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James Davis (abt. 1595 - 1679)

James Davis
Born about in Englandmap [uncertain]
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married 11 Jun 1618 in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Englandmap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 84 in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colonymap
Profile last modified | Created 13 Sep 2010
This page has been accessed 10,994 times.
The Puritan Great Migration.
James Davis migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 89)
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Contents

Biography

James Davis was the son of John Davis of Acton Turville, Gloucestershire, England.[1] He married Cecily Thayer in Gloucester, though the marriage is actually recorded in the parish records of Thornbury where his wife was from. His first two children were baptized in Thornbury while the the third was at Acton Turville. The baptisms of his remaining children have not been found because of the loss of parish records at Acton Turville.
James Davis is almost always said to have settled first in Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts. This is possibly still true though it is not clearly proven. The claim appears to come from the record of James Davis being made a freeman on 4 March 1634/35. However, this name can appear to be the last in a list of Newbury men granted the privilege of being a freeman, or the first in a list of Bostonians. Since this record has been shown to apply to James Davis of Boston, there is no record which clearly places him in Newbury prior to him appearing in Hampton in 1639. The only other reason to think he might have been associated with Newbury is most of the founders of Haverhill, Massachusetts came from Newbury.
In 1638, Rev. Stephen Bachelor was given permission by the General Court to establish new town at Hampton, (now) New Hampshire. Among the first settlers was James Davis who received grant of 80 acres in the first land division on 24 December 1639.[2] His son James Davis jr. received a grant in June 1640. He soon after made his move to Hampton and was made a freeman there on 13 May 1640.[3] Statements in print that James Davis of Hampton was not the same as James Davis of Haverhill have been shown to be an error, and they are in fact the same man. Early authors had expressed doubt that James Davis of Hampton is the same person as James Davis of Haverhill.[4] However, on 17 August 1648, “James Davis Senior of Haverhill husbandman,” sold to “Anthony Stannyon of Exeter ... all my lands in Hampton with all my meadow ground therewith all my common & commonages & all the privileges thereto belonging” to help prove the connection.[5]
In 1640, James Davis was among the initial 12 men granted permission to establish a new settlement in Haverhill, Massachusetts.[6] He didn't actually make his move from Hampton to Haverhill until May of 1644.[7] By 1645, James Davis and his son James Davis Jr were firmly established in Haverhill and listed among the 32 men living there.[8] James Davis Sr, along with sons James Jr and John, received land in the the second land division in Haverhill in 1652.[9] He also received land in the division of 1667.[10] He lived near Rocks village, East Haverhill, and was for some years Justice of the Peace both at Hampton and Haverhill; often a selectman and juryman; a deputy to the General Court in 1660. James Davis was discharged from militia training in 1650 because of age but was required to pay to the Haverhill military company £3, 4d yearly. In 1661, he and his wife Cisley sold for £10 two acres of his Haverhill houselot to George Brown.
His wife Cicely died May 28, 1673, and James died January 29, 1679, aet 96. His will signed March 17, 1676, and proved November 5, 1680, contained an interesting reference to King Philip's War: "in these desolateing time; wherein ye Enimie seeks ye destruction of our New England Israel."[11]

Birth

Born: About 1595, probably in Acton Turville, Gloucestershire, England.
The date is an estimated date base on his marriage in 1618. His death record which states he was about 96 years old, which would suggest he was born in 1583. This would seem about a decade early for someone married in 1618. It was very common in the Massachusetts records for ages the individuals who lived to an extreme age to have their age at death exaggerated to make them even older. It is possible, and maybe even likely, that the 96 year old age at death is either a transcription error or an exaggeration.

