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Davey, George W., was born in Somersetshire, England, March 6, 1826. He was the youngest of nine children, and
came to this country with his parents, John and Elizabeth Davey, in 1830 and settled in Auburn, N. Y. Thence the
family moved to Skaneateles, N. Y. , in 1831, at which place his father and mother lived to the advanced ages of
eighty and sixty seven years respectively, and his brother John to the age of eighty two. The only surviving members
of the family are George, his sister Elizabeth, of Marcellus, and his brother Edward, who is a prosperous carriage
manufacturer at Medina, N. Y., now eighty years of age. In 1842 George went to Canada and one year later thence
to Newport, N. Y., where he learned the trade of carriage painting. In 1847 he came to Groton to work for Allen
& Carpenter, carriage makers. Since that time Mr. Davey has been a resident of Groton village, and has devoted
himself almost continuously to his trade until quite recently. In 1870 he became a member of the carriage manufacturing
firm of Ricks, Adams & Davey, of Groton. This partnership was dissolved four years later. Mr. Davey was an
ardent anti slavery man, and later found himself at home in the Republican party. August 22, 1849, he married Mary
Eliza, daughter of Stephen F. and Lora (Stowell) Barrows, who came from New England in 1824. Mr. Barrows was a
farmer and wagon maker. He was one of the founders and first deacons of the Congregational Church. He died December
31, 1854, and his wife March 1, 1888. One son and three daughters survived them, Paddock, Mary, Sarah and Weaithea.
Mr. and Mrs. Davey have three children: Eva, who married D. H. Naramore, resides in Alexandria, Va.; Merton L.,
a contracting carriage trimmer at Whitney's Point, N. Y.; and Vernon L., superintendent of schools at East Orange,
N. J. The latter was educated at the Groton Academy and Cornell University, graduating in 1875; was principal of
Groton Union School (formerly Groton Academy) three years, during which time the first graduating course was adopted.
He went to East Orange in 1878 as principal of the public school, and has since been elected superintendent of
the East Orange schools. G. W. Davey was early identified with the prosperity of Groton. He helped reestablish
and maintain Groton Academy, which had been sold at sheriff's sale, and was for many year's a trustee of that institution.
He was one of the founders and first trustees of the Groton Rural Cemetery Association. In 1864, while its president,
he invented and patented a " Weed Eradicator," which is still use in many places, for clearing walks
and avenues of weeds by means of horse power. He is also a stockholder in the National Bank, and one of the charter
members of the Groton Iron Bridge Co., and Crandall Typewriter Co., of Groton. He also aided in erecting the Congregational
house of worship. Mr. Davey has been a Sunday school worker from his youth, and in recent years has entered heartily
into special Sunday school work outside of his own town organizing town associations in Tompkins county, while
president of its county association, and adddressing Sunday schools in this and other counties.
From:
Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York
Including a History of Cornell University
Edited by: John H. Selkreg
D. Mason & Co., Publishers
Syracuse, N. Y. 1894
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