Elizabeth Davenport was born on 21 September 1807 in New York.¹ She was the daughter of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King.¹ She married Henry W. Sisson on 25 March 1824.¹ She died on 12 March 1901 in Algansee Township, Branch County, Michigan, at age 93.^1,2

     Elizabeth Davenport and Henry W. Sisson lived in Scipio Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan, where Henry was a farmer.^3,4 She and Henry W. Sisson moved to Algansee Township, Branch County, Michigan, by 1880.⁵

     Henry W. Sisson was born on 1 October 1801 in Rhode Island.^2,3 He married Elizabeth Davenport, daughter of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King, on 25 March 1824.¹ He died on 13 December 1887 in Michigan at age 86.² He was buried in Johnson Cemetery, Scipio Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan.²

     Henry W. Sisson and Elizabeth Davenport lived in Scipio Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan, where Henry was a farmer.^4,5 He and Elizabeth Davenport moved to Algansee Township, Branch County, Michigan, by 1880.³

     Hiley Davenport was born on 2 March 1810 in New York.¹ She was the daughter of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King.¹ She died on 14 June 1874 at age 64.¹

     Hiley Davenport was living in Conneautville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, in 1860 with her brother Cornelius.²

     Son Davenport was born on 20 August 1812 in New York.¹ He was the son of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King.¹ He died on 28 August 1812 in New York.¹

     Minor Davenport was born on 21 April 1814 in New York.¹ He was the son of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King.¹ He married Catherine Traver on 16 August 1832.¹ He died on 18 December 1865 in Franklin Township, Lenawee County, Michigan, at age 51.¹ He was buried in Reynolds Corner Cemetery, Manchester Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.²

     Minor Davenport and Catherine Traver were living in Scipio Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan, in 1850.³ He and Catherine Traver were living in Franklin Township, Lenawee County, Michigan, in 1860.⁴ He was a farmer.^3,4

     Catherine Traver married Minor Davenport, son of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King, on 16 August 1832.¹ She died on 11 March 1880 in Washtenaw County, Michigan.² She was buried in Reynolds Corner Cemetery, Manchester Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.²

     Catherine Traver and Minor Davenport were living in Scipio Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan, in 1850.³ She and Minor Davenport were living in Franklin Township, Lenawee County, Michigan, in 1860.⁴

     John Davenport was born on 13 June 1816 in New York.¹ He was the son of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King.¹ He married Lucretia Valentine on 6 June 1838.¹ He married Elizabeth Valentine.² He married Mrs. Phebe Ann Haight on 14 January 1868 in Greene County, Iowa.³ He died on 5 February 1891 in Greene County, Iowa, at age 74.^1,4

     John Davenport was a farmer in Franklin Township, Lenawee County, Michigan, in 1850.^5,2 He moved from Michigan to Hardin Township, Greene County, Iowa, by 1868.^6,4,3

     Lucretia Valentine was born circa 1814.² She married John Davenport, son of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King, on 6 June 1838.¹ She died on 22 December 1849 in Michigan.³ She was buried in Reynolds Corner Cemetery, Manchester Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.³

     Emeline Davenport was born on 4 July 1818 in New York.¹ She was the daughter of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King.¹ She died on 7 October 1831 in Catlin, Chemung County, New York, at age 13.^1,2 She was buried in Martins Hill Cemetery, Catlin.²

     Irene Davenport was born on 22 May 1821 in New York.^1,2 She was the daughter of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King.¹ She married Warren Hoxie on 3 October 1836.¹ She was still living in 1900 in Manchester Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.³ She died in 1908 in Manchester Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.⁴ She was buried in Reynolds Corner Cemetery, Manchester Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.⁴

     Irene Davenport and Warren Hoxie lived in Manchester Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan, where Warren was a farmer.^5,6,7

     Warren Hoxie was born in 1810.² He married Irene Davenport, daughter of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King, on 3 October 1836.¹ He died in March 1870 in Manchester Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.^2,3 He was buried in Reynolds Corner Cemetery, Manchester Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.²

     Warren Hoxie and Irene Davenport lived in Manchester Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan, where Warren was a farmer.^4,5,3

     Jasper Davenport was born on 28 May 1824 in New York.¹ He was the son of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King.¹ He married Susan Fisk on 24 October 1843.¹ He died on 2 October 1890 at age 66.¹

     Jasper Davenport and Susan Fisk lived in Jonesville, Hillsdale County, Michigan, where Jasper was an engineer and drayman.^2,3,4

