|
I transcribed the following from documents given to me by Great Aunt Georgia. The documents were copies of a copy of her handwritten account of the family history and of her research. Some county names and/or people names may be misspelled due to lack of clarity in the documents I worked with so any suggested corrections are weclomed. I know its a long article but you'll find a lot of good information I'm sure. A little History of the Davis name and Wales David/Davis/Davies: was the patron saint of Wales, and the name was popular throughout early Britaina. As a result, there a many surnames derived from the given name David, including Davis, and Davies as the Welsh equivalent. Wales- the land of the legendary King Arthur and Camelot. The land of Sir Lancelot, of castles and fair princesses. The land which has inspired poets and writers to greatness. It was in Whales that Lewis Carroll began his classic "Alice in Wonderland" and it was of this land and people that inspired the warm story "How Green Was My Valley". Wales is a land of mountains and valleys. On its barren hillside and in her secluded valleys a brave and hardy race has lived since a day earlier than the history of man is recorded. History records that man first appeared in Wales somewhere between 12,000 to 8000 BC. Evidence to this effect has been found in the limestone cliffs of Cadry Island and Gover, and near Ross in King Arthur’s Cave. The Welsh have always been tenacious in the face of difficulty, thrifty, sturdy, and industrious. They have a quick wit, adaptability, love of religion, fighting and singing. There has always been present in the Welsh’s hearts a strong love of their country. These traits have been born of the numerous struggles they have endured for thousands of years and against numerous adversaries who have tried to conquer them. For ages the Welsh have resisted these successive attempts to invade their country and subject the inhabitants and event today, although for seven centuries a principality of the British Empire, the still cling to their native tongue and customs in many localities. Even the might of the Roman Empire was futile in its efforts to conquer this little country, although the Romans dominated the rest of Great Britain for over four hundred years. During the periods of Roman domination, Wales remained a haven of refuge to the natives and their Celtic kinsmen who fled their from other parts of the Island. After the Romans abandoned the Island in 408 AD, England was overrun with savage Picts and Scotts from the North, but again Wales was impregnable. Then came barbaric tribes from Continental Europe-the Jute’s, Angles and Saxons, and although these fierce warriors subdued Britain, the were unable to pierce the dogged little country to the west. Even though under the intimate influence of England, the Welsh have in many respects preserved their mother tongue and customs event to the present day. The race is very fond of music and poetry and the language is peculiarly adapted to poetic harmony and rhythm . Today there are more than 100 stone castles still standing, some in decay but other almost all intact as they were more that one thousand years ago. A few of them are still inhabited. The story book of the Wales abound everywhere throughout its valleys with winding streams and over its snow capped mountains, the legendary and real reach out together to the present. They tell of a proud land and a proud people. They tell that Wales is an exceptional place to grow men. Davis History In the early 1800’s, John M. Davis 1777-1851, his father, and his grandfather came by ship from Wales and settled in Virginia. Some say Culpepper county while other say Louisa county. His great grandfather was C. M. Davis was born and died in Wales. John M. Davis’ father and grandfather died and are buried in Virginia. When John M Davis and his people lived in Wales they spoke Welch, but after coming to America the learned to speak the English language. John M. Davis married Susannah ___?____ born in 1777 or 1778. They lived in Abington Virginia in Washington county. While living there they owned a large plantation. This was before the civil war when people were allowed to purchase slaves. John M. Davis owned many slaves. In 1818, John M. Davis and Susannah migrated by covered wagon to Tennessee. They traveled as far as Popular Creek in Anderson County and because the territory was so thickly populated with Indians they lived there for awhile. They later lived in the Coves, a northwestern part of Oliver Springs Tennessee in Roane County. They later moved to Nemo, in Morgan County Tennessee. John M. Davis and Susannah had eight children, 8 sons and 3 daughters.
2. John L. Davis, (Enlisted in the Union Army-Civil
War, discharged at 53
3. Hugh R. Davis, 1813-1859, married Charlotte Goddard (raised her family alone, listed in census as farm manger)- children: Elizabeth 1843, blind John M. 1845; William 1848-1912, married a Schooler. One of his children was Henry who married Tilda Liles Most of the Davis family who lived in Coalfield lived in the Fairview Community. William Carr and Rebecca lived on the road in Coalfield leading to the school house off what is now Highway 62. The Davis Cemetery is located off Highway 62 and was named such because the Davis’ were the first people to be buried there. John M. Davis, 1777-1851 was the first to be buried there. John M. Davis and Mary (Butler) Davis and some of their children are buried in their family Cemetery located on their property which is now the Mabel Wilson property at Fairview, Coalfield Tennessee. The early Davis' were of the Baptist faith. Charlotte Davis, Elizabeth Davis, Susannah Davis, Martha Davis (Georgia’s Great Grandmother) Thomas Davis, Mary (Davis) Jackson (Georgia’s Grandmother), Susan Davis, and Anne Davis were on the list of twenty four members who were dismissed from the Liberty Baptist Church, Morgan County, to organize Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. The date of their dismission was dated 27 Aug 1866. The church was constituted 13 October 1866. Mrs. Charlotte (Lattie) Goddard, who was born May 6, 1864 was a half sister to Professor John L. Davis told about life in Coalfield turning the last half of the eighteenth century. She was then 100 years old, and lived to be older, but her mind was bright. She said she remembered going to Pleasant Grove which was also known as Pleasant Grove Academy. The building which was a log building was also used as a school as well as a church. Lattie went to school here in 1873, 1874, and 1876. She remembered that she received a book as a prize for receiving the most high marks in spelling for the year. The teachers she remembered were