Susan Nicholas Davey (b. 11 Aug 1834, Cornwall, England)

Today is the 178^th anniversary of the birth of Susan Nicholas Davey (1834- ).  She was the second child of my husband’s great-great grandfather and an older sister of his great grandfather, Frederick Henry Davey (1853-1915).

Susan is one of my researching mysteries that I have been actively working on.  As you can see, I have a date for her birth but no date for her death. 

Susan was born 11 Aug 1834 and baptized at St. Agnes parish in Cornwall, England on 2 Nov 1834 (1).  Familysearch.org has placed the Cornwall Parish Registers 1538-1900 online and although there are no indexes, I was able to find the baptism record because I knew her birthdate from a photocopy of the Davey Family Bible.  The family was living at Mount Hawke.

St. Agnes Parish, Cornwall, England - Susan Davey baptism

November 2, Susan Nicholas, daughter of, Thomas & Mary Davey, Mount Hawke, Smith, George Bellomy, Curate.

I found the family in the 1841 & 1851 census.  They emigrated to the U.S. sometime between this census and the birth of the last child, Frederick Henry Davey in 1853 in Berks Co, Pennsylvania. 

Susan marries Joseph Muir at St. Peter’s Church in Reading, Pennsylvania on 4 Jul 1854 (3).  There were two other Davey family baptisms performed on the same day.  Unfortunately, the marriage record shows no reference to parent’s names, so nothing is known of Joseph’s parents.

St. Peter's Church, Reading, Berks Co, PA - Muir-Davey marriage

 Susan and Joseph are next found in the 1860 census at Jeffersonville, Clark Co, Indiana (4).  They have one son, William, who was born sometime around 1855.  Her husband was listed as being born in Pennsylvania and worked as an engineer.  The question, what kind of engineer?  My guess would be a locomotive engineer, but it was possible he was some other kind of engineer. 

1860 Clark Co, Indiana - Jeffersonville

 On 10 Sep 1867, Joseph Muir died and is buried in Walnut Ridge Cemetery, in Jeffersonville, Indiana (5).  This is the only information I have of Joseph.  I need to do some research to see if any newspapers from Jeffersonville, IN or Louisville, KY exist for that time period.

I lose track of Susan now.  Her son, William is living with his grandparents, Tom & Mary Davey in Jeffersonville, Indiana in the 1870 census (6).  But where is Susan?  She is later found in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The obituary of her father, Thomas Davey stated “Mrs. Susan Wellman of Cincinnati” in Feb 1886 and in Sep 1893, her mother Mary Davey’s obituary listed her as “Mrs. Sue Wellman of Washington Court House, O” (7).

So, Susan married a “Wellman” sometime.  No idea when, but I did find who.  Beginning with the 1897 Cincinnati City Directory, I find on p 1630, “Wellman, Susan N, wid. Herman H, h 408 Hopkins” (8).  

1897 Cincinnati City Directory

She is found at this address until 1902.  When viewing the 1900 census, more information is present.  The correct birth month and year, the fact she was born in England, and the same address (9).  The year of arrival at 1859 is the only discrepancy.  However I have not found a marriage record for Herman H Wellman and Susan Davey Muir.

Herman H. Wellman died 18 Mar 1897 in Cincinnati, Ohio (10).  Probate was started on 8 Mar 1898 and Susan N. Wellman is listed as administratrix (11).  When looking at the probate papers, it appears that nothing was done to finish the probate until 1923 when and entry suggests her death (but gives no actually death date).

I have searched the various death indexes and cemetery indexes for Susan Wellman but have had no luck so far.  Questions to ask & answer:  Did she remarry?  Did she move away from Cincinnati?  Where is her son, William Muir?  These are next on my to-do list.  I sure would like to find her.

Happy Birthday, Susan!

Citations:

1.         Family data, Thomas Davey Family Bible, , (Cincinnati, Ohio: Moore, Wilstch, Keyes & Company, 1859); original owned by [address for private use], transcription done by Mary Davey Korn, granddaughter of Thomas Davey.
2.         "England, Cornwall Parish Registers, 1538-1900," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 16 May 2012), Cornwall, St. Agnes, Baptisms 1833-1836, citing Cornwall Church of England, Parish Registers, Cornwall Record Office, Truro, Cornwall, England., p 46, Susan Nicholas Davey, Mount Hawke.
3.         Central United Methodist (Reading, Pennsylvania), Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Historical Society of Pennsylvania., Marriages, p 2, Joseph Muir & Susan Davey, 1854; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 June 2012).
4.         1860, Clark County, Indiana, pop. sched., Jeffersonville, 67, 511, Joseph Muir; NARA microfilm publication M653, 248.
5.         "Find-A-Grave," database, Findagrave.com (http://www.findagrave.com), Memorial# 64416459, Walnut Ridge Cemetery, Jeffersonville IN, Joseph B. Muir.
6.         1870, Clark County, Indiana, pop. Sched, Jeffersonville, p 476, Thomas Davey household, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com).
7.         Indiana. Jeffersonville., Daily News, "Thomas Davey," 9 Feb 1886, p. unk, col. unk.; Jeffersonville News, 19 Sep 1893, “Mary Nicholas”, p. unk, col unk.
8.        William’s Cincinnati Directory, 1897, p 1630, Susan N. Wellman, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com).
9.        1900, Hamilton County, Ohio, pop sched, Cincinnati, ED 122, sht 7b, Susan Wellman household, Ancestry.com.
10.        Death Record for H.H. Wellman, University of Cincinnati Digital Resource Commons, Cincinnati Birth & Death Records 1865-1912; http://drc2.libraries.uc.edu : accessed 28 Mar 2012. 
11.        Hamilton County, Ohio Probate, Estate Docket no. 46256 for H.H. Wellman.

Copyright © 2012 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, My Trails into the Past