Person:Betsy Davidson (2)

1820 Botetourt County, VA Census- Betsy Ann is head of household on Purgatory Creek. Her Household consists of: 1 male age 10-15; 1 female under age 10, 1 female age 16-26, 1 female age 26-45.

1850 Botetourt County, VA Census, p. 119B. Elizabeth Ann Davidson age 64, female, born VA, cannot read/write and Sally Davidson age 44, born in VA, cannot read/write were living in the present day Town of Buchanan. Also in her household were: John Smith age 33, b. VA, Moulder; Harriet Smith, age 23, b. VA, Franklin Smith, age 4, b. Va, Sarah Smith age 2, born VA.

p. 125A-125B Her son James Davidson age 36 born VA, Ropemaker; Mary Davidson age 35,born VA, William F, age 12, Edw age 10, Sarah F, age 8, James H age 7, Ellen age 6, Virginia age 4 and John age 2, all born in Va were lin the Town of Buchanan also. In the same household were Creed Reynolds age 30 and Booker Reynolds age 32, both were Ropemakers.

NOTE: In 1850, the James River and Kanawha Canal was in the finishing stages in the Town of Buchanan. There were lots of tradesmen living in the Town as they finished this work. As one can see, James Davidson was a Ropemaker and had two other Ropemakers in his Household. John Smith was a Moulder. Once this work was finished, they seem to have moved on. James Davidson to Knox County, TN and John Smith and family to Bedford County, Va.

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   Per my own research, Elizabeth "Betsy Ann" Davidson was a member of the family of William and Martha (Baker) Davidson. William appears to have been from from the "Buckingham Co., VA Davidsons," and Martha Baker lived in Prince Edward Co., VA (the daughter of Douglas and Jane (Thompson) Baker). They moved to Botetourt Co., VA around 1774 (bought land from a Murray family). That land became Rockbridge Co., VA in 1778, but they moved again in 1782 back to what was still Botetourt. They had several children, and I believe that Elizabeth was one of them (though it might be possible that she was a grandaughter versus a daughter....but I doubt it, based on the dates). William died in Botetourt in 1812, and Martha died there in 1829. A Captain William Davidson also died there in 1829, and I suspect that he was William and Martha's son William Davidson, Junior who was listed as such on several court records. Other children of William and Martha's included Thomas Davidson (died before 1840), Joseph Davidson (died 1814), Baker Davidson (died 1805), Rev. Andrew Baker Davidson (died 1861 in Rockbridge Co., VA), "Ginny"Jane Davidson, Charlotte Davidson and Sarah "Sally" Davidson.
   
   http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/VABOTETO/2005-04/1113487285