Marty and Karla Grant

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Elizabeth “Lizzie” Davis (1796-1883) and William Vaughn and John Vance of Burke, Yancey and Mitchell Co., NC

[Davis Home] - [Table of Contents] - William Davis - Elizabeth Vaughn Vance.

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Elizabeth Davis Vaughn Vance is my 4 times Great Aunt

Elizabeth Davis was born 24 Sep 1796 per an old family record (shared by Joanne Libera) that may have come from her Family Bible. This birth date agrees with her census records for the most part. She was 54 in 1850 (c1795/96) and 64 in 1860 (c1795/96) and 85 in 1880 (c1794/95). She was born in Burke (now Avery) Co., NC, probably on her parents Crossnore property.

Elizabeth is a child of William Davis (1731-1841) and Frances Carpenter as named in his 1836 Will.

Elizabeth Davis (1796) is the second daughter of William Davis with this name. It’s most unusual to have two children with the very same name, but William did. The first Elizabeth, whom he called Betsy, was from his first wife, Mary Miller, and this one was from his second wife, Frances Carpenter. Both are named in his Will. I suspect that he hadn’t yet accepted the first Elizabeth as his own child when this one was born, but at some later point he realized that the first one was indeed his, thus wound up with two daughters of the same name. That is about the only explanation I can think of and it makes sense considering the apparently tumultuous relationship William and Mary had.

Elizabeth (1796) seems to be home with her parents on the 1800 census, aged under 10 (born 1790/1800) and still home in 1810, aged 10-15 (1794/1800).

Some of the earlier family trees made for the Davis family show that Elizabeth married 1^st a John Vaughn, and 2^nd, a John Vance. However, actual records show her first husband was named William Vaughn, not John. Of course it’s possible he had two names, like John William, but I don’t know if that’s the case.

On 2 Sep 1814, William Vaughan obtained a marriage bond in Burke Co., NC to marry “Elizabeth Davis.” J. Davenport was bondsman.

William Vaughn has been something of a mystery. I’ve only found him listed on a few records, one of which is their 1814 marriage bond. I don’t know when he was born, nor where, nor who his parents were. We can assume he was at least 18 when he married, so born ca 1796 or earlier.

In 1790 there were no Vaughns in Burke. There were three in Rutherford Co., NC, which bordered Burke at that time. There is a William there, but I doubt he’s ours unless ours is much older than Elizabeth (1796) and was married before her.

1790 Census, Rutherford Co., NC, 2^nd Company

p. 131 Ben. Vaughn             1-2-2-0-0

p. 131 Jno Vaughn               1-3-1-0-0

p. 132 Wm Vaughn             1-0-2-0-0

In 1800 there were two Vaughns in Burke. I can’t say if they are connected to our William or not. This census was alphabetical so we can’t determine where they were living or who their neighbors were. Both had apparent sons born in the 1790s, which could be our William’s age if he’s about the same age as his future wife Elizabeth (1796). There were only two Vaughns in Rutherford in 1800, both named William. This one was also alphabetical.

1800 Census, Burke Co., NC

p. 801 Sherwood Vaughn   30010-10010-0-0

p. 802 Joshua Vaughn        20100-00100-0-0

1800 Census, Rutherford Co., NC

p. 149 William Vaughn       31010-10010-0-0

p. 149 William Vaughn       00010-31010-0-0

In 1810 there was only one Vaughn in Burke, a James Vaughn and one in Rutherford. Sherwood Vaughn, from 1800 Burke, was in Lincoln in 1810.

1810 Census, Burke Co., NC

p. 331 James Vaughn          30010-01100-0-0

1810 Census, Rutherford Co., NC

p. 447 John Vaughan          11001-30100-0-0 

In Burke County Court, July 1816, it was ordered that William Farmer oversee the road from the ford on Toe River at David Tates plantation yellow mountain road to David Brownings house in room of Thomas Cole with the hands (to wit): Martin Davenport Jr, William White, Gilbert White, Thomas Davenport, Enoch England, William Vaughan, Jacob Carpenter and all those in within the bounds (Burke Co., NC Court Records.)

I wasn’t able to locate them on the 1820 census. There were two Vaughns in Burke, but neither named William. Both seem to be in the part of Burke that later became McDowell Co., NC. There was a William Vaughn in Rutherford. His family is too large to be ours, unless of course he was married prior to Elizabeth.

