Mathew Ryburn Davis

b. 9 December 1825, d. 11 June 1887
FatherWilliam Davis1,2 b. Apr 1778, d. 24 May 1842
MotherSarah Ryburn1 b. 29 Dec 1788, d. 18 Mar 1873
Birth9 Dec 1825 Mathew Ryburn Davis was born on 9 Dec 1825 in Washington County, Virginia.1 
Migration1842 Mathew was seventeen years old when his father died in 1842. Later that year Mathew, along with his mother, joined several of his siblings who had already settled in Carroll County, Illinois.3 
Cens-185014 Sep 1850  Mathew assumed the role of head of the family following the death of his older brother John in 1845. By 1850 he and his mother were living together, along with Mathew's widowed sister Ellen Davis McCoy and her five children.4 
Cens-186014 Jun 1860  Ten years later Mathew's mother was still living with him, as were two of Eleanor's children.5 
  During at least some of this time they were most likely living in the log cabin first used by Mathew's sister Mary Jane and her husband Garner when they settled in Carroll County in 1836. An 1850 letter states: "Mathew Davis and his mother and Ellen Maccoy still lives on the old place....Garner Moffett has built a large brick house up on the road." 
Cens-18704 Aug 1870 However by 1870 Mathew, though he still listed his occupation as farmer and claimed land worth $10,000 was residing in a hotel in the nearby town of Lanark.6 
Cens-18807 Jun 1880  By 1880 his niece, Mary McCoy was living in Lanark and Mathew was boarding with her. He does not appear to have been employed.7 
  Mathew did not marry.8 
Death11 Jun 1887 Mathew died on 11 Jun 1887 in Coloma, Michigan, at age 61 when he commited suicide.9,10 
Burial He was buried in Section 7, Row 1, Lot 2 at Lanark Cemetery, Lanark, Carroll County, Illinois, with his mother, and brothers William B. and John B. Davis.11 

Related Links and Images:

Find Lanark Cemetery on the Carroll County map (also accessible via the Misc. Locations link in the menu bar at the top of any page).
See Mary Jane's Journal for images and text from the journal of Mathew's sister, Mary Jane (Davis) Moffett
Transcription of newspaper article about Mathew's death from the June 22nd 1887 issue of the Lanark Gazette12
ChartsDescendants of Mathew Ryburn and Jane Beattie
Last Edited2 May 2011

Citations

  1. [S10] "Journal of Mary Jane Beaty (Davis) Moffett", p. 19.
  2. [S268] William Davis will (recorded 1842), Washington Co., VA Will Book 9: 122. Will was dated 16 April 1842 and recorded 27 June 1842; names wife and children.
  3. [S10] "Journal of Mary Jane Beaty (Davis) Moffett", p. 28.
  4. [S1029] Mathew R. Davis household, 1850 U.S. census, Carroll Co., Illinois, pop. sched., Freedom township, p. 700 (added script, dwelling 4, family 4, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Nov. 2004, image 8 of 8. Enumeration records: Mathew R. Davis, 24, farmer; Sarah 5_; Ellen McCoy, 33; rest McCoy: Samuel 15; Wm 13; Mary M. 11; Lavinia A. 9; all prev. persons b. VA; Sarah 7, b. IL.
  5. [S1030] Mathew Davis household, 1860 U.S. census, Carroll Co., Illinois, pop. sched., Freedom, p. 871 (added script), dwelling 322, family 311, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Nov. 2004, image 13 of 22. Enumeration includes: Mathew Davis, 35, farmer, real estate: $4,800, pers. prop: $1,245, b. VA; Sarah, 72, b. VA; B. Sebastion, 20, farm laborer, b. OH; Sam McKay, 25, farm laborer, b. VA; Lavinia McCay, servant, 19, b. VA.
  6. [S1031] Mathew Davis household, 1870 U.S. census, Carroll Co., Illinois, pop. sched., Lanark, p. 205b (stamped, dwelling 182, family 181, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Nov. 2004, image 24 of 25. Enumeration records: Mathew Davis, 44, farmer, b. VA, owns real estate of $10,000, living in a hotel.
  7. [S1032] Mary McCoy household, 1880 U.S. cens., Carroll Co., Illinois, pop sched., Lanark, ED 17, page 544A (stamped), dwelling 156, family 165, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Nov. 2004, image 17 of 46. Enumeration reports: Mary McCoy, 36, sgl, runs boarding hse, b. VA; Venia, 35, sister, b. VA; Mathew Davis, 55, uncle, b. VA, both parents b. VA.
  8. [S10] "Journal of Mary Jane Beaty (Davis) Moffett", p. 10.
  9. [S1027] Lanark Cemetery, Sexton's records. Record states: Mathew R. Davis, d. 11 June 1887, cause suicide by hanging, b. Washington Co, CA, Resid Lanark.
  10. [S10] "Journal of Mary Jane Beaty (Davis) Moffett", p. 48.
  11. [S1026] Carroll County Genealogical Society, Carroll County, Illinois Tombstone Inscriptions Vol. 3, Stone reported to read: Mathew R. Davis, 11 June 1887 aged 61 yrs, 6 mos, 2 days.
  12. [S16] Original article shared by Carolyn Ryburn who found it stored among some old family documents.