John Davy

Resident slave-owner from a Devon family. Very probably the same man as the John Davy who was an attorney in Manchester Jamaica.

1. Son of James Davy (1765-1825) and brother of James Lewis Davy (q.v.). Married Emma Maria de Verte or D'Everte (1820-1902) in Bryanston Square, London, July 1841. Six children baptised in Jamaica between 1845 and 1856, with father's abode given as Wear Pen for the first four and Windsor Pen for the last two (twins). In the census of 1861 at Royal Crescent, age 59, annuitant, born Devon, with wife Emma M., age 40, born London and five children all born in Jamaica: Mary E. (age 16), John (age 14), Emma (age 8), Charlotte A. (age 5), Thomas G. (age 5). The youngest children were twins. Also present were 3 female servants including Rachael Longmore, age 33, widowed, born Jamaica. Another son, James S., appears with the family in the 1871 census at 132 King Henry's Road in Hampstead. Grandsons of James Davy went to Uppingham and Oxford.

2. John Davy, with James Lewis Davy and John Coley, were parties as executors of James Davy in an appeal by Stephen Denton (q.v.) to the Privy Council from the Court of Chancery in Jamaica.

3. Will of John Davy late of Manchester in Jamaica who died 29/09/1863 at 26 Royal Crescent proved 04/02/1864 by Emma Maria Davy the relict, effects under £3000.

4. Thomas George Davy (1856-1908), the youngest son, was at Uppingham School in the census of 1871. He matriculated at Oxford University in 1876 aged 20 and was awarded a BA from Exeter College Oxford in 1880. "[He] obtained medical registration in 1884, served as doctor in New Zealand from approximately 1885 to 1895 when he moved to Australia. Served as doctor on the gold fields of Coolgardie, then as medical officer in Fremantle followed by being resident doctor at Perth Hospital and President of the British Medical Association (W.A. Branch)."

5. In 1881, at the age of 36, John's eldest daughter Mary Eliza was a 'Governess in College' at Bishop Otter's College in Chichester, a training college for women; she was in the college in 1891, "Certificated School Mistress'. In the census of 1901, age 56 she was living with her mother and a parlourmaid at Sydmonton in Haywards Heath, Sussex. Her mother Emma Maria was of Sydmonton when she died in September 1902. She may be the Mary Eliza Davy of St Catherine in the island of Jamaica spinster, who died 01/03/1911, probate in London to Thomas Arthur Lewis Davy Esquire and Henry Davy M.D., effects £7667 6s 8d. This corresponds with the death certificate in Jamaica for Mary E. Davy, spinster, age 67, dressmaker, who died of heart failure at Mount Diablo in St Catherine, 01/03/1911, age 67 years. Her age at death matches the correct year of birth, 1844. The informant of death was Solomon Walkr [sic?], occupier, Mount Diablo.

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)]; Ancestry.com, London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932 [database online]; Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online]; 1861 and 1871 censuses online.

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

3. National Probate Calendar 1864.

4. 1861 census online; Ancestry.com, Oxford University Alumni, 1500-1886 [database online]; email from Gillian Allen 18/02/2020 sourced to G.J.G. Davy, "The Davy Family: Gaius 1633 to Ebony Rae 2012" (Xlibris, 2013), based on his obituary in The Medical Directory (1909) p.1834.

5. 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses online; for more on Bishop Otter's College see https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/33d35eff-834c-367c-a2f3-e6605900df6a [accessed 09/03/2020], University of Chichester Special Collections, GB 2970 BO; National Probate Calendar 1902 and 1911; Findmypast.co.uk, Jamaica, Civil Registration, 1880-1999 [database online].

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