Marriage and Children

Married: Cicely Thayer on 11 June 1618 in Gloucester (but recorded in Thornbury parish register), Gloucestershire, England.[12][13][14]
Children of James Davis and Cicely Thayer:
  1. James Davis. Baptized 4 July 1619 in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England.[12]
  2. John Davis. Baptized 28 January 1621 in Thornbury.[12]
  3. Sarah Davis. Baptized 24 December 1623 in Acton Turville, Gloucestershire, England.[1]
  4. Judith Davis. Born say 1624. She married Samuel Guile on 1 Sep 1647 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. She died May 1667 in Haverhill.
  5. Ephraim Davis. Born say 1627. He married Mary Johnson on 31 Dec 1659 in Andover, Massachusetts.
  6. Samuel Davis. Born say 1630.

Death

Died: 29 January 1679 in Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony.[15]
Will: James Davis Sr of Haverhill[16]
Dated 17 March 1675/6.
Summary:
- to my son John Davis
- to James Davis, son of my son John Davis
- to my son Ephraim Davis
- to Stephen and Ephraim Davis, sons of my son Ephraim Davis
- to my son Samuel Davis
- to my daughter Sarah, wife of John Page Jr
- to James Gild, son of Samuel Gild
- eldest son James to be executor

Notes

  • Parish registers of Acton Turville: The parish registers of Acton Turville start in 1665, greatly hindering the reconstruction of this family. A few scattered records of the Davis family in Acton Turville can be found in the Bishop's Transcripts. Among these can be found the baptism James Davis' daughter Sarah Davis. It is likely the his remaining children were also born Acton Turville, but the records no longer exist.
  • Identification of father: This James Davis has been identified as the son of John Davis of Acton Turville based on a series of wills and baptisms. The first two children of James Davis were baptized at Thornbury where his marriage is recorded and where his wife's family had long resided, while the baptism for his third child was at Acton Turville. These children were James, John and Sarah. The will of his father John Davis dated April 1626 names his son James, as well as his grandchildren by James - James, John and Sarah. James Davis was named in the will of uncle Thomas Davis of Acton Turville. This will also proves James had another brother named Ephraim; James named a son Ephraim.

Common Errors to Avoid

  • Error 1: 1635 immigration and freeman date.
    He is often said to have arrived in in the Massachusetts Bay Colony by 1635 as he was made a freeman on 4 March 1634/35.[17][18] This is incorrect. This record belongs to an unrelated James Davis of Boston.[19][20] The error probably occurred for a couple of reasons. First, it might appear that he is last in a list of men from Newtown, when in fact he is first in a list of men from Boston. Second, early authors failed to realize that James Davis of Hampton was the same person as James Davis of Haverhill. They assumed that the record of James Davis of Hampton being made a freeman must apply to another man; they therefore incorrectly deduced that the record from 1635 must apply to James Davis of Haverhill.[21] That James Davis of Hampton was the man who later moved to Haverhill is proved by later land transactions.
James Davis of Hampton and later Haverhill was made a freeman on 13 May 1640.[22]
  • Error 2: He came from (or was born in) Marlborough, Wiltshire, England.
