William Davis (c1731-1841) and Mary Miller and Frances Carpenter of Surry, Wilkes, Ashe, Burke and Yancey Co., NC

Marty and Karla Grant

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[Davis Home] - [Table of Contents] - William Davis

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William and Frances (Carpenter) Davis are my 5^th Great Grandparents.

Special thanks to many researchers who helped me with the Davis family over the years. A few books were very helpful as well:

∙ “The Davis Family Record” by Orville Wright Davis. (No publication date, ca 1979.)

∙ “The Davis Family Record” second edition, by Norman R. Davis, 2013.

∙ “A History of Watauga County North Carolina” by John Preston Arthur, 1915.

∙ “The Revolutionary War Military Record of William Davis of Three Mile Creek of Avery County, North Carolina,” by William Michael Davis, 2007.

William Davis was born between 1730 and 1740 per his age on the 1830 census. His tombstone lists his birth date as ca 1727. However, that stone was placed many years after his death and can’t be relied upon as being accurate. All of his census records support the 1730/40 birth range:

∙ 1790 census age 16+, born before 1774.

∙ 1800 census age 45+, born before 1755.

∙ 1810 census age 45+, born before 1765.

∙ 1820 census age 45+, born before 1775.

∙ 1830 census age 90-99, born 1730/1740.

∙ 1840 census age 100+, born before 1740.

A military record dated 13 Jul 1756 lists William Davis as 25 at that time, so born ca 1730/31. If this is our William, and there is a strong chance it is, then this is the earliest record of his age found, and might be the most accurate. (From William Michael Davis’s book, p. 4.) (I’ll refer to the author as “Mike Davis” henceforth.)

William’s grand nephew (by marriage), Jacob Carpenter (1833-1920), alias “Uncle Jake Carpenter,” wrote that William Davis died 5 Oct 1841 at age 100.8.

If we assume 100.8 means 100 years, 8 months, then you get ca Feb 1841 for his birth date. However, that doesn’t work with William’s 1830 or 1840 census entries.

If he meant 108 years instead, that puts William born ca 1733 instead, which fits within the range determined by census analysis. It’s also pretty close to the ca 1730/31 birth date per the 1756 military record.

We next have to wonder if Uncle Jake was a reliable witness. He was only 8 when William Davis died in 1841. He didn’t start recording deaths in the community until approximately 5 years later, so this would have been written down a few years after the fact. We also need to consider that Jake definitely got the age wrong of William’s wife Franky, and also those of his own grandparents in the same document and several others too. In each case the person was listed far older than they actually were, though in William Davis’s case he might not have been all that far off, or perhaps even too young.

Thus, my conclusion is there is no doubt that William Davis was born between 1730 and 1740. We could say ca 1733 if we trust that Uncle Jake had his age right in his journal. If the 1756 military record is correct, then he was born ca 1730/31. Since William himself would have provided the information for the military record, it is likely the most accurate.

Birth Place

Where was William Davis born? There are conflicting family traditions about where he was born. One legend has him born in England and another in Wales. One of those stories has him stowing away on a ship and coming to America while still young. One published source has him being a Pennsylvanian. I believe all of these are incorrect (though it’s possible he lived in Pennsylvania at some point).

William Davis was born in Virginia without a doubt.

He himself didn't live long enough to be listed on a census that included the birth place, but the 1880 census did have columns for where a person's parents were born. Four of his children lived long enough to be included on that census. It is interesting what they reported for their father’s birthplace:

∙ Elizabeth Davis Vaughn Vance (1796-1883) reported that her father was born in Virginia.

∙ John Davis (1798-1881) reported his father's birth place as Virginia.

∙ Thomas Davis (c1805-aft 1880) listed his father's birth place as Virginia.

∙ Frances Davis Burleson (1808-1892) listed her father's birth place as North Carolina.