1820 Census, Burke Co., NC

p. 15 James Vaughn            030110-40010-0-0

P. 105 Micajah Vaughn      300201-22110-0-0

1820 Census, Rutherford Co., NC

p. 385 William Vaughn       411301-10010-0-0

In January 1824 Burke county court, it was ordered that Thomas Burleson (Elizabeth’s brother-in-law) oversee the road in room of Aden Carver leading toward the Yellow Mountain from David Tate’s plantation to Gilbert White’s with the hands to work on the road (to wit): John Ollis, Bedford Wiseman, William Carpenter (her 1st cousin), Jacob Davis (her brother), Thomas Davis (her brother), John Davis (her brother), John Vance (soon-to-be 2^nd husband), Thomas Vance, James Moody, David Carpenter (her 1st cousin), Lewis Vance, William Vaughan, Alexander Wiseman, Thomas Burlison, Josiah Wiseman, William Roberts. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1818-1819.)

From the 1816 and 1824 court records, it seems that William Vaughn *ought* to have been listed on the 1820 census in Burke. That *could* be them in 1820 Rutherford, but I’m not convinced of that.

William Vaughn died between 1824 and ca 1827, presumably in Burke Co., NC.

Elizabeth Davis Vaughn remarried ca 1827 to John Vance in Burke Co., NC. I didn’t find a marriage record, nor was their marriage date included in the old family record, which listed his birth date as 5 Sep 1796.

John was born in North Carolina per his 1850 census entry, or South Carolina per his 1860 entry. Researchers believe John is a son of Matthew Vance (c1760/65) and Barbara McVeigh (c1770). He does fit in their family via census analysis. Matthew was in Greenville Dist., SC in 1790, 1800, 1810 and 1820, and in Burke Co., NC in 1830.

John Vance is listed on the same July 1824 court record with William Vaughn listed above.

They are on the 1830 census in Burke in the midst of many relatives. John is listed next to his 1^st cousin William Vance (1780/90) who is next John 1^st cousin David Vance (c1798). David is next to Thomas B. Grant (c1804) my ancestor. John was a few houses from his brother Lewis Vance (c1803) and a few houses from Elizabeth’s brother Jacob Davis (c1803), also my ancestor. Others relatives were nearby as well.

1830 Census, Burke Co., NC

Page	Name (Males first row, females on second)	0-4	5-9	10-14	15-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-59	60-69	70-79	80-89	90-99	100+
195	John Vance	~	~	~	1	1	~	~	~	~	~	~	~	~
		1	2	1	~	1	~	~	~	~	~	~	~	~

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 20-29 (1800/1810)       John Vance (1796)

1m 15-19 (1810/1815)       Alfred Vaughn (1815) step-son

1f 20-29 (1800/1810)         Elizabeth Davis Vaughn Vance (1796) wife

1f 10-14 (1815/1820)         Frances Vaughn (1818) step-daughter

2f 5-9 (1820/1825)              1. Eleanor Vaughn (1823) step-daughter

                                               2. Nancy Vaughn (1824) step-daughter

1f 0-4 (1825/1830)              Barbara Vance (1828) daughter

In Oct 1831 court, it was ordered that John Vance receive $4 for killing two grown wolves having produced the scalps in court. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1830-1834.)

There are two John Vances on the 1840 census in Yancey Co., NC. Ours is the older one.

1840 Census, Yancey Co., NC

Page

Name (Males first row, females on second)

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

70-79

80-89

90-99

100+

269

John Vance

1

1

~

~

~

~

1

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

1

1

~

~

1

~

~

~

~

~

~

273

John Vance

~

~

~

~

~

1

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

1

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 40-49 (1790/1800)       John Vance (1796)

1m 5-9 (1830/1835)            William Vance (1831) son

1m 0-4 (1835/1840)            Flemming Vance (1837) son

1f 40-49 (1790/1800)         Elizabeth Davis Vaughn Vance (1796) wife

1f 15-19 (1820/1825)         Eleanor Vaughn (1823) OR Nancy Vaughn (1824) step-daughters

1f 10-14 (1825/1830)         Barbara Vance (1828) daughter

Watauga County was formed in 1849 from several counties including a portion of Yancey. The Vances either fell into the new county or moved there, for they were there on the 1850 census a couple of houses from Elizabeth’s 1^st cousin David Carpenter (my ancestor) and a few houses from Elizabeth’s sister Margaret Davis Wise.

