I, William Stevens an ordained minister of the Gospel do hereby certify that I did on the 18th of January A.D. 1842 solemnize the rites of matrimony between John C. Davidson and Sophia Talbott both being of lawful age. Given under my hand this 14th day of February A.D. 1842.
William Stevens
Filed for record February 25th 1842
By William P. Matthews Do                        Eli Carter Clerk

Here is what I have on her:

18 Feb 1819 She was born in Montgomery County, Missouri.  Source: History of Leavenworth County, Kansas by Jesse Hall and Leroy Hand. c. 1921

1833 Warren County is formed from Montgomery County

18 Jan 1842 She marries John C. Davidson in Warren Co., MO.  Source: Misouri Marriages to 1850

23 Dec 1842 A son, James F. Davidson is born in Missouri.

Abt. 1845 A son, Campbell Alexander Davidson is born in Missouri.

19 Mar 1848 A son, Hail I. Davidson is born in Missouri.

4 Sep 1850 Living with her husband and 3 sons in Carroll Co., MO.

25 Aug 1851 A son, Matthew David Davidson is born in Carroll, Co., Missouri.

Abt. 1853 A daughter, Martha Jane Davidson is born in Missouri.

Jul 1854 They move from Carroll Co., MO to Douglas Co., KS.

7 Oct 1855 A son, John C. Davidson is born in Douglas Co, KS.

16 Feb 1858 A son, Thomas Talbot Davidson is born in Douglas Co., KS.

4 Mar 1859 Her son James dies and is buried in Ulrich Cemetery, Douglas Co., KS.

30 Jul 1860 Living in Willow Springs Twp, Douglas Co., KS with her husband and children.

19 May 1865 Living in Alexandria Twp, Leavenworth Co., KS with her husband and children.

8 Apr 1866 Her son, Hail Davidson dies and is buried in Ulrich Cemetery.

11 Feb 1869 Her husband, John C. Davidson, dies and is buried in Ulrich Cemetery.

15 Jul 1870 Living in Stranger Twp, Leavenworth Co, KS with her children.

1 Mar 1875 Living in Stranger Twp, Leavenworth Co., KS with her son Campbell and his wife, and her other children.

10 Jun 1880 Living in Stranger Twp, Leavenworth Co. KS with her sons John and Thomas and a girl Esther Hopkins, age 17.

7 Sep 1888 She dies in Kansas and is buried in Ulrich Cemetery in Douglas County, KS.

As you can see, I have her pretty well documented from the time of her marriage on.

I’m trying to figure out who her parents might be.

I found a very helpful website, dedicated to the Talbot family.   The Descendants of Matthew Talbot, Gentleman.

Of special interest to me was the page titled “The Hale Talbot Story”  by Ann Talbot Brandon Womack and Farris W. Womack, dated Feb. 2002.

It documents the Talbot line down to a Hale Talbot who settled in Montgomery County, Missouri – where Sophia was born.

1 Hale Talbot b: 05 Dec 1754 in Bedford Co.,VA d: 31 Aug 1828 in Montogomery Co.,MO-L’Outre Island, MO-McKittrick
.. +Elizabeth”Betsey” Irvine b: 05 Jan 1760 in Bedford Co.,VA m: 18 Sep 1778 in Bedford Co., VA d: 01 Sep 1827 in Montogomery Co.,MO-L’Outre Island, MO-McKittrick

. 2 Jane Talbot b: Abt. 1779 in KY d: Aft. 1850 in Prob Warren Co.,MO
….. +James Talbot, MD b: Bet. 1771 – 1780 in Prob Bedford Co.,VA or Kentucky m: 29 Jun 1806 in Madison Co.,KY d: Aft. 1840 in Prob Warren Co.,MO

. 2 Nancy (Ann) Talbot b: Bet. 1784 – 1788 in Prob Madison Co.,KY d: Bef. Jun 1845 in Montgomery Co.,MO-Loutre Island
….. +Irvine Smith Pitman b: 09 Sep 1790 in Kentucky m: 1815 d: 22 May 1862 in Missouri

. 2 Christopher Talbot b: 09 Jun 1788 in Madison Co.,KY d: 22 Aug 1856 in Montogomery Co.,MO-L’Outre Island, MO-McKittrick
….. +Susan Parrish b: 25 Jan 1785 in Prob Kentucky m: 07 Oct 1811 in Madison Co.,KY–page 56 d: 30 Nov 1844 in Montogomery Co.,MO-L’Outre Island, MO-McKittrick

