Died at Caymus Rancho. His son, who was born after he died, died himself in 1887. His name was John Calvert Frederick Davis. Cecelia Setty, Napa Valley Historian provided information to add to this memorial.
"Davis (John Calvert), 1839, Engl. ship-carpenter and blacksmith, who had been a sailor, and for 5 years on Mex. vessels, probably touching in Cal. ports some years earlier; naturalized, got a lot, and built a house and shop at S.F. '39. iii. 705; iv. 119; v. 682-3. In Nov. '41 he had built, in Napa Creek, a schr called the Susana, for which he asked permission to use the Mex. flag, and in her made a trip to Mazatlan and back in '42-3. In records of the time he is often mentioned as a Yerba Buena blacksmith, and was 32 years old in '42; formed a partnership with Rose and Reynolds, and the firm built houses as well as boats, including a mill for Salv. Vallejo in Napa Val.; corporal of S.F. defensores '44, when he got new naturalization papers, having lost the original on his trip down the coast. He married a daughter of Geo. Yount, prob. in '44, since in April he writes to Larkin for gold earrings and material for a lady's dress—all to be kept a profound secret, though L. may guess the object. The same year he built the Londresa; often named in records of '44-7, being a witness at the Rae inquest in '45, iv. 593, and town treasurer in '46. v. 648. I find no later record than Nov. '47, and he is said to have died in '48, committing suicide, according to Sutter. His widow married Eugene Sallivan. He left a son—John D., living at Napa '85—and 2 daughters. "
Source: History of California. 1884-90. Hubert Howe Bancroft. p.776
"... Last installment described the frequent visits of his daughter, Elizabeth Ann, her husband John Calvert Davis, and their small daughters, Mary Eliza and Elizabeth Ann, from their San Francisco home to Yount's adobe.
On a visit in 1848, Davis became ill of pneumonia, and his wife nursed him in the great four-poster bed in the massive upstairs bedroom. In those days a man of 57 was considered old, and pneumonia was a dread disease of high mortality.
John Calvert Davis died, and laid to rest south of the Indian Burial Ground... So it is quite probable that Davis was first white person buried there... Meanwhile, on March 8, 1849, a son was born posthumously to John Calvert Davis, and his widow, Elizabeth Ann, at her fathers adobe. "
Source: Napa County history 1823-1948 written by Virginia Hanrahan
This also appeared in The Napa Valley Register
24 Dec, 1960
"Davis (John Calvert), 1839, Engl. ship-carpenter and blacksmith, who had been a sailor, and for 5 years on Mex. vessels, probably touching in Cal. ports some years earlier; naturalized, got a lot, and built a house and shop at S.F. '39. iii. 705; iv. 119; v. 682-3. In Nov. '41 he had built, in Napa Creek, a schr called the Susana, for which he asked permission to use the Mex. flag, and in her made a trip to Mazatlan and back in '42-3. In records of the time he is often mentioned as a Yerba Buena blacksmith, and was 32 years old in '42; formed a partnership with Rose and Reynolds, and the firm built houses as well as boats, including a mill for Salv. Vallejo in Napa Val.; corporal of S.F. defensores '44, when he got new naturalization papers, having lost the original on his trip down the coast. He married a daughter of Geo. Yount, prob. in '44, since in April he writes to Larkin for gold earrings and material for a lady's dress—all to be kept a profound secret, though L. may guess the object. The same year he built the Londresa; often named in records of '44-7, being a witness at the Rae inquest in '45, iv. 593, and town treasurer in '46. v. 648. I find no later record than Nov. '47, and he is said to have died in '48, committing suicide, according to Sutter. His widow married Eugene Sallivan. He left a son—John D., living at Napa '85—and 2 daughters. "
Source: History of California. 1884-90. Hubert Howe Bancroft. p.776
"... Last installment described the frequent visits of his daughter, Elizabeth Ann, her husband John Calvert Davis, and their small daughters, Mary Eliza and Elizabeth Ann, from their San Francisco home to Yount's adobe.
On a visit in 1848, Davis became ill of pneumonia, and his wife nursed him in the great four-poster bed in the massive upstairs bedroom. In those days a man of 57 was considered old, and pneumonia was a dread disease of high mortality.
John Calvert Davis died, and laid to rest south of the Indian Burial Ground... So it is quite probable that Davis was first white person buried there... Meanwhile, on March 8, 1849, a son was born posthumously to John Calvert Davis, and his widow, Elizabeth Ann, at her fathers adobe. "
Source: Napa County history 1823-1948 written by Virginia Hanrahan
This also appeared in The Napa Valley Register
24 Dec, 1960
Died at Caymus Rancho. His son, who was born after he died, died himself in 1887. His name was John Calvert Frederick Davis. Cecelia Setty, Napa Valley Historian provided information to add to this memorial.
