John Davy UE (1751 - 1808)

Born 5 Oct 1751 in Schenectady, Albany, New York

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy Sybilla (Schneider) Davy — married 21 Jan 1769 (to 1780) in Herkimer, New York

Husband of Sophy (Hoffnagle) Davy — married 22 Nov 1787 in Lennox, Addington, Upper Canada

Descendants

Died 21 May 1808 at age 56 in Ernestown, Addington, Upper Canada

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Bill Dunkley [send private message] and Mechelle Tait [send private message]

John Davy was a United Empire Loyalist.
UEL Status:Proven
Date: Undated

Note: There were 4 first cousins named John Davis/Davy/Davey who fought in the American Revolution, but on opposing sides:

• In the Loyalist camp: Corp. John Davis (1750-1809) is often confused with his first cousin Pvt. John Davy (1751-1808), with very similar birth/death dates and locations. Both of these Johns survived the war and emigrated to Upper Canada.

• In the Patriot camp: To complicate matters, two of their first cousins also had the first names John, but were Patriots born 10 years earlier: Sgt. John Davey (1739-80), son of Thomas; and Capt. John Davis (1738-after 1790), son of Lewis/Ludovicus. Both of these Johns were Patriot officers who lived out their lives in New York.

• There was a 5th John Davis, a more distant cousin:^[1] Capt. John Davis (ca.1741-1777), who died at the Battle of Oriskany.^[2]

Clearly, families often found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict during the American Revolution. Several Davis/Davy cousins died as Patriots in the Battle of Oriskany (1777), and it is quite possible that the cousins fought in opposing camps at the same battle, since another cousin, Corp. Richard Davis, was a drummer in the King's Royal Regiment of New York.

Biography

Note: John Davy & his brother Captain Henrich Davy married sisters Sophy Huffnail and Mary Huffnail.^[3]

When the American Revolutionary War broke out, John's sympathies were with Britain, so he joined the Loyalist forces and fought with them. Many of the Loyalists were treated as traitors and had their lands confiscated during and after the war. Huge numbers fled to Canada, as did John, and were entitled to land grants if they could prove military service and/or property confiscation.

1778: Duncan's Company, King's Royal Regiment of New York. Garrisoned at Laprairie (near Montreal), 21 Jan 1778.^[4]

1786: John Davy appeared on the provisional list of the Land Board of Mecklenberg, Upper Canada.

1803: Ernestown, Concession 6, Lot 8. Crown grant to John Davy, 1803, all 200 acres. In 1805, John Davy sold the east half (100 acres) to Garnett Miller for £50. Apparently John Davy left or gave the west half to George H. Davy. In 1829, George H. Davy sold the southwest quarter (50 acres) to Benjamin Clark for £56. Also in 1829, George H. Davy sold the northwest quarter (50 acres) to Conrad B. Cole for the same amount."^[5]

"John Davey" of New York. Enlisted 15 Jun 1777. Height 5'6". Served as a private, first in Duncan's Company and later in Drummond's Company of the Loyal Rangers. A "wheeler" by profession. Wife "Sophy" in 1788.^[6]

Marriages

Married 1) Dorothy Sybille Schneider (age 18) on January 21, 1769 in Herkimer, New York. She was the daughter of John W. Schneider and Bernice Davis. Dorothy died in Herkimer ca.1780.^[7]

• John and Dorothy stayed or lived in Québec once or twice for a short time and apparently returned to New York for some unknown reason.

• Upon Dorothy's death, John returned to Upper Canada in the 1780s as a widower with two daughters, Eve and Catherine. He settled in Ernestown, Addington County, and was given Crown land by drawing lots.

John married 2) Sophy Huffnail on 22 Nov 1787 in Bath, Ernestown, Addington County.^[8] She was the daughter of Joseph Huffnail (originally Hufnagel) and Anna Margaretha Gurmandy. Sophy was born on 12 Feb 1769 in Palatine (later Montgomery), New York, and died about 1840.

• At the time of this marriage, Davy was living on the 1st Concession, Adolphustown, in the 4th Township of Cataraqui. He was married in the presence of [his sister] Hannah Davy. Sophy Hoffnagel had been living on the 4th Concession, Cataraqui Township. Their marriage was the first performed by Rev. John Langhorn, Anglican Clergy in that district.
• In St. John's Bath church this marriage was "The first record in the old marriage register, on the 22nd of November, 1787, about the commencement of the ministerial labors, was of John Davy and Sophy Koffman'^[9]

Children

The Reid book (Loyalists in Ontario) records 8 children^[10] who filed UEL land claims:

• Catharine DAVEY [+ Solomon Smith of Ernestown, married 9 Feb 1804]^[11]
• Eve DAVEY [+ Peter Laird of Ernestown, drowned in 1818]^[12]
• Peter DAVEY
• John DAVEY
• Margaret DAVEY (1793-1860) [+ Seba Murphy of Bath] ^[13]
• George Huffnail DAVEY
• Benjamin Fairfield DAVEY
• Sophia DAVEY [+ Ira Billings of Sidney, married 20 JAN 1816]^[14][15]

Buried 22 September 1793, Mary, daughter of Johannes and Sophia Davy of Ernesttown. [Likely buried at Bath.] Rev. John Langhorn's Register, Anglican Diocese of Ontario^[16]

Will & Death

John Davy made a will dated May 17, 1808 in which he mentioned 13 children. He willed the east half of Lot 10 Ernestown, Lennox and Addington, to his son Peter Davy. He willed the west half of Lot 10 to his son John, including his gristmill. He willed his son Benjamin 100 acres in Camden Township. He willed his son George 100 acres on the 6th Concession of Ernestown, Lennox and Addington. He willed his wife and daughters, Eve, Margaret, Sophia and Elizabeth "an equal share of his goods and chattels".^[17]

In his will he did not mention that he expected another child, but it is claimed a son William was born after his death.