    It is a frequently copied statement that “according to old Bible records” that he came from Marlborough, Wiltshire, England.[21] There is no evidence to support this and is likely incorrect. His origins have been firmly placed in Acton Turville, Gloucestershire. He married a woman from Thornbury, Gloucestershire and his first two children were baptized at Thornbury with the third at Acton Turville. Marlborough is not impossibly far from these towns, being about thirty miles from Acton Turville and 50 miles from Thornbury. The parish records at Acton Turville no longer exist before 1600, so the actual baptismal record of James Davis has never been (and will likely never be) found. Still, James Davis was almost certainly born in Acton Turville where his father lived and died, and a move to Marlborough prior to his immigration is highly unlikely. Without any supporting evidence, this statement should be rejected as yet another family tradition which turns out to be wrong.
  • Error 3: James Davis of Haverhill is not the same person as the James Davis who married Cicely Thayer.
    In 1906, the NEHGR published two articles containing will transcripts and parish records of the Thayer family from Thornbury, Gloucester, England.[23][24] Unfortunately, the articles contain a number of transcription errors in both the Thornbury parish registers and in the wills. These errors included: 1. A mistranscription of the will of John Thayer leading to a failure to identify Cicely Thayer as his daughter. 2. A mistranscription of the baptism of James Davis Jr. 3. Several mistranscriptions of dates 4. Incorrect double dating of the Thornbury records. 5. A mistranscription of the burial record of Cicely Thayer’s mother.
These errors led subsequent authors to reject, or to express doubt about, the idea that James Davis of Haverhill was the same person as the James Davis who married Cicely Thayer – the argument being the names and dates did not match what was known about James Davis of Haverhill. For example, Hoyt in his corrections to Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury pointed out that “names and dates do not coincide” and rejected the identification.[21] Tomas Ojeda used the NEHGR in his attempt to reconstruct the Thayer family and so made a number of errors in his Thayer Family of Thornbury.[25] The excellent genealogist Mary Lovering Holman also was misled, and gave James Davis’ wife simply as Cicely _____ in her treatment of James Davis of Haverhill.[26]
These errors were pointed out and corrected by Clifford L. Scott in an article which appeared in The American Genealogist in 1998.[12] In fact, the dates and names match perfectly to the family of James Davis of Haverhill – there is now no doubt that James Davis married Cicely Thayer on 11 June 1618 ‘at Gloucester’ (but recorded at Thornbury Parish) before immigrating to the Massachusetts Bay Colony and eventually settling in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
  • Baptism of son: The original extraction of Thornbury parish records as published in the NEHGR mistranscribed the baptism of James Davis Jr as being that of "Francis Davis." These errors led subsequent authors to reject, or to express doubt about, the idea that James Davis of Haverhill was the same person as the James Davis who married Cicely Thayer. The error was pointed out by Clifford Stott in 1998.[12] In fact, the corrected names and dates fit perfectly with the family of James Davis.

