Davis ancestors information found at Ancestry.com
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Thomas Davis, Charles
Davis' brother, named the children and heirs of Charles Davis in Oct 1838
in the Jessamine Co Ky court. He did not mention James Davis as an heir
in that signed and sworn statement of Oct 1838. On 28 Aug 1841 the VA Land
Office does list James Davis as a legal heir to Charles Davis which is the basis
for a 20 acre land warrant. The two records conflict with each other about the status of James Davis. The other possible match would be the --- B Davis, another brother of Thomas Davis, who was born in 1755 in Spotsylvania Co, VA. Nancy died before 1838 and their child was named in Charles Davis death settlement proceedings as an heir.
I found two references to John and Elizabeth Long who had a granddaughter,
Elizabeth Hawkins quoted here from Ancestry.com: "+Virginia County Records,
p.12 [P12]LONG, JOHN, St. George's Parish, d. Jan 31, 1750, p. July 7,
1752. Wit. Philip Vincent Vass, Thomas Merry. Ex. wife, Elizabeth Long.
Leg. wife, Elizabeth; grandson John Hawkins, daughter, Elizabeth Hawkins,
granddaughter, Elizabeth Hawkins. (Page 116)" end quote.
For Elizabeth Long, I will quote
the printout as follows: "+Virginia County Records, p.21 [P21]LONG, ELIZABETH,
St. George's Parish, d. Mar. - , 1760, p. Dec 4, 1764. Wit. William Poultney,
John Gordon, Ex. Nicholas Hawkins, Senr. Leg. grandson, John Hawkins, granddaughter,
Elizabeth, grandson, Nicholas Hawkins, Junr; granddaughters, Mary, Nanny
and Sarah; Nicholas Hawkins, Senr, father of the above named children.
(Page166)" end quote.
I found a record of a James Davis
who passed away in 1765 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. (Source: Ancestry.com,
Virginia County Records database. I will quote that reference:
"+Virginia County Records, p.23
DAVIS, JAMES, Spotsylvania Co.,
d Feb 15, 1765, p. Oct 7, 1765. Wit. Thomas Wiatt, Joseph Allen, John Hutcherson,
Henry Coleman, Ex. wife and son James. Leg daughter Elizabeth; wife Mary;
son John; son James; son Benjamin, son Charles; my four youngest children,
William, Mary, Charles and Thomas. (Page 225)."
His wife and son, James, were executors of his will.
I believe this Thomas Davis is
James B Davis' uncle and brother of James Davis. Reviewing the many records available on ancestry.com
seems to show this family moved to that part of Kentucky from Virginia.
Another source from Ancestry.com, Virginia Soldiers of 1776 data base,
query results of input for Davis, shows a Warrant 8958 for 80 acres and
Warrant 8959 for 20 acres issued 28 Aug 1841 to Polly *Lewis, Polly *Heath,
Elizabeth *White, Sally *Kersey and *James Davis*, heirs at law of Charles
Davis, late a soldier of Contl. Line, Recorded Book 3,p.500, Va land Off.
Second source from Ancestry.com,
same data base, same inquiry input field, shows that in the Jessamine Court,
during the Oct Term of 1838; Thomas Davis on oath, declared that Charles
Davis his brother, a soldier in the Rev. war, died about the year 1807,
or 1808, leaving six children - William, d. s.p.; Nancy(mar. William *White*,
and died leaving one child named *Polly*, who mar. James *Lewis*). Polly(mar.
Hartwel *Heath*); Elizabeth(mar. Samuel *White*); Sally(mar. Hickman *Kersey).
that said Charles Davis died without a will, that these said children are
the only heirs of said Charles Davis. Signed and sworn to by Thomas Davis,
Copy teste, Daniel B. Price, clerk.
By comparing the two sources
immediately above this, I noted that the names matched, and that James
Davis was an heir making it possible for him to be the son of Charles Davis. Nancy
White had died and was not included in the Land Warrant. Refering back
to the results from ancestry.com, Virginia County Records. Richard Davis is not listed as an heir to James Davis that passed away in Spotsylvania Co, VA in 1765. I think Richard Davis had passed away prior to 1765 and Thomas Davis is the son mentioned in the James Davis death settlement proceedings quoted in 1765. Information from MichaelAnn Guido indicates the James Davis mentioned was James Conway Davis and Mary Carter Davis who were married Christmas Day 1738 in Spotsylvania Co, VA. She was dauthter of Joseph Carter and Katherine Stevens.
The ancestry.com record of Thomas Davis court affidavid concerning the heirs of his brother Charles Davis was in error. It omitted James Davis among the list of his heirs. I located a copy of the original handwritten record cited by ancestry.com and it does include James Davis.
Benjamin Davis record found on ancestry.com Virginia County Records also opens up the possibility of him being James B Davis grandfather, except last sentence of first reference seems to indicate otherwise. If all of Benjamin Davis children were under age in 1787 then none of them could be James B Davis dad because James B Davis was born in 1785. Perhaps the records below do not refer to son of James Conway Davis, I suspected that they did. I overlooked the obvious. James Davis his son could have been James B Davis. I made an assumption about the order in which Benjamin Davis children were born that is not valid. James his son could have been born anytime prior to 1790 and was not necessarily the eldest of their children. I do not know when any of them were born. Two references follow:
Virginia County Records, p.46
DAVIS, BENJAMIN, Berkeley Parish, Spotsylvania Co., d. Jan. 23, 1787,
Executors Bond dated Mar. 1, 1791. Wit. W. Mills, T. Winslow, Gabriel Warren,
Martin Hawkins. Ex. wife and Edward Collins. Leg. wife and after her death
estate to be divided between all my children, all of whom are now under
age. (Page 1042)
Edward Collins, guard. to James, Lewis, Benjamin, Elijah,
Richard and Acy Davis, orphs. of Benjamin Davis, with Edward Herndon, Jr.,
sec. April 1, 1794.
This Benjamin Davis was the son of James Conway Davis of Spotsylvania, Co, VA. I have the wills, executor's bonds, and appraisments documents for Benjamin Davis and James Conway Davis his father.
Information from Full Pension Application of Thomas Davis of Woodford County, KY, Charles Davis' brother.
and research on James B Davis and ancestors.
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