Other Events:

• Residence: 1928, Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV

William married Nell Sarah DUNCAN. Nell was born Apr 1879, Cameron, Marshall Co, WV; died 8 Dec 1961, Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Census: 1870, Sardis District, Harrison Co, WV
• Residence: 1888, Doddridge Co, WV

Notes:

Census:
Motherless siblings Cordelia, William & Arvy Davis were enumerated in the household os Jedediah (48) & Catherine (Swiger) (46) Gifford, which also included Sarah Gifford (70).

William married Susan Lelia HEFLIN 1 May 1888, Doddridge Co, WV. Susan (daughter of Benjamin Franklin HEFLIN and Susan Holiva SMITH) was born 12 Sep 1872; died 14 Dec 1957, Harrison Co, WV; was buried , Sunset Memorial Park, Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Residence: Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV
• Residence: Doddridge Co, WV

Other Events:

• Occupation: farmer
• Census: 1880, West Union District, Doddridge Co, WV
• Census: 1900, Sardis District, Harrison Co, WV

William married Anna WILLIS 14 Mar 1854, Doddridge Co, (W)VA. Anna (daughter of Robert WILLIS and Mary VANNORT) was born CA 1834; died 1868. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Census: 1850, Doddridge Co, (W)VA

Other Events:

• Residence: FORMERLY, Mole Hill (now Mountain), Ritchie Co, WV
• Residence: ORIGINALLY, Fauquier Co, VA
• Residence: 1821, Harrison Co, (W)VA
• Residence: From 1870, Jockey Camp, Doddridge Co, WV

Benjamin married Susan Holiva SMITH 24 Dec 1857, Harrison Co, (W)VA. Susan (daughter of Benjamin Delaney SMITH and Jemima G. ROBINSON) was born 2 Jan 1830, Fauquier Co, VA; died 24 Jan 1927, Clarksburg, Harrison Co, WV; was buried , Blockhouse Hill Cemetery (IOOF section), West Union, Doddridge Co, WV. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Occupation: midwife
• Census: 1900, West Union District, Doddridge Co, WV

Notes:

Birth:
Birth date on headstone is 1831.

Occupation:
attended the birth of John J. Cornwell, who later became governor of West Virginia

William married Catherine ASH 18 Feb 1813, Harrison Co, (W)VA. Catherine (daughter of Christian ASH and Lovina "Libby" SWIGER) was born 3 Feb 1795, Harrison Co, (W)VA; died 5 Mar 1857, Harrison Co, (W)VA; was buried , Hepzibah Baptist Church Cemetery, Rt 19, Hepzibah, Harrison Co, WV. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Occupation: farmer
• Residence: Oxford, Doddridge Co, WV
• Census: 1850, 1860, Doddridge Co, (W)VA
• Census: 1870, 1880, Southwest District, Doddridge Co, WV

Notes:

Minnie Kendall Lowther (HRC, p. 596) lists three marriages for Robert Willis: Mary Venort [sic], Mary Vanhorn, and Matilda Prine [sic]. A fourth marriage, to Hannah Cornell in 1856, is reflected in marriage and census records.

1850 Census, Doddridge Co, Virginia (now West Virginia):
Robert Willis, 49, farmer; Mary, 49; William, 21; John, 19; Lydia, 17; Anne, 16; Mary, 13; Henrietta, 10.

1860 Census, Doddridge Co, Virginia (now West Virginia):
R. Willis, 60, farmer; Hannah, 47; H. (female), 20.

1870 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (Southwest Twp), enumerated on Aug 31 1870:
Robt Willis, 69, farmer; Hannah Willis, 56; Clarissa Latty, 14; Paris L. Davis, 9; Henrietta Davis, 8.
(Note: Anna Willis Davis, daughter of Robert Willis and mother of Paris and Henrietta Davis, had died two years before. Clarissa Lattea was the daughter of Christiana Haught, widow of George Lattea and wife of Lory Roney. Circumstance of Clarissa appearing in the Willis household is not known.)

1880 Census, Doddridge Co, WV (Southwest District), enumerated in June 1880:
Robert Willis, 79, farmer; wife Matilda Willis, 63; grandson William L. Davis, 22; granddau Henrietta Davis, 18; dau Hanah Willis, 8.
(Note: Henrietta appears to have been enumerated twice in this census, once here with her maternal grandfather, and also in West Union District with her father & stepmother. Birth records show that Hannah J. Latty [Lattea] was born on Dec 20 1872 in Doddridge County, dau of Clarasa. Father not identified.)

