The Mysterous Davisons

Life's Lessons

Nice to be back - playing with family history.

Things have been quiet on the blog because we lost a beloved daughter-in-law last month. Priorities changed dramatically- as you have all experienced I'm sure.

It is sort of ironic that I relish the research of ancestors who have passed on, but find it so painful to loose a family member from our own immediate circle.

The experience has served to reinforce the fact that we are part of larger family groups and need to watch out for each other.  In visiting with individuals who have stepped in to lend a hand, we discovered family relationships.  Many kind neighbors and friends turned out to be distant cousins on both sides of our family.

As a grandmother, I consider it one of the "tender mercies" that sensitive and gentle individuals are placed in our path during times of crisis, especially to help those we love most.  And it is an added blessing when they turn out to be family. 

Now for the Mysterous Davisons

Annie Rebecca Seward's mother in law, Mary Ann Davison Kennington has prompted further research.  We blogged about Jenny's discovery of Mary Ann's  birth record and her parents' marriage record last May.

The search continues in Caistor and adjacent parishes of North Kelsey, South Kelsey, Nettleton, Cabourn, Limber Magna, Clixby and Grasby.

The name appears to be mis-transcribed to Dawson in different places.  We need to look for the obvious Davison, then Davidson, Dawson, Dawsonn, Dawsonne, Davyson, Davisson etc.  The variety is almost endless.  Keep an eye out for any Thomas and Jane D.... with perhaps more than one daughter.  It looks like they had a strong tradition of farming or farm laboring.  Good luck.

Mary Ann Davison's baptismal entry

Mary Ann Davison
Wife of Richard Kennington

Baptismal Entry for Mary Ann Davison

Caistor, Lincolnshire, England Parish Record1810
FHC Film # 1450424
Courtesy of Jenny Kennington Wagstaff

The Caistor Parish Record (6th entry down) reads:
Davison, Mary D.[daughter] of Thomas and Jane, April 8th.
The year, 1810, is listed at the top of the page.

Well folks, I believe Jenny's research has put the Mary Ann Davison question to rest. Combined with the marriage entry for Thomas and Jane the year before, we have a pretty clear picture of a newly married couple having their first child, a daughter, on April 1st, 1810 (according to family records) and having her baptized at the parish church when she was a week old.

By the way, the parents were married by Banns in the parish church. That indicates that for 3 weeks prior to their marriage, their intent to marry was announced at the church - giving anyone who objected the opportunity to do so. This was the normal way to marry. But If couples were in a hurry to marry, were enroute to another town, etc. they could buy a license and be married without the waiting period in another parish. So it seems to me that Thomas Davison and Jane Glossop were comfortable where they were and likely had family around to support them. They may have been agricultural laborers. The Glossop name has the double s. At that time the first s was written like our cursive f. So to our eye, the name might look like Glofsop, but it's Glossop.

In case you haven't consulted your maps yet, Caistor is about 16 miles north west from Louth as the crow flies. North Thoresby, where her future husband, Richard, was born is to the east of Caistor about 8 miles. Louth is to the south east of both towns.

A few notes on Caistor:
Pigot's Directory of 1828 describes it as a "small market town in parish of the same name...157 miles from London, 23 from Lincoln, 8 miles from Brigg...Parish Church dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul...grammar school founded in 1630...population in 1821 was 1,388 inhabitants...a fire in 1681 left 45 families in poverty and consumed over 1/2 the town's buildings..."

The 1841 Census of Caistor has a Sarah Davidson 25, with several children. There is also a Benjamin Davison or Dawson, 40, Blacksmith and family. Several Kennington families are also there: Thomas, 55 Wheelwright and family, a Richard 65 or 45, Carpenter with wife,, Mary 60 or 40 and Sarah, 10 ... (I know, that sounds like them doesn't it?, but the names don't line up, we need to do more research)

We need to go 2 directions now:
1. Back in time to find and document Thomas Davison and Jane Glossop and their families.
2. Forward in time to untangle the Progressive Men of Wyoming quote: "His parents were Richard and Mary (Davidson) [sic] Kennington, who came with their young family to the United States in 1856 and settled in Utah...The family consisted of of thirteen children, seven of whom died in infancy." PMW, pg. 855. The missing children need to be accounted for and added to the family record and we need a marriage date for Richard & Mary Ann.

Thanks again Jenny.

Mary Ann Davison's Parents Discovered?

Marriage Certificate for
Thomas Davison and Jane Glossop
1809
Caistor, Lincolnshire, England
FHC film # 1450424
Courtesy of Jenny Kennington Wagstaff, great granddaughter of Henry Kennington (Uncle Hen)

The search for Mary Ann Davison's parents has been a long one with several false leads, but I think this may be the real deal.

Let's review the family traditions:

1. Name: Mary Ann Davison or Davidson (confusion has always been present on the last name) but she named her son Richard Davison Kennington.
2. Birth Date: 1 April 1810 - Date never varied in any of the family records.
3. Location: Family tradition held that she was from Durham, England. This tradition of coming from Durham may be a partial truth. Mary Ann's father may have come from Durham, or her family may have moved to Durham for part of her youth, etc. There are many Davison families in that area. The History of the County Palentine of Durham England is loaded with references to Gentlemen, Knights, Vicars, Merchants, Soldiers, etc. named Davison.
4. Parents & Family: None mentioned as far as I've been aware of in the older family group sheets.
5. Aunt Gwen in 1988: "...I did find Richard and Mary Ann in a record (as I recall Caistor) that I can't recall or find now..." They would have needed a reason to be living there.
6. Valentine Davison in Sedgefield, Durham, England and Mary Bales were good candidates for Mary Ann's parents - they did have a Mary Ann (8 May 1811 St. Giles, Durham, Durham). They were the best option yet discovered in the 1980's and are presented in the Kennington History Book, We follow Great Pioneers, Ruth Miller Kennington, 1996. One red flag with Valentine Davison is the obvious fact that his unusual surname did not continue with his Kennington descendents.

Jenny shared her information just this week. What a pleasure to connect with cousins who also have the same goals and interests in family history. We appreciate her willingness to offer up new discoveries with the blog.

A few points in favor of Thomas Davison and Jane Glossop as Mary Ann's parents are:

1. The record of Mary Davison's birth to Thomas and Jane Davison 1 April 1810 recorded in the Caistor Parish Register (Copy to follow in a later blog) The date is dead on accurate.

2. 1851 Census recording Mary Ann's birth place as Caistor (see earlier entry for census)

3. Jane's name carried on through grand daughter, Sarah Jane Kennington (1839). Though one wonders why we don't have more Thomas's and Glossops...

Take a good look at the family and the Caistor connection. Let us know if there are any red flags we should discuss. It would be fantastic to finally extend the Davison line. We'll get into Mary Ann's birth records and Caistor a bit more in the near future.

Please feel free to leave your comments or email me at kkhamblin@gmail.com