Hi--I have no idea of whether or not this info will help--but for what
is worth, there was an Andrew Brightman living in South Dartmouth, MA
when I was born in 1920. He and his wife, Alice, were much older than
my parents, but were close friends. I grew up making many visits to
"Aunt Alice" and "Uncle Andrew". As far as I know, they had no
children. South Dartmouth is known as Padanarum. This is not very far
from Tiverton. Hope there's something here to help. Possibly he was a
descendant on your g g grandmother's side.
Jean Brodrick (now of N.H.)
----- Original Message -----
From: <SisFeather(a)aol.com>
To: <RIGENWEB-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Monday, August 30, 2004 11:53 AM
Subject: Re: [RIGENWEB] Re:Davis -Brightman
Hi Sally,
In your letter you wrote:
>>>>>>I am looking for info on Joseph and Prudence Davis and their
children.
Their son, Andrew is my gggrandfather. Andrew was married in 1849
to Betsey
H.
Brightman. The marriage license states that he was 27 years old and
lived in
Tiverton, RI and was a mariner. 1860 MA census states that Andrew
was born in
RI
but his death certificate states he was born in MA. He died in Fall
River,
MA
June 1884. Andrew and his family are one of my brick walls in my
genealogy
research. <<<<<<<<
I checked Arnold's V.R. for Tiverton and found nothing for your
Davis family.
Part of Fall River was originally Tiverton R.I. The Southern Part
of Fall
River was originally Fall River R.I. for a few years.
In "Fall River History" by Henry M. Fenner is the following:
Page 30
"The change annexed to the city, the town of Fall River Rhode Island
which by
its request had been set apart from Tiverton by Rhode Island
legislature Oct.
6, 1856. This had an area of about nine square miles, a population
of 3,953
and a valuation of $1,948,378 The town had been closely allied with
the city,
and the merger was of the greatest advantage to both."
I have been tracing my Gifford line which was originally in Tiverton
R.I in
the 1700's to after the part of Tiverton in which they lived
became
Fall River
Massachusetts. I have found Gifford relatives who I know were born
in
Tiverton, but the census in the 1860 and up, have some of them as
having been born in
Fall River Massachusetts.
Fall River was also known as Troy for awhile.
Fall River was annexed from Freetown, and in 1803 it became a town.
The town
changed the name for a while to Troy but later changed it back to
Fall River.
I have found that one of the Vital Records Books of Tiverton has
been missing
for years, and unfortunately that is the one where I would have
found birth
records for my Giffords. Fortunately I was able to find a lot of
information
on my ancestors in the Probate and Land Records at the Tiverton Town
Hall.
To make a long story short, you may find ancestor records in the
Town of
Freetown Records, Fall River Mass. records on Microfiche at the Fall
River
Library, and they also have a record book for Fall River Rhode
Island there. If you
are lucky you might find some at the Tiverton Town Hall. Also part
of Westport
was originally Fall River Massachusetts, and I think Tiverton too,
but I am
not sure about that.
The Brightman name was very notable in Fall River and I have come
across web
sites with genealogy information about them. Maybe you could try
putting
Brightman & Davis & Fall River in a search and see if you get
lucky
and find some
relatives!
If I come across anything on your Davis and Brightman names I will
get back
to you.
Good Luck!
Marge
**For God so loved the world that He sent His only son that all who
believe
in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16**
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