That’s three for Virginia and one for North Carolina. The latter seems highly unlikely unless he was from eastern North Carolina, so I conclude it must be Virginia. But where in Virginia? That’s a difficult question to answer.

One tradition states William and three brothers and their parents immigrated from Wales and landed at Skipper’s Ferry on the Rhappahannock River in Virginia in 1750. Since we know William was born in the 1730s in Virginia, then this can’t be true. It’s certainly possible the family lived in that area in 1750 though. One problem (among several) with this story is that I can find no record of a place called “Skipper’s Ferry” past or present, in Virginia.

The siblings listed were John, William, Richard and Thomas. The parents names were not given.

We do know from Mike Davis’s research that William Davis was a resident of Fairfax Co., VA in 1756. It is certainly possible he was born in that area. More research is definitely needed on this subject.

Parents, Siblings

William Davis’s parents have not been identified. Tradition, as recorded in “The Davis Family Record” talks about four brothers, John, William, Richard and Thomas. This certainly could be accurate, but I have found nothing thus far that confirms it.

There were plenty of other Davis families found in the places he was known to live, but to date, we’ve found no solid connections between him and any of them, with one notable exception: Andrew Davis (1780/90-1849). I don’t know what the connection is, if any, but there seems to be one. Andrew’s son William Davis (1809) married William’s daughter Rachel Davis (1810) in 1832. That could be coincidental because Davis is such a common surname. However, I have DNA connections to descendants of many of Andrew Davis’s known children. This doesn’t necessarily mean the connection is via the Davis side of the family though. However, there is something there. Andrew is far too young to have been William’s brother. He could be a nephew or grand nephew or a cousin, or perhaps not related to him at all. He might be related (to me) via another branch of the family. More on Andrew later.

We’ve found no evidence as to any other relatives of William Davis such as cousins, nieces or nephews. It’s entirely possible he had no such close family, or none to join him in North Carolina. There is the tradition that William Davis, along with William Penley and William Wiseman, all came to America together as young stowaways. We know William Davis wasn’t an immigrant, so that part of the story is wrong. However, it is certainly possible those two others were his cousins, or perhaps long term friends at least if not related.

The traditional brothers John, Richard and Thomas are certainly worthy of further study, but where to begin? Those are such common names as to make such a search extremely difficult. All we can assume about them is that they were most likely all born between the 1720s and 1740s, probably in Virginia.

Early Life

William may have grown up in Fairfax County, Virginia. The legend is that he lived “a mile” from George Washington, with whom he served in the French and Indian War in the 1750s and the Revolution in the 1770s.

Fairfax County, Virginia is on the Potomac River. It was formed in 1742 from the northern part of Prince William County. Prince William, in turn, was formed in 1730 from King William and Stafford, effective 1731. Thus, if William Davis were born in what is now Fairfax, it would have been Prince William at the time of his birth ca 1731. He would have been about 10 or 11 when Fairfax was formed, so there wouldn’t likely be any records in his own name in Prince William if he fell into the new Fairfax county instead of moving there.

William would have turned 16 ca 1747 so if he appears on any public records it would begin in that year when he became eligible for militia duty.

French and Indian War (1754-1763)

Family legend says he served in the French and Indian War (1754-1763) with George Washington and was with him at Braddock’s Defeat in 1755.

He would have been about 24 in 1755 so it fits age-wise for him to have served. Mike Davis found records of a William Davis who indeed served and it seems very likely those records are our William Davis. Read his book for details.

Pennsylvania

It’s possible that William Davis spent a few years in Pennsylvania after the French and Indian war. One early commentator referred to him as a Pennsylvanian. I don’t know if that’s true or not. As one can imagine there are numerous records for men named William Davis in Pennsylvania in the 1750s, 1760s and 1770s. I haven’t tried to sort them out.

