Meletiah Davis, Gloucester

[greybird]

Ooh I hope it is the one! It says he was a clothier. I have been trying to convey my excitement at all this to my husband (it's his family!). He said "but that was years ago" ..............

[janbooth]

Oh, I know the feeling! Not so much my husband who is researching his own family lines, but children and grandson think I am definitely weird!

Hope the will turns out to be really useful for you.

Janet

[greybird]

Well, I finally received a copy of the will (the delay was caused by family preoccupations - I seem to be running a B&B, laundry and creche service!), and its the wrong one! I am so disappointed. John Davis of France Lynch d. 1822 had a wife called Mary and a good many children all with the wrong names. Back to searching, but I am really grateful for the help and interest you have given and will let you know if anything else turns up.

[janbooth]

How disappointing for you, Chris. Looking through the IGI, there is a baptism on 24 April 1774 at Bisley of a Jane HALL daughter of William HALL - wonder if this could be your Jane?? Also a marriage on Gloucs FHS Marriage Index pre 1800 at Bisley by licence on 24 March 1761 of a William HALL and a Mary JONES. They appear to have had several other children at Bisley. It could be interesting to see who were the witnesses to John & Jane's marriage - perhaps they were relatives?

I also had a look to see if I could trace the whereabouts of Gamaliah and Mehetabell subsequent to their baptisms - without much success I might add, but, and this could be a total red herring, I did come across a marriage registration in the March qtr 1875 at Gloucester reg district of a Hester Mehetabel DAVIS - coincidence or no! I then looked for a birth registration and found it in Stroud reg district in the December qtr 1843 (Hester Meatabel DAVIS). Then I come unstuck again, as I can't find her with any certainty in the 1851/61 census records. But the name does seem rather a coincidence, doesn't it. If she is connected, then it does suggest one of the children, perhaps Gamaliah (it does seem to be a male name) remained in the area. See what you think anyway, and I will keep searching.

Janet

[greybird]

Hello Janet

It looks as if Hester Mehetabel was named someone doesn't it. I had also looked for Mehetabel and came up with nothing. Obviously one to follow up. However, as far as Gamaliah is concerned, I have found a death for a Gamaliel Davis in Eton, Berkshire in 1849. A long way from Gloucestershire, true, but it's a stones throw from Winkfield where Melatiah ended up! I have sent for the death certificate, although it probably won't show his place of origin. There is also a marriage in 1835 of Gamaliel Davis to Ann Wyatt in Clewer, which is an area of Windsor, also a stones throw from Winkfield. I just wish they had waited another couple of years to get married! In view of the other errors on the Familysearch baptism records for the Davis/Hall family, I'm prepared to believe that Gamaliah should have read Gamaliel.

I had found the possible birth record for Jane Hall, but not the marriage of William and Mary - thank you for that! It's such a nice feeling having new avenues to follow! I have also found more links on the censuses between the Davis and Moth families. Melatiah married Elizabeth Moth from Frimley, Surrey, but there are also other Moths living in Winkfield. I haven't had time yet to follow this up, and not sure yet who was where first, if you see what I mean! Both Frimley and Winkfield are sort of out of the way places (I know both of them) and its hard to see how they would link up naturally.

Oh for a little more time!

Chris

[greybird]

I have received the death certificate for Gamaliel Davis. Nothing to prove that he was Melatiah's brother, but he died in August 1849 at the age of 55, which puts his year of birth at c1794. Melatiah's year of birth according to the censuses was c1799, but the baptisms of both of them was in 1805, so possibly they were not baptised as infants? I know that this did happen often, but if that was the case it seems at odds with the names they were given - unless their mother perhaps "got religion" around that time! Perhaps that's why she finally married their father?

Two other interesting things from the certificate. Firstly, he was a smith by occupation, living in King Stable Street, Eton, Berks. This is very close to Eton College so would probably have shoed the College horses. My husband was born a very short distance away in Eton Wick, and his mother, sister and in later years his father (descended from Melatiah) all worked in the College laundry. We had previously thought that his grandfather had moved to Eton for work on the farms, but perhaps there were connections there already.

The other thing is the cause of death. Very unpleasant - Diarrhea 10 hours and Assatic(?) Cholera 12 hours. I thought that this couldn't be right, but have found the following on Google:

"In the summer of 1849 over 33,000 people in three months died of cholera in Britain. Around 13,000 of tose who died lived in London. Until the second-half of the 19th century, about 50 per cent of the people who caught cholera died of the disease. The cause of cholera was first identified in 1854. Since improvements have taken place in water supply, the disease has virtually disappeared in Europe. "

If he did shoe the College horses, he would inevitably have come in contact with pupils from London homes. I have since found several children born to Gamaliel and Ann, in 1836,1841,1845, 1848 and 26 May 1850! Oddly, there is also George Gamaliel Davis born in Eton on 23 Feb 1862 to Ann Davis, father Gamaliel. I don't know what to think about that one!

[greybird]

Edit: Just realised the cause of death is Asiatic Cholera