Joe Staples 1873, John Davis 1875, and Mark Williams 1876. She said the school lasted three months each year. She said her mother Mrs. Mary Langley Davis, attended Waldens Academy at Montgomery, Tennessee, located North of Wartburg Tennessee, and that she taught school at Fairview, Coalfield. She remembered that her mother as a little ashamed of teaching. Women in those days did not work outside their home very much. Some of the prominent early settlers of Coalfield were Professor John M. Davis, a member of county court and a teacher for many years. One of the schools where he got his education was American Temperance in Harriman Tennessee. Professor Tom Davis was a teacher, a member of the county court and a slave owner. William C. Davis was a school commissioner when John (Shack) Ruffer deeded the area of land to be used as a church and school. Thomas H. Davis married Lucinda Stonecypher and they had a son John M. Davis in 1843. After John M. Davis 1777-1851 died his son Thomas H. Davis inherited his slaves. Thomas H Davis’ property was in Fairview Community. One was of the slaves was old "Major Davis". He is buried in the Davis cemetery by the side of his master John M. Davis. After the civil war was over and the slaves were freed, Major Davis stayed on with the Davis family. He had learned to love them and this was his only life. Thomas Davis has spent hours playing with the slave when the were children. When John M. Davis went off to college he took Major Davis with him to wash his clothes and carry his books. Major Davis was listed in the 1870 census as Black, age 60, living in the household of Thomas H. Davis. When John M. Davis, 1843, mother died she left him her property. This is where Mabel Wilson lived now in Fairview, Coalfield Tennessee. Note: John M. Davis had $1500 loses from 1860 until time of his death in personal property. Kenneth Scarbrough a grandson of Lattie Goddard relates to a interesting incident: John M. Davis always kept some good stock (horses, pigs, chickens, etc) and people all around knew this. He always had fine mules. As is the truth today there were thieves back in those days. If anyone had anything they wanted bad enough, they took it. One night someone stole one of John M. Davis’ fine mules. He didn’t wait for the law to take over. He climbed on his horse and tracked down the man with his mule. The thief had gone nearly all the way to Kentucky with it. John M Davis followed the tracks to a house and walked in. The man was asleep but had awakened. John M Davis beat the mule thief to the draw and killed him in his own bed. He paid for his burial and returned home. Mary M. Davis who married John C. Jackson was my Great Aunt Georgia’s grandmother. Georgia never had the privilege of meeting her. She died when Georgia’s father was six years old. Mary and John C. had children, Georgia’s father being the youngest. Georgia’s grandfather married two years later after Mary’s death to Abigail Duncan and they had four children. "Abba" was good to Mary’s children and they loved her . Mary’s picture is in Georgia’s "Jackson Family Tree Book". Georgia’s sister Irene Jackson married Thomas Ellis Davis a son of Samuel L. Davis who was Thomas H. Sr.’s son. They had a son Tommy Heath Davis and a daughter Mary Jo, Mrs. Dickey Wilson. Ellis died June 18, 1978, born June 26, 1931. Georgia’s sister Ruth married Glenn Davis a son of Hugh Davis whose father and mother was Joseph Davis and Lucy Morgan. John M. Davis 1907 Wartburg Tennessee was listed in the ad of county lawyers found in the county newspaper and catalogs of this period. John M. Davis (a later John M. Davis) was a lawyers for Morgan County. He served in the office of sessions judge. To become a lawyer in earlier days did not require as many qualifications as are necessary today. John M. Davis was listed as having practiced in the circuit court of Morgan county in 1894. He made application for law license and was issued on Marc 28 1994. Honorable Rueben A. Davis was county Judge for Morgan County January 6. 1890. The county clerk minutes gives records of the following people owning slaves. Among them were Rueben Davis. Miss Eliza Williams told the following story: Rueben A. Davis, grandfather of Eliza Williams, married Lucinda Summers, daughter of Bill and Clarisson Staples Summers, of White Oak, near Sunbright. They live at Eatons Cross Road in Loudeon County Tennessee. When the Civil War broke out they then had two small children, Virginia who married John B Williams and John M. Davis, who was a prominent Morgan County lawyer. Reuben.A. Davis as a Captain made up a company of men and took them to Kentucky to join the Union Army. He left his wife, Lucinda, and two small children on a small farm that had a brick house containing 14 rooms, and a slave to help her. During the time that Reuben was gone, the confederates camped at their farm, and also burned up the rail fence, using all the food that she had such as meat, chicken, turkeys, etc. The slave kept the two horses under a large cliff on the hillside near by. When Mrs. Davis wanted him to come to the house to eat she would blow an old cows horn. He would then take back grain for the horses. The confederate officers who camped in her home told her that they would not bother her, but that she had better go to her people. So she got the woman who was helping her to ride one of her horses and she rode the other, bringing the two small children and all the belongings that they could carry on the horses about a distance of 66 miles and came to her parents on White Oak Creek. She told the slave that he would have to go as she no longer could keep him. Reuben .A. Davis later became a Lt. Col. . After the war was over, he purchased a farm which is now the State Honor Farm on upper Flat Fork, and lived there until his death. This farm is located about 5 miles east of Wartburg. Once during the war, he got word to his wife Lucinda, that they were
marching through Montgomery and asked her to come there so he could see
her. Mrs. Davis was at Montgomery at sunrise, having come alone on a horse.
She waited all day and just before dark, she got to see him marching by
and could only wave to him. On the farm that Reuben. A. Davis bought, there
was a Negro preacher named Henry Curd and his wife, Vina Curd, who had
been slaves. They lived on the place with Mr. and Mrs. Davis and besides
preaching, he did blacksmith work. Mrs. Lottie Goddard told of going to
school in Wartburg with her brother Thomas H. Davis. She remembered going
to the big spring for water. You can find her name Charlotte Davis and
that of her brother, Thomas H. Davis in the list of students that is listed
as some to the students of Waldin’s Academy
|
|
