Incorrect Lineage for James Davison I
Descendents of Daniel
DAVIDSON
VA
State page
KY
State Page
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here to see information on one of the sons of James Davidson "I" who
was named Daniel Davidson
Incorrect Lineage for James Davison I, b. 1720-1730,
d. 1794 Russell County, VA
The
James Davidson of Russell Co., VA, who died about 1794, was a member of DNA
"Family 13" at www.davidsongenes.org
By: Sue Elfving
9 Aug 2009
An incorrect lineage for James
Davison I (d. 1794, Russell Co., Va.) continues to appear on the internet with increasing frequency. The ancestry of
James Davison I has not been determined. Furthermore, DNA testing for several of
his descendants prove this group of Davi(d)sons is not related to Importation
John Davison and his wife Jane of Ireland, Virginia, and
North Carolina
, the most commonly incorrect lineage that is embraced.
Perhaps of even greater significance is that James Davison I has not been linked
to any other group of Davidsons that have been tested.
For those interested in DNA testing, James Davison I is represented as Family 13
and the results of the Davidson/Davison/Davisson DNA Study can be found at:
www.davidsongenes.org
Some of the major groups of Davidsons to which he is not related:
Family #1: Iredell Co, NC Davidsons (Importation John line)
Family #2: Daniel Davis(s)on of
Boston
and NJ
Family #3: Patrick Davidson of PA
Family 4 - John Davidson of Bertie and/or Guilford Co., NC
Family 5 - Richard Davison of Middlesex Co., VA (includes
Pr Edward
Co
VA
group)
Family 7 - James Davidson, Sr. of PA and Bedford Co., VA
Family 10 - Hezekiah Davidson, died 1793 in Cumberland Co.,
VA, and William Davidson of Orange/Guilford Co., NC
Family 19 – John Goolman
Davidson Family of Tazewell Co,
Va.
History of Incorrect Lineage:
If one sees James Davison I (d 1794) listed as a son of
Samuel Davison, or as a descendant of John and Jane, son of William and
Elizabeth of Armagh, then one knows immediately it is in error.
Briefly, Samuel
Davison, son of John Davison, was born 10 Oct. 1736. James Davison I of Russell
Co.,
Va.
, who d. 1794, was born by 1730 at the very latest but probably several years
earlier. A date of birth range for James is 1720-1730.
This lineage,
often seen with respect to Old Revolutionary War Soldier Daniel Davidson Sr. of
Clay Co., Ky., (son of James Davison I) was originally put forth by early
researchers of this line. Later it was included in Selden Davidson’s genealogy
of the same family. There was a notation by
Selden
that it was not proven, but the warning went unheeded.
Selden
did not research Daniel’s ancestry but focused on Daniel’s descendants.
Selden
’s work on the descendants of Daniel Davidson has been substantially updated
and published by Frank Davidson.
James Davison who d. 1794, was probably born by 1720-25 but
might have been born as late as 1730. His
probable daughter Nancy DAVISON Osborne Wood was born in 1748 which pushes his
date of birth back to 1728 or earlier. His three oldest sons, James II, Daniel,
and Joseph were themselves born by 1757.
The early researchers never consulted Washington and
Russell Co.,
Va.
records; therefore, they never knew that Daniel was the son of James Davison I,
nor did they know when James Davison I was born (approximately). As a result,
none of the early scenarios worked mathematically. Furthermore, several
different Virginia Davidson families were combined together to create one
connected family, all from William of Ireland. Later family enthusiasts embraced
the original problematic lineage, in part, or in whole, without taking into
consideration public records or later research on John and Jane Davison. In more
recent times, the lineage has been pared down to only include James Davison I as
son of Samuel who was son of John and Jane, who was son of William of Armagh.
Now, the entire issue has been scientifically resolved by DNA tests.
Two major
documented sources for Importation John Davison’s family are:
1. Those members of the
Davison/Davidson Family who descended from William and Elizabeth Davison of
County Armagh, Ireland and settled in North Carolina and Tennessee and later in
Mississippi, Texas and elsewhere by Robert Stephens Hand, 1990, Second
Edition – 1991
2. Carolina
Cradle Settlement of the Northwest Carolina Frontier, 1747-1762 by Robert W.
Ramsey, The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill
Importation John Davidson died in 1749 during which period
he was in the process of removing to NC. Probate records for him exists both in
NC and in Augusta Co. His widow Jane remarried to William Morrison per Augusta
Co. records. They also removed to NC. Included in this Davidson group are his
sons George, Thomas, Samuel, William, and John (b. 1744 in
Va.
), some daughters, a contemporary George Davidson (possibly a brother), and
some other Davidsons (exact relationship not yet determined) Davidsons. It is a
very large group with several notable Rev. War soldiers and has been extensively
researched.
For those of you new to family research or to your James
Davi(d)son I ancestry, descendants of James Davidson I intermarried with the
Stacys, Combs, and other Perry Co.,
Ky.
, families. Elizabeth Davidson, the daughter of Rev. War soldier James Davidson
II, married Simon Stacy, son of Judith Tolson and Simon Stacy. Simon and
Elizabeth
’s son Shadrach married Sarah Combs, d/o of Long Jerry Combs. Two sons of
Robert Davidson (son of James II) intermarried with the Combs family. Rev. War
soldier Daniel Davidson, who removed to Clay Co.,
Ky.
, was a son of James Davison I. He left many descendants who intermarried with
a wide range of Perry Co. families including Combs.
The DNA study also proves that John Goolman Davidson of
Tazewell Co.,Va, was also unrelated to James Davison I.
Periodically a lineage linking the two families surfaces on the internet.
This John is well-researched and very “trackable” in
Virginia
land records. Two of his sons applied for a RW pension and their affidavits
confirm John immigrated from
Ireland
to
Pennsylvania
in 1758/59 with a young family. They later came to Augusta Co. and eventually
settled on land that was in Montgomery, then Tazewell, later Mercer Co. This
John was more a contemporary of James Davison I.
In summary, there were many different groups of Davison,
Davidson, and Davissons who resided in
Virginia
in the early to late 1700s. Some groups were large in number and they are hard
to separate. Older research incorrectly mixed the various groups together but
DNA tests are helping to separate, as well as relate, these early Davidsons.