     Susan Fisk was born on 7 December 1823.¹ She married Jasper Davenport, son of Aaron Davenport and Eleanor King, on 24 October 1843.¹ She died on 25 December 1900 at age 77.¹

     Susan Fisk and Jasper Davenport lived in Jonesville, Hillsdale County, Michigan, where Jasper was an engineer and drayman.^2,3,4

     Annette Davenport was born on 30 September 1845.¹ She was the daughter of Jasper Davenport and Susan Fisk.¹ She married Stephen C. Wilcox on 21 October 1867.¹

     Stephen C. Wilcox married Annette Davenport, daughter of Jasper Davenport and Susan Fisk, on 21 October 1867.¹

     Cassius Marcellus Davenport was born on 2 June 1847.¹ He was the son of Jasper Davenport and Susan Fisk.¹ He married Electra (?)¹ He died on 5 October 1914 at age 67.¹

     Electra (?) married Cassius Marcellus Davenport, son of Jasper Davenport and Susan Fisk.¹ She died on 5 March 1935.¹

     Eleanor D. Burk was the daughter of Joseph Burk and Catherine Davenport.¹ She died on 20 November 1827.¹

     Aaron Davenport was born circa 6 September 1837.² He was the son of Minor Davenport and Catherine Traver.¹ He died on 29 November 1865.¹ He was buried in Reynolds Corner Cemetery, Manchester Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.²

     Cornelius Davenport was born say 1748.² He married Elizabeth (?)¹

     Cornelius Davenport and Elizabeth (?) most likely came from New Jersey, settling in south central New York in the 1790s. Cornelius was a contemporary, possibly a brother or cousin, of Nathaniel Davenport who came from New Jersey and settled in the area in 1791. The area where they settled became the town of Ulysses in 1794. The town of Ulysses was part of Onondaga County when it was formed. The town became part of Cayuga County in 1799, Seneca County in 1804, and Tompkins County in 1817.^3,4 He was listed among those quailfied to serve as jurors in Ulysses, Onondaga County, New York, in 1798. Cornelius continued to take an active role in the development of Ulysses. A town meeting was held at his house in 1800 and he continued to be listed as a juror in 1801 and 1802.^3,4 He was a buckwheat farmer in Ulysses, New York.^3,4 He appeared on the census of 1810 in Ulysses, Seneca County, New York.⁵ He owned land in Lot 93 in Ulysses, Tompkins County, New York. At least 118 acres of the land was owned in conjunction with a Moses and Jacob Davenport. They sold the land in 1817. (The relationship among Cornelius, Jacob, and Moses is not clear.) Also in 1817, Cornelius sold 2 1/2 acres to his son Aaron.⁶ The 1817 land sales in Tompkins County are the last known record for Cornelius. It is possible that he died soon after in Ulysses or he and Elizabeth could have moved with their son Aaron who moved to Catherine, Tioga County, New York by 1820. The area where Aaron settled became part of the town of Catlin. Cornelius's wife Elizabeth died and is buried in Catlin in 1828.^6,2

     Elizabeth (?) was born circa 1748.² She married Cornelius Davenport.¹ She died on 26 April 1828 in Chemung County, New York.^1,2 She was buried in Martins Hill Cemetery, Catlin, Chemung County, New York.²

     Elizabeth (?) and Cornelius Davenport most likely came from New Jersey, settling in south central New York in the 1790s. Cornelius was a contemporary, possibly a brother or cousin, of Nathaniel Davenport who came from New Jersey and settled in the area in 1791. The area where they settled became the town of Ulysses in 1794. The town of Ulysses was part of Onondaga County when it was formed. The town became part of Cayuga County in 1799, Seneca County in 1804, and Tompkins County in 1817.^3,4 She owned land in Lot 93 in Ulysses, Tompkins County, New York. At least 118 acres of the land was owned in conjunction with a Moses and Jacob Davenport. They sold the land in 1817. (The relationship among Cornelius, Jacob, and Moses is not clear.) Also in 1817, Cornelius sold 2 1/2 acres to his son Aaron.⁵ The 1817 land sales in Tompkins County are the last known record for Cornelius. It is possible that he died soon after in Ulysses or he and Elizabeth could have moved with their son Aaron who moved to Catherine, Tioga County, New York by 1820. The area where Aaron settled became part of the town of Catlin. Cornelius's wife Elizabeth died and is buried in Catlin in 1828.^5,2

