Joseph Davis (1726 - abt. 1789)

Born 24 Sep 1726 in Westerly, Kings, Rhode Island

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about Dec 1789 at about age 63 in Hopkinton, Washington, Rhode Island, United States

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Biography

Joseph was born on 24 Sep 1726 in Westerly, Kings, Rhode Island to parents John Davis and Elizabeth (Maxson) Davis. Joseph married his first wife, Comfort (Langworthy) Davis, in 1745 in Stonington and had they following children:

1. Martha Davis 1746–1798
2. Samuel Davis 1747–Deceased
3. Samuel Davis 1751–1792
4. Comfort Davis 1753–Deceased
5. Marvel Davis 1755–Deceased
6. Ann Davis 1758–Deceased
7. Prudence Davis 1760–1841
8. Edward Davis 1768–Deceased

Joseph and family then lived in Shrewsbury, NJ for about five or six years before moving back to Westerly, RI. Joseph organized a New Light Church and was cut off from the Seventh Day Advents. Joseph remarried in abt 1772, to Dorcas Clark (1741–1814). They had the following children (could be more):

1. Clark Davis
2. Ethan Davis 1778–1850
3. Elizabeth Davis

They were living in Hopkinton, RI.

Elder Joseph Davis' "of Hopkinton" will is dated 26 November 1788 and proved on 4 January 1790 in Hopkinton, Rhode Island.^[1] He mentions first his sons: Samuel, Joseph, and Edward Davis; then his daughters: Martha, Comfort, Marvel, Anne, Prudence, and Tacy; then he mentions his sons and daughters: Clarke, Elizabeth, Ethan, Dorcas, and Phanne Davis; then his wife Dorcas. His inventory was taken on 24 December 1789.^[2]

After Joseph's death, Dorcas went to Rush, NY with the adult children Clark, Ethan, and Elizabeth and her husband Elias Thompson and family.

It is thought he is buried with his wife dorcas at the Pioneer Hill Cemetery; Rush, Monroe, NY, USA. This cemetery is located in some woods between 1115 and 1139 Rush - West Rush Road in the town of Rush, New York. The cemetery is very overgrown and many of the tombstones have fallen over. In the July 8, 1911 issue of the Rochester Post-Express a combined list of tombstone inscriptions for this and two other cemeteries in Rush (Davis Cem. and Thomas Cem.) was published by Anah B. Yates. This has confused people for these many years as to which persons are buried in which cemetery. This list should help to end the confusion. Another list of inscriptions was compiled by Mrs. Celia Green Larkin and Dr. Frances M. Witmer of the Te-car-na-wun-na Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, LeRoy, NY. This list was compiled by Richard T. Halsey from a visit to the cemetery on June 6, 1992.

Sources

1. ↑ Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9079/images/007650041_00251). Rhode Island, U.S., Wills, and Probate Records, 1582-1932 [database on-line], Probate Records, Vol 1-6, 1751-1841, image 251-252. Hopkinton, Probate Council Records, No. 2, 1770-1791, pages 271-273. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
2. ↑

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 26 February 2020, 22:44), entry for Joseph Davis(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LC5J-17Q); contributed by various users.
• "Rhode Island Births and Christenings, 1600-1914", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HH-T4D : 17 December 2019), Joseph Davis, 1726.
• Arnold, James N., Vital Record of Rhode Island 1636-1850 (Providence, RI: Narraganset Historical Publishing Co., 1891-1912, 22 vols, 13,030 pgs), 5_d99. Quality: 0. Westerly v.2 p. 100: Davis, Joseph, Sept. 24, 1726
• [1]
• Arnold, James N., Vital Record of Rhode Island 1636-1850 (Providence, RI: Narraganset Historical Publishing Co., 1891-1912, 22 vols, 13,030 pgs), 5_g38. Quality: 0. Hopkinton vol. 2-7: Davis, Elizabeth, May 8, 1776..
• "Cemetery Records," database online, Greenwood Cemetery Records, Kendall NY. Quality: 3. "Thompson, Betsy 1775-Dec 31, 1841"
• [Orlean Co NY GenWeb archives]
• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16570729/joseph-davis), memorial page for Rev Joseph Davis (24 Sep 1726–unknown), Find A Grave Memorial no. 16570729, citing Pine Hill Cemetery, Rush, Monroe County, New York, USA ; Maintained by as (contributor 46814607) .

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Davis-7036 created through the import of EBENSTEIN-GRANGER.GED on Aug 19, 2011 by Merryann Palmer.