John Davis was in Derby, Ct. as early as 1685-1690. He was known as the Welshman. In June 1700 he made a will but lived for 12 more yrs. & had 3 more children after writing the will.
In 1701 John Davis Sen. & Samuel Bowers were chosen to make up the minister's rate (pay) for the previous year.
In 1691 he became a townsman of Derby, Ct. Persons wishing to settle in Derby had to conform to certain rules. The original method for accepting settlers was to give the land, consisting of a 4 acre home lot, 10 acres of upland, and 4-6 acres to make a meadow. Then the man had to build a house and fence his home lot, and reside 4 years, meeting other town claims of taxes. In 1679 the town changed this rule, voting that "hereafter persons taking up land (granted by the town) shall pay the purchase price whether they reside on it or not.
On March 1701 he drew Lot #45 for land in Derby.
Lot 45
John Davis senior his lott is bounded wt high way att each end and is 30 rod wide & 200 rod long and is bounded north wt Georg Bemans land & southerd wt Isaak Niccolls his land and lieth for 37 acores more or les laid out by us. Samuell Riggs John Pringle Josep Hawkens William TomlinsonEntred ye 19 of March 1705 In 1699 he also requested & received land from the town in order to build a barn near his house. It was common for the townsmen to request land from the township once they were declared a townsman.
The town voted for John Davis, Sen to have the 3rd seat facing the pulpit with Dr. John Durand during church services & his wife received the same on the women's side.
He filed a cattle mark - "John Davis Senir his Ear mark is a half tenant under the Right Ear & half tenant one ye upper sid of the left ear recorded the 29th of April 1712."
Among a list of Freemen in Derby about 1708 is John Daves. Being a freeman gave a person the right to vote or run for office. For this a person had to be approved by the General Court. In Mass. they had to be a church member in good standing.
DERBY, CT. VITAL RECORDS
Elizabeth daughter of John and Abigail Davies born July 21st: 1707
Nathaniel son of John and abigal davis was born the twenty six day of Febuwary 1698/9
Jabez ye son of Mr Jno: Davies & Abigail was born ye 24 of July 1703
Mary davis was born the 2d day of august 1693
Mr John Davis & Mrs: Mary Gun were married the 12th of May 1691SOURCES:
Theron Davis was extremely helpful in giving information on the Davis family.
Samuel Orcutt, HISTORY OF THE OLD TOWN OF DERBY, CONNECTICUT, 1642-1880, 1880 Norman Litchfield & Sabrina Connolly Hoyt, Ph.D., HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF OXFORD, CONNECTICUT
http://www.our-oxford.info/Litchfield-Hoyt_History_Of_Oxford/index.html
Copied and compared with the original by Nancy O. Phillips, Sarah Riggs Humphrey Chapter,
Daughters of the American Revolution, DERBY, CONNECTICUT TOWN RECORDS, 1655-
1710, (New Haven, CT, The Tuttle, Morehouse and Taylor Company, 1901.),
http://www.derbyhistorical.org/Derby_Records.htm
George T. Davis, Davis Publication: New Rochelle, N.Y., 1910, GENEALOGY OF THE
DESCENDANTS OF COL. JOHN DAVIS OF OXFORD, CONN. (Formerly a part of Derby, Conn.)Some websites that have been very helpful
1. Sanford-Shulsen Family, by Evelyn Beran
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=sanford-shulsen&id=I6681
2. Many Branches of My Family Tree From Washington County, Ohio & Beyond, by Debra (Noland) Nitsche
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=diamonddeb&id=I4263
3. Davis Families 1672 - 2004, by Roderic A. Davis, 2nd
http://www.gencircles.com/users/dav4is/10/data/212
4. Oxford Past, Oxford, New Haven, Connecticut
http://www.oxfordpast.net/oxfordpas/gppx.htm#TOC
She was the widow Mary Gunn when she married John Davis.
Some sources have her also known as Abigail Tibbals. Her mother, Margaret Tomlinson, married Jabez Harger Nov. 5, 1662 in Stratford, Fairfield, Ct. Due to her birth date & the fact Jabez Harger died 1678 in Derby, New Haven, Ct. she would be his daughter. Her mother Margaret, remarried to John Tibbals after the death of her husband. Also Abigail named her 3rd son after her Dad.
Jabes Harger is listed among the inhabitants of Stratford, Ct. March 28, 1668. The Connecticut Colonial Records state he was made a freeman Aug. 7, 1669 in Stratford, Ct. In 1675 Jabez Harger purchased a parcel of land from the Indian Okenug. In 1668 Jabez Harger & John Hulls purchased a parcel of land from Alexander Bryan called Peaquacs Plaine with a meadow called James Meadow. At a Derby Town meeting in 1683 Jabez Harger was appointed to purchase enough land from the Indians for a hamlet. He actually purchased more & resigned his deed to the town after the town laid out his home lot to his satisfaction. The town also granted the swamp land back to him to make up 2 acres. In drawing of lotts,
Abraham & Ebenezer had their portion of their father's estate in Derby bought by their brother, Jabez. 1701/2
According to Samuel Orcutt, Jabez Harger was a Huguenot who first settled in New Rochelle, N.Y.
VITAL RECORDS OF STRATFORD, CT.
Abigail, dau Jabez(?), b Mar 2, 1672
Anna, dau Jabez, b Feb 23, 1667
Ebenezer, son Jabez & Margarett, b Dec 25, 1674
Jabez, m Margarett TOMLYNSON, dau Henry, Nov 5, 1662
Mary, dau Jabez, b Feb 17, 1669
Samuell, son Jabez, b Sept 29, 1663
Sarah, dau Jabez, b Feb 5, 1665SOURCES;
VITAL RECORDS OF STRATFORD, FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jdevlin/barbour/stratford_barbour_main.htmCOLONIAL CONNECTICUT RECORDS 1636-1776
http://www.colonialct.uconn.edu/ChooseVolume.cfmTOWN RECORDS OF DERBY, CONNECTICUT
Copied by Nancy O. Philllips, 1901HENRY TOMLINSON AND HIS DESCENDANTS IN AMERICA, by Rev. Samuel Orcutt, 1891
A HISTORY OF THE OLD TOWN OF STRATFORD AND THE CITY OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, by Rev. Samuel Orcutt, 1886