Benjamin Davis (abt. 1832 - abt. 1910)

Born about 1832 in Ludlow, Washington, Ohio, United States

Husband of Amy (Brown) Davis — married about 1852 in Ohio

Descendants

Died about 1910 at about age 78 in Indiana, United States [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Michael Schell [send private message]

Biography

Benjamin was born in Ohio about 1832, in Ludlow Townhship, Washington County Ohio. He was a son of John Davis

1840 Census shows a John Davis (age 40-50) as head of household living in Ludlow Township, Washington County Ohio. Household consisted of wife (age 40-50), 3 sons and 4 daughters. Age ranges of children are consistent with 1850 census data.

1850 census shows John Davis, 50y, as head of household (house #92) living in Ludlow Township, Washington County, OH. No wife listed. Daughter Hannah, 25y; daughter Catharine, 20y; son Benjamin, 18y, farmer; daughter Percilla, 15y; son Isaac, 13y; daughter Sarah, 10y; daughter Samantha, 8y; son Bradford, 5y.

1850 census also shows the household (house #93) of William Davis 27y (born in Ohio), wife Delilia 30y, daughter Strocina 5y, daughter Martha 3y, son Thomas under 1 year. All children born in Ohio. Presumably William is an older son of John Davis.

Benjamin moved to Indiana before 1857, based on census data that says that son Elihu was born in Indiana.

1860 census shows Benjamin Davis, 28y, as head of household living in Grass Township, Spencer County Indiana. Wife Amy 25y, daughter Elizabeth 7y, son Elihu 3y, daughter Sarah J 1y. Elizabeth was born in Ohio; two younger children born in Indiana.

1870 Census shows Benjamin Davis farmer 38y (born in Ohio) as head of household living in Grass Township, Spencer County Indiana. Wife Annie 35y (cannot write), daughter Elizabeth 18y (without occupation; cannot write), son Elihu 13y, daughter Sarah Y 12y, son Manual (or Marvel) D 11y, son Joseph H 6y, daughter Mary 3y, son Levi 3y (twin?), son Lawrence 3 months. This census says daughter Elizabeth born in Indiana, not Ohio (all other children born in Indiana). Note: The Davis farm in Spencer Co was adjacent to the farm of Robert Martin, married in 1872 to Elizabeth, oldest daughter of Benjamin Davis.^[1]

1870 census also shows a (different) Benjamin Davis, 39y (born in Ohio) living in Ohio Township, Bartholomew County Indiana (near Columbus). Wife Mary C 36y (born in Ohio), son Thomas E 12y, daughter Matilda J 10y, son Joseph M 6y, son William E under 1y. All children born in Indiana. ^[2] This record is sometimes mis-attributed to the Benjamin Davis represented by this profile.

1880 census shows Benjamin Davis, 48y, as head of household in Spencer County Indiana, farmer. Wife Amy 44y, son Elihu, 23y, son Manuel (Emmanuel) 19y, son Joseph H, 16y, daugher Mary 12y (twin), daughter Tary 12y (twin), son Lawrence 10y, son William 9y. Census says that all 4 parents of the husband and wife were born in Ohio.

• 17 Mar 1872. daughter Elizabeth m Robert Martin. Spencer, Indiana.
• 3 Aug 1879. daughter Sarah Jane m Joseph H Cox
• 7 Feb 1882. son Elihu m Sina Moffett
• 11 Mar 1882. Spencer, Indiana. Marriage of son Emmanuel to Mary E Conly
• 3 Mar 1887. son Tary m Mary E Stuteville, daughter of Samuel Stuteville and Mary A Barney
• 1 Sept 1887. daughter Mary m Harvey Weatherholt

1890 census: no Indiana residence records found for Benjamin or Amy Davis.

• 12 Sept 1894. Marriage of youngest son William Davis to Eunice Cissna in Spencer County Indiana. No parents listed.

1900 census shows son Lawrence F. Davis (31y, born Feb 1869) as head of household in Crisneytown, Grass Township, Spencer Indiana. He was born in Indiana and both of his parents born in Ohio. Wife Mary C 37y (born in Indiana; her parents born in Germany), daughter Clara 37, daughter Lena 3y (twins), son Bernhart 1y.

Some genealogies say that Benjamin married a second time to Doretta Ryals on 8 Sept 1892 in Missouri and had 5 more children there between 1891 and 1898. This Benjamin Davis died in 1914 and is buried in Missouri. Secondary sources say his middle name was Oscar; a different secondary source says his middle initial was E. It is unlikely (but not impossible) that this person is the same one in this profile. No Indiana death record for Benjamin Davis found in Indiana records.

