Other SURNAMES Mentioned: ABERNATHY, DAWSON, WYSINGER
Welcome! I am just getting started on this page, re: James "Madison" DAVIS and Elizabeth "Betsey" (EVANS) DAVIS and family, but will post what I have confirmed.
James Madison DAVIS was born in Kentucky abt 1811, and married to Elizabeth (EVANS), who was born abt 1811 in Tenn or KY. (Further research in progress).
"Madison" & Elizabeth (Evans) DAVIS married at Shelby County, KY, on Dec 9, 1833. Valentine SWEENEY was the Bondsman, and swore under oath that Elizabeth was 21 years old. Valentine signed on behalf of Madison and Elizabeth, and both marked their signatures with an X.
They left Shelby County, KY in 1833 and settled at Madison, Monroe County, Missouri, where they lived (per census) until 1860.
I have confirmed information mostly about one of their sons, my GG-Grandfather, Monroe DAVIS. Monroe was born on Nov 8, 1843 at Monroe County, Missouri.
The following are Census listings of the Madison DAVIS family, and some neighbors are posted.
1840 Monroe County, MO Census
DAVIS, Madison 2-0-0-0-1 1-2-0-0-0-1-0-1
1850 Monroe County, MO Census - 59th Dist.
#987 DAVIS -
Madison 39, M, Farming, b KY
Betsey 39, F, KY
Harmon J., 10, M, MO
Joseph J., 9, M, MO
Arthur B., 7, M, MO,
Thomas, 3, M, MO
Joel, 1/12, M, MO
(Monroe not listed, should be age 7)
Directly above Madison Davis Family is:
DAVIS:
Lewis, 25, M, Farming, b KY
Angelina, 24, F, b KY
Lucy L?, 6, F, b MO
Benjamin T?, 4, M, b MO
John N?, 3, M, b MO
Directly below the Madison Davis family is the Vincent and Sarah JACKSON Family. Vincent b VA, Sarah b KY.
1860 Monroe County, MO - Marion Twp.
DAVIS -
Madison, 47, M, $480/$320, KY
Elizabeth, 48, F, KY?
Arma J., 17, F, MO
Joseph, 16, M, MO
Arthur, 14, M, MO
Lewis, 12, M, MO
Uriah, 4, M, MO
Perkins, Susannah, 42, F, Blind
(Monroe not listed, should be age 17)
Directly above the Madison Davis Family is:
PERKINS:
William, 73, M, Farmer
Jane, 73, F
William, 24, M b MO
Directly below the Madison Davis Family is:
PERKINS:
Thomas, 33, M, Farmer, b KY
Mahala, 25, F
William, 6?, M
James, 3, M
Family Story says, this family was in KY during the Civil War, in the 1860's, but the exact place/time is unknown. The family had a beautiful home their, until Union soldiers came and burned it down and took their livestock. Elizabeth did not know where her husband was. While she, Monroe and his sister walked away from the fire, Elizabeth told them not to look back. I can only imagine....
1870 Clinton Co., MO Census - Lafayette Twp.
DAVIS:
Arthur B., 24, M, Farmer, b MO
Elizabeth, 58, F, Keeping House, b KY
Uriah, 15, M, Farm Laborer, b MO
Directly above is the Middleton VAUGHN Family, and directly below is the Benjamin RIDDLE Family. On previous pages of the census, listed are the James & Sarah DAVIS family, the Columbus & Altha PERKINS Family and the John and Jane PERKINS family. In pages after the above DAVIS family, listed is the David C. and Elizabeth MCHENRY family, the parents and a brother of Sarah (McHenry) DAVIS who is the wife of Monroe DAVIS.
The following is a letter/news article written by Monroe DAVIS when he was 88 years old, and was then a resident of Blackwell City, OK. This letter confirms the location that Monroe DAVIS was born and raised at....Madison, MO (Monroe County).
From the MADISON TIMES, Madison, MO.
"Recalls Early Days Around Madison"
Blackwell, Okla., July 13, 1931
I notice in your number of July 9th, a write up of early days of the city of Madison, which was read by me with much interest.
Being an Old Settler myself, I was born and raised about three miles northwest of Madison in the year 1843. Am now 88 years old, my name is Monroe DAVIS. My fathers name was Madison DAVIS, was generally known as Mat DAVIS, who settled where I was born in 1833.
James R. ABERNATHY was an uncle of mine by marriage. I can recognize the name of all the Old Settlers mentioned, however, I only find one name that I can recognize that is living among all of my acquaintances, that one is John Dunaway. Probably he would remember me.
Among the old industries you failed to mention the old grist mill, that was owned by John DAWSON, that was run by the power of an incline wheel and was driven by horses walking on the wheel and the weight of the horses would revolve and which would also run the millstone. The parties that brought the grist to mill had to furnish the horses. The miller that run the mill was named WYSINGER.
Just to show the younger boys how milling was done at that mill, I will explain just how it was done.
The mill was equiped with a set of mill stones that was used to grind either corn or wheat. If it were corn the meal was scooped into a sack and if it were wheat it was scooped into another sack and carried upstairs and put through a bolt that was run by hand. It took two men to do it. One man would turn the reel while the other fed the stock into the reel. The flour would fall into a chest below. The miller, Mr. WYSINGER, would take a turkey wing in his hand, open up the chest and divide the fine flour from the middlings by drawing a line between the fine flour and the middlings and shorts also. He then would put the shorts on the bottom of the sack then tie a string around the sack, then do likwise with the flour and middlings. All three then would be in the same sack. The bran was then put into a separate sack.
LINK TO THE SON OF JAMES & ELIZABETH (EVANS) DAVIS
Son, Monroe DAVIS
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