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Facts and Events
References
- ↑ Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Haverhill, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. (Topsfield, Mass.: Topsfield Historical Society, 1910)
Vol. 1, p. 88.
DAVIS, John, s. Elisha and Grace (Shaw), [born] Mar. 13, 1708-9.
- ↑ Bristol County (Massachusetts). Register of Probate. Bristol County (Mass.) probate records 1690-1881. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1969)
Case 7748 John Davis 1783.
Will of "John Davis of Rehoboth ... Gent'n being under Bodily Indisposition", dated 31 May 1780, proved 4 Feb 1783, names eldest son Barney Davis; son John Davis; son James Davis ["all my homesteeed Land not heretofore given away by Deed"]; son Joseph Davis; two daughters (viz) Anne Fisher and Sarah Pearce. Son Barney Davis to be executor.
6 Feb 1783: Inventory of personal estate of John Davis Late of Rehoboth gentleman Deceased: £152-13-8, by Constant Goff, Israel Hicks, Jonathan Bliss.
5 Aug 1783: Account of Barney Davis executor of John Davis Late of Rehoboth gentelman deseast, allowed. Mentions "Nesasarys to said Deseasts widow".
- Haverhill VRs, Vol. 2, p. 383, show the following death record: DAVIS, John, h. Sarah (Barney), [died] July 14, 1781. Evidence suggests this is incorrect.
Town records, p. 69, show this record was added to the end of the family register of John and Sarah (Barney) Davis which explains why the deceased is indicated as the husband of Sarah Barney. But it probably was written on the wrong family. On p. 119 is the family register for a different John Davis, who had a wife Priscilla (Clark).
Probate records in Essex County for 1781 only show one probate file (#7289), wherein on 1 Nov 1781, Priscilla Davis declines administration of John Davis "of Haverhill", requesting son James Davis. Meanwhile probate records in Bristol County (#7748 as cited above), where a will of John Davis "of Rehoboth" dated 1780, proved 1783, names the children of John and Sarah (Barney) Davis, including their son James Davis, making Barney Davis the executor. By all appearances, the husband of Sarah moved to Rehoboth about 1747/48 (Essex deed Vol. 93:125, 22 Mar 1747/48, John and Sarah sell three parcels in Haverhill, and a son is born in Haverhill in 1746, but the son born in 1750 is born in Rehoboth. Source:Warden, William A. Ancestors, Kin and Descendants of John Warden and Narcissa (Davis) Warden, His Wife, p. 175, says "Their sons, John, Barney and Joseph all married Rehoboth women." (The marriage of son James is also found in Rehoboth.) Source:Preston, Eugene Dimon. Genealogy of the Barney Family in America, p. 29, in its coverage of John and Sarah's family, says: "Children recorded at Haverhill; marriages at Rehoboth".
There is no evidence that John returned to Haverhill. His probate is found in Bristol County, and in his 1780 will he calls himself "of Rehoboth". In that will he indicates that the remaining half of his homestead in Rehoboth, after his death, is to go to his son James, the first half being given by deed dated 1 May 1780 (Bristol deed 61:230).
So is it possible that the death date is for this John, recorded in Haverhill for a man who last lived there over 30 years earlier, his probate not opened until nearly two years after the alleged death date? Meanwhile the man whose probate shows he died in Haverhill in 1781 has no death recorded? It seems far more likely that the Haverhill town clerk added the death record for the second man to the wrong family register.
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