1830 :: Marriage of America & Milton

On this date in our family history . . . the 30th day of August . . . in the year 1830 . . . America J Fears becomes the bride of Milton Grant Davis . . . this America and Milton are 3rd great-grandparents of the Keeper of this family history blog . . . the record of their marriage shown in this collage was found in Georgia's Virtual Vault . . .


Research note . . . Many branches of this family have it in their records that *James* was her middle name, however, no contemporary record has been found showing what the *J* actually stands for.

1837 :: Death of Margaret Watson

On this date in our family history . . . the 30th day of March . . . in the year 1837 . . . Margaret Porter nee Watson dies in Greene County, Georgia . . . this Margaret is a maternal great-grandma to Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899) . . . who is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog . . . 


Georgia Comprising Sketches of
Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons
Arranged in Cyclopedic Form
By
Allen Daniel Candler, Clement Anselm Evans:  

1810 :: The Birth of America in the Family Bible

On this date in our family history . . . the 11th day of May . . . in the year 1810 . . . our very own America . . . aka America J Fears . . . is born somewhere in the state of Georgia, possibly in Greene County . . . she is the 3rd of eight children known to have been born to James Fears (1772-1857) and Mary Anthony Porter (1784-1826) . . . this America is the mother of our Josephine (1842-1899), who is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog.


The dates of America's birth and death are recorded on photocopies of Bible pages that are said to come from a Davis family Bible. I have never seen that Bible, or the actual Bible pages, but the copies I have were given to me by a cousin, Georgia Faye Kaseberg nee Henry (1925-2001), probably 25 or 30 years ago. It is believed that Georgia probably acquired the photocopies from another cousin and family genealogist, Miss Laura Hamilton (1898-1987).




We have scans (of the photocopies that were given to me) of four pages from this family Bible, including -- a page of births, a page of marriages, and a page of deaths (with additional family births listed on it).


The fourth page from this Bible has the hand-written heading, Negroes Births. On another website, I have posted what information I have accumulated that may pertain to this page of names and dates of birth. Included on that website is information from the 1850 and 1860 slave schedules that pertains to the 19th Century family members known to be connected in some way to the names mentioned in this Bible. While I have posted information about this list on various websites in the past, it never hurts to mention it one more time, just in case it might help somebody make a connection with their own past.


Research note . . . Many branches of this family have it in their records that *James* was her middle name, however, no contemporary record has been found showing what the *J* actually stands for.

Béla IV of Hungary

 
On this date in our family history . . . the 3rd day of May . . . in the year 1270 . . . King Bela IV of Hungary dies . . . he is believed to be a 22nd great-grandpa to our Josephine . . . who is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog . . . 

. . . The last years of Bela's life were embittered by the ingratitude of his son Stephen, who rebelled continuously against his father and ultimately compelled him to divide the kingdom with him, the younger prince setting up a capital of his own at Sarospatak, and following a foreign policy directly contrary to that of his father. Bela died on the 3rd of May 1270 in his sixty-fourth year. With the people at large he was popular to the last; his services to his country had been inestimable. He married, while still crown-prince, Maria, daughter of the Nicaean emperor, Theodore Lascaris, whom his own father brought home with him from his crusade. She bore him, besides his two sons Stephen and Bela, seven daughters, of whom St Margaret was the most famous. From the 1911 Encyclopedia.

Margaret de Clare weds Hugh de Audley

On this date in our family history . . . the 28th day of April . . . in the year 1317 . . . Margaret de Clare (widow of Piers de Gaveston) becomes the bride of Hugh de Audley at Windsor Castle in England . . . this Margaret and Hugh are believed to be 20th great-grandparents of our Josephine . . . who is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. 


Complete peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant By George Edward Cokayne: "" In Archaeologia Cambrensis (1883), John Skinner, Cambrian Archaeological Association, says that . . . 

Hugh de Audley, whom Margaret next married, was son of Hugh, a cadet of the Barons Audley, of Heleigh Castle. She was then styled widow of Piers Gaveston, and having become a coheiress, she had by partition, llth Edward II, the castle and tower of Newport, the manors of Stowe, Rempney, Dyneley, and Maghay, the hamlet of Frenebothe (Ebbw), and the commote of Wentloog. Thornbury also came to her, and Tonbridge Castle, and much English property. Thus the Monmouthshire portion of the lordship was cut off from the Glamorgan part. 15th Edward II, Audley was in arms for Thomas of Lancaster, and was taken at Boroughbridge, but pardoned owing to his wife's interest.