"Davis (John Calvert), 1839, Engl. ship-carpenter and blacksmith, who had been a sailor, and for 5 years on Mex. vessels, probably touching in Cal. ports some years earlier; naturalized, got a lot, and built a house and shop at S.F. '39. iii. 705; iv. 119; v. 682-3. In Nov. '41 he had built, in Napa Creek, a schr called the Susana, for which he asked permission to use the Mex. flag, and in her made a trip to Mazatlan and back in '42-3. In records of the time he is often mentioned as a Yerba Buena blacksmith, and was 32 years old in '42; formed a partnership with Rose and Reynolds, and the firm built houses as well as boats, including a mill for Salv. Vallejo in Napa Val.; corporal of S.F. defensores '44, when he got new naturalization papers, having lost the original on his trip down the coast. He married a daughter of Geo. Yount, prob. in '44, since in April he writes to Larkin for gold earrings and material for a lady's dress—all to be kept a profound secret, though L. may guess the object. The same year he built the Londresa; often named in records of '44-7, being a witness at the Rae inquest in '45, iv. 593, and town treasurer in '46. v. 648. I find no later record than Nov. '47, and he is said to have died in '48, committing suicide, according to Sutter. His widow married Eugene Sallivan. He left a son—John D., living at Napa '85—and 2 daughters. "
Source: History of California. 1884-90. Hubert Howe Bancroft. p.776
"... Last installment described the frequent visits of his daughter, Elizabeth Ann, her husband John Calvert Davis, and their small daughters, Mary Eliza and Elizabeth Ann, from their San Francisco home to Yount's adobe.
On a visit in 1848, Davis became ill of pneumonia, and his wife nursed him in the great four-poster bed in the massive upstairs bedroom. In those days a man of 57 was considered old, and pneumonia was a dread disease of high mortality.
John Calvert Davis died, and laid to rest south of the Indian Burial Ground... So it is quite probable that Davis was first white person buried there... Meanwhile, on March 8, 1849, a son was born posthumously to John Calvert Davis, and his widow, Elizabeth Ann, at her fathers adobe. "
Source: Napa County history 1823-1948 written by Virginia Hanrahan
This also appeared in The Napa Valley Register
24 Dec, 1960
"Davis (John Calvert), 1839, Engl. ship-carpenter and blacksmith, who had been a sailor, and for 5 years on Mex. vessels, probably touching in Cal. ports some years earlier; naturalized, got a lot, and built a house and shop at S.F. '39. iii. 705; iv. 119; v. 682-3. In Nov. '41 he had built, in Napa Creek, a schr called the Susana, for which he asked permission to use the Mex. flag, and in her made a trip to Mazatlan and back in '42-3. In records of the time he is often mentioned as a Yerba Buena blacksmith, and was 32 years old in '42; formed a partnership with Rose and Reynolds, and the firm built houses as well as boats, including a mill for Salv. Vallejo in Napa Val.; corporal of S.F. defensores '44, when he got new naturalization papers, having lost the original on his trip down the coast. He married a daughter of Geo. Yount, prob. in '44, since in April he writes to Larkin for gold earrings and material for a lady's dress—all to be kept a profound secret, though L. may guess the object. The same year he built the Londresa; often named in records of '44-7, being a witness at the Rae inquest in '45, iv. 593, and town treasurer in '46. v. 648. I find no later record than Nov. '47, and he is said to have died in '48, committing suicide, according to Sutter. His widow married Eugene Sallivan. He left a son—John D., living at Napa '85—and 2 daughters. "
Source: History of California. 1884-90. Hubert Howe Bancroft. p.776
"... Last installment described the frequent visits of his daughter, Elizabeth Ann, her husband John Calvert Davis, and their small daughters, Mary Eliza and Elizabeth Ann, from their San Francisco home to Yount's adobe.
On a visit in 1848, Davis became ill of pneumonia, and his wife nursed him in the great four-poster bed in the massive upstairs bedroom. In those days a man of 57 was considered old, and pneumonia was a dread disease of high mortality.
John Calvert Davis died, and laid to rest south of the Indian Burial Ground... So it is quite probable that Davis was first white person buried there... Meanwhile, on March 8, 1849, a son was born posthumously to John Calvert Davis, and his widow, Elizabeth Ann, at her fathers adobe. "
Source: Napa County history 1823-1948 written by Virginia Hanrahan
This also appeared in The Napa Valley Register
24 Dec, 1960
Inscription
"Born in London, Died in Napa" 57 years old. Son in law of Yount. Husband of Elizabeth Anne Yount, father of Mary Eliza and Elizabeth Anne and one son
Gravesite Details
Other sources list DOB as 1811 but DOD minus 57 years equals a calculated DOB of 1791.
Edit: it appears the marker is incorrect. Based on the multiple sources listing DOB as 1811 & a newly found CA Pioneer & Immigrant file that lists his entire DOB.
Family Members
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