     Francis King was born on 25 November 1757 in Frederick County, Maryland.² He married Mary Jones, daughter of John Jones, on 31 October 1780 in Somerset County, New Jersey.^1,3 He died on 24 October 1830 in Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York, at age 72.^1,4 He was buried in Kings Cemetery, Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York.⁵

     The truth as to the origin of Francis King is unknown to me. The Howland family always said that Francis King was born in Maryland. This story apparently was widely accepted among various King descendants as all the applications for the SAR and DAR that I have seen say that he was born in Maryland, but no one says where. The family tradition was that Francis King was living in or around Anne Arundel co., Maryland, about twenty miles from where he enlisted at the time of his enlistment into the American Revolutionary Army. It was always said that he was born in Frederick county, Maryland.

I have not found a record of Francis King's birth or a family to associate with him. I recently discovered a reference to a Francis King who died a year after our Francis King was born. He had served during the French and Indian war in Frederick county Maryland. If this is his origin, it may help to explain why there is no record of him. Frederick county was considered back country at this time, and it is likely that Francis faced plenty of difficult times growing up there in the 1760's and early 70's. It is likely his time would have been spent learning the practical necessities for making a living, farming, construction, hunting, fishing, maintenance, and making home brew. Francis King never learned to write, not even his name. This is demonstrated time and again in his making his mark on documents he was to sign.

The other story has its genesis in the Banfield Family Reunion and was published in the Cuba Patriot - Cuba, NY 5 July 1928. It states that when James Banfield was twelve years old, he and Francis King were playing on the Royal lands in England. While playing with sling shots, James killed a royal goose. In fear for their lives, the boys stowed away on a ship that lay at anchor in London. They were discovered after the ship sailed and worked on ship board during the passage to America. When they landed, they were sold into indenture by the captain to pay for their transport to the colony.

They served together during the American Revolution, married sisters, and remained good friends for the remainder of their lives. While there is good reason to doubt the first part of the story, the second part is true. Francis King and James Banfield served together in the 6th Maryland Line during the Revolution, they did marry sisters. James Banfield married Tabitha Jones and Francis King married Mary Jones, and they both came to Ithaca and lived to the end of their days there. Their descendants always referred to each other as cousins.

It was also said that James was the descendant of the noble Banfield line in England, and that the Jones were descendents of a royal Welsh line. [It was common in vanity genealogies at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century to make unsupportable claims of noble and royal linage. Modern genealogy requires supporting documentation to back up a statement of descent.]

There are problems with the goose story. The first problem with the story is that, according to their grave stones, James Banfield was 10 years older that Francis King. For this tale to be true, Francis would have had to stow away with James when he was age 2. Further research has shown that James Banfield came over on a convict ship and was sold as an indentured convict. This was a common enough event in those days. It was the practice to take many a poor person and convict them of a minor offence, and then transport them to the colonies that were in need of cheap labor. Over 50,000 English men, women and children were transported as ''convicts" before the Revolution. One quarter of all those of English descent came to the colonies as an indenture, that were used primarily as labor contracts. James Banfield could neither read or write and signed his will by making his mark. Children of nobility would have been better educated by age 10 or 12. His inability to sign his own name suggests a more common origin.

But could the story have been about Francis King and another friend, with James' name replacing the other mans so as to become more "acceptable" to later generations. I found a Francis King and a John Johnson record bound out for passage from London in the Philadelphia archives. I have come to believe, however, that this is the wrong Francis King. Ours would have been only 16 years old at the time. The term of indenture for this Francis King was only one year and nine months, while John Johnson was bound out for a term of four years. Terms of indenture were often set by the value of ones labor, and for someone to serve only one year and nine months, they would have had to have a very special knowledge -- not something too likely for most illiterate 16 year olds.

Finally, I have not found any knowledge of the goose story of King descendants whose families were not in the upstate NY area in the 1920's when the story was first published. Those that left there area earlier have had no knowledge of it, while those in the area have the same story almost word for word. This further suggests a story of modern origin, and one in written form. when one studies folklore, one looks for drift in the story over time. There has been virtually none in this case.

