Polly Kelsey and Peter Davis of Killingworth

Polly Kelsey was the daughter of Lois Griffin and her husband Stephen Kelsey (Blog November 2012). Polly’s birth is recorded in the Killingworth town records the date May 30, 1786 hinting that she was born in Killingworth. Her parents were counted among those living in Killingworth in the 1790 census. The remainder of the Kelsey family history however takes place in the neighboring community of Madison. I wonder what the reaction was for Lois’s siblings still living at the Griffin home on Roast Meat Hill to the new baby. Did any of the rough boys Joel, Asahel, Worden, John, Samuel or Dan take a turn at holding a new niece? Or was the new baby affections monopolized by the ladies of the house Mercy Bailey Griffin and her daughters Molly and Mercy. What was the reaction of her aunt and namesake Polly Griffin Doud? Did Polly’s grandfather Samuel weave a special piece of cloth on his loom that served as a receiving blanket? Was her crib crafted in her grandfather’s wood working shop? Polly grew up in a farming household with her 3 siblings, Julius, Stephen and Catherine. Polly married a young man that she probably knew well, Peter Davis (Peter / Lemuel / Samuel / Solomon ). The marriage is recorded in Volume 2 of the Killingworth Second Society records on page 151. The original page is too faded to allow us to make a legible copy. The recorded date is February 1, 1807. The Kelsey and Davis families were very well acquainted. They were neighbors in Killingworth and fellow members of the Congregational Society. Peter Davis’s uncle Henry was married to Polly Kelsey’s aunt, Azuba Griffin. Peter’s sister Malinda would eventually marry Polly’s brother Stephen Davis. Peter was the son of Lemuel Davis and his wife Jemina Kelsey. He was born October 4, 1786. He was the second son in the family to carry the name of Peter. The first Peter was born in 1783 and died in 1785. Polly and Peter made their home in Killingworth where they raised a family of 5. Polly and Peter are buried on Row 9 in the Stone House cemetery “In memory of Peter Davis. Died June 29, 1836, aged 53”. “In memory of Polly Davis, wife of Peter Davis, who died Sept. 16, 1833, age 47”. _______________ As with many of our recent projects the story of Polly and Peter’s children travels through the pages of the Union Episcopal Society. As was true with the other families in this situation the birth dates and records for the Davis children have been in a state of ambiguity. Peter’s cousin, Leonard Davis, and Polly’s brother, Julius Kelsey, were major players in the formation of the Episcopal Society. They were present in its early phases and present when the Union Society was formed in 1800. It seems that Polly and Peter joined the movement somewhat later. Although we find Polly and Peter being married in the Congregational Society in 1807 we find an entry in the Episcopal records, which on close evaluation, you can see is dated September 17, 1809. The entry records the baptism of Polly wife of Peter Davis and Alvin and Watson sons to Peter Davis. There is an entry for the baptism of George Nelson son of Peter Davis on September 15, 1811. Lewis Talcott’s baptism is registered on May 8, 1814. Synthia (Cynthia) Elisa’s baptism is listed as July 12, 1818. All of the children are referred to as the children of Peter Davis. Unlike the Congregationalist the Episcopalians where not in as big a hurry to baptize newborns. Among the Congregationalist birth and baptismal dates are usually quite close together. The same is not true for the Episcopalians. A point to note is the last record we posted dated in 1830 in which Peter Davis withdraws from the Episcopal Society. _________________Alvin Davis was the oldest of the children. He and his mother were baptized into the Episcopal Society on the same day September 17, 1809. Family history offers a date of birth of December 16, 1807. Alvin married Julia Louisa Wright November 28, 1827. The marriage is entered in the town records and on page 157 of the Congregational records. Julia was born June 3, 1807. Alvin and Julia raised their family, which consisted of Sophia Polly, Ellen Louisa, Sidney Talcott, Watson, Randolph and Christina, in Killingworth. Alvin’s death is recorded in the town records on December 14, 1860. As you read the death records remember they are written across double pages in a ledger and are posted in 2 parts. The record notes that he was a farmer and the son of Peter Davis Sen. Was Alvin actually Peter Alvin Davis? Alvin and Julia are buried in Row 9 in the Stone House Cemetery along with his parents. “Alvin Davis died Dec 14, 1860, age 53 yrs”. “Julia, wife of Alvin Davis died July 30, 1886, aged 79 At Rest”. Alvin shares a headstone with his son Randolph who was killed in 1865 during the Civil War. _____________ Watson was baptized along with Alvin on September 17, 1809. Watson’s death is recorded on page 112 of the Hartford death records. The entry notes that he died on October 26, 1887 at the age of 78 years 3 months and 1 day. That calculates to a date of birth on about July 25, 1809. His death record lists his parents as Peter Davis and Polly. Watson married Olive C. Hale in Madison on September 21, 1831. An Episcopalian minister performed the marriage. Olive’s death is also registered in Hartford. It records, Davis Olive C / July 19, 1893 / 756 Main / age 78 / Widow. They raised 3 children in Durham, George, Cynthia and Pauline. Watson, Olive, Pauline and Cynthia are all buried together in the New Cemetery in Durham. The cemetery transcript notes that Watson was born 1809 died in 1887. Olive, wife of Watson 1817 to 1893. Watson and Olive retired in Hartford were they were listed in the city directory. ________________ In the Episcopal records we find the full name for George Nelson Davis. He was baptized September 15, 1811. It is difficult to establish a date of birth for George. The 1810 federal census was taken in August of that year. At that time the household of Peter Davis only registered his two oldest boys Alvin and Watson. The Killingworth town records list his death on June 13, 1879 at the age of 72. Most family histories using this date list a date of birth for him in 1807 but the 1810 census argues otherwise. The