1850 Census, Watauga Co., NC, House 474, Family 478

They are still in Watauga for the 1860 census.

1860 Census, Watauga Co., NC, Mountain Home Dist, Cranberry Forge & Valley Cruces PO, House 377, Family 267

In 1861, Mitchell County was formed from several counties including Yancey and Watauga. The Vances fell into the new county, thus in their married lifetime, without moving, they’d been in Burke, Yancey, Watauga and Mitchell counties. They were dead before the final change happened and their region became Avery County in 1911.

I’ve searched for them several times on the 1870 census with no luck. They just don’t seem to be listed anywhere.

John Vance died before 11 Jan 1873 for on that date a deed of division was made between “The heirs of John Vance dec. viz.” Elizabeth Vance widow of decd, William Vance and wife Elizabeth, Flemming Vance and wife Martha, John Vance and wife Lilly and John Johnson and his wife Barbery. The land either totaled 75 acres or they got that much each. I didn’t read it closely enough to be certain. It was signed by Elizabeth Vance (her mark), William Vance, Elizabeth E. Vance (her mark), John Johnson (mark), Barbery Johnson (mark), John W. Vance, Sally Vance (mark), Flemming Vance, Matilda Vance (her mark). Witnesses were Wm D. Burleson, N. M. Benfield and Wm A. Vance. (Mitchell Co., NC Deed Book 11, pp. 542-543.)

Elizabeth is listed on the 1880 census in Mitchell with her son John. She is listed as widowed, so John Vance died sometime between 1860 and 1880, presumably in Mitchell Co., NC. Some online trees have his death ca 1873.

1880 Census, Mitchell Co., NC, Toe River Township, House 173, Family 181

Elizabeth Davis Vaughn Vance died on 10 Oct 1883 according to her cousin Jacob Carpenter’s entry in his “Anthology of Death” wherein he wrote (punctuation added):

Lis Vance ag 82 dide oc 10 1883. She work hard in feld. Mad corn

John and Elizabeth’s burial places are unknown.

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Children

An old family record that was shared with me by Joanne Libera of Forest City, NC. It appears to be of the right age to be something written by Elizabeth or her 2^nd husband John Vance. This is an abstract:

1. John Vance was born September the 5 day 1796

2. Elisabeth Vaughn his wife was born September 24 day 1796

3. Alfred Vaughn was born October 25 day 1815

4. Frances Vaughn was born January 20 day 1818

5. Eleanor Vaughn was born September 24 day 1823

6. Nancy Vaughn was born June the 12 day 1824

7. Barbary Vance was born January 8 day 1828

8. William Vance was born July the 12 day 1831

9. Thomas Vance was born January the 4 day 1834

10. Flemmon Vance was born August the 12 day 1837

11. John Vance was born December the 5 day 1841

This document proves that Elizabeth and her first husband had four children, and she and her second husband had five.

Alfred Vaughn was deaf and dumb. He went to Cherokee (now Graham) Co., NC with his uncles Jacob and Thomas Davis and married Tempy Rich there ca 1849. She was also deaf and dumb. They never had any children but lived to ripe old ages (86 and 90).

Frances Vaughn married her cousin Samuel Carpenter and remained in Yancey/Mitchell/Avery area.

Eleanor and Nancy Vaughn appear to be home with their mother in 1830 and 1840, but no trace of them after that. I don’t know if they died before 1850 or married someone yet to be identified. I did a search in the area for any Eleanor’s or Nancy’s their age but found no likely matches for Eleanor, and too many potential matches for Nancy, none of which I was able to determine was her or not. I also checked Cherokee Co., NC since Alfred went there, with similar results.

All of the Vance children remained in the area.

Barbara Vance married John Johnson.

William Vance married 1^st, Elizabeth Franklin, and 2^nd, Frances Matilda Carpenter (widow of Leander Pyatte).

Thomas Vance died young.

Flemming Vance married Frances Matilda Daniels.

John W. Vance married Lilly Ann Isaacs.

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For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database pages for Elizabeth Davis and William Vaughn and John Vance.

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Revised: January 18, 2026

Copyright © 1996-2026 Marvin A. Grant, Jr. All Rights Reserved.

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