Died:
Minnie Kendall Lowther erroneously reports death as 1886, and birth date as 1799. (HRC, 596)

Robert married Mary VANNORT 1828, Harrison Co, (W)VA. Mary was born CA 1801. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Census: 1850, Doddridge Co, (W)VA

William married Susan ___. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Military: Revolutionary War
• Occupation: carpenter

Notes:

Identified as Benjamin Smith in daughter's marriage record, but as William Smith in her death record.

Benjamin married Jemima G. ROBINSON 27 Nov 1816, Fauquier Co, VA. Jemima was born 18 Mar 1797, Fauquier Co, VA; died 4 Nov 1853, Harrison Co, (W)VA. [Group Sheet]

William married Hannah ___. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Census: 1820, Tyler Co, (W)VA

Notes:

Many researchers identify this Christian Ash as Christopher "Christian" Ash, with the same 1770 birth date, but with a death date of Aug 20 1842 at Center Point in Doddridge County. However, we have found no conclusive evidence that he was known as Christopher, and we have also found strong evidence that he died in the year 1828.

A rough headstone at Underwood Cemetery near Ashley, Doddridge County, is inscribed with "Chrispher Ash." It has no dates, and it is not even certain that the marker was placed at the time of his death. This may or may not be the headstone of this Christian Ash.

He was listed as Christian Ash in the 1820 Census, with his household enumerated as follows:
1820 Census, Tyler County, Virginia (now West Virginia):
Name: Christian Ash
Enumeration Date: August 7, 1820
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over: 1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over : 1
Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture: 1
Free White Persons - Under 16: 4
Free White Persons - Over 25: 2
Total Free White Persons: 8
Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other: 8

On 21 October 1828, an inventory/appraisement was done on "the personal property of Christian Ash, deceased." This would indicate that his death occurred sometime during that year, probably within the several preceding months. The two-page appraisal was filed in Tyler County probate records in December 1828. Christian Ash's residence in the Center Point or Ashley area was located in Tyler County at that time, since Doddridge County was not formed until 1845. The appraisement was submitted to the court by Lewis Ripley, William Wells, Stephen Gatrell and W. Underwood [probably William S. Underwood, 1780-1866], all of whom where probably Christian Ash's friends and neighbors.

Further bolstering the notion that Christian Ash died in 1828 is the fact that his wife Lovina was listed as head of household in the 1830 Census, as follows:
1830 Census, Tyler County, Virginia, now West Virginia
Name: Lovinia Ash
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 60 thru 69: 1
Free White Persons - Under 20: 2
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 3
Total Free White Persons: 6
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 6

In 1850, Lovina Ash was enumerated in Doddridge County in the household of daughter & son-in-law Mary & James Weekly.
.

Christian married Lovina "Libby" SWIGER. Lovina (daughter of John William SWIGER and Mary DUVAL) was born 17 Oct 1770, Pennsylvania; died 20 Sep 1856; was buried , Underwood Cemetery, Rt 23, Ashley, Doddridge Co, WV. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Census: 1820, 1830, Tyler Co, (W)VA
• Census: 1850, Doddridge Co, (W)VA

Notes:

Census:
In household of daughter & son-in-law Mary & James Weekly.

Other Events:

• Residence: Harrison Co, (W)VA

William married Nancy Ann DOUGLASS 19 Nov 1794, Harrison Co, (W)VA. Nancy (daughter of Levi DOUGLASS and Nancy Anne MERRICK) was born 1779, Harrison Co, (W)VA; died Aft 1840, Harrison Co, (W)VA. [Group Sheet]

Johann married Catherine YOST. Catherine was born 27 Dec 1748, Hesse, Germany; died 2 Feb 1830; was buried , Ash Cemetery, Harrison Co, WV. [Group Sheet]

John married Mary DUVAL. Mary was born 1730, Bavaria, Germany; died 1809, Hepzibah, Harrison Co, (W)VA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Levi Douglass was born possibly in Virginia, but more likely on the eastern shore of Maryland in present-day Wicomico County. His date of birth is generally accepted as being around 1750, but may have been as late as about 1760. In about 1777, just prior to his 1778 marriage to Nancy Anne Merrick in Monongalia County, Virginia (now West Virginia), Levi Douglass signed a petition for the formation of Harrison County, which came about in 1784. In May 1785, a survey for Levi Douglass was recorded for 400 acres in Harrison County on the Brushy Fork of Elk Creek, adjoining the land of Benjamin Coplin.

