Marty and Karla Grant

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Margaret Davis (c1804-1868) and Josiah G. Wise of Burke, Yancey and Mitchell Co., NC

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Margaret Davis Wise is my 4 times Great Aunt

Margaret Davis was born ca 1803/04 per her age on the 1850 census (46) and ca 1804/05 per her age in 1860 (55). She was probably named for her aunt Margaret Carpenter Miller.

She was born in Burke Co., NC, now Avery Co., NC, probably the first or second child born on the Three Mile Creek property.

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

She is sometimes called “Peggy” which was a common nickname for “Margaret.”

She seems to be home with her parents on the 1810 census, aged under 10 (born 1800/1810) and still home in 1820, aged 10-15 (1804/1810).

Margaret Davis married Josiah G. Wise before ca 1826, in Burke (now Avery) Co., NC. His birth date is hard to pin down. I’m using ca 1794/1800 based on census analysis.

∙           1820 census age 16-25, born 1794/1804*

∙           1830 census age 15-19, born ca 1810/1815.

∙           1840 census age 40-49, born ca 1790/1800.

* With likely parents on this census, so not certain this is Josiah.

He was born in North Carolina according to several of his children’s 1880 census entries. I don’t know where exactly, perhaps Burke Co., NC if he’s a son of Adam Wise who was there in 1790, or perhaps Rutherford Co., NC if he’s a son of Benjamin Wise who was in Rutherford in 1790. I suspect Benjamin might be the one since Josiah named his first son that. Adam “Wise” on this census was Adam “Wease” on later records.

A deed dated 26 Dec 1826 from William Davis to Josiah G. Wise for 100 acres was proven in October 1830 court by Jacob Davis one of the witnesses. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1818-1829.)

A brief excursion on the Wise family.

1790 Census, Burke Co., NC

p. 106 Adam Wise               1-1-4-0-0               13^th Company

1790 Census, Rutherford Co., NC

p. 130 Ben Wise                   2-0-2-0-0               1^st Company

In 1800 there are two Wises in Burke, Benjamin in still in Rutherford. There were several in Lincoln Co., NC.

1800 Census, Burke Co., NC

p. 803 Peter Wise                10100-10010-0-0

p. 805 Alexander Wise       02001-11201-0-0

1800 Census, Rutherford Co., NC

p. 153 Benjamin Wise         00010-20010-0-0

In 1810 Benjamin Wise was the only one of that surname in Burke, presumably the same man who’d been in Rutherford prior. He’s next door to my ancestor Samuel Mackey who lived in the section of Burke that remained Burke, though very close to where our Davises lived in what soon became Yancey.

1810 Census, Burke Co., NC

p. 337 Benjamin Wise         21010-30010-0-0

Benjamin is once again the only Wise in Burke for the 1820 census, lending more weight to him being Josiah’s father. He is near Samuel Mackey as before, and between William Cuthbertson and David Cuthbertson.

1820 Census, Burke Co., NC

p. 25 Benjamin Wise           010201-22001-0-0

Benjamin is listed on the 1830 census, next to Samuel Mackey. The only other Wise household in Burke is Josiah, now married. Josiah is listed next to brother-in-law John Davis and a few houses from father-in-law William Davis, many pages away from his own potential father, Benjamin Wise. However, they weren’t all that far apart as the crow flies. Josiah and wife are both listed too young on this census, but it has to be them.

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+

162

Benjamin Wise

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1

1

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1

~

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~

~

~

~

~

1

2

1

~

~

~

1

~

~

~

~

196

Josiah Wise

1

1

~

1

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

1

~

~

1

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 15-19 (1810/1815)       Josiah G. Wise (c1794/1800)

1m 5-9 (1820/1825)            Son? (1820/1825)

1m 0-4 (1825/1830)            Benjamin Wise (c1829) son

1f 15-19 (1810/1815)         Margaret Davis Wise (c1804) wife

1f 0-4 (1825/1830)              Rachel Wise (1828) daughter

In January 1831, Josiah G. Wise, among others, took the oath to become a Justice of the Peace for Burke Co., NC. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1830-1834.)

