I have several census CD's for Davidson County including 1850 1860, an index listing for 1870, and census & index for 1880 and access to 1900. I'm willing to offer census lookups until it becomes too much for me to handle. Not all the CD's are indexed but I'll try to find an index listing online for your individual and go from there. If you need a lookup, give specific information - the more you provide, the more clues you give me to help find your ancestors. If you have the information, please include: census page #, surname and alternate spellings; first name; first name of parents/spouse/siblings; years of births/deaths. Please include what census year(s) to search and where you suspect or know that the family was living. For the 1880 census, I can search the entire state of Tennessee and the nation. The 1880 is indexed for EVERY individual so names of others in the household (include year of birth or range, and location of birth if known) may help me find the individual you are seeking. For the 1880, please tell me what state you think they were living in. Please provide as much info as possible.

Please contact me regarding census lookups
dianewilliams29@hotmail.com

I would greatly appreciate census checks for the names: Levi Davidson, Emma Massey, Madeline Davidson, John Sidney Knott. Some might be listed as mixed, black or white. Thankyou

I need more informaton if you asking for me to look for four individuals in 5 census years for a total of 20 lookups. What census years do you expect to find them in the Davidson Co.? Will they be found in one household? What are their approx. year of birth or a range of 5-10 years? Who will be the head of the household? Most of the census info that I have only names head-of-household in the census index so this would be very helpful or I would have to view each household for the individuals and with no idea of their ages, it would be nearly impossible to find your specific individuals. Were Levi and Madeline spouses? If so, do you have a marriage date that would tell us when I would find them together in one household and which census year? You must have some additional information to have these specific names so help me to help you by providing it.

Thankyou so much for helping me! I'm not sure when Emma Massey and Levi Davidson were married or born. Madeline, Davidson was born in eighteen ninety four, along with john sidney Knott. I believe the davidsons might be found in petersburg, TN. Nashville is highly probable as well. Madeline died in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1936. John Knott died in Ft. Worth in 1960. John Knott married Madeline Davidson. This took place in Tenn. they had 5 children. only 3 were born in TN. The last child they had in Tenn. was born in 1915 she was a girl named lugene landers knott, in Nashville. Emma Massey was half Irish half Native-American. Levi Davidson was black. He was the head of household. One of their daughters was Madeline Davidson. Other members of madeline davidson's family are her sisters: Amy, Carey, Ophelia, Pauline. She had many brothers, however I don't know any of their names.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. I appreciate your assisstance.

I believe I have found your Levi DAVIDSON in the 1880 census. There were 25 Levi Davidsons in the nation but he was the only one born and found in TN. Now you have an approx. year of birth for him. I copied the neighboring household next door to Levi's - the individuals were also named DAVIDSON. You will note that their race was reported as white and Levi's as black. I have read that many slaves took the surnames of their masters - so perhaps Levi's father was a slave on a DAVIDSON plantation. I have supplied this second census because it may provide clues if you try to search your DAVIDSON surname backwards in time. I am going to continue looking in another census records and will post more for you tonight.

1880 Census Place: District 10, Lincoln, Tennessee
Source: FHL Film 1255267 National Archives Film T9-1267 Page 139A
Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace
Geo. M. DAVIDSON Self M M W 36 TN
Occ: Farmer Fa: --- Mo: ---
Susania A. DAVIDSON Wife F M W 22 TN
Occ: Keeps House Fa: --- Mo: ---
James R. DAVIDSON Son M S W 8 TN
Occ: At School Fa: --- Mo: ---
Ida DAVIDSON Dau F S W 5 TN
Occ: At School Fa: --- Mo: ---

1880 Census Place: District 10, Lincoln, Tennessee
Source: FHL Film 1255267 National Archives Film T9-1267 Page 139A
Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace
Elijah DAVIDSON Self M M B 55 TN
Occ: Farmer Fa: --- Mo: ---
Jane DAVIDSON Wife F M B 53 TN
Occ: Keeps House Fa: --- Mo: ---
Alec DAVIDSON Son M S B 19 TN
Occ: On Farm Fa: --- Mo: ---
Tennessa DAVIDSON Dau F S B 11 TN
Occ: At Home Fa: --- Mo: ---
Levi DAVIDSON Son M S B 12 TN
Occ: At Home Fa: --- Mo: ---