For further information, see also . . .

• edwardthesecond.blogspot.com 

Whales of August

On this date in our extended family history . . . the 5th day of April . . . in the year 1908 . . . future actress, Bette Davis, is born in Lowell, Massachusetts . . . Bette is said to be a 23rd great-granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine . . . who is thought to be a 22nd great-grandma of our Josephine (1842-1899) . . . who is definitely a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog . . .


My favorite Bette Davis movie happens to be one of the last ones she was in -- The Whales of August -- which was filmed on location in Casco Bay off the shore of Portland, Maine . . . the film was shot a few miles down Casco Bay from the site of David Berry's family cottage on Peaks Island, from where, in fact, the characters and story were drawn when Berry wrote the original play that was the basis for this movie . . .


We have photos of my maternal grandma -- Elizabeth Marilla Henry nee Smith (1912-1932) -- on holiday on Peaks Island . . . said Island was once owned by one of our Elizabeth's 8th great-grandpas -- Michael Mitton (c.1617 - c.1661) . . .

Peaks Island
Photos by Roberta

. . . Peak's Island in Casco Bay is just two miles from downtown Portland. It once was owned by Michael Mitton, son-in-law of Portland's first settler, George Cleeve. According to legend, Michael was out alone fishing in his dory when a triton swam up to his boat. Michael tried to fend off the monster with an oar, but the triton grasped hold of the side of the dory. Afraid that the triton could capsize the little boat, Michael seized a hatchet and, with one mighty blow, severed both hands of this son of Poseidon. To his horror, Michael Mitton saw that the monster's hands remained fastened to his boat. He could not pry them loose. It was then that Mike heard the haunting sound of the triton's conch, and at the sound, the severed hands gave one mighty effort at rocking his boat, finally flipping him into the water and swamping the dory. Michael drowned that day. . . . from Haunted Maine by Charles A. Stansfield, Jr.

Truth or fiction?!? 

The ancestry part . . . believed to be true . . . 

The death scene . . . 

1864 :: Marriage of Josephine and Wm. P.

HENRY - W P & Josephine

It is a winter's Tuesday in Civil War Texas when Josephine Wingfield Davis becomes the bride of William Paschal Henry, then a young Confederate soldier . . . the ceremony takes place on the 1st day of March 1864 . . . somewhere in Brazoria County on the Texas Gulf Coast . . .

The youngest of five children of Milton Grant Davis and America James Fears, Josephine was born the 10th of May 1842 in Morgan County, Georgia . . . sometime after the death of her Mother in 1857 . . . and before the 1860 Texas census . . . Josephine and all of her siblings, along with their widowed Father, join the westward movement to Texas . . .

According to an entry on a photocopy of Josephine's Family Bible . . . William Paschal Henry was born on the 19th of February 1836 . . . it has been said that he was born in Greensborough [sic], Kentucky . . . the handwriting for said Bible entry is the same as on their marriage record, which was found in Brazoria County by Pam (Pounders) Bryan . . .

In October of 1876, Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Henry and their five surviving children arrive in Milam County, Texas for a visit with Josephine's sister . . . Mrs. Milton G. (Margaret Davis) Antony . . . the Wm. P. Henry family soon move to Milam County, settling on land in the Bethlehem Community north of Rockdale . . .

Josephine dies tragically in October of 1899 . . . and William P. dies in February of 1912 . . . they are buried side-by-side in the Murray Cemetery north of Rockdale, Milam County, Texas . . . this Josephine and Wm. P. Henry are 2nd great-grandparents of the Keeper of this family history blog . . .

• BeNotForgot.com

  • Arrival in Rockdale
  • Josephine's Tragic Death

• GoneToTexas.proboards.com

  • Josephine
  • Josephine & William
  • William
  • William's Family
  • William in the Civil War

• The Family Bible

  • America's Birth
  • Josephine's Birth
  • Negroes Births

Archaeologia Cambrensis By Cambrian Archaeological Association

On this date in our family history . . . the 10th day of July . . . in the year 1460 . . . Sir Humphrey de Stafford dies while fighting gallantly under the Lancastrian banner during the Battle of Northampton in England . . . this Duke of Buckingham, a Knight of the Garter, is a 16th great-grandpa to Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899) . . . who is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this blog . . .