Deeds dated 17 & 18 Sep 1832 between Benjamin Wise and Josiah G. Wise were proven in court in September 1823 by David Cuthbertson, one of the witnesses. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1830-1834.)

Margaret was named in her father’s 1836 Will as “Margaret Wise.”

For the 1840 census, Benjamin Wise was still in Burke, a few houses from likely son William C. Wise. Josiah G. Wise was next to likely brother James Wise in Yancey Co., NC and two houses from John Davis.

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+
275	Josiah G. Wise	1	1	1	1	~	~	1	~	~	~	~	~	~
		2	2	1	~	~	1	~	~	~	~	~	~	~

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 40-49 (1790/1800)       Josiah G. Wise (c1794/1800)

1m 10-14 (1825/1830)       Benjamin Wise (c1829) son

1m 0-4 (1835/1840)            John Wise (1838) son

1f 30-39 (1800/1810)         Margaret Davis Wise (c1804) wife

1f 10-14 (1825/1830)         Rachel Wise (1828) daughter

2f 5-9 (1830/1835)              1. Sarah Ann Wise (c1832) daughter

                                               2. Frances Wise (c1834) daughter

2f 0-4 (1835/1840)              1. Susannah Wise (1836) daughter

                                               2. Elizabeth E. Wise (c1840) daughter

Josiah G. Wise died in 1847 in Yancey Co., NC. There is an estate file for him in Graham Co., NC labeled Josiah G. Wise, 1847, consisting of 4 pages. It’s probably filed there because his brother-in-law Jacob Davis filed it which he also done for other estate related papers for his relatives even though they didn’t reside in that county.

In Yancey Co., NC Fall Court, 1847, “The court being satisfied that Josiah G. Wise is dead having left no last Will & Testament in wrighting it is therefore ordered by the court that Wm Davis & Margaret Wise the widow of the said J. W. (sic) Wise deceased be appointed administrators ...” Levi Carpenter and M. D. Wiseman were security for the administration bond. (Yancey Co., NC Court Records 1844-1870.)

There is a modern tombstone for him at the Wise Cemetery in Avery Co., NC that lists him 1801-1848. The death date is wrong.

Margaret Wise signed the estate division papers of her father William Davis on 24 Jul 1849. She made a mark.

Watauga County was created in 1849 from parts of Yancey and other counties. Margaret fell into the new county pretty much right on the Yancey line, and is listed in Watauga on the 1850 census next to likely brother-in-law James Wise and a few houses from sister Elizabeth Davis Vance.

1850 Census, Watauga Co., NC, House 469, Family 473

Margaret Davis Wise remarried between 1853 and 1858 to a Mr. Burleson probably in Watauga Co., NC (no record found in Yancey). I haven’t yet been able to identify who he was. He died before 1860.

In Spring 1858 Yancey County court it was ordered that Josiah Wiseman, guardian to the minor heirs of Josiah G. Wise, deceased, pay over to Margaret Burleson $15 in provisions or cash. (Yancey Co., NC Court Records 1851-1860.)

They are still in Watauga for the 1860 census.

1860 Census, Watauga Co., NC, Mountain Home Dist, Cranberry Forge & Valley Cruces PO, House 383, Family 278

I should note that the 1860 census taker put a different house number for the children (384), with no family number, which to me means they are the same family, but in two different physical houses.

Mitchell County was formed in 1861 from Watauga and other counties, including the section where the Wise family resided.

Margaret Davis Wise Burleson died on 15 Oct 1868 in Mitchell (now Avery) Co., NC. Her death was recorded in Uncle Jake Carpenter’s “Anthology of Death:”

“Pegey Wise a 75, dide oc 15 1868. She wars granny womin for cntery.” (Punctuation added.)

