William Davidson III
Also known as William "Ranger" Davidson III (nickname)
November 20, 1747-November 16, 1811 (age 64)
Summary
- Born
- November 20, 1747 in Sussex County, Delaware, United States Sources: Davidson family notes, 1550-1700; History of South Point Village
- Died
- November 16, 1811 (age 64) in Gallia County, Ohio, United States Sources: Davidson family notes, 1550-1700; History of South Point Village
- Buried
- South Point pioneer cemetery, Ohio, United States, South Point Sources: History of South Point Village
- Parents
-
Lewis Davidson 1712 — November 16, 1793 Comfort Warrington ~1716 — ~1749 - Partners
-
Rosanna Hutchinson marriage ? — 1782 Barbara McDole marriage, 1783 - Children
- Military
-
Revolutionary War (Veteran, Ranger, Pennsylvania Westmoreland County Militia, Continental Line)
Timeline
Additional Information
William Davidson is recorded in the supplied notes as a son of Lewis Davidson and Comfort Warrington. He was born November 20, 1747 in Sussex County, Delaware and died November 16, 1811 in Gallia County, Ohio.
William is identified in the South Point history as William "Ranger" Davidson III because of his Revolutionary War service in Pennsylvania's Westmoreland County Militia, Continental Line, known as the frontier rangers. The same account says he moved from Delaware to the Pennsylvania frontier as a young man, where land holdings were recorded in his name.
In 1798, at age 51, William made a second major westward move by keelboat to South Point, then part of Washington County in the Northwest Territory. The account says he likely used the Ohio River's spring current to reach land received for military service. He landed opposite the mouth of the Big Sandy River, near the boundary between Virginia and Kentucky, and built a cabin while retreating at night to the point between the rivers for defense.
William's land fronted about a mile of river and extended back to wooded hills and marshes. He is described as South Point's founder, the first settler in Fayette Township, and the first landowner in both Fayette and Perry townships. In 1799, he brought his wife and younger children to South Point, where a frontier homestead awaited them.
William married first Rosanna Hutchinson, who died in 1782. Their children were John, Lewis, Comfort, David, and Mary.
He married second Barbara McDowell in 1783. Their children were Margaret, Elizabeth, Sarah, Abraham, Thomas, William Warrington, Jesse, Rose, Joseph William, and Cynthia. The Greenfield Historical Society note traces a descendant line through Joseph William, who married Jane Bryson.
William died November 16, 1811, after creating a large farm from the wilderness. His home stood on the riverbank near the later junction of Second Street and Hooper Street. The South Point history says William, Barbara, and other pioneers were buried in a cemetery later damaged by river erosion. A great-great grandson, Howard T. Ferguson, found William's stone under river silt before a 1941 DAR monument dedication. The monument was installed on the corner of the First Baptist Church lot overlooking the erased pioneer cemetery.
External References
| Find a Grave | 152139833 |
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