Excerpts from "History of Harrison County West Virginia," by Henry Haymond, 1910:

"On the 31st December, 1771 a party of explorers consisting of John Merrick, Samuel Cottrill, Andrew Cottrill, Levi Douglass and Sotha Hickman, encamped on Ann Moores run near the present town of Grasselli in Clark District.
They were engaged in hunting and looking out for lands upon which to make permanent settlements. On New Year's day 1772 they turned out to hunt, and passing south through the low gap where Lemuel D. Holden afterwards lived for so many years, and near there killed a bear and several turkeys.
On the little bottom where Brushy Fork empties into Elk Creek their dogs discovered a herd of buffalo and in a short time the hunters had killed seven of them. One of the largest of the herd being fatally wounded in attempting to escape down Elk Creek fell dead into the bed of the little stream that puts into Elk below the mouth of Brushy Fork, and lay in such a position that they could not pull him out, and he was left to lie there with regrets that they could not get his robe.
The party remained in this camp all winter and were visited by a friendly Indian who hunted with them for some time.
They discovered the abandoned camp on the "West Fork River of Robert Lindsay a trapper, and also where he had made one or more canoes to transport his furs down to Fort Pitt.
In the Spring of 1772 they selected lands on which to establish permanent homes. Andrew Cottrill located his claim and built his cabin at the site of their camp, on Ann Moore's run, where Grasselli is now located. Samuel Cottrill just east of where Clarksburg now stands, near the Jackson grave yard. Sotha Hickman on the opposite side of Elk Creek near where the Elk View Cemetery now is, and Levi Douglas preempted four hundred acres on the Brushy Fork of Elk. John Merrick did not permanently locate in this country but probably went further West.
There are still residing in Harrison County many descendants of the two Cottrills, Hickman and Douglass, and they have the satisfaction of knowing that their ancestors were among the very first permanent settlers in the present limits of Harrison County." [p. 21]

"It appears that at the June Court 1787 appraisers were appointed for the estate of Levi Douglass and that at the September Court of the same year Mrs. Ann Burrowes was appointed guardian for Thomas Cottrill orphan of Andrew Cottrill, deceased. This indicates that both of these men died in that year, which is a
matter of interest as they were both among the original pioneer settlers of Harrison County, as is related elsewhere, and had borne the hardships of frontier life for sixteen years." [p. 208]

"Levi Douglass. In company with Sotha Hickman he was captured by Indians, an account of which is given elsewhere. He was a man of sterling worth and for that day accumulated considerable property.
The census of Monongalia County taken in 1782 before Harrison County was formed, shows that at that date his family consisted of four members.
The inventory of his estate was dated August 4, 1787, the exact date of his death being unknown.
His descendants still reside in the County." [p. 382]

"Sotha Hickman. ... While trapping on the Liitle Kanawha River in Company with Levi Douglass they were captured by a party of Indians and taken to their towns on the Sciota River in Ohio.
One night while the Indians were holding a grand dance and festival the prisoners were left in charge of an old man who fell off into a sleep. They each then quietly seized a gun and equipments and struck out for home and liberty.
Travelling only at night they were four days without food and after reaching the Virginia side of the Ohio River they were fortunate enough to kill a bear and ate so much of it that they both became very sick and were relieved by drinking what was called rock oil, which was found floating on the surface of Hughes River." [p. 383]

"To show the household articles in use, and the personal property belonging to a well to do pioneer, the following is taken from the appraisement of the estate of Levi Douglass, who died in 1787 :
2 horses, 1 colt, 2 steers, 2 heifers, 1 cow, 1 calf, 17 shoats, 1 plow, 1 negro boy, 1 rifle gun, shot pouch and powder horn, 1 woman's saddle, 2 bridles, 1 man's saddle, drawing knife, stillyards, pot and hooks, hackle-bell, pans, spinning wheel, wooden ware, knives and forks, pewter ware, beds and bedding, flax seed, wheat, hemp seed, beehives and hominy block." [p. 427]

Birth:
or the eastern shore of Maryland in present-day Wicomico County

Levi married Nancy Anne MERRICK 1778, Monongalia Co, (W)VA. Nancy was born 1758, West Augusta Co, VA; died 1838, Jackson Co, (W)VA. [Group Sheet]