Jehu Davis

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =
name = John "Jehu" Davis
honorific-suffix =

---

imagesize =
small

office = President of Delaware
term_start = March 29 1789
term_end = June 2 1789
predecessor = Thomas Collins
successor = Joshua Clayton
birth_date = 1738
birth_place = Worcester County, Maryland
death_date = death date and age|1802|5|11|1738|7|1
death_place = Kent County, Delaware
spouse = Rhoda Laws
Sarah Douglas
party =
residence = Kent County, Delaware
alma_mater =
occupation = farmer
profession =
religion = Episcopalian

John "Jehu" Davis (1738 – May 11 1802) was an American farmer and politician from Mispillion Hundred, in Kent County, Delaware, west of Milford. He served in the Delaware General Assembly and as President of Delaware.

Early life and family

Davis was born in 1738 in Worcester County, Maryland, son of Thomas Davis. His paternal grandfather was born in Wales. Jehu Davis came to Laurel, Delaware, married Rhoda Laws, and had eight children, Isaac, John, Henry, Sarah, Rhoda, Nancy, Joshua, and William. After their marriage they bought "McSparren," a farm in Mispillion Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, 3 miles west of Milford, where they settled permanently. After Rhoda's death, Davis married Sarah Douglas and they had no children. They were members of Christ Episcopal Church in Milford, Delaware. That portion of Mispillion Hundred became Milford Hundred in 1830.

Political career

Davis was a member of the local militia during the American Revolution and was a Justice of the Peace for 14 years beginning in 1777. He was elected to the 1st State House, or House of Assembly, and served ten terms from the 1776/77 session through the 1779/80 session, again in the 1782/83 and 1783/84 sessions, and finally from the 1786/87 session through the 1789/90 session. He was the Speaker in the 1788/89 session and when President Thomas Collins died in office on March 29 1789, the Speaker's office in the State Senate, or Legislative Council, was vacant. Consequently, Davis became President. He served until June 2 1789, when the Delaware General Assembly held a special vote to choose Collins' replacement.

During Davis' short term George Washington was inaugurated the first President of the United States. The event of his passing through Wilmington on the way to New York for this ceremony caused a great deal of excitement, as described by Elizabeth Montgomery in her "Reminiscences of Wilmington:":"and it must have been soon after his elevation to that office, for I well remember the crowds of people rushing onto the Baltimore Road (now Maryland Avenue) to catch a glimpse as he passed...It was a day of great enjoyment, all was on tiptoe of expectation when his chariot appeared, driving slowly through the crowd, he bowing, hat in hand, and white handkerchief waving, and every face flushed, and sparkling with joy."

Afterwards, Davis served as a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas from 1789 until 1792 and as a Justice of the Peace from 1793 until his death.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly
"(sessions while President)"
-!Year!Assembly!!Senate Majority!Speaker!!House Majority!Speaker
-
1788/89
13th|
Party shading/Federalist |"non-partisan"
Party shading/Federalist |George Mitchell|
Party shading/Federalist |"non-partisan"
Party shading/Federalist |vacant
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Death and legacy

Davis died May 11 1802 at "McSparren," in Mispillion Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, and was buried in the Christ (Savannah) Episcopal Church Cemetery in Mispillion Hundred, Kent County. The cemetery is now paved over by Delaware Route 14.

No known portrait of Jehu Davis exists.

Almanac

Elections were held October 1st and members of the General Assembly took office on October 20th, or the following weekday. Assemblymen had a one year term. The General Assembly chose the State President for a term of three years.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=8 style="background: #ccccff;" | Public Offices
-! Office! Type! Location! Elected! Took Office! Left Office! notes
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
New Castle
1776
October 28 1776
October 20 1777|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1777
October 20 1777
October 20 1778|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1778
October 20 1778
October 20 1779|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1779
October 20 1779
October 20 1780|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1782
October 21 1782
October 20 1783|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1783
October 20 1783
October 21 1784|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1786
October 20 1786
October 21 1787|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1787
October 20 1787
October 26 1788|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1788
October 20 1788
October 20 1789|
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
State President
Executive
Dover|
March 29 1789
June 2 1789
acting
-Party shading/Anti-Jacksonian
Assemblyman
Legislature
Dover
1789
October 20 1789
October 20 1790|
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
-bgcolor=#cccccc!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Delaware General Assembly "service"
-! Dates! Assembly! Chamber! Majority! Governor! Committees! District
-Party shading/Federalist
1776/77
1st
State House
"non-partisan"
John McKinly|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1777/78
2nd
State House
"non-partisan"
George Read|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1778/79
3rd
State House
"non-partisan"
Caesar Rodney|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1779/80
4th
State House
"non-partisan"
Caesar Rodney|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1782/83
7th
State House
"non-partisan"
John Cook|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1783/84
8th
State House
"non-partisan"
Nicholas Van Dyke|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1786/87
11th
State House
"non-partisan"
Thomas Collins|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1787/88
12th
State House
"non-partisan"
Thomas Collins|
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1788/89
13th
State House
"non-partisan"
Thomas Collins
Speaker
Kent "at-large"
-Party shading/Federalist
1789/90
13th
State House
"non-partisan"
Joshua Clayton
Speaker
Kent "at-large"
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

References

*cite book |title = History of the State of Delaware |last= Conrad |first= Henry C. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= Wickersham Company |location= Lancaster, Pennsylvania |pages= |year= 1908 |id=
*cite book |title = History of Delaware Through its Governors |last= Martin |first= Roger A. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= McClafferty Press |location= Wilmington, Delaware |pages= |year= 1984 |id=
*cite book |title = Memoirs of the Senate |last = Martin |first = Roger A. |coauthors = |work = |publisher = Roger A. Martin |location = Newark, DE |year = 1995 |id =
*cite book |title = Federalist Delaware 1775-1815 |last= Munroe |first= John A. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= Rutgers University |location= New Brunswick, New Jersey |pages= |year= 1954 |id=
*cite book |title = Biographical Directory of American and Revolutionary Governors 1607-1789 |last = Racino |first = John W. |year = 1980 |publisher = Meckler Books |location = Westport, CT |id = ISBN 0-930466-00-4
*cite book |title = Collected Essays on Early Delaware |last= Rodney |first= Richard S. |coauthors= |work= |publisher= Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Delaware |location= Wilmington, Delaware |pages= |year= 1975 |id=
*cite book |title = History of Delaware 1609-1888. 2 vols |last = Scharf |first = John Thomas |coauthors = |work = |publisher = L. J. Richards & Co |location = Philadelphia |year = 1888 |id =

External links

* [http://www.russpickett.com/history/delgov1.htm#davis Jehu Davis at "Delaware’s Governors"]
*Find A Grave|id=7880739

Places with more information

* [http://www.hsd.org/ Historical Society of Delaware] , 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware [phone]
* [http://www.lib.udel.edu/ University of Delaware Library] , 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware [phone]