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 Davis, EP. Davis, of Acton Turville, Gloucestershire. (1984).
  2. Dow. History of the Town of Hampton, New Hampshire. (1893): page 18.
  3. NEHGR, vol. 3. (1849): page 187. "List of Freemen," by Lucius R. Paige.
  4. Hoyt. Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury. (1897): vol. 1, page 125.
  5. Anderson. Great Migration, vol. VI, R-S (2001): page 481.
  6. Chase. History of Haverhill. (1861): page 38.
  7. Davis, WG. Genealogical Dictionary of Maine. (1979): page 184.
  8. Chase. History of Haverhill. (1861): page 60.
  9. Chase. History of Haverhill. (1861): page 77.
  10. Chase. History of Haverhill. (1861): page 106.
  11. Johnson. Genealogical History of the Clark and Worth. (1970): pages 433-434.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 TAG, vol. 73. (1998): pages 81-90, 209-19.
  13. Note that this marriage was recorded in Thornbury, Goucestershire where Cicely's family lived, but the record specifies that the marriage occurred in Gloucester.
  14. Phillimore. Gloucestershire Parish Records: Marriages, vol. XV. (1909): page 20.
  15. Haverhill. Vital Records of Haverhill, vol. 2. (1910-1911): page 383.
  16. Essex County, Probate #7260, for James Davis Sr. d. 1679.
  17. NEHGR, vol. 3. (1849): page 93 James Davis of Boston."List of Freemen"'.
  18. NEHGR, vol. 3. (1849): page 187 James Davis of Hampton. "List of Freemen".
  19. Anderson. Great Migration, vol. II, C-F. (2001): page 289.
  20. Rockwell. Davis Families of Early Roxbury. (1932): pages 242-243.
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 For example see, Hoyt. Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury. (1897): vol. 1, page 125, Supp. page 1062.
  22. NEHGR vol. 3. (1849): page 187. "List of Freemen".
  23. NEHGR, vol. 60. (1906): pages 281-288. Tayer (Thayer) Family Entries.
  24. NEHGR, vol. 60. (1906): pages 289-291. Wills Relating to the Tayer (Thayer) Family.
  25. Ojeda. Thayer Family of Thornbury. (1907): pages 19-20.
  26. Holman. Pillsbury Ancestry, vol. 1. (1938): pages 153-155, 295-297, Davis line.
Source list:
  • The American Genealogist [TAG], volume 73. (1998): pages 81-90, 209-19. "The Gloucestershire T(h)ayer Ancestry," by Clifford L. Stott. AmericanAncestors.org link.
  • Anderson, Robert Charles. Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, volume II, C-F. (2001): page 289. Biography of James Davis of Boston. AmericanAncestors.org link.
  • Anderson, Robert Charles. Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, volume VI, R-S. (2001): page 481. Biography of Anthony Stanyan. AmericanAncestors.org link.
  • Chase, George Wingate. History of Haverhill, Massachusetts, from its first settlement, in 1640, to the year 1860. (Haverhill, 1861). Archive.org link.
  • Davis, Edwin Pountney. Davis, of Acton Turville, Gloucestershire: The Ancestry of James, Thomas and John Davis, who Settled in Newbury, Massachusetts c1638. (São Paulo, Brazil : privately published, 1984).
  • Davis, Walter Goodwin, et al. Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire. (Original in 5 parts Portland, Maine, 1928-1939; reprint in one Baltimore, 1979): page 184. Ancestry.com link.
  • Dow, Joseph. History of the Town of Hampton, New Hampshire: From its Settlement in 1638, to the Autumn of 1892, vol. 1. (Salem, 1893): page 18.
  • Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014). Probate #7260, for James Davis d. 1679. AmericanAncestors.org link.
  • Holman, Mary Lovering. Ancestry of Charles Stinson Pillsbury and John Sargent Pillsbury, vol. 1 of 2. (n.p., 1938): pages 153-155, 295-297, Davis line. Ancestry.com link; pages 443-49, Thayer line. Ancestry.com link
  • Hoyt, David W. The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts, with some related families of Newbury, Haverhill, Ipswich and Hampton, three volumes and supplement. (Providence, R.I: Snow & Farnham, printers, 1897): vol. 1, page 125, Supp. page 1062. Caution: source contains errors.
  • Hoyt, David Webster. Additions and corrections for The old families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts. suppl. to v. 3. Providence, R.I: Snow & Farnham Co., 1919.
  • Johnson, Carol Clark. A Genealogical History of the Clark and Worth families: and Other Puritan Settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. (Cygnet, Ohio: Priv. print., 1970): pages 433-434.
  • New England Historical and Genealogical Register [NEHGR], volume 60, no. 3. (July 1906): pages 281-288. "Tayer (Thayer) Family Entries in the Parish Register of Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England," by Walter Faxon, Edward Henry Whorf, and Henry Ernest Woods. Archive.org link.
  • New England Historical and Genealogical Register [NEHGR], volume 60, no. 3. (July 1906): pages 289-291. "Abstracts of Wills Relating to the Tayer (Thayer) Family of Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England," by Henry Ernest Woods. Archive.org link.
  • Ojeda, Tomas Thayer. The Thayer Family of Thornbury: A Study Trying Its Reconstitution. (Santiago, Chile, 1907): pages 19-20.
  • Phillimore, William Phillimore Watts ed. Gloucestershire Parish Records: Marriages, volume XV. (London, 1909): page 20.
  • Rockwell, Samuel Forbes. Davis Families of Early Roxbury and Boston. (North Andover, Mass.: unknown, 1932): pages 242-243.





