Joseph Davis was born into a Puritan home in seventeenth century England.  Joseph’s father, because of his nonconformist stand, lost all his possessions, and his son was forced to grow up in godly poverty.  While apprenticed to a silk dealer in Coventry, he learned Baptist doctrine.  During the days of the English Commonwealth, when there was no king in England, the Baptists enjoyed some degree of freedom.  It was during this time that Joseph was called into the ministry, becoming a Baptist pastor.  But then in 1660 Charles II returned to the throne, and the Baptists’ fortunes took a serious turn to the worse.

During the rest of his life, Pastor Davis’ life was spent in and out of jail.  Toward the end of his life, he wrote: “My second imprisonment… one of the captains of the country troops came to my shop, asking my name… rudely made me a prisoner for nothing… my house was rifled by his soldiers, who took away my goods feloniously; and all night I was kept there from my wife and children…  til Sunday towards evening.  In January, the year following… a constable, as he said, had verbal orders from Lord Faulkland, to take me up again and carry me to Oxford, which he did … as if I had been a criminal…  The next spring I was committed to prison with a life sentence according to the pleasure of the king.”  During this time Joseph’s wife and three children were reduced to extreme penury, bringing the good woman to her grave.  Brother Davis was allowed to leave prison just long enough to bury her and make arrangements for the care of his children, before being sent back to jail for ten more years.  Eventually, with no charges ever being filed against him Pastor Davis was released. Then eight years later as additional persecution was unleashed against those of the Baptist faith, Brother Davis went into seclusion until King James II issued the Declaration of Indulgence and he could once again minister publicly in the Name of the Lord.
Never let it be said that Protestantism has always been kind or even tolerant toward Baptists.  Joseph Davis died on this day in 1706 at nearly eighty-years of age.
– Source: This Day in Baptist History II, Cummins and Thompson