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Jehu Davis Family of DelawareIndex for Ward and Associated Families of Sassafras Neck, Cecil County, Maryland I can't take credit for this wonderful amount of research. Many thanks for this information go to Valda Perry Hoennicke who is researching the Killen family of Delaware. HISTORY: 1738- Jehu Davis (1738-1801), son of Thomas Davis, was born in Worcester County, MD (was Somerset County at that time), moved to Sussex Co., then to Kent County, Delaware. (Hart, p 13/from Autobiography of Judge Isaac Davis) 1765- 20 Feb, birth of Jehu's son, Isaac Davis. From Isaac Davis' autobiography... "Isaac Davis, son of Jehu Davis and Rhoda, his wife, was born February 20th 1765. My parents were professing Churchmen or protestants in which church I was baptized. My father was a moral man and much beloved by the people, he was a church warden many years, had a church on his lands, kept the books, and entertained the travelling clergy, who often gave a sermon. As he lived in the country he was pushed into publich live by the people, he was by them chosen first Captain of the militia in the Revolutionary war in 1775, he commanded that Company after marching against the enemy until the end of the war. He was then in the committee of public safety, he was fourteen years a Justice of the peace, and thirteen years a member of the General Assembly for this County, and for many years of that time presided as speaker of the house of Assembly in which capacity he became the Governor of the state, and office he was so little pleased with that he made a call of the Legislature to elect a Governor. He was Judge of the board of property for granting and settling the titles of vacant land in the County, and many years a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Kent, which he held until the new constitution of the state in the year 1792. ... Such was his popularity in the County that no party could succeed without his influence. His demeanour was so unobtrusive and his character so unimpeachable that he was more beloved by the people than any man I ever knew. He became a Methodist by principal, attended their ministry, supported their doctrine and usefulness but never joined in membership with the Church. He was a praying man, and said to me after his constitution was impaired by disease that he was not afraid to die, he went off suddenly in his sixty-third year with apoplexy. My [Isaac Davis] mother [Rhoda] had eight children, five sons and three daughters, I was the eldest and favorite of my mother whome I loved above all beings on earth during my minority. She was the most domestic housewife I ever knew. She could pursue her business until 12 and even 1 o'clock at night by which her constitution was impaired and she died at about the age of fifty-five years. My grandfather Thomas Davis lived and died in the county of Worcester in the State of Maryland, he had eight sons and two daughters, the eldest of which was Saul Davis, died on the Mississippi lately aged ninety years. My grandfather [Thomas Davis, Jr.] died at about eighty years of age. ... My great grandfather [Thomas Davis, Sr.] came from Wales and settled in Worchester and died at the advanced age of one hundred and twelve year. I have seen Prince who waited on him who paid an annual visit to my father's and was treated with the greatest kindness and regard, with the greatest marks of respect and pleasure by our family as the faithful nurse and servant of our ancestor. My father and mother married at Laural, then Broad Creek in Sussex County, bought a tract of woodland near Milford in Kent County, DE moved on of where they both died and their remains now lay there, at which place I was born and is yet in the family being the property of my brother Henry. My father having his land to clear and a young beginner was in what might be called middle circumstances of life as to his temporalities, and desirous to better his condition having his building to erect, gave all work sufficient. I was set to work at seven years old, and made to perform all I was able to do, I remember the beautiful fires we used to have of night burning the grub brush and hash off the land. We usually towards spring were thus employed until 10 o'clock at night. I have worked many nights on the top of my strength until my heart ached with the sport. I have supposed that the early habit of labor and constant pursuit of activity and temperance has invigorated my body and mind and been the source of great blessings to me. During my minority, and the troubles and privations of the revolutionary war, my father's large and growing family of white and black children became heavy, and as he was much from home, at the age of thirteen years I became charged with much of his family councerns, my course was to work nine months and to go to school three in each year. In this way I obtained such an education as I could get. I continued this course until I was twenty years of age. 1769- 14 Aug, birth of dgt, Sarah . (Dill, p 7) 1775- Per DAR Patriot Index... Jehu Davis, born 25 June 1745 in Delaware; will probated 1791 in Delaware; first married to Rhoda Lewis [Laws]; second married to Melissa Douglas; served as CS in Delaware. (DAR, p 775) ????- marriage of dgt, Sarah to John Clark. (Dill, p 7) 1790- 12 Dec, death of dgt, Sarah Clark the wife of John Clark; buried in the St. Peter's Episcopal Church Cemetery. (Dill, p 7) 1800- 1 Jan, Jehu writes Will. (DPA/probate, Reel 2 frame 624) 1801- Kent County Book O p 27-28...Will dated 1 Jan 1800...proved 17 June 1801. Will of Jehu Davis to wife, who was unnamed. However, administration was given to Sarah. She would have been his second wife.