Buried in Bath United Church Cemetery, Lennox & Addington County, Ontario, Canada^[18]

A cemetery transcription says that John Davy died 30 May 1808, age 59 years. After his death his wife Sophy Hoffnagel married the well-known Captain John Walden Meyers in August 1817. They owned the first brick house in Belleville (in Hastings County), which was then called Meyer's Creek. 

Notes from Russ McGillivray

Noted Loyalist researcher McGillivray summarises the highlights of John Davy's life in Canada as follows, verbatim:^[19]

• 1) Private in the 1st battalion, KRRNY
• 2) In the muster roll of disbanded soldiers settled in Ernestown 7 Oct 1784, John had a family consisting of his wife and a daughter under 10 years. The man and woman were gone into the States for cattle.
• 3) Drew 200 acres for himself, wife and child. This was half of Lot 10, Con 1, Ernestown and the east half of Lot 8, Con 6, Ernestown.
• 4) In the victualling list of the summer of 1786, John had a 2nd daughter.
• 5) He received the deed to 152 acres of Lot 10, Con 1 from the Crown on 5 Nov 1803. It passed to his sons Peter and John in his will.
• 6) Widower, married (2) Sophia Huffnail, daughter of Job Huffnail, private in the Loyal Rangers, on 22 Nov 1787 at Bath by Rev John Langhorn
• 7) Petitioned 16 June 1790 for 200 acres in Ernestown. Received Lot 16, Con 6 of Camden. This land is not mentioned in his will.
• 8) 1800 map shows his name on the whole of Lot 8, Con 6 in Ernestown as he had purchased the other half from John Dulmage. John Davy sold half of Lot 8, Con 6 to Garrett Miller on 23 Feb 1805 and the rest passed to his son George in his will.
• 9) John and [his wife] Sophia apparently inherited all of [his father] Peter Davy's lands. On July 20, 1802 they sold Lot 6, Con 7 of Ernestown to Garrett Miller. On 19 June 1806, John Davy and wife sold Lot 25, Con 5 of Ernestown to [John's Loyalist brothers] Michael Davy and Thomas Davy (100 ac each). The 100 acres in Camden was willed to John's son Benjamin.
• 10) Will dated 17 May 1808 and probated 12 July 1808. Sons named are Peter, John, Benjamin and George, and daughters Eve, Margaret, Sophia and Elizabeth.
• 11) His widow Sophia married John Walden Myers in Aug 1817

Sources

1. ↑ The common ancestor of all 5 soldiers in the American Revolution named John Davis/Davy appears to be gateway ancestor Christopher "Kit" Davis.
2. ↑ http://herkimer.nygenweb.net/regiments/rostoris.html
3. ↑ Family connections: Their sister Barbara Huffnagle married John Mabie, brother-in-law to Richard Davis. John Davy and Richard Davis were first cousins.
4. ↑ http://www.royalprovincial.com/military/musters/krrny/krrduncan.htm
5. ↑ Ontario Land Registry Records:
   • https://web.archive.org/web/20200208134305/http://www.lennoxandaddingtonhistoricalsociety.ca/ErnC6.html
6. ↑ Cruikshank & Watts, The History and Master Roll of The King’s Royal Regiment of New York (Revised Edition, Ontario: Global Heritage Press, 2010)
7. ↑ William V.H. Barker, Early Families of Herkimer County, New York: Descendants of the Burnetsfields, No.1931, p.52
8. ↑ http://my.tbaytel.net/bmartin/langhorn.htm
9. ↑ http://www.sfredheritage.on.ca/CaseyStJohnsChurch.htm
10. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20030520061958/http://qschooner.com/reid/d0004/g0000076.html#I1082
11. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20030518074652/http://qschooner.com/reid/d0001/g0000077.html#I1084
12. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20030519050115/http://qschooner.com/reid/d0003/g0000077.html#I1086
13. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20030518073431/http://qschooner.com/reid/d0000/g0000019.html#I1090
14. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20031009145329/http://www.qschooner.com/reid/d0004/g0000019.html#I1094
15. ↑ http://my.tbaytel.net/bmartin/langhorn.htm
16. ↑ https://www.lennoxandaddingtonhistoricalsociety.ca/UCDeaths.html
17. ↑ Land Petitions of Upper Canada, 1763-1865, John Davy, 1817, Vol-154, Bundle D 11, Petition 14, Ref. RG 1L3, Micflm C-1744
18. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #113061331
19. ↑ http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~russmcgillivray/genealogy/davy/page1.html

• William D. Reid, The Loyalists in Ontario: The Sons & Daughters of The American Loyalists of Upper Canada, Hunterdon House, Lambertville, New Jersey USA, 1973.

• Russ/McGillivray/Davy Ancestral Tree at Rootsweb

• John Davy UE (Proven)

• Notes from treesbydan.com, leads for further exploration:
  • Birth 5 October 1751; Little Falls, New York
  • Marriage to Sophia Hoffnagel: 1787; Lennox & Addington Co., Ontario
    • Source of above: Homesteads: Early Buildings & Families from Kingston to Toronto, by Margaret McBurney & Mary Byers (1979), p.24
  • Death: 30 May 1808; Lennox & Addington Co., Ontario
    • Source: GEDCOM of Richard Lander, Sep 5, 2005

Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Davy-87 created through the import of export-BloodTree.ged on Dec 3, 2011 by Mechelle Tait.
• WikiTree profile Davy-218 created through the import of Smith_Wood Family Tree.ged on Feb 22, 2012 by Brock Smith.