As was often the case, Uncle Jake got the age wrong. She was 65 at most, not 75. He listed her name as Wise, not Burleson.

Margaret Wise is listed on an 1872 deed though she’d been dead a few years by then. She didn’t sign it, obviously. On [illegible] Dec 1872, the heirs of William Davis deeded land on Three Mile Creek to Delila M. Childs. They were named as Wilson Burleson, Margaret Wise, John Vance, John Davis, Thomas Davis, Nancy Burleson and Jacob Davis, all of Mitchell Co., NC except Thomas Davis and Jacob Davis who reside in Cherokee Co., NC. The deed was for the sum of one dollar each paid by Delila M. Childs or her brother L. D. Childs, for 87 ½ acres being the land given to them by William Davis on Three Mile Creek. The deed was signed by Wilson Burleson, John Davis (his mark), and William A. Burleson (his mark). Witnesses were A. D. Childs and Jacob Carpenter. (Mitchell Co., NC Deed Book 11, pp. 96-97.)

There is a new marker for Margaret at the Wise Cemetery in Avery Co., NC that gives her name as “Margaret (Peggy) Davis Wise” and dates as 1803-1868.

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Children

Josiah and Margaret had eleven children per census records, eight of whom were still home for the 1850 census.

A summons related to lawsuit against the Samuel Carpenter estate was issued for heirs of William Davis. Eight of Margaret’s children were named.

- 4 Oct 1873 to Sheriff of Mitchell County summons for:

John Wise, Rachel Dellinger, Sarah An Shook, Francis Brewer, Susan Clark, Eliza Mace, Thomas Wise, Newton Wise ...

... Franky Brewer ... not found.

 

1.         Unknown Son 1820/1825. They had an apparent son this age with them in 1830. No further record. May have died young.

 

2.         Rachel Wise (1828-1919) married Joseph F. Dellinger. Named in the 1873 summons.

 

3.         Benjamin Wise (c1829) was named in a deed dated 15 Jun 1840 from Josiah G. Wise to his “only beloved son” Benjamin Wise wherein he gave him 50 acres of land. That this is dated 1840, and his son John was born in 1838, is interesting. Could this mean that John’s birth date is off slightly, or does it mean that Benjamin was his “only” son by a prior wife that we don’t know about? I’m not sure what the answer is. This might be Benjamin Wise (c1829) who was on the 1850 census in Yancey with wife Caroline, but no record after that unless he’s same Benjamin Wise found in Caddo Parish, LA in 1860 with a new wife (Emily). He was not named in the 1873 summons, so might have been dead by then, or presumed dead if they’d lost contact over the years.

 

4.         Sarah Ann Wise (c1832-1898) married Joseph P. Shook. Home in 1850 and named in 1873 summons.

 

5.         Frances Wise (c1834-aft 1870) married 1) Francis Marion Clark, and 2) — Brewer. Home in 1850 and named in 1873 summons.

 

6.         Susannah Wise (1836-1898) married Drury S. Clark. Home in 1850 and named in 1873 summons.

 

7.         John Wise (1838-1931) married Lydia P. Carpenter. Home in 1850 and 1860 and named in 1873 summons.

 

8.         Elizabeth E. Wise (c1840-aft 1880) married John M. Mace. Home in 1850 and 1860 named in 1873 summons.

 

9.         James Marion Wise (c1844-aft 1860). Home in 1850 and 1860. Not named in summons, probably dead by then, perhaps due to Civil War?

 

10.       Thomas Jasper Wise (1844-1933) married Clarisa A. Wise (d/o James). Home in 1850 and 1860 named in 1873 summons.

 

11.       Josiah Newton Wise (1845-1924) married 1) Margaret E. Wise (d/o James) and 2) Nancy E. Singleton. Home in 1850 and 1860 and named in 1873 summons.

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For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database pages for Margaret Davis and Josiah G. Wise.

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Revised: January 20, 2026

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

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