American Revolution (1775-1783)

The DAR placed a marker at William Davis’s grave referring to him as a Corporal who served in the 2^nd North Carolina Regiment from 1778 to 1781. Unfortunately, this is incorrect as proven by the excellent research of Mike Davis. There was indeed a Cpl. William Davis in that regiment, but he wasn’t ours. That William Davis spent much of the war as a prisoner of the British in Charleston, SC and couldn’t have been associated with the people ours was, nor in any of the battles or places our William was reputed to have been during the war as that unit didn’t serve in those places.

Mike’s research is quite thorough and quite compelling. Read his book for details.

Mecklenburg Co., NC

When William Davis made his Will in Yancey Co., NC in 1836, he began with this statement:

In the name of God, Amen, I William Davis, formerly of Mecklinburg County, but for many years past a resident of Burke, now Yancey County in the state of North Carolina ...

It is rather unusual to state something like that in a Will, but certainly helpful! His brother-in-law Jacob Carpenter did the same when he made his Will a dozen or so years later. Perhaps it was a tradition in Yancey County. Regardless, it raises many questions, mainly, when did William Davis ever live in Mecklenburg Co., NC? Going only on the statement itself you might conclude he lived in Mecklenburg just before moving to Burke/Yancey. That could be true.

There are several records for men named “William Davis” in Mecklenburg Co., NC records between 1750 and 1800. I have not attempted to sort them out yet.

First Wife, Mary Miller?

William Davis was about 64 or 65 when he married my ancestor Frances Carpenter ca 1795 (she was about 23). It isn’t surprising that she wasn’t his 1^st wife. However, what is surprising is that he appears to have remained a bachelor until his mid or late 40s. This could be due to a nomadic lifestyle.

Who was his first wife and when and where did he marry her?

When he made his Will in 1836, he made this interesting statement:

Item the second. To my daughters Betsy Cantrel, Sally Rowan and the heirs of Polly Browning in addition to what I gave them when they left me, I give and bequeth to Betsy Cantrel one dollar. To the heirs of Polly Browning one dollar and to the heirs of my daughter Sally Rowan thirty dollars in property. These being all the children which my first wife had that were mine or ever claimed or acknowledged by me.

They way he worded that makes one wonder. Consider this statement from “The Davis Family Record” attributed to William’s grandson Isaac Thomas Davis:

“Uncle” Thomas Davis relates that William’s wife proving unfaithful, he left her and lived with Frankie Carpenter ... whom he married after the death of his first wife, about the year 1785.

The year 1785 is wrong, but from the Will, and the statement of his grandson, it appears that William left his first wife and lived with Frances Carpenter until such time as he could legally marry her after the death of the first wife. Unfortunately, none of the early histories give us the name of his first wife, nor where they might have resided while married.

I found something interesting, as did other researchers before my time, that might identify this first wife.

Christian Miller and wife Veronica, of Surry Co., NC, had a daughter named Mary Miller who married to a Mr. Davis prior to 1785 for she was named in her father’s Will of that year as daughter “Mary Davis.” She only received one shilling, which was a tiny sum, suggesting she was already well cared for by her husband, or that her father was too poor to give her more, or both. Other children named were Jacob Miller, Elizabeth Carpenter and Catherine Long, deceased. Remember those names.

Mary’s husband was not named in the Will nor in the brief estate records from 1795. However, a 1787 deed from Christian Miller to another son-in-law, George Long, was witnessed by a William Davis along with Edward Clanton and Joseph Hill. William Davis proved the deed in court later in 1787. Further, in the state census of 1786, a William Davis is listed next to Jacob Miller and was the only Davis listed in that district with the Millers and Mathias Carpenter on that record.

Those three pieces of evidence, 1), Mary Miller married a Davis before 1785, and 2), a man named William Davis witnessed her father’s deed in 1787, and 3), a William Davis was the only man of that surname in the district where the Millers resided per the 1787 census, have caused many to draw the conclusion that William Davis was Mary Miller’s husband. I tend to agree, but the proof is entirely circumstantial, but compelling nonetheless. I would say there is very little doubt that William Davis was Mary Miller’s husband. There are other bits of circumstantial evidence as well that support this.

