THE DAVIS FAMILY

(From Ruth Davis Wiley)

WILLIAM DAVIS (1747?-1818)

William Davis was born in Virginia about the year 1747, in that part of Prince George County out of which Dinwiddie was formed in 1752. He was married in Brunswick County, VA, on August 29, 1769, to Agnes Lanier, the daughter of Sampson Lanier and Elizabeth Chamberlain.

He was a lieutenant colonel in the Fifth Virginia Regiment in the Revolutionary War, and was at the Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. He moved from Virginia to Wilkes County, GA, about the year 1795, settling near Sardis Church about ten miles north of west from Washington. He died in Wilkes County on May 14, 1818. His wife, Agnes Lanier, died February 21, 1813.

The military grant to him of 990 acres on Long Creek in Wilkes County from the State of Georgia on November 2, 1807, would indicate that he was either Major or Colonel.

His eleven children are named in his will: 1. Edward Davis
2. William Davis
3. James Davis, married Judith Grissom
4. Elizabeth Davis, married Robert Echols on March 18, 1800. (Note: County marriage records show Betsey Davis married Robert Echols April 4, 1800. Elizabeth Echols joined Sardis church before 1803.)
5. Charles Davis
6. Joshua Davis, born November 18, 1786, married January 11, 1811, to Martha Trammell (daughter of Thomas Trammell)
7. Lucy Davis
8. Samuel Davis
9. Lewis Lanier Davis, married Louisa I. Irvin (daughter of Isaiah Tucker Irvin [b. 1783, d. 1856] and Isabella Bankston [b. 1784, d. 8/22/1874])
10. Micajah Washington Davis
11. Baxter Burwell Davis
(Samuel, Micajah Washington and Baxter have no living descendants.)

This William Davis should not be confounded with the man of the same name, residing in Wilkes County, who served under Col. Elijah Clark and received a grant of 575 acres in Washington County, or with the preacher William Davis, who resided in Wilkes at the same time and whose will is also of record in Wilkes (filed in 1822). The preacher also had sons names William and James.

In Virginia, he should not be confounded with William Davis, who resided in Briston Parish in Dinwiddie County, whose wife was Maxey, or with the William Davis who for many years was sheriff of Mecklenburg County.

Owing to the loss of records, it is hard to ascertain the father and mother of William Davis, but the family had been long in Virginia at the time of the Revolution.

The Davises of the name of Hardaway, Baxter, Edward, Charles, and Joshua appearing in the census of Mecklenburg County (taken in 1792) were members of our Davis family and some of them were brothers of our ancestor. Hardaway Davis was probably his brother and our ancestor is probably the brother William who is named as executor in Hardaway's will.

The records of Sardis Church show that Agnes Davis died on February 21, 1813, and William Davis died on May 14, 1818.

JOSHUA DAVIS (1786-1847)

Joshua Davis, the sixth child of William Davis and Agnes Davis, was born in Prince George County, VA, November 18, 1786, and was married to Martha Trammell in Wilkes County, GA, on January 10, 1811. After their marriage, they moved to Fayette County, GA, then to Coweta County, GA, then to Heard County, GA.

In Heard County they first settled near the mouth of Hillabahatchee Creek on what is known as the Glover place, and next settled about nine miles northwest of Franklin on Lot 85 in the 12th district of Carroll Count (now Heard County).

Joshua Davis died December 28, 1847, and his wife, Martha Davis, died November 19, 1872. They are both buried in the family burial ground near their old residence on Lot 85.

Joshua Davis and his wife had the following children:
1. James Chamberlain Davis, born November 4, 1811. Died in infancy
2. Mary Amanda Davis, born July 4, 1813. Married Paschal Harrison Taylor on March 1, 1832.
3. Lewis Franklin Davis, born March 1, 1817. Married Elizabeth Ann Pittman (daughter of Martin Hughes Pittman) January 28, 1841.
4. William Thomas Davis, born January 22, 1820. Married September 11, 1845 to Tempe Jane Awbrey.
5. Martha Emeline Davis, born July 13, 1823. Married June 1, 1848, to Alis Ridley.
6. Rebecca Balsora Davis, born September 5, 1826. Married William Alphonso Pittman, son of Martin Hughes Pittman.
7. Sara Saphronia Davis, born July 10, 1830. Married John M. Liphams.
8. Wilson Lumpkin Davis, born December 12, 1833. Married Emily Lipham. He died in Arkansas April 14, 1914.

LEWIS FRANKLIN DAVIS (1817-1857)

Lewis Franklin Davis, the third child of Joshua and Martha Davis, was married in Randolph County, AL, on January 28, 1841, to Elizabeth Ann Pittman, daughter of Martin Hughes Pittman and Nancy Pittman.

A few years after their marriage, they settled in Heard County, GA, about 7 miles northwest from Franklin on lots 48 and 49 of the 12th District of Carroll County (now Heard County). Lewis Franklin Davis died there on February 5, 1857, and his wife, Elizabeth Ann Davis, died on June 12, 1888. They are both buried in the family burial ground on Lot 85, near the old residence of Joshua Davis.

Lewis Franklin Davis and his wife Elizabeth Ann Davis had the following children:
1. Martha Melissa Davis, born October 5, 1841. Married November 13, 1859, to William M. Wood.
2. Nancy Dian Davis, born December 19, 1842. Died February 6, 1843.
3. Mary Elizabeth Davis, born April 8, 1844. Married September 13, 1865, to Erasmus H. Lipham.
4. Martin Joshua Davis, born July 5, 1845. Married March 10, 1870, to Amanda E. Lane. Martin J. Davis died October 13, 1916; Amanda E. Davis died January 15, 1932.
5. William Owen Davis, born February 26, 1847. Married September 25, 1873, to Harriet Isabella Favor.
6. Lewis Franklin Davis, born May 20, 1849. Married December 6, 1877, to Ettie S. Cook.
7. Emily Terisa Davis, born January 8, 1851. Married February 25, 1869, to H.B. Almon.
8. James Thadeus Davis, born September 26, 1852. Unmarried. Died August 17, 1905.
9. George Pittman Davis, born June 2, 1854. Died September 13, 1867.
10. Andrew Smith Davis, born April 29, 1856. Married January 7, 1890, to Mary Clementine Jackson.

NOTE: This information came largely from the records of William Owen Davis (my great great uncle), fifth child of Lewis Franklin Davis and Elizabeth Ann Davis. He was a soldier in the Confederate Army during the latter portion of the Civil War, serving as a private in Company K, 56th Regiment, of Georgia Volunteers, Cummings Brigade, Stevenson's Division, Army of the Tennessee. He was at the surrender of this Army near Greensboro, NC, in the spring of 1865, then commanded by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. Co. K, 56th Ga was then Company D of 42nd Georgia. "Uncle Will" was a lawyer by profession and settled in Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas, on July 4, 1870.

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