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Facts and Events
William Davis's origins have yet to be established. His first confirmed sighting is on 27th October 1775 when he was married to Susannah Outridge at Ickleford in Hertfordshire. At the time of their marriage he was living in the nearby parish of Shillington in Bedfordshire.
Shortly after their marriage they moved to Luton in Bedfordshire, where they had at least six children between 1777 and 1797. They did not live in the town itself, but in the adjoining hamlets of Limbury and Biscot to the north-west of the town in the rural part of the parish.
William's eldest daughter Elisamirah married in Luton in 1795 and William became a grandfather the following year. William outlived his daughter Elisamirah, who died aged only 24.
William died in 1820, being buried at Luton on 24th November 1820. He was said to be 70 years old. Susannah outlived him by less than four months.
References
- England. Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. (FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Findmypast).
ch. 6 Nov 1748, Shillington, Bedfordshire: William son of Benjamin & Elizabeth Davis
Needs to be confirmed at Bedfordshire Archives. Given that William was said to be of Shillington at the time of his marriage, was said to have been born around 1749/50 by his burial and named his eldest son Benjamin, this baptism is considered reasonably likely to be him.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bedfordshire Family History Society. Luton Parish Register Transcript. (Bedford).
bur. 24 Nov 1820, St Mary, Luton: William DAVIS, aged 70 [1749/50]
There was an alternative William Davis burial at Luton in 1835:
bur. 9 Oct 1835, St Mary, Luton: William DAVIS of Stopsley, aged 79 [1755/6]
However, it is clear from the baptisms registers in Luton that there were two similarly aged men named William Davis, both of whom were coincidentally married to women named Susannah. The baptism records generally distinguish between them as William and Susannah of Limbury / Biscot, and William and Susannah of Stopsley - Limbury / Biscot being to the north-west of Luton whilst Stopsley is to the east. Therefore whilst the 1820 burial of William Davis does not specify a hamlet, the fact that the 1835 burial specifies an abode of Stopsley strongly suggests that the 1820 burial is the William Davis of Limbury / Biscot.
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