Need the real parents of Sylvestre Davis (b. 1847?, Ohio); mother's maiden name "Filigel"

Question

I am trying to find the parents of Sylvestre Davis (b. ca. 1847, Ohio).  Can't find him in the 1850 or 1860 Census of Ohio or Indiana.     He was connected to the wrong father (Peter, who I disconnected), a mistake endlessly recopied that is made on almost all the online trees.    Sylvestre's mother was not Mary Ann (Lewis) Davis (wife of Peter), but rather Mary Ann ("Filigel") Davis.  Her maiden name "Filigel" appears on his death certificate.  The name Filigel is presumably a misspelling.  For more information, see the four comments that I have posted on Sylvestre's profile.

Comments

mother Pollyanna

Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952

Name:	Sylvester Davis
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Marital Status:	Married
Death Age:	83
Birth Date:	20 Jun 1845
Birth Place:	Ohio
Death Date:	30 Aug 1928
Death Place:	Matteson, Branch, Michigan, USA
Mother:	Pollyanna Filigel
File Number:	001865
Household Members:	Name Age Sylvester Davis Pollyanna Filigel

Source Citation: Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, Michigan; Death Records

Source Information:

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wife on profile wrong

Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952

Name:	Sylvester Davis
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Age:	20
Birth Year:	1852
Birth Place:	New Elizabeth
Marriage Date:	20 Jul 1872
Marriage Place:	Gilead, Branch, Michigan, USA
Residence Place:	Bryon, Ohio
Spouse:	Lizzie Hamblebaugh
Record Number:	1366
Household Members:	Name Age Sylvester Davis Lizzie Hamblebaugh

Source Citation: Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952; Film: 7; Film Description: 1872 Branch-1872 St Josep

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There is a Vera Ruby Flegal Finisy buried in the same cemetary in Branch, Michigan. She may be a lead. She has an obituary on Find a Grave. Just an idea, this isn't a family I am working on.

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Thanks Heather,   See the answer that I've added based on the clue you gave.

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I have a letter from a granddaughter of Sylvester Davis that commented "Grandpa Sylvester Davis had an uncle named "Sig Fliggle", which kind of verified that Sylvester's mother was probably Mary Anna Flegal..

Answer 1

Sylvestre Davis is sometimes said to have been born in Williams County, Ohio.  So his mother's maiden name may have been Flegel instead of "Filigel".  There was a Hester Caroline Flegel born in Williams County, Ohio, in 1838 (perhaps a cousin of Sylvestre Davis??).

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:3:MM9G-MRF

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Answer 2

Thank you Heather for that valuable clue.  Vera Ruby Flegal's grandfather was William Flegal (died 1887), and it turns out he was born in 1815 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.  And William had a sister Mary Flegal (born 05 December 1819) who would be about the right age to be mother of Sylvester Davis (born ca. 1845-1847).  But I can't find a marriage record for Mary Flegal (to a Mr. Davis or anyone else).  William Flegal has a wikitree profile ( https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Flegal-47 ) and it shows his daughter Harriett was born in Williams County, Ohio (the same county Sylvester Davis was supposedly born in).  Furthermore, as discussed above, William Flegal's granddaughter Vera is buried in the very same Michigan cemetery as Sylvester Davis.

Comments

Based on the above information, I have created a profile for Mary Anna (Flegal) Davis as the mother of Sylvester Davis.  In it I discuss the very real possibility that she is Mary Flegal (b. 1819), sister of William Flegal.  But if so, she was actually 61 years old in the 1880 Census (not 51 as it was reported).  I suppose the Mary Flegal born in 1819 could have had a first cousin Mary Flegal who was born about 1828-1829.

Answer 3

I think that I have finally found Silvester in the 1860 Census in Williams County, Ohio. He is listed as Silvester Flagel (age 11) with Mary Flagel (presumably his mother; but she was probably actually a bit older than 25), and the grandfather Jacob Flagel (age 81). Then found Jacob earlier with his daughter Mary in the 1850 Census (same county), but she had a son Lewis (age 3). It is hard to say whether Lewis and Silvester are the same son. Silvester could have actually been born soon after the 1850 Census, and was therefore only 9 or 10 (not 11) in the 1860 Census.  It is unknown if his father's surname was actually Davis or if he adopted that surname for some other reason.  Could his mother have married a Mr. Davis in the 1860s or 1870s, and thus Davis was his step-father??  WEBLINK for Silvester Flegal in 1860 Census: https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1860usfedcenancestry&indiv=try&h=42281099