James Davy

1. Brother of Thomas (1773-1853) and Edward Davy (1776-1803), who went from Countess Wear, then part of Topsham on the River Exe outside Exeter, to Jamaica probably in the 1790s and established coffee and pimento estates. Edward died 1803/4, and left the Topsham estate in Jamaica to his brother in Devon, Thomas Davy. Topsham was reportedly sold about 1824. Of James Davy's sons, James Lewis Davy (q.v.) became Custos Rotulorum in 1839 and died 1840 aged 42 and John also remained in Jamaica.

2. Mary Elizabeth (born 26/08/1796), Anne Maria (born 23/02/1798) and James Lewis (born 15/07/1799), children of James Davy Esquire and Hannah his wife, were baptised in St Elizabeth 24/01/1800. Another son, John, was born in Devon in 1800; he may be the John, son of James Davy Esquire and Hannah his wife, baptised in Exminster, Devon, 09/08/1801.

3. Tombstone in Clyst St Mary church, Devon, "To the memory of James Davy Esquire, late of the Island of Jamaica, who died October 19th, 1825, aged 60."

4. James Lewis Davy and John Davy were parties with John Coley, all as executors of James Davy, to an appeal to the Privy Council from the Court of Chancery of Jamaica brought by Stephen Denton in 'Denton v Davy' 1836.

1. Gillian Allen, 'Slavery and two Ottery St Mary families', Heritage - Journal of the Ottery St Mary Heritage Society No. 30 Summer 2009 pp. 3-5 [cf also Gillian Allen's article 'Two Devon families in Jamaica: a local association with slavery', Maritime South West No. 21 (2008) p.8]. There were five brothers and three sisters in total: Rebecca (1759-1827, q.v.), Joan (1761-?), Robert (1762-1862), James (1765-1825, q.v.), John (1767-?), Mary (1769-1829), Thomas (1773-1853) and Edward (1778-1804, q.v.); see G.J.G. Davy, "The Davy Family: Gaius 1633 to Ebony Rae 2012" (Xlibris, 2013). The memorial inscription of Robert Davy (1762-1862) of Countess Wear describes him as "an extensive ship builder for the Royal Navy and of East and West Indiamen etc, general merchant and shipowner"; see Findagrave.com memoiral ID 199058297.

2. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online]; Findmypast.co.uk, Devon Baptisms [database online].

3. Email from Gillian Allen 17/02/2020; Findagrave.com memorial ID 207842324.

4. Edmund F. Moore, Reports of Cases heard and determined by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council Vol. 1 (1836-7) pp. 15-43.

We are grateful to Gillian Allen for her assistance with compiling this entry.