Person:John Davidson (59)

Per Carolyn Davison: John Madison Davidson was married when he moved to Clay County kentucky to Elizabeth Smith. she was the mother of the first 10 children. It has not been proven whether she died after arriving in Clay County or if she was deceased before the family moved.

From the Diary of John Jay Dickey, p. 2216. An interview with Malinda Davidson, daughter of James A. I am a daughter of James Davidson. His father was John Davidson, an early settler on Red Bird in Clay County. He was a large man of great strength and a great bear hunter. I remember him very well. I have heard him tell his hunting tales. He had a contest with a bear in which he got severly wounded in his lower limbs. The bear had him down on his back, his dog would "ham" the bear and he would turn on the bear and kill him. When he arose he found he had been lying on a copperhead snake. He was so heavy that he had buried it in the mud. His legs were bitten through. Research: 1850 Census Clay County Marriages Kelly Morgan's Book John Madison Davidson was 73 years old in the 1850 Census

This John M. Davidson is listed on the Clay County Tax List from 1807 (when Clay became an official county in the state of Kentucky) thru 1828. There is a John Davidson listed from 1819 thru 1836 (the last available list - to Carolyn) in addition to John Madison Davidson.

Served in the War of 1812. In John Gorin's Kentucky mounted volunteer militia. Commanded by Phillip Barbour, LT. Coln.

Will recorded in Clay County on July 27, 1859

1.   One Great Family Web Site.
2. ↑ Davidson, Frank, Davidson & Related Families of Western Virginia & Eastern Kentucky, 1725-1999 (Clay Co. Histo.
3. ↑ There doesn't appear to be an official source for his death date. Find A Grave says 1859. Trees say 1856, 1858, 1859 and this page used to say 1850.