New World Diaspora abt. 1784

[JSHD2011]

We have hit a brick wall on our Davis line who were centred around Taunton, Somerset  (e.g. Creech, Stogumber...) from abt. 1820.  Before then, we think they were in London and were Watermen, Lightermen, Werry operators etc on the Thames.  Unfortunately, we cannot locate an Apprenticeship record for any of them only Baptism records where the father is listed as a Waterman etc.     Before then, they disappear but we think we have found records relating to Bridgwater and later Slimbridge (both wooden boat building communities).   So; we think they were possibly Shipwrights etc (one of them is listed as a Mariner) but at a time when the wooden boat building is in decline and giving way to the 'Iron Boats' and we also think the lack of records may indicate that they may have been one of the 1-2 thousand souls who returned to England about the time of the Revolutionary war in Salem.    We are completely unclear and unaware of this in our family history (although there are pictures of 'American Cousins' in the family 'album' c. 1880 although we do not know who they are).   
We have tried looking at the National Archive records specifically, AO 13 (which has a name index) but no luck there.   We have not had much success with records.  We know they were religious, had strong religious convictions and were later part of the Plymouth and Exclusive Plymouth Brethren movement in Taunton/Bristol which is an area considered as non conformist religiously and was an area of resistance to WWI (on conciencious grounds) later on.   I have contacted many academics concerning this area.  Where, I, personally could not resolve Bristol which is firmly associated with 'Slave and Rum' running being a 'resitant' community on religious based conciencious grounds but it may be that the connection is communities established as a result of returning, highly religious, whole communities from Salem at the time of the Revolutionary war.....
Does anybody know about this historical family history enough to comment? 

[Rena]

Have you considered that the surname "Davis" is of Welsh origin and means "the son of David"?   St. David is the Patron Saint of Wales.

https://www.houseofnames.com/davis-family-crest

I usually get general knowledge about the places my ancestors lived in by looking at the GENUKI website and I see from the Genuki Creech map that the river leads up to the town of Cardiff in Wales.

https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SOM/CreechStMichael

The 1780s is an important era because, as you intimate, it is the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

Wales has always been famous for raising sheep and wool was a very valuable commodity in the era you're looking at, for weaving and spinning into clothes, carpets, blankets, etc. 

[JSHD2011]

Rena,
Thank you for your reply.  My counsin in Cardiff would highly agree with you.  The Davis' are linked to the Powys region as I understand it.   Thats going back further than we might want although in many ways there seems to be good documentation of the original Davis lines all be they somewhat mythical.   It seems like there are chunks missing where there shouldn't be in our family history.     Where, usually you can get quite good parish records up to abt the late 17th century.  Not with our lines which is somewhat perplexing.   We, consequently believe there may be some reason for this an have investigated our DNA to find links to the Davis' of Boston c. 17th to 18th century.  Then the revolutionary war hit and as Loyalist they were ultimately displaced.   Those that fought for the king were alotted land in Nova Soctia and New Brunswick (so we get many matches with people from these regions).   However, our known verbal family history starts in Creech St Michael, Somerset abt 1823 with the birth of my 2nd G Grandfather David John Davis who was a brush maker (later Master brush maker).....

[Erato]

What makes you think your Davises were in Salem and that they were loyalists?

My Davis ancestors were in Gloucester, Massachusetts from the early 1600s.  Gloucester is about 15 miles NE of Salem.  My 5X g-grandfather, Amos Davis was born in Gloucester or possibly in New Gloucester, Maine in 1741.  New Gloucester was pioneered by people from Gloucester, Massachusetts and, after the Revolutionary War, it became a center for the Shaker religious sect.  Amos Davis was allegedly a Quaker, not a Shaker.  He fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill on the American side.   After the war, he moved north and was a founding settler of Lewiston, Maine, a few miles north of New Gloucester.

I should note note that I also have connections to Stogumber though not by way of the Davises.

[JSHD2011]

Hello potential cousin,

"What makes you think your Davises were in Salem and that they were loyalists?"

This is a good question and a fact that I have had to take with a large pinch of salt.  We are in the process of affirming that these Davis' had a firm footing in the merchant maritime community adn as such were already going between UK and the 'new world'.  We have only been left with DNA to try and peice together some kind of narrative.   We match best with the Davis' of Boston (who were mostly Loyalist) and we also have a lot of matches with people who have family history in the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick regions of Canada.  From what I have been able to gather about the history (from quite emminant historians) is that if you were Loyalist you were allowed to let your slaves fight and if you payed extra tax (ironically tax is what the war was about (See the Boston Tea Party)), you could claim exemption from fighting on pacifist/religious grounds.  If your slaves fought they could gain their freedom (as many did).   So; for may new worlders returning to England became a necessity on financial grounds alone.   They favoured Bristol and Liverpool as ports, I think because they could sell their slaves there to fund there new life.   Life was quite hard for asylum seakers from the 'New World'.   

NB/Forgive, I have used the term Salem loosley to mean New World.

We think that my 3rd G Grandfather James Davis married an Elizabeth Hansford/Handsford of Stogumber (we are not clear on her maiden name).  James we think may have been born in Shadwell, Stepney, Middlesex.  We can only find a record of a James and Elizabeth getting their son James baptised at St Mary's, Whitechapel c. 1819