Archaeologia Cambrensis By Cambrian Archaeological Association: ""

The Mediterranean and Its Borderlands By Joel Cook

On this date in our family history . . . the 10th day of July . . . in the year 1099 . . . El Cid dies in Valencia, Spain . . . aka Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, El Cid is a 26th great-grandpa of Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899) . . . who is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this blog . . .

The Mediterranean and Its Borderlands By Joel Cook: ". . . another now under the Christian banner and now for the Moslem but always for his own hand He was bold and courageous yet cruel and vindictive and in many wars and contests he finally captured Valencia after nine months siege in 1094 the richest prize that had been taken from the Moors down to that time Upon this he founded an extensive kingdom in southeastern Spain composed of Valencia and Murcia which he ruled successfully for about four years until the Moors came in great force and inflicted a crushing defeat which had such an effect upon the war worn and aged Cid that he died of grief in July 1099 His widow Ximena maintained her power in the city which has since . . .

Raynald of Chatillon is beheaded

On this date in our family history . . . the 4th day of July . . . in the year 1187 . . . following the Battle of Hattin . . . Raynald of Chatillon is beheaded by Saladin, a major Muslim political and military leader . . . this Sir Raynald is a 24th great-grandpa to Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899) . . . who is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this blog . . .

Around the World with Eyes Wide Open The Wonders of the World Pictured by Pen and Pencil By Henry Allen Tupper, Tupper, Henry Allen: ""

1403 :: Katherine Swynford

On this date in our distant family history . . . the 10th day of May . . . in the year 1403 . . . Katherine de Roet dies in Lincolnshire, England . . . her tomb, and that of her daughter Joan Beaufort, are under a carved-stone canopy in the sanctuary of Lincoln Cathedral, but their remains are no longer in them, because the tombs were despoiled in 1644, during the English Civil War . . . this dowager Duchess of Lancaster is currently believed to be a 16th great-grandma of our Josephine (1842-1899) . . . who is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog . . .





The Dictionary of National BiographyBy Sidney Lee






THE NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE,
AND JOURNAL OF THE NUMISMATIC SOCIETY







Scraps from my scrap-book.Comprising rambling recollections of cardinal Wiseman,
and other scraps
By Scraps







Katherine Swynford is the subject of Anya Seton's novel Katherine (published in 1954) and of Alison Weir's biography Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and his Scandalous Duchess. Swynford is also the subject of Jeanette Lucraft's historical biography Katherine Swynford: The History of a Medieval Mistress. This book seeks to establish Swynford as a powerful figure in the politics of 14th-century England, and an example of how a woman could manipulate the social mores of the time for her own interests rather than just as the sexual temptress that previous writers have portrayed. See also . . .

• Katherine de Roet Swynford at Find A Grave
• Michelle honors Katherine
• Royal Mistress
• St. George's Day

1857 :: Death of James Fears

On this date in our family history . . . the 6th day of April . . . in the year 1857 . . . James Fears dies in Morgan County, Georgia . . . this James is the father of America James Davis nee Fears (1810-1857) . . . who is the mother of Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899) . . . who is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog . . .




A History of Texas and Texans
By Francis White Johnson, Ernest William Winkler:

James Fears, the grandfather of Dr. Fears, was born in Virginia and was one of four brothers who left the Old Dominion for other localities. One of these went to the state of Missouri and three to Georgia, and the grandfather settled in Morgan county, near Madison, in the latter state. Although his trade was that of a millwright, he was engaged in farming during the greater part of his life, and was so engaged at the time of his death in 1857, at the age of about eighty-two years. His forefathers were of the Irish blood and early became residents of Colonial Virginia. James Fears was married first in Georgia, and to this union there were born children as follows: Oliver Porter; Mary, who married Mr. Mathis [sic -- Matthews] and died in Morgan county, Georgia; Margaret [sic -- America], who married Mr. (Milton Grant) Davis and died in Georgia; and John, who died on his father's old farm. Mr. Fears was a second time married but they had no children.

1559 :: Sir Anthony St. Leger

On or about this date in our family history . . . the 16th day of March . . . in the year 1559 . . . Sir Anthony St. Leger dies . . . it is said of his death that . . . he returned to Ulcomb in Kent, the seat of his ancestors, where he died in 1559. . . . this Sir Anthony is currently believed to be a 12th great-grandpa of Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899) . . . who is a 2nd great-grandma to the Keeper of this family history blog. . . .




The Irish Nation Its History and Its Biography By James Wills