Birsha Clarina (Carpenter) Davis (1831 - 1907)

Born 1831 in New York, United States

Ancestors

Wife of George Franklin Davis — married 1868 in Kansas

Died 1907 at about age 76 in Cavendish, Windsor, Vermont, USA

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Biography

Bertia was the first-born child of Clarina (Howard) and Justin Carpenter. At birth, her name, given her in honor of her maternal grandmother, Birsha (Smith) Howard, was spelled "Birsha". Her parents, Clarina and Justin, were married in Townshend VT, 21 Apr 1830, just after Justin had completed his studies for graduation at Amherst College. The young couple, full of religious zeal, set out on a purposeful life together, teaching and writing in western New York. They gave birth to Bertia early on— but sadly, they quickly ran into difficulties supporting themselves and their growing family.

By 1839 her mother Clarina, having separated from Justin, took Bertia and her brothers, Chapin and Aurelius, and went back to Vermont. Clarina became absorbed by her work for George Nichols' paper, The Windham County Democrat, in Brattleboro. Her children, especially Bertia, spent much of their time in the household of their grandparents, Chapin and Birsha Howard, assuring their stellar education and sound Christian upbringing.

In the early 1850s Clarina sent Bertia, along with her young step-brother, George B Nichols, to a progressive school operated in Bellevue NJ by colleagues in the women's movement, Theodore and Angeline (Grimke) Weld. In 1853 the Welds moved their school to Eagleswood as part of the establishment of the Raritan Bay Union.^[1] Bertia and George continued their studies with them there. When Clarina and George Sr moved to Kansas in the spring of 1855, Bertia and young George remained under the guardianship of the Townshend VT Howards and continued their education at Eagleswood.

In 1857 Bertia accompanied her mother back to Kansas territory, which Clarina now claimed as her "home" in her recent writing and lectures. They were both anxious to re-unite with Bertia's brothers, Chapin "Howard" and Aurelius "Reelie," and join their efforts in the Pre-Civil War turmoil of "Bleeding Kansas."

During the Civil War Bertia was employed in Washington, DC. While working there, she adopted a baby girl she named Lucy Lincoln at the home for black orphans where Clarina was hired to work as matron.

Bertia was in her late thirties when she married General George Franklin Davis, who served in the Civil War as Vermont's Quarter-Master. He was a 52-year-old widower from Cavendish, Windsor, Vermont. His deceased wife, Ada, had been Bertia's childhood friend when she was residing in Windham County with her grandparents before going to Eagleswood.

Bertia and George were married in Wyandotte, Kansas, on 21 June 1868. Following the ceremony, Bertia, leaving her adopted daughter, Lucy Lincoln, in Clarina's care, moved to Cavendish with George and became the step-mother of Ada's three surviving children.^[2]

In 1896, Bainbridge Howard, Clarina's youngest brother, came from Boston to visit Bertia in Cavendish. He had lived in Townshend during the time Bertia was also there. Now he unexpectedly died visiting her in Cavendish. His remains were retrieved by his daughter, also named Birsha.

Bertia Davis's husband, George, passed away 27 Feb 1901. Bertia died 11 Dec 1907.

Burial

Cavendish Village Cemetery, Cavendish, Windsor County, Vermont ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ See Webpage: Eagleswood House at the Raritan Bay Union [1]
2. ↑ Wyandotte Commercial Gazette, June 27, 1868
3. ↑ FindAGrave Memorial # 84896757 [2]

• Russell, Descendants of David Smith — [3]
• Vermont Vital Records 1720-1908
• Blackwell, Marilyn S. and Oertel, Kristen T., "Frontier Feminist, Clarina Howard Nichols, and the Politics of Motherhood," University Press of Kansas, 2010