The King and Howland family traditions are that Francis King was from Frederick County, Maryland. He was born 25 Nov. 1757, the date copied by his son, Alexander King, into the family bible that later ended up in the National Archives to support the Revolutionary War Pension application. Francis enlisted when age 20 on the 25 Feb 1777 at Carroll Manor or Alexandria, Anne Arundell Co. Md. He served three years in the 6th Maryland Line during the American Revolution. James Banfield's record can be found there as well. National Archives records show that he fought in many battles which include: the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Long Island, Battle of Stony Point, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Germantown, and the Battle of Monmouth. Historians will note that both the Battle of Brandywine and Long Island took place before the time of King's enlistment. This means that Mary (Jones) King, his widow, made an error was applying for her widow's pension, or Francis had earlier service and may have been a member of a State militia. There is no federal record of his early service. On 10 Apr 1779 he was promoted to corporal. Francis King was present on 1 January 1780, and was mustered out of service on 25 Feb 1780, at or near Madison, New Jersey.

Both Francis King and James Banfield remained in the area, as they soon became involved with the Jones sisters who lived on their father's farm in Somerset County, New Jersey. On 31 Oct. 1780 both Francis King and James Banfield were married to the two Jones girls, Mary (b. 15 Aug 1763) and Tabitha (b. 1765) respectively. The double wedding was performed by the Rev. Abner Sutton, a traveling Baptist minister. Among others, the wedding was witnessed by Mary and Tabitha's cousin, Moses Barpo who later wrote a letter testifying to the fact in support of Mary's widow's pension. His letter is part of the record in the National Archives. Moses Barpo's letter tells of the wedding at the farm. He also states that they stayed on to help run the farm for at least a year, at which time Moses Barpo was married.

I speculate that John Jones, Mary and Tabitha's father may have been in poor health. This may have been the reason that Tabitha married at a young age to the older James Banfield. I find no further trace of John Jones, and can only speculate that his wife's name was Agnes, based on the fact that both King and Banfield name children Agnes. I further speculate that the Jones found in the Township of Wantage, Sussex, New Jersey in 1793 are brothers to Mary and Tabitha.

Francis King, James Banfield next appear on the New Jersey 1793 Military Census in the Township of Wantage in Sussex county, New Jersey along with a Moses and a William Jones. In the winter of 1799 Francis King, Mary and seven children left Wantage to seek a home in the new land known as the "Lake Country" and settled two miles south of Ithaca in a place called "South Hill." They moved upon the ice a great part of the way along the Delaware River probably crossing over from Deposit to Windsor, down the Susquehanna River to Binghamton and Owego, and then across the country by the old Indian trail blazed with marked trees to there place of destination. The journey occupied about three week with oxen and sleds. They had in their team two pair of oxen and two cows, the cows being driven in yoke to make it handier to drive them, and the oxen doing most of the work. At that time there was but one log house between Owego and Ithaca.

Although they settled on the "Military Tract", neither James nor Francis are among the first purchasers of land on the tract. It now appears that neither received bounty lands in lieu of pay for service in the Revolution. The Military Tract was made available for settlement in 1794/5 and immediately a great deal of land speculation took place. Property changed hands several times before King purchased his piece of wilderness on South Hill. From a later land transaction that recently came to my attention, it appears that Moses Barpo and Francis King bought some land together as stated in a land deed transferring property to Jacob King from Mary King, Francis' widow, who states that it was originally purchased by the two of them. A land sale deed dated 1821 where Mary King, of Tioga County sells 34 acres to Caleb Jessup of Columbia County, NY referred to to a deed from 1799 where James Pumpelly sold 34 acres to Francis King.

They moved to Ithaca with scanty possessions which included the old grandfather clock with all wooden works which is now (1999) owned by Nick Howland. King also brought the old sergeant's sword that according to family lore is said to have been removed from a dead Hessian after one of the battles. The sword was used as a cheese knife on the South Danby farm for many years and most recently as the ceremonial knife to cut the wedding cake at Charles B. Howland and Beth Saslow's marriage. Charles is also in possession of King's powder horn.

Francis King took up land on South Hill, across the road from the school house which is still called the King's schoolhouse. King's original house burned in 1827, and with it the King Family bible that he kept. His son, Alexander had copied the information recorded in it, and it is this copy of the birth and marriage pages that are included in the National Archive records. The second house he built is still standing, though much altered. At this place he ran a tavern for a time (1802 to at least 1807), the first stop for drink on the long haul from Ithaca to Owego, over which goods were carried from the head of navigation of St. Lawrence and Central New York waters at Ithaca, to the Susquehanna at Owego which carried the goods to the Chesapeake and Baltimore.

