Sarah Davis, the wife of John Washburn at his death, was the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Dixon) Davis. John was mentioned in the settlement of his father-in-law’s estate in May 1939, so he as alive at that time. Sarah is listed without a husband in the 1840 census. Presumably John died between May 1839 and mid-1840 when the census was taken.
John and Sarah married on 14 Mar 1833, in Switzerland County, Indiana. John and Sarah apparently had only two children: Samuel and John. Samuel’s death certificate lists his mother as Susanna Davis. However, this is incorrect. Her first name was Sarah. This is supported by several census records and the record of her second marriage to James Moore on 17 Oct 1842 in Switzerland Co., Indiana.
John Washburn was married at least one other time to Sarah Bell in 1819 in Switzerland County, Indiana. John is listed in the 1820 census in Switzerland County, Indiana. At that time, he would have been married to Sarah Bell. The census shows the household with one female under 10 years of age. This could be a daughter of John’s, a daughter of Sarah’s from a prior marriage, or some other relative.
Benton P. Washburne in his book The Washburn Family in America has John, the son of Jeremiah, married to Sarah Naylor. He indicates that most of the information on the Jeremiah Washburn family came from another source, but he could not remember the name and author of the or the source. I have yet to find any record of a John Washburn marrying a Sarah Naylor and Mr. Washburn does not site any source. If John married a Sarah Naylor, it is likely that the she is his first of three wives. Pending further research, I have not added Sarah as a wife of John.
Sarah Davis, the second wife of John Washburn (about 1800 – about 1840), was born about 1818 the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Dixon) Davis. In addition to Sarah, Samuel and Elizabeth has several other daughters:
· Elizabeth who married William Morris in 1832 in Switzerland County, Indiana
· Fanny Maria Davis who married Joseph M. Hewitt in 1845 in Switzerland County, Indiana
· Mary Davis who married Thomas Jackson in 1828 in Switzerland County, Indiana. Mary was referred to as Polly in her father’s will. Polly was a nickname for Mary during this time period.
· Jane
· Julia Louise
· Caroline who married David Stephenson in 1844 in Gallatin County, Kentucky
· Malinda who married Matthew Stephenson in 1848 in Ohio County, Indiana
· Zerelda who married Joshua Stephenson in 1850 in Switzerland County, Indiana
The above daughters are listed in the will of their father, Samuel Davis. the three Stephenson men, above, were born to William Stephenson and Catherine Stevens in Guilford, North Carolina.
After John Washburn’s death, Sarah remarried James Moore in 1842 in Switzerland County. Indiana. James was born about 1790, the son of August and Johanna Moore. Sarah and James had the following children: Louisa, Amanda, Pamela and Mary. These daughters are based on census records. There might have been others.
Nothing is known about these daughters of Sarah and James, except for Amanda. Amanda (who went by the nickname of Molly) was born August 1849 and died 1932 in Jefferson County Kentucky. She married William Henry Herman in 1879 in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Both William and Amanda are buried in Calvary Cemetery in Jefferson County, Kentucky. They did not have children.
