Sodbury, County Gloucester. This appears to be the couple who immigrated to New England, as Thomas Davis himself originated from nearby Acton Turville, County Gloucester. The name Bellsire (an alternative form of Belcher) is a common name in the area.