Francis King had a large family of some 11 children. He used to call them in the morning by standing at the foot of the stairs and in a loud voice shouting the name of each one, beginning with the oldest and going down the line to the youngest. It was said to be an impressive catalogue.

Francis King used to tell a story that illustrated frontier humor. At a dance held somewhere on South Hill, the talk turned to experiences with wolves and stories were told of certain people having been attacked by them. A young fellow present boasted that wolves held no terror for him and he would like to see them attack him. Some of the men left the party early and concealed themselves in the woods along the path the young man would take. He left the party very late and as he was going along the wooded road along, the concealed jokers began to howl like wolves. The young fellow raised his gun and pointed it first one way and then another but could not see any animals, only hear their howls. Presently his nerve gave way, he dropped his gun and climbed a tree. There he remained until daylight, when the jokers showed themselves and began to rag him about his terrors in the night. He never lived down the story but was always being twitted about the matter from that time on.

There must have been innumerable stories about the Revolution that were told and retold on long winter nights. One that Francis King's grandson remembered and passed along was that he he often heard grandfather King say that the best meal he ever had was a cat which he succeeded in killing when in camp. The old man used to add that he had often thought he would kill him another cat some time and see if it tasted as good as that first one--but he had never got around to do it.

Moses Barpo appears in Ithaca, and his wife Anne is buried in the King Cemetery in Ithaca. I have been unable to trace any descendants, but couse Georgie has.⁶

     Mary Jones was born on 15 August 1763 in New Jersey.³ She was the daughter of John Jones.² She married Francis King on 31 October 1780 in Somerset County, New Jersey.^1,4 She died on 20 May 1844 in Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York, at age 80.³ She was buried in Kings Cemetery, Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York.⁵

     Mary Jones and Francis King The truth as to the origin of Francis King is unknown to me. The Howland family always said that Francis King was born in Maryland. This story apparently was widely accepted among various King descendants as all the applications for the SAR and DAR that I have seen say that he was born in Maryland, but no one says where. The family tradition was that Francis King was living in or around Anne Arundel co., Maryland, about twenty miles from where he enlisted at the time of his enlistment into the American Revolutionary Army. It was always said that he was born in Frederick county, Maryland.

I have not found a record of Francis King's birth or a family to associate with him. I recently discovered a reference to a Francis King who died a year after our Francis King was born. He had served during the French and Indian war in Frederick county Maryland. If this is his origin, it may help to explain why there is no record of him. Frederick county was considered back country at this time, and it is likely that Francis faced plenty of difficult times growing up there in the 1760's and early 70's. It is likely his time would have been spent learning the practical necessities for making a living, farming, construction, hunting, fishing, maintenance, and making home brew. Francis King never learned to write, not even his name. This is demonstrated time and again in his making his mark on documents he was to sign.

The other story has its genesis in the Banfield Family Reunion and was published in the Cuba Patriot - Cuba, NY 5 July 1928. It states that when James Banfield was twelve years old, he and Francis King were playing on the Royal lands in England. While playing with sling shots, James killed a royal goose. In fear for their lives, the boys stowed away on a ship that lay at anchor in London. They were discovered after the ship sailed and worked on ship board during the passage to America. When they landed, they were sold into indenture by the captain to pay for their transport to the colony.

They served together during the American Revolution, married sisters, and remained good friends for the remainder of their lives. While there is good reason to doubt the first part of the story, the second part is true. Francis King and James Banfield served together in the 6th Maryland Line during the Revolution, they did marry sisters. James Banfield married Tabitha Jones and Francis King married Mary Jones, and they both came to Ithaca and lived to the end of their days there. Their descendants always referred to each other as cousins.

It was also said that James was the descendant of the noble Banfield line in England, and that the Jones were descendents of a royal Welsh line. [It was common in vanity genealogies at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century to make unsupportable claims of noble and royal linage. Modern genealogy requires supporting documentation to back up a statement of descent.]

There are problems with the goose story. The first problem with the story is that, according to their grave stones, James Banfield was 10 years older that Francis King. For this tale to be true, Francis would have had to stow away with James when he was age 2. Further research has shown that James Banfield came over on a convict ship and was sold as an indentured convict. This was a common enough event in those days. It was the practice to take many a poor person and convict them of a minor offence, and then transport them to the colonies that were in need of cheap labor. Over 50,000 English men, women and children were transported as ''convicts" before the Revolution. One quarter of all those of English descent came to the colonies as an indenture, that were used primarily as labor contracts. James Banfield could neither read or write and signed his will by making his mark. Children of nobility would have been better educated by age 10 or 12. His inability to sign his own name suggests a more common origin.

