John Davis (abt. 1790 - 1819)

Born about 1790 in Kentucky, United States

Husband of Elan (Journey) Downey — married 25 Jan 1816 in Harrison County, Kentucky

Descendants

Died 16 Apr 1819 at about age 29 in Indiana, United States

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Biography

John Davis was born about 1790 (estimated from wife's DoB) in Kentucky. He died Apr. 16, 1819, in Indiana, and was buried at Reddington Cemetery, Reddington, Jackson County, Indiana.^[1]

"[John Davis] was of Irish extraction, born in Kentucky in 1790. He came to Indiana in 1816, and located on a 160 acre farm given him by his father. In 1818, when he and his brother-in-law, Ralph Martin [said to be husband of Audra Journey] were attending a Methodist camp meeting in Gibson County, a violent storm arose, and while they were standing under a tree, waiting for the storm to pass, they were struck by lightning and instantly killed, together with their two horses. [His wife Ellen (Journey) Davis] was born in the State of New Jersey, and after the death of her husband, married James Downey, with whom she lived until her death in 1858."^[2]

The tombstone in Jackson County, Indiana, said to be for Ellen's husband reads
In
memory of
John Davis
departed this Life
April 16th 1819
Aged 5_[8?] years 3 months
[obliterated] _1[?] days^[3]
[1819 minus 50 years = born circa 1769]

Attribution of the above tombstone to Ellen's husband seems to be an invalid assumption based on "the name is the same." If Ellen's husband died in Gibson County in southwest Indiana, it does not seem plausible that he would be buried in Jackson County in central Indiana.^[4] Also, the tombstone is inscribed with an 1819 death year and the unknown compiler of Descendants of William Davis: Second Generation states he died in 1818 (no sources; died about two years after his marriage). Also, the man buried in Jackson County was born circa 1769, which does not fit the 1790 birth year of Ellen's husband.

Notes

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Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial# 95969742 created 26 August 2012 by CM Reed; citing Reddington Cemetery, Reddington, Jackson County, Indiana.
2. ↑ ‘’History of Posey County, Indiana’’ (Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1886), 585 biographical sketch of Joseph Davis, son of John and Ellen (Journey) Davis. The same death story appears on several Ancestry Family Trees (for example, Broadwell Family Tree owned by 99niewoonder and Witherspoon/Files Family owned by Marilynfiles 1); citing page 25 of an unidentified manuscript, Cox Collection, Regional & Family History, Willard Library, Evansville, Indiana.
3. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial# 95969742 created 26 August 2012 by CM Reed; citing Reddington Cemetery, Reddington, Jackson County, Indiana.
4. ↑ Indiana map at http://www.digital-topo-maps.com/county-map/indiana.shtml

• Evidence analysis contributed by Kathy Gunter Sullivan.