Josiah Davisson (1744 - 1825)

Born 1 Dec 1744 in Augusta, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Edith (Herring) Davisson — married 1771 in Augusta, Virginia

Husband of Nancy Ann (Williams) Davisson — married 23 Oct 1801 in Harrison, Virginia, United States

Died 9 Sep 1825 at age 80 in Monroe Township, Preble, Ohio, United States

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Biography

Josiah was born on December 1, 1744, in Augusta County (now Rockingham County), Virginia. He was the son of Daniel Davisson and Phoebe Harrison. During his youth he received a legacy from his grandfather, Josiah Davisson, a resident of New Jersey, and at his father's death inherited land on Smiths Creek. When he came of age, he sold his Smiths Creek land to Thomas Moore, his mother's second husband.^[1]

He settled in the old Linville Creek community, his land was part of the original Hite land. On August 18, 1766, Daniel Smith and Lydia Wright, as the executors of John Wright, deceased, conveyed to John Johnston 300 acres on Linville Creek, part of 550 acres conveyed to Wright by Abraham Hite on December 31, 1760. This tract was delivered to Josiah Davisson on November 1767.^[1][2] An inclusive survey was made for Josiah in 1774, according to a receipted bill of April 19th of the same year.^[1]

He married Edith Herring about 1771 in Rockingham County, Virginia. They were the parents of nine children. in the Heads of Families census, Virginia, 1784, "Davisson Josiah," of Rockingham County, was enumerated in his own list as having in his family "eight White souls," and owning "1 Dwelling."^[1][3]

He was Rockingham's first Sheriff. Prior to the establishment of Rockingham, he had been a justice of the County Court of Augusta for at least two terms, having qualified August 17, 1773, and May 21, 1777.^[1][4]

In 1780 he was named as a Captain of the militia. On November 4, 1784, he was commissioned Coroner of Rockingham by Gov. Benjamin Harrison.^[1]

The same year, October 29, 1784, he purchased from Benjamin Smith a warrant for 1,000 acres of land, which he probably located a short time later in what is now West Virginia. Sometime between January 13, 1794, and April 9, 1795, he moved to Harrison County, Virginia (now West Virginia). In a bill of sale, he was named as "Josiah Davisson of the County of Rockingham," while in a bond of the 1795 date, to John Ashren, he was named as "Josiah Davisson of Harrison County and the State of Virginia." On January 19, 1795, the County Court of Harrison ordered its surveyor to survey for him three tracts of land on the waters the Pleasant Creek.^[1]

After the death of his first wife, he married Nancy Williams on October 23, 1801, in Harrison County, Virginia (now West Virginia).^[5] They were the parents of seven children.^[6]

About 1813, he migrated to Ohio, (from present West Virginia) settling first in Wilmington, in Clinton County, and finally, on April 24, 1816, in Monroe Township, Preble County, where he patented 640 acres of land.^[1][7][8] His removal to Ohio, says a descendant, was largely due to his detestation of slavery, and his desire to live in a free state.^[9]

He died on September 9, 1825, in Monroe Township, Preble County, Ohio. He was buried at Dry Fork Cemetery in Manchester, Preble County, Ohio,^[10] formerly the old Baptist churchyard at the southeast corner of his farm, where his original headstone inscription read "In Memory of Josiah Davisson who died Sept. 9th, A. D., 1825, aged 81 years, 9 months, and 8 days.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8} Harrison, John Huston. "Settlers by the Long Grey Trail: Some Pioneers to Old Augusta County, Virginia and Their Descendants of the Family of Harrison and Allied Lines," Genealogical Publishing Company, 1975, pp. 366-368, entry for Josiah Davisson.
2. ↑ Deed Book 13, p. 81
3. ↑ First US Census, Virginia, p. 76.
4. ↑ Court Order Books 15, p. 148, and 16, p. 191.
5. ↑ "West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FRDJ-GJZ : 11 February 2018), Josiah Davisson and Nancy Williams, 23 Oct 1801; citing Marriage, Harrison, Virginia, v 1 p 54, county clerks, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 847,273.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2Q-XK2 : accessed 21 September 2021), Josiah Davidson, Harrison, Virginia, United States; citing p. 904, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 69; FHL microfilm 181,429.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLS-Z5R : accessed 21 September 2021), Josiah Davisson, Monroe, Preble, Ohio, United States; citing p. 111, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 95; FHL microfilm 181,401.
8. ↑ "Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:763K-J33Z : 18 February 2021), Josiah Davisson, 1824; citing multiple county courthouse offices, Preble, Ohio, United States, p. , Tax records indexed by Ohio Genealogy Society; FHL microfilm 004849213.
9. ↑ Richard L. Davison, in an address, The Life of Josiah Davisson II, made on occasion of the Centennial Anniversary of Josiah's settlement on the above land.
10. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FindAGrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9171241), Josiah Davisson, 9 Sep 1825; Burial, West Manchester, Preble, Ohio, United States of America, Dry Fork Cemetery; citing record ID 9171241.

See also:

• "West Virginia Marriages, 1854-1932", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XR48-S24 : 30 January 2020), Josiah Davisson in entry for John Robinson and Nancy Davisson, 22 Oct 1798; citing Marriage, Harrison, Virginia, United States.
• West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970, database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2ZX-CZZT : 22 July 2021), Josiah in entry for Francis Read and Ann Davisson, 9 Apr 1800; citing Marriage, Harrison, West Virginia, United States, county clerks, West Virginia; FHL microfilm .
• "West Virginia Marriages, 1854-1932", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XR4D-39Q : 30 January 2020), Josiah Davisson in entry for John Smith and Hannah Davisson, 2 Nov 1813; citing Marriage, Harrison, Virginia, United States.
• "West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FR6S-WW5 : 11 February 2018), Josiah Davisson in entry for Isaac Smith and Mary Davisson, 16 Jan 1818; citing Marriage, Harrison, West Virginia, v 3 p 181, county clerks, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 847,274.