BIOGRAPHIES: DAVISSON FAMILY TRADITION, HARRISON CO, WV ********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. THIS BIOGRAPHY WAS DONATED TO THE HARRISON COUNTY WVGenWeb PROJECT/ARCHIVES ONLY: ********************************************************************** Submitted by: Patricia Hickman (Ittapmusic@aol.com) DAVISSON FAMILY TRADITION (Compiled from notes of D Ruth Davisson, deceased) William Davisson of Duck Creek was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, though his war record has not been identified among the numerous William Davissons who served from New Jersey. One story handed down through the generations since 1776 tells of his eerie experience the night before the battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778. (This battle was fought on Davisson's lands in Monmouth County. Molly Pitcher's well was either on Davisson land or next door). He disobeyed army rules in some way and as punishment (in an age of superstition) was ordered to spend the night in Old Tennant Churchyard. Some of his descendants claimed that the night among the tombstones frightened him so much that he was extremely nervous the rest of his life. When dawn came and the battle progressed, he was put to the task of carrying dead and wounded from the battlefield on his widebacked grey work horse to the church where he laid them on the floor and in the churchyard. Charles W Davisson, my grandfather and great-grandson of William of Duck Creek, told me he was a dispatch carrier around Philadelphia during the war. What personal glimpses we get of our ancestor Mary Maple Davisson comes from stories which Sarah Davisson West's daughter, Urzelda, told her grandson, Charles Washburn. He remembered being told that Mary's family were Tory sympathizers (though records show that several Maples served with the American troops during the Revolution). At any rate, the family had left the Kingston NJ area where most of the Maples lived and were in Philadelphia when it was headquarters for Sir Henry Clinton who commanded the British troops stationed there. Mary Maple lived in the Clinton "mansion" as a trusted maid to Sir Henry's daughter. She told about staying at night in the safety of the Clinton girl's room when young British officers became drunk and disorderly downstairs. Later (perhaps after Clinton had left), when she stood by the street or roadside, Washington and his troops marching by, he called out to her to "get back inside" for the "cowboys and skinners" were following. They were the traders who drove cattle and other livestock to sell to the army and were known to be a rough lot. After Mary and her husband William Davisson had moved to Duck Creek, Harrison County (W)V they returned to Philadelphia on horseback so Mary could take care of the Clinto girl's children while their mother visited relatives in England. When Mary came home to Duck Creek many monts later, she brought with her a "Hair Trunk" full of fine silks, cottons, lace and ribbons from London, finery unavailable to the settlers of the Trans-Allegheny frontier. Mr Washburn remembers seeing the the trunk of cowhide, hair side up, Miss Nora Davisson, who died in her eighties in 1965, recalled seeing a small piece of ribbon from the hair trunk, treasured for over a century by some of Mary's Duck Creek descendants. It was from this trunk that Sarah Davisson West's material for her wedding dress came. Children of William Davisson and Mary Maple Davisson: 1. Jonathan born 1780 in NJ; died 11 June 1852; resided Long Run; married Lorena Holland (born 21 May 1786; died 4 July 1881, 95 years 1month 14 days); both buried Davisson Cemetery, Long Run Road. Tradition is that Lorena Holland was born in Holland, came to Wilmington DE when she was 16; 1850 census gives birthplace as DE; charter member of Duck Creek Methodist Church founded 1831. 2. Margaret moved to Indiana - no records; married Henry Culdice from South Branch Valley. 3. Sarah born 1786 in NJ; died 22 Nov 1872; married 4 Jan 1803 Harrison Co (W)V Nathan West (born 1780 MD, s/o John & Frances West). 4. Andrew born 26 Mar 1789 PA; died 7 Sept 1862; buried Hayesville IN on Walter Seitz farm; married 22 Feb 1814 Bridget Haley (born ca 1843 Vinton Co OH d/o Anthony Haley & Eleanor Browne); resided Duck Creek, Gallia Co OH, Hayesville IN; left Duck Creek about 1835. 5. Eleanor "Ellen" born 1792 PA; died after 1872 when she applied for a widow's pension; married 1 Sept 1815 first to Joseph Powers, who died 15 months after marriage, and second to Daniel Hurst (born 6 Feb 1796, died 7 Oct 1872 Lewis Co WV, s/o William & Catherine Sims Hurst - A soldier in War of 1812; lived first on Upper Duck Creek, later Fink's Creek, Lewis Co (W)V). 6. Mary married ------ Haley; to Redbanks, Henderson Co KY - no records. 7. Lucretia born 1800 VA; unmarried. 8. Martha "Patsy" born 1803 VA; died after 1850; unmarried. Lucretia and Martha lived together in a log cabin on Duck Creek; can find no records for either one. Aunt Pat is remembered as a witty person and a great teller of tales. In their old days they visited among their relatives. Aunt Pat is named with Jonathan and Sarah West as "heirs of William Davisson" in a deed for 31 1/2 acres of land they sold to William Gaston. I do not know why Aunt Lucretia's name was not on the deed when she is listed in 1850 census. There may have been other children. The 1844 deed not signed by Mary Maple Davisson may indicate that Mary had died by that time. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WILL OF WILLIAM DAVISSON Harrison Co WV - Will Bk 6 Pg 408 I, William Davisson (farmer) of the District of Grant in the County of Harrison, State of West Virginia, make this my last will. I give, devise and bequest my estate and property real and personal as follows, that is to say: I give and bequeath to my two sons Parker and Reasin Davisson, my home consisting of two hundred and twenty five acres of land subject to my wife's dower and also all of one other certain piece of land on Ben's Run in said district and county, consisting of seventy eight acres of which the sum of two thousand dollars be paid at my death or within one year thereafter, said sum of $2000.00 to be equally divided or distributed between all of my girls, namely Mary (Marsy?) M., Samantha, Catharine, Alice and Sarah Ann Stalnaker, formerly Sarah A. Davisson, taking into consideration the advancements made to each one heretofore, to Sarah A. an advancement of six hundred dollars, to Mary two hundred dollars, to Samantha two hundred dollars, to the others nothing. Advancements have been made also to my sons George and Edgar, but I direct that my land on Beach Lick, Doddridge County, West Va., be sole and the proceeds be equally divided between George and Edgar and all of my girls, and that my personal property be equally divided between all of my children, my wife retaining her thirds, the two first named sons Parker and Resin are to maintain their mother in a decent and comfortable manner as long as she lives. I appoint Parker and Resin Davison, who resides on the home farm Executors of my last will, in witness whereof I have signed and sealed and published and declared this instrument as my will at Long Run. March 12th 1875 We, the undersigned do (Signed) William Davisson certify that this instrument was signed in our presence. L. D. Swisher James E. Jett Will admitted to probate Nov. 12, 1875