But could the story have been about Francis King and another friend, with James' name replacing the other mans so as to become more "acceptable" to later generations. I found a Francis King and a John Johnson record bound out for passage from London in the Philadelphia archives. I have come to believe, however, that this is the wrong Francis King. Ours would have been only 16 years old at the time. The term of indenture for this Francis King was only one year and nine months, while John Johnson was bound out for a term of four years. Terms of indenture were often set by the value of ones labor, and for someone to serve only one year and nine months, they would have had to have a very special knowledge -- not something too likely for most illiterate 16 year olds.

Finally, I have not found any knowledge of the goose story of King descendants whose families were not in the upstate NY area in the 1920's when the story was first published. Those that left there area earlier have had no knowledge of it, while those in the area have the same story almost word for word. This further suggests a story of modern origin, and one in written form. when one studies folklore, one looks for drift in the story over time. There has been virtually none in this case.

The King and Howland family traditions are that Francis King was from Frederick County, Maryland. He was born 25 Nov. 1757, the date copied by his son, Alexander King, into the family bible that later ended up in the National Archives to support the Revolutionary War Pension application. Francis enlisted when age 20 on the 25 Feb 1777 at Carroll Manor or Alexandria, Anne Arundell Co. Md. He served three years in the 6th Maryland Line during the American Revolution. James Banfield's record can be found there as well. National Archives records show that he fought in many battles which include: the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Long Island, Battle of Stony Point, Battle of Trenton, Battle of Germantown, and the Battle of Monmouth. Historians will note that both the Battle of Brandywine and Long Island took place before the time of King's enlistment. This means that Mary (Jones) King, his widow, made an error was applying for her widow's pension, or Francis had earlier service and may have been a member of a State militia. There is no federal record of his early service. On 10 Apr 1779 he was promoted to corporal. Francis King was present on 1 January 1780, and was mustered out of service on 25 Feb 1780, at or near Madison, New Jersey.

Both Francis King and James Banfield remained in the area, as they soon became involved with the Jones sisters who lived on their father's farm in Somerset County, New Jersey. On 31 Oct. 1780 both Francis King and James Banfield were married to the two Jones girls, Mary (b. 15 Aug 1763) and Tabitha (b. 1765) respectively. The double wedding was performed by the Rev. Abner Sutton, a traveling Baptist minister. Among others, the wedding was witnessed by Mary and Tabitha's cousin, Moses Barpo who later wrote a letter testifying to the fact in support of Mary's widow's pension. His letter is part of the record in the National Archives. Moses Barpo's letter tells of the wedding at the farm. He also states that they stayed on to help run the farm for at least a year, at which time Moses Barpo was married.

I speculate that John Jones, Mary and Tabitha's father may have been in poor health. This may have been the reason that Tabitha married at a young age to the older James Banfield. I find no further trace of John Jones, and can only speculate that his wife's name was Agnes, based on the fact that both King and Banfield name children Agnes. I further speculate that the Jones found in the Township of Wantage, Sussex, New Jersey in 1793 are brothers to Mary and Tabitha.

Francis King, James Banfield next appear on the New Jersey 1793 Military Census in the Township of Wantage in Sussex county, New Jersey along with a Moses and a William Jones. In the winter of 1799 Francis King, Mary and seven children left Wantage to seek a home in the new land known as the "Lake Country" and settled two miles south of Ithaca in a place called "South Hill." They moved upon the ice a great part of the way along the Delaware River probably crossing over from Deposit to Windsor, down the Susquehanna River to Binghamton and Owego, and then across the country by the old Indian trail blazed with marked trees to there place of destination. The journey occupied about three week with oxen and sleds. They had in their team two pair of oxen and two cows, the cows being driven in yoke to make it handier to drive them, and the oxen doing most of the work. At that time there was but one log house between Owego and Ithaca.

Although they settled on the "Military Tract", neither James nor Francis are among the first purchasers of land on the tract. It now appears that neither received bounty lands in lieu of pay for service in the Revolution. The Military Tract was made available for settlement in 1794/5 and immediately a great deal of land speculation took place. Property changed hands several times before King purchased his piece of wilderness on South Hill. From a later land transaction that recently came to my attention, it appears that Moses Barpo and Francis King bought some land together as stated in a land deed transferring property to Jacob King from Mary King, Francis' widow, who states that it was originally purchased by the two of them. A land sale deed dated 1821 where Mary King, of Tioga County sells 34 acres to Caleb Jessup of Columbia County, NY referred to to a deed from 1799 where James Pumpelly sold 34 acres to Francis King.