. 2 Thomas Talbot b: 07 Mar 1795 in Madison Co.,KY d: 20 Sep 1869 in Warren Co.,MO
….. +Henrietta LNU b: Bet. 1807 – 1808 in Virginia

. 2 [1] William Irvine Talbot b: 13 May 1795 in Prob Madison Co.,KY d: 14 Jun 1874 in Prob Warren Co.,MO
….. +Jane Lewis b: 1811 m: Bef. 1838 d: Bef. 1850
. *2nd Wife of [1] William Irvine Talbot:
….. +Catherine Jane Helsey b: 1804 in Virginia m: Abt. 1847 in Missouri d: Jun 1881 in Missouri

. 2 David I. Talbot b: 17 May 1798 in Madison Co.,KY d: 24 Nov 1852 in Montogomery Co.,MO-L’Outre Island, MO-McKittrick
….. +Susan M. Clark b: 26 Mar 1810 in Missouri/Kentucky m: Bef. 1830 in Prob Montgomery Co.,MO d: 11 Jan 1852 in Montogomery Co.,MO-L’Outre Island, MO-McKittrick

. 2 Elizabeth Talbot b: Bef. 1800 in Prob Madison Co.,KY d: 12 Sep 1844 in Montgomery Co.,MO
….. +Mathias McGirk b: 1783 in Greenbrier Co.,VA m: 03 Mar 1818 in St. Charles Co.,MO d: Bet. 03 – 14 Sep 1842 in Montgomery Co.,MO

. 2 Sophia F. Talbot b: 01 Mar 1803 in Prob Madison Co.,KY d: 30 Nov 1849 in Boone Co.,MO
….. +Fletcher Wright b: 08 Feb 1805 in Tennessee m: Bef. 1830 in Prob Montgomery/Boone Co.,MO d: 10 Sep 1843 in Boone Co.,MO

. 2 Mary Ann “Pauline” “Polly” Talbot b: 1806 in Prob Madison Co.,KY d: Aft. 1880 in Montgomery Co.,MO
….. +James Pitzer b: 1805 in Virginia m: Bef. 1830 in Prob St. Charles/Montgomery Co.,MO d: Bef. 1880 in Montgomery Co.,MO

Notice the similarity of the names?  Thomas.  Hale.  Matthew.  David.  James.  Sophia.

I know, I just know, that she belongs to this family.  This was not a heavily settled area during this time period.  It is not a coincidence. But where does she fit in?

She was born in 1819, so she appears to be too young to have been one of Hale’s children. Besides, there is already a daughter named Sophia.  My Sophia has to have been the daughter of one of Hale’s children.  But which one?

The above mentioned website has an impressive amount of research done on it.  This is a listing of the children of Hale Talbot in the 1830 census.  Sophia would have been about 11 years old in 1830.

It appears that the only family she could have fit in with was that of James and Jane Talbot.  Jane was actually the daughter of Hale.

Jane Talbot married her half first cousin, James Talbot, son of Isham Talbot and Elizabeth Davis,  in Madison County, Kentucky in 1806.

James and Jane Talbot lived a few houses away from Hale and Betsey and by 1810 they had two young children.  The son show on the Census appears to be Isham H. Talbot, no doubt the “H” stands for Hale and the daughter must be Martha J. Talbot.  Martha married John A. Hunter in 1833 in Missouri and gave birth to four children.  She died in 1841 when all of her children were very young.  The 1850 Census shows those children living with their grandmother, Jane.

Yet more names in common.  My Sophia named her first son James and her only daughter Martha Jane.

And in 1840, there is a female living in the household of Dr. James Talbott who is 20 yrs old.  He was living in Warren County (which is where she married John Davidson in 1842).

James Talbot appears to have died in between 1840 and 1850, because Jane Talbot is listed as the head of family and living in Warren County. A 26 yr old Matthew Talbot (probably her son) and her Hunter grandchildren (from her daughter Martha) are living with her.  (There is the Matthew name again!)

So, do I have any direct evidence yet?  No.

But I think that I’m on the right track.

I will be driving through Missouri in May.  I think that I will try to stop in Warren County and see what I can find.  I checked the Warren County Usgenweb site and the library has will and probate records from 1833 to 1889.  Maybe I can find James’ will?

I am going to attempt to research the known children of James and Jane Talbot – Isham H., Martha J., and Matthew to see if anything comes up that might mention Sophia also.

Any other suggestions?