BIO: William M. Davidson, Cumberland County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter

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http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/
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History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania.
Containing History of the Counties, Their Townships, Towns, Villages, 
Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and 
Prominent Men; Biographies; History of Pennsylvania; Statistical and 
Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc.  Illustrated.  Chicago: Warner, Beers 
& Co., 1886.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/beers/beers.htm
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                                PART II.

             HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA.

                              CHAPTER XLI.

                         BOROUGH OF NEWVILLE. 

450  BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

  WILLIAM M. DAVIDSON (deceased) was a descendant of the Davidson 
family who settled in West Pennsborough Township, this county, where 
they took up a tract of land in 1750, still owned by A. Davidson.  
John, grandfather of William M., was born in 1748 and died in 1823.  He 
married, when quite young, a Miss Graham, who died, leaving four 
children.  His second wife was Mrs. Lacey Sterrett, who had been a Miss 
Laughlin, of an old and widely known family.  They had five children, 
one of whom, named William, was the father of the subject of this 
sketch.  William Davidson was born December 23, 1788; was married 
November 3, 1814, to Miss Mary Miller, born November 19, 1791, and had 
the following children:  John Laughlin, born November 10, 1816, died 
February 8, 1837; Eleanor, born September 27, 1818, died September 2, 
1838; Mary Jane, born May 9, 1823, died in June, 1845; William Miller, 
born November 19, 1820, died March 8, 1863.  William Miller Davidson 
was married October 28, 1845, to Miss Margaret Eleanor, daughter of Dr. 
William M. [see sketch of Alexander Brady Sharpe, page 394] and Jane 
(Wilson) Sharp, the latter a daughter of Rev. Samuel Wilson, pastor of 
Big Spring Church, Newville, for fifteen years, and who died, while 
pastor, March 4, 1799.  Dr. William M. Sharp was born July 23, 1798, 
died August 20, 1835; his widow was born December 3, 1794, and died 
June 27, 1876.  Besides Margaret Eleanor Mr. and Mrs. Sharp had three 
sons:  Samuel Wilson, born March 27, 1822, died December 6, 1877; 
Alexander Elder, born March 27, ____, died December 13, 1860; Joshua 
Williams, born May 24, 1831, died in Jaffa, Palestine, April 7, 1881, 
and was buried in the Protestant Cemetery there.  William M. Davidson 
and wife had three children, all now living:  Jane Wilson and Mary 
Miller, who live with their mother in Newville, and Oliver Cromwell, 
who was born January 27, 1856, married in November, 1879, to Miss Mary 
C., daughter of William Mills Glenn (have one child), and live in West 
Pennsborough Township, just east of Newville.  After her husband's 
death Mrs. William M. Davidson continued to live on her farm until 
1880, when, with her two daughters, she came to Newville.