Marriage and Family

About 1852, Benjamin Davis married Amy/Annie Brown in Ohio. The couple had the following children:

1. Elizabeth (~1853- ?) m Robert D. Martin (~1845- ~1910); 2 children
2. Elihu (1857- ) m Salina/Saline Moffett (1861- )
3. Sarah Jane (1859-1939) m Joseph H Cox
4. Emanuel/Marvel D (1862-1944) m1 Mary E Conley (1862-1889); 3 children, m2 Rebecca M Egnew/Agnew (1863- ); 4 children
5. Joseph H (1864- ) m Elizabeth Weatherholt
6. Mary (1868- ), twin of Tary. She married Harvey Weatherholt (1864-1902)
7. Levi "Tary" (1868- ), twin of Mary. He married Mary E Stuteveille
8. Lawrence (1870- )
9. William F (1872- ) m Eunice Cissna (1869-1941); 10 children
10. Emma (1875- )

Research Notes

A man named Benjamin Davis, born in Noble County, Ohio 20 Sept 1832, died 14 Aug 1914 in Missouri Find A Grave: Memorial #24287625 and is buried there], Probably this is not the person in this profile, who was born in the same year in Washington County Ohio. However until a death record is found for Benjamin Davis (probably in Indiana or living with one of his children?), it remains a possibility that this is the same person. Washington and Belmont Counties in Ohio are quite close to one another.

The 1900 census locates a Benjamin Oscar Davis (68y, born in Ohio) living in Putnam, Missouri. He is married to Doretta "Dettie" Ryals (28y, born in Missouri. Her father also born in Missouri, mother born in Indiana), daughter Golda 8y, son Glenn 5y, son Oscar 4y, daughter Lena 2y, and stepdaughter Nella Kella 10y.-- (born June, 1890 in Missouri, as were her parents). Thus, in order for this Benjamin Davis to be the same as the one in Indiana, he would have to had moved from Indiana after 1887 to Missouri, then married the widow Doretta, with child. Also, on the same page of the Missouri census is listed a James Davis (born 1854 in Ohio). He is likely to be a son of the Missouri Benjamin Davis, but this is is inconstent with with earlier census info for the Indiana Benjamin Davis, who did not have a son named James.

An alternative possibility for the parents of Benjamin Davis is found in the History of Spencer Co Indiana, published in 1885 by Godspeed Brothers & Co. An excerpt follows: WILLIAM DAVIS, farmer and stock-raiser, was born January 25, 1828, in Hamilton County, Ohio, being the eldest of nine children born to David and Mary (Coon) Davis, who were natives of the same county as our subject. In 1838 the family removed to Spencer County, Ind., settling in Grass Township, where they endured many of the hardships and inconveniences of pioneer life. Wild game was abundant, and it was no uncommon occurrence in those days for some one of the family to open the door in the morning and with the ever ready gun, shoot a deer from the doorstep, thus having fresh venison for breakfast. William remained at home with his parents until twenty-two years of age, receiving only such education as the primitive time afforded. November 15, 1849, he married Dorcas, daughter of Charles Mclntire, one of the earliest settlers of Spencer County, and farming has always been his occupation. He resides on the old homestead, and is the owner of 140 acres of well-improved land. Mr. and Mrs. Davis are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are among the township’s best citizens. Mr. Davis is a staunch Democrat in politics. Annually he takes a hunting excursion to Arkansas, and has there become the hero of numerous exploits, and has had several narrow escapes from serious disaster.

1820 US census for Spencer County Indiana includes the following people, who might be connected to current brickwalls:^[3]

• John Martin
• William Davis
• William Stark
• Joseph Brown

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DCS9-3CV?cc=1438024&wc=KP8L-N38%3A518664801%2C519652501%2C519656001 : 8 June 2019), Indiana > Spencer > Grass > image 37 of 48; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6PCH-G8P?cc=1438024&wc=KPNN-N38%3A518664801%2C519802401%2C519002401 : 8 June 2019), Indiana > Bartholomew > Ohio > image 19 of 20; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB4-NH3?cc=1803955&wc=3L7F-V8K%3A1586987703%2C1586987744%2C1586984616 : 16 July 2015), Indiana > Spencer > Not Stated > image 7 of 11; citing NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L78L-ZPN
• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XH19-DJW?cc=1401638&wc=95RC-RMG%3A1031310001%2C1031304802%2C1032286101 : 9 April 2016), Ohio > Washington > Ludlow > image 14 of 27; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4NK-MN3 : 8 December 2017), Elizabeth Davis in entry for Benjamin Davis, 1860.

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MHS6-BFX : 9 September 2017), Benjman Davis, Grass, Spencer, Indiana, United States; citing enumeration district ED 180, sheet 193D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0312; FHL microfilm 1,254,312.