I found two Emma Masseys that may be yours. But first, allow me to back up. I found Levi and Emma in the 1900 census in Petersburg, Lincoln Co. TN. The image is very faint so I want to view a second source and see if I can read it better. Anyway, I can see enough to know that Emma was born in 1871 in TN and both of her parents were born in TN. So I went to the 1880 census and found two Emmas that were born in TN with both parents born in TN. One is in Davidson Co. Tn. and the other is in Shelby Co. TN. Both ages are "off" a bit but close. Due to my experience with censuses, it is not unusual for the ages to vary. Here are the two:

1880 Census Place: District 2, Davidson, Tennessee
Source: FHL Film 1255251 National Archives Film T9-1251 Page 34D
Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace
Shannon MASSEY Self M M W 29 TN
Occ: Farmer Fa: TN Mo: TN
Bettie MASSEY Wife F M W 29 TN
Occ: Keeps House Fa: TN Mo: TN
John T. MASSEY Son M S W 5 TN
Fa: TN Mo: TN
Emma MASSEY Dau F S W 4 TN
Fa: TN Mo: TN
Edwin S. MASSEY Son M S W 2 TN
Fa: TN Mo: TN
Thomas J. MELVIN BroL M S W 37 TN
Fa: TN Mo: TN
Newton HAYS Other M S MU 25 TN
Occ: Farm Laborer Fa: TN Mo: TN

1880 Census Place: District 4, Shelby, Tennessee
Source: FHL Film 1255278 National Archives Film T9-1278 Page 83D
Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace
Thomas D. MASSEY Self M M W 47 TN
Occ: Farmer Fa: SC Mo: TN
Harrit T. MASSEY Wife F M W 32 AL
Occ: Keeping House Fa: SC Mo: SC
Wm. A. MASSEY Son M S W 18 TN
Occ: Works On Farm Fa: TN Mo: TN
Joseph L. MASSEY Son M S W 15 TN
Occ: Works On Farm Fa: TN Mo: TN
Francis J. MASSEY Son M S W 8 TN
Fa: TN Mo: TN
Emma E. MASSEY Dau F S W 4 TN
Fa: TN Mo: TN
Claudius MASSEY Son M S W 1 TN
Fa: TN Mo: TN
Stephen CALDWELL Other M W 23 TN
Occ: Farmer Fa: --- Mo: AL
Emericus POOLE Other M W 21 TN
Fa: VA Mo: ---
Jane GRIFFIN Other F W W 31 TN
Occ: House Keeper Fa: GA Mo: GA

I cannot make out the month of birth on the individuals. You may want to obtain a copy of the census page. It would certainly appear that children Mary and George were fraternal twins because they are the same age.

1900 Lincoln Co. TN, Petersburg, Tenth Dist., Pg. 144A
ED 64, T623-1584
DAVIDSON, Levi, Head, B/M, 1870, Age 30, Married [cannot read the number of yrs married], TN TN VA, Farmer, Rents Farm
DAVIDSON, Emma, Wife, B/F, 1871, Age 29, 6 children/5 alive, TN TN TN, Laundress
DAVIDSON, Mattie, Dau., B/F, 1889, Age 10, TN TN TN, at school
DAVIDSON, Mary, Dau., B/F, 1892, Age 7, TN TN TN, at school
DAVIDSON, George, Son, B/M, 1892, Age 7, TN TN TN
at school
DAVIDSON, Arthur, Son, B/M, 1895, Age 5, TN TN TN
DAVIDSON, Maggie, Dau., B/F, 1897, Age 3, TN TN TN

I'm sorry but I don't enough information to find John Sidney Knott in the 1900 census. He is probably still in his father's household so I would need his father's name. If you can find him in the Social Security Death Index, it will give you a social security number. From there, you can send away for his social security application form. On this form, the names of the parents (father and mother's maiden name) may be found.

Thank you soooo much! I am very grateful for this information, and especially for your help. When I suggested that Nashville was where many of these people lived, I meant the Nashville area. My mother has said in past conversations that the davidsons were from Petersburg. So I guess she was right. Are u sure that Madeline Davidson, also known as Mattie that was on that census sheet, was the correct Madeline Davidson? I am confused as to why Emma Massey was white on the 1880 census and why she was black on the census where it shows her married to Levi Davidson. Emma Massey from my understanding was Irish and Native American. My grandmother only knew of her being Irish though. She may have passed as being black inorder to mary Levi who I know was very darkskinned. Madeline Davidson was married to John Sidney Knott they lived in Tennessee and were probably married there. Do they show him as head of a household? Would you happen to have other records or census records from other stateds? I'm curious to know.

Again, Thankyou for all of the information and thankyou for dedicating your time!

Charles Warner