They moved to Ithaca with scanty possessions which included the old grandfather clock with all wooden works which is now (1999) owned by Nick Howland. King also brought the old sergeant's sword that according to family lore is said to have been removed from a dead Hessian after one of the battles. The sword was used as a cheese knife on the South Danby farm for many years and most recently as the ceremonial knife to cut the wedding cake at Charles B. Howland and Beth Saslow's marriage. Charles is also in possession of King's powder horn.

Francis King took up land on South Hill, across the road from the school house which is still called the King's schoolhouse. King's original house burned in 1827, and with it the King Family bible that he kept. His son, Alexander had copied the information recorded in it, and it is this copy of the birth and marriage pages that are included in the National Archive records. The second house he built is still standing, though much altered. At this place he ran a tavern for a time (1802 to at least 1807), the first stop for drink on the long haul from Ithaca to Owego, over which goods were carried from the head of navigation of St. Lawrence and Central New York waters at Ithaca, to the Susquehanna at Owego which carried the goods to the Chesapeake and Baltimore.

Francis King had a large family of some 11 children. He used to call them in the morning by standing at the foot of the stairs and in a loud voice shouting the name of each one, beginning with the oldest and going down the line to the youngest. It was said to be an impressive catalogue.

Francis King used to tell a story that illustrated frontier humor. At a dance held somewhere on South Hill, the talk turned to experiences with wolves and stories were told of certain people having been attacked by them. A young fellow present boasted that wolves held no terror for him and he would like to see them attack him. Some of the men left the party early and concealed themselves in the woods along the path the young man would take. He left the party very late and as he was going along the wooded road along, the concealed jokers began to howl like wolves. The young fellow raised his gun and pointed it first one way and then another but could not see any animals, only hear their howls. Presently his nerve gave way, he dropped his gun and climbed a tree. There he remained until daylight, when the jokers showed themselves and began to rag him about his terrors in the night. He never lived down the story but was always being twitted about the matter from that time on.

There must have been innumerable stories about the Revolution that were told and retold on long winter nights. One that Francis King's grandson remembered and passed along was that he he often heard grandfather King say that the best meal he ever had was a cat which he succeeded in killing when in camp. The old man used to add that he had often thought he would kill him another cat some time and see if it tasted as good as that first one--but he had never got around to do it.

Moses Barpo appears in Ithaca, and his wife Anne is buried in the King Cemetery in Ithaca. I have been unable to trace any descendants, but couse Georgie has.⁶

     Mary Eva Davenport was born on 27 December 1868 in Pennsylvania.¹ She married David E. Shader on 2 January 1901 in Conneautville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania.²

     Mary Eva Davenport was raised by her aunt and uncle George Davenport and Hannah Rhoades in 1869.¹

     Earl Davenport Sheldon was born on 25 June 1889 in Crawford County, Pennsylvania.^1,2 He was the son of Wallace B. Sheldon and Jessie M. Davenport.¹

     Winifred Marie Sheldon was born on 26 April 1891 in Crawford County, Pennsylvania.^1,2 She was the daughter of Wallace B. Sheldon and Jessie M. Davenport.¹ She married (?) Brown.² She died on 26 January 1988 in Los Angeles, California, at age 96.²

     Ruth E. Sheldon was born in August 1897.¹ She was the daughter of Wallace B. Sheldon and Jessie M. Davenport.¹

     (?) Brown married Winifred Marie Sheldon, daughter of Wallace B. Sheldon and Jessie M. Davenport.¹

     Edgar Joseph McDowell was born on 5 May 1882 in Iowa.^1,2 He was the son of Fortis Cornelius McDowell and Emma C Leffler.¹ He married Christina Berggren circa 1903.^3,4 He died on 27 November 1959 in Los Angeles, California, at age 77.¹

     Edgar Joseph McDowell and Christina Berggren lived in Denver, Colorado, where Edgar worked as a carpet layer in 1910.³ He and Christina Berggren were living in Maywood, Los Angeles County, California, by 1930 where Edgar continued to work as a carpet layer.⁵