- Will Proved 17 Jun 1801 By this the testator desires in severalty to his 2 sons Henry and John all his lands. His desire to Henry is thus... Item: To my son Henry I give and bequeath my home place with all its appenditures including the whole of my lands except the tract already mentioned for my son John.... There was a residency clause in these words..."And lastly the remainder and residue of my goods and chattle and personal estate whatever that is not mentioned in legacy or otherwise here to fore in my will I give and bequeath to my son Henry whome I [constitute] my Executor... The testator names his children: Isaac, Sarah Clark, John, Henry, Rhoda, and Nancy Hazzard. Now by the Deed alone above recited it will be seen that 3 [ ] - Rhoda, Nancy, and two children of Sarah joined in the Conveyance this was all except John and one of the children of Sarah. To his son, John the testator had devised a tract of land other then that devised to Henry. In neither of these desires was there any expressed desire in fee simple by the use of the word "heir" or any [ ] express words denoting inheritance. This doubtless gave rise to the [ ] that only a life estate was given to Henry which it was the purpose of the Deed above mentioned to correct. Nowhere in the devise of land, it is not given for life and where there is no residuary devise of that land either in general terms or by Specific resignation and where there is otherwise nothing in the will to show to the contrary, it is a rule of law that a personal change on the devise will be constituded to mean that the Testator intended the devises to take a fee simple. Otherwise by being compelled to pay money he might be injured instead of being benefited. Here there is a residuary bequest, but it is confused to personally and has no relation to his land or if it has then Henry is that residuary desiree. After the devise to Henry of the land there is the beqest "Item to my daughter Rhoda Hill I give and bequeath also fifty pounds S pieces to be paid by my son Henry in the space of two years after my decease" And in the matter of John there was this bequest "To my daughter Sarah Clark I give and bequeath forty pounds to be paid by my son John" The last paragraph gave more explainations as to the validity of the will. (DPA/RG 3555/kc arch deed 1680-1930, Reel 2, frame 624) 1815- 25 Dec, Book P, Vol 3, p 103-4/ Deed FROM Isaac Davis, Rhoda Hill, Elias Flemming and Nancy Flemming, Thomas Clark and John Clark TO... Henry Davis. This deed was logded for record in 1841 [wrote as is, probably 1741-vph] It was probably a Christmas gift. By this deed the grantor states themselves to be a part of the heirs at law of Jehu Davis and reciting the devise to his son, Henry conveyed to him the tract so devised it was intended the Jehu Clark who was a brother of Thomas and John should have executed and his name is in the Deed, but he did not sign. Nancy and Rhoda were daughters of Jehu Davis, the testator. (DPA/RG 3555/kc arch deed 1680-1930, Reel 2, frame 624) 1842- 2 Nov, Book R, Vol 3, p 51/ Deed FROM Caleb Wolcott, Sheriff TO... James B. Davis. For the interest of Henry Davis in the lands devised to him by his father Jehu Davis in a Tract of Land in Milford Hundred adjoining lands of Elizabeth Stair, J.P. McColley, John M. Darby and others said to contain 447 acres more or less. (DPA/RG 3555/kc arch deed 1680-1930, Reel 2, frame 624) 1852- 18 Nov, Book H, Vol 4, p 130; conveys the 200 acres tract/ Deed FROM James B. Davis TO... Isaac Carpenter. 1853- 31 Mar, Book H, Vol 4, p 132; conveys the 73 1/4 acres tract/ Deed FROM James B. Davis TO... Isaac Carpenter In the Deed for 1852 & 1853 it is stated that by the will of Jehu Davis this land was devised to his son Henry but as it was [ ] that only a life estate had passed and that the heirs and legal representatives of Jehu Davis believing that it was their father's intention to convey a fee simple had by deed released their right. (DPA/RG 3555/kc arch deed 1680-1930, Reel 2, frame 624) Jehu Davis Farm Cemetery, located in Canterbury, 1500' west of Road 105 and 1500' south of Road 368; found in Dill, p 761... J-19; lists the children of Mary C. and Jehu Davis:
Odd Fellows Cemetery in Camden [DE]; found in Dill, p 597... J-4
Quaker Cemetery in Camden [DE]; found in Dill, p 556... J-3
Sources:
Last Updated: March 21, 2002. |
Ellen Ward
ellen@bcpl.net