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Comments: 38

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Davis-18215 and Davis-941 appear to represent the same person because: Adopted Davis-18215 abandoned profile. Same wife etc in bio. Needs to be merged away. Keep bio from Davis-941.
posted by Chris Hoyt
Are there any objections to changing the estimated DOB to 1595. The current birth date is based on the age at death which is suspected to be exaggerated. See Joe's comments on the mother's profile: Agnes Davis. Basically the birth date 1583 doesn't really fit with any of the other facts we know about James.
posted by M Cole
Agnes Chandler (1574-1623) is recorded as his mother. Agnes Chandler 1540-1589 is recorded as his paternal garndmother. Based on dates it seems most likely that she was his paternal grandmother rather than his mother. Does it seem correct that his mother was actually Agnes Samon (same dates at Agnes Chandler (1574-1623)??
posted by Robert Hawes
Both John Davis' profile and Agnes Samon's profile claim that Agnes Samon is NOT his wife Agnes, information appears unsourced.

Does anyone have access to:

Davis, Edwin Pountney. Davis, of Acton Turville, Gloucestershire: The Ancestry of James, Thomas and John Davis, who Settled in Newbury, Massachusetts C 1638 https://books.google.com/books/about/Davis_of_Acton_Turville_Gloucestershire.html?id=2RW9GwAACAAJ

which appears to be the source of his father as John of Acton, but I don't have access to this text, which may or may not identify his mother.

posted by Chris Hoyt
Yes, I do have access to the reference and the profiles have greatly changed since Bob wrote his comment. It is clear that:

1. James Davis of Acton Turville was a son of John Davis of Acton Turville (d. testate 1626). 2. His mother's name was Agnes, but she is not Agnes Chandler or Agnes Samon - the marriages are much too early. 3. John Davis of Acton Turville is not the same person as John Davis of Frocester. 4. The Davis family can be traced for four generations in Acton Turville via wills (the parish registers no longer exist).

posted by Joe Cochoit
Thanks for the info and I see you have corrected her LNAB to Unk. Thanks again.
posted by Chris Hoyt
Children born England marked PGM and cleaned up some.
posted by Jillaine Smith
The sons ( James) Davis-940 and ( John) Davis-21573, at minimum should also be PGM. Could someone add that to their profiles.

Likely daughter ( Judith) Davis-1427 who was married in 1647 was also born in England and is PGM.

I don't have access to source # 10 to confirm Sarahs' baptism date she didn't marry until 1663 - so could go either way. And Ephraim and Samuel married 1659 and 1663, also could go either way. Born there of here? Thanks

posted by Chris Hoyt
James Davis Sr.s will names eldest son James as executor (not son John) See wife's profile.

Case 7260: p. 1-5: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)

posted by Chris Hoyt
Why is Barnabas attached as his son? I see no mention of Barnabas in the biography, including his will.
posted by Cathy (Kies) Bennett
Davis-941 and Davis-26209 appear to represent the same person because: Exact match in death date
posted by Rob Stafford Jr
Jillaine the problem is going to be that Agnes Chandler's parents are wrong and will need to be disconnected. Then her estimated birth date can be adjusted.

And the marriage date of John Davis to Agnes Chandler is wrong - I believe it was in 1577 but I need to get to my sources later.

posted by Joe Cochoit
The mother appears to be too young to be his mom? And he was born several years before his parents marriage?
posted by Jillaine Smith
Davis-20035 and Davis-941 appear to represent the same person because: Same vitals
posted by Jillaine Smith
Rewriting this highly flawed profile.
posted by Joe Cochoit
From reviewing the father John's profile, it appears that the source for the parents may come from this text (not avail online)

Davis, Edwin Pountney. Davis, of Acton Turville, Gloucestershire: The Ancestry of James, Thomas and John Davis, who Settled in Newbury, Massachusetts C 1638 https://books.google.com/books/about/Davis_of_Acton_Turville_Gloucestershire.html?id=2RW9GwAACAAJ

posted by Chris Hoyt
I did all kinds of searches in freereg.org for baptism records of wife and children mentioned as baptized in Gloucestershire & came up empty.
posted on Davis-18215 (merged) by Liz (Noland) Shifflett

D  >  Davis  >  James Davis

Categories: Puritan Great Migration