census records are not much better. They list dates in 1810, 1814 and 1811. In the 1860 census Alvin, George and Lewis are all living within a few houses of each other. His headstone lists his date of death as June 13, 1879 at the age of 68, which would place his birth in 1811. George N. Davis of North Killingworth married Mary M. Davis of North Madison January 8, 1834. The marriage is recorded in the Madison town records. George and Mary raised their family George, Christopher, Ann, Jane and Aletha in Killingworth. They are buried in the Davis plot in the Rockland Cemetery in Madison. “Davis George N., died June 13, 1879, age 68”. “Davis Mary M., wife of George N., died Sept 21, 1896 age 81”. _______________ Lewis Talcott Davis was baptized May 8, 1814. Almost all of the documents that reference him use the name Lewis T. Davis. In almost every family tree in this part of Connecticut there is one male child that is given the name of Talcott, which is a reflection on the impact that Doctor Alvan Talcott had on these communities. Lewis married Sarah Burr. The birth records for her children note a place of birth for her as Haddam. There are family trees that give her a date of birth on January 16, 1815 and list her parents as Joseph Burr and Huldah Bailey. Census and death records both agree with the 1815 date. Her given name was probably Sarah but she is also referred to as Sally. Lewis and Sarah/Sally raised their family in Killingworth where census records note that he was a farmer. They had a large family Eckeford, John, Asher, Peter, Ralph, Richard, Mary, Henry and Julius. The first child Eckeford according to the 1900 census was born in May 1836, which puts a marriage date probably in the summer of 1835. We find their deaths registered in the Killingworth town records. Lewis T. Davis the date October 14, 1874 at the age of 60. The record lists his fathers as Peter Davis Sen. For Sarah, Sarah Davis death January 28, 1869 the widow of Lewis T. Davis, maiden name Burr. There is a funeral record in the Episcopal records for Lewis, “Lewis T. Davis Died in Killingworth Oct 14, 1874 aged 60 yrs. Officiated Funeral at the house and at the grave in the Stone House yard Oct 16th”. Lewis and Sarah are buried in the Stone House Cemetery. “Davis, Lewis T, died Oct 14, 1874 age 61”. “Davis, Sally Burr, wife of Lewis died Jan 28, 1869, age 54”. __________________ Cynthia Eliza Davis was baptized July 12, 1818. Including her baptismal record we only have two records from her life. In the records of the Durham First Congregational Society, Vol. 4, page 78, we have a marriage record “ Morgan Davis of North Madison and Cynthia E. Davis of South Killingworth 27 September 1835”. We find Cynthia and Morgan living in Hamden in the 1850 Census. Morgan 41, Cynthia 33, Joseph M. 13, Watson W. 9, Harriet 8. There is a death record for Morgan dated May 27, 1853 at the age of 42. He is buried in the Central Burying Ground in Hamden. There are no records for any of his family in the same cemetery. I think Cynthia must have remarried and her remaining history will be found under the name of her second husband. ________________ Polly Kelsey / Lois Griffin-Stephen Kelsey / Samuel-Marah / Samuel Griffin. ________________Randolph Davis’s headstone reads “Davis, Randolph, Civil War. Co L 1st Conn Cavalry at Fredrick Me., died Jan 4, 1865”. The 1st Connecticut Calvary had a very distinguished battle record in the Civil War. Its unit history can be found online. I highly recommend that you take time to review that material. In the last years of the war the 1st Conn. was assigned to the cavalry led by General Sheridan serving more often than not under General Custer. They were the spear point in the initial phases of General Grant’s invasion of Virginia being very involved in the opening battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. From the unit history, “Next morning the 1st Conn., as advance guard met Longstreet’s advance at Craig’s Church and opened the Wilderness battles on our left. Major Marcy, with about 200 men, reconnoitering, was cut off. As the only chance of escape, he ordered sabers drawn and a charge through the enemy. This feat was most gallantly accomplished, with the loss of about 40 men. The division fell back slowly, the 1st Conn, covering the rear, to Todd’s Tavern, where it made a stand and checked the enemy. The terrific infantry fighting of the next 2 days being ended, the 1st Conn. led the advance in Grant’s movement toward Spotsylvania Court House, and early in the morning charged into town, driving out the enemy there and capturing 35 prisoners but support failing to come up, the division presently withdrew”. The 1st Conn. Also played a part in Sheridan’s major raid down through Virginia. With the onset on the siege of Richmond the cavalry units were used to probe and raid the edges of Lee’s defenses while most of the army was tied up in siege warfare. One of the major actions was a raid on the South Side and Danville railroads. Success in these actions would have cut off supplies to Lee’s army. The unit history describes the raid, ”The expedition was gone 10 days, marched 300 miles, destroyed 60 miles of railroad track with tanks, saw-mills, and depots, fought 4 battles and many skirmishes, rest at no place over 6 hours”. In the spring Sheridan’s cavalry, now armed with the new Spencer carbines, was transferred to the Shenandoah Valley. In a sharply contested campaign Sheridan’s command wrestled control of the strategic valley from the confederates. The key battle was at Cedar Creek. In the decisive action in the battle Custer, with the 1st Connecticut as part of his command, turned the left flank of the confederate forces an action, which contributed to a major Union victory. That winter the cavalry units were involved in a number of raids against the confederate cavalry under General Rosser and actions against local confederate militia units led by the famous partisan leader Col Mosby. It was during this time that Randolph probably received his fatal wounds. His headstone notes that he died in Fredrick, Maryland. It is my guess that he had been removed from the Shenandoah to that location, a transportation hub, to recover from wounds he had received in action.