John, I note that Richard Davidson had an older women living in his home in 1830 in Rutherford Co., TN, and she appears to have been in the correct age range to have been the Mary Davidson who was age 76 in 1850 in Gibson Co., TN. Such an older women was NOT shown, however, in Richard's home in Rutherford Co., TN in 1840. I note, however, that such an older women DID appear in the Rutherford Co., TN household of Josiah Davidson in 1840 (again, in the correct age range to have been Mary). IF that was, in fact, the same women who had been in Richard's home in 1830, however, then that would probably mean that this Josiah Davidson was not from a branch of my Davidson family after all (as had been suspected for some time; as you know, I am in "Family 10," not "Family 5," on the DNA website). Some researchers believe that the father of this Josiah Davidson in Rutherford in 1840 was the older Josiah Davidson who was in Hickman Co., TN in 1840 (and my "DNA match" comes from that Josiah Davidson in Hickman). Since the older Josiah Davidson was still alive, I doubt that the older women in the younger Josiah Davidson's home in 1840 would have been his mother, so maybe it was his mother-in-law. In any case, if it was the same older women who had been in Richard Davidson's home in 1830, then that would be an interesting new development. Note: There were four Josiah Davidsons on the 1840 Tennessee census, and they were in Hickman, Rutherford, Smith and Henry Co., TN. There is a deed between the older Josiah Davidson of Hickman Co., TN and his son who was also named Josiah Davidson. That deed showed the son in Rutherford Co., NC, but it was always assumed that this was a "typo" and that it should have shown Rutherford Co., TN. I wonder if the Josiah Davidson in Rutherford Co., TN was NOT the son of the Josiah Davidson in Hickman Co., TN after all (and if the one in Rutherford Co., TN was somehow related to the Richard Davidson who was there)? Bill Davidson

Bill, Interesting analysis. Did you note that Mary in 1850 had three daughters living with her. I do not see evidence of them in the 1830 census. The Davidson Research Site has a lot of great Davidson data and even with it, I am continually amazed at how difficult it is to sort out many of these Tennessee families. That said, I am still trying to sort through just the longer term Gibson county families. I know that this has been a topic on this list in the past. I am hoping that some readers will contact me on list or privately. thanks, john. At 10:28 AM 11/21/2006, Bill Davidson wrote: >John, > >I note that Richard Davidson had an older women living in his home in 1830 >in Rutherford Co., TN, and she appears to have been in the correct age range >to have been the Mary Davidson who was age 76 in 1850 in Gibson Co., TN. >Such an older women was NOT shown, however, in Richard's home in Rutherford >Co., TN in 1840. I note, however, that such an older women DID appear in >the Rutherford Co., TN household of Josiah Davidson in 1840 (again, in the >correct age range to have been Mary). IF that was, in fact, the same women >who had been in Richard's home in 1830, however, then that would probably >mean that this Josiah Davidson was not from a branch of my Davidson family >after all (as had been suspected for some time; as you know, I am in "Family >10," not "Family 5," on the DNA website). > >Some researchers believe that the father of this Josiah Davidson in >Rutherford in 1840 was the older Josiah Davidson who was in Hickman Co., TN >in 1840 (and my "DNA match" comes from that Josiah Davidson in Hickman). >Since the older Josiah Davidson was still alive, I doubt that the older >women in the younger Josiah Davidson's home in 1840 would have been his >mother, so maybe it was his mother-in-law. In any case, if it was the same >older women who had been in Richard Davidson's home in 1830, then that would >be an interesting new development. Note: There were four Josiah Davidsons >on the 1840 Tennessee census, and they were in Hickman, Rutherford, Smith >and Henry Co., TN. > >There is a deed between the older Josiah Davidson of Hickman Co., TN and his >son who was also named Josiah Davidson. That deed showed the son in >Rutherford Co., NC, but it was always assumed that this was a "typo" and >that it should have shown Rutherford Co., TN. I wonder if the Josiah >Davidson in Rutherford Co., TN was NOT the son of the Josiah Davidson in >Hickman Co., TN after all (and if the one in Rutherford Co., TN was somehow >related to the Richard Davidson who was there)? > >Bill Davidson