However, is her husband William Davis and our William Davis the same man? That’s where it gets dicey.

Is there any reason to think that our William Davis was in Surry Co., NC during this time frame? None of the early legends ever mentioned him residing there. However, there is one really good reason to think this could indeed be our William Davis. Mary’s father, Christian Miller, was also the father of Elizabeth Miller, wife of Mathias Carpenter. Our William Davis married Frances Carpenter, proven daughter of Mathias and Elizabeth, ca 1794/95. Thus, it is quite easy to draw the conclusion that the William Davis who married Mary Miller is the same William Davis who later married Mary’s niece, Frances Carpenter. It could certainly explain how William and Frankie got acquainted.

A second piece of evidence is in the marriage of David Browning and “Polly Miller” in Surry Co., NC in 1805. I’m quite convinced that Polly Miller Browning is the same “Polly Browning” named in William’s Will as his daughter. My reasoning for this is that David Browning had no known connections to Surry County yet married there. He was a resident of Burke Co., NC and a neighbor of William Davis, thus could have met his daughter Polly through him, then traveled all the way to Surry to marry her. This is further evidence linking William Davis to Mary Miller.

While the above is very interesting, it isn’t rock solid proof that it’s the same William Davis. Some evidence makes me think they are two different men, coincidentally married into the same family. But other evidence makes me think it is indeed our William Davis.

There is a deed dated 31 Aug 1786 between William Davis and wife Mary of Surry Co., NC to James Davis, “their son” of the same place. They sold him land on the south side of the Dan River that William Davis received from Thomas Mullins [in 1773]. William and Mary Davis both signed with marks. Witnesses were John Davies, John Dunlap and Patrick Kiney. (Surry Co. NC Deed Book D, pp. 67-68.)

The above is problematic in that William and Mary apparently have an adult son by 1786 named James Davis. Our William Davis has no such son as far as we know. However, this problem vanishes when we check the 1786 state census and see there is another William Davis in Surry Co., NC who was listed next to a John Davis and James Davis and near the Dunlaps at that time. They were in a different district from where the Carpenters and Millers resided, thus it is almost 100% certain that William and Mary of the 1786 deed are not the same William and Mary we’re interested in. This is reinforced by the location the land they sold which was on the Dan River. That is quite a distance from where Christian Miller lived in what is now Yadkin Co., NC. Thus, we don’t need to worry about this 1786 deed as evidence regarding our William and Mary.

There is evidence, also circumstantial, that Mary Miller’s husband William Davis was still in Surry long after our William was supposed to be in Burke and already with Frances Carpenter as his second wife. In fact, he seems to still be in Surry there as late as 1805 which just doesn’t work if it’s our William Davis.

I didn’t find any Davises listed on the 1782 Surry tax list in Cpt. Wright’s district which is where he was found in 1786.

I mentioned the 1786 state census. I find there were three William Davis listings in Surry in 1786. The last one listed (in Cpt. Blackburn’s District) was clearly the one from the 1786 deed judging by his neighbors. The first one listed (in Cpt. Winston’s District) is unidentified. However, the second one is in Cpt. Wright’s District, which is where Christian Miller, Mathias Carpenter, Jacob Miller and George Long lived. In fact, William Davis is listed next to Jacob Miller. He was the only Davis in that district at that time, which again makes him the prime candidate to be Mary Miller’s husband.

1786 State Census - Surry Co., NC

Page	Name	WM 21-60	WM -21 or 60+	Females	B 12-50	B -12 or 50+
	Jo. Winston’s Dist.
149	William Daviss	1	1	4	~	~
	Cpt Wright’s Dist.
152	Matthias Carpenter	1	1	3	~	~
152	Christian Weatherman	1	4	4	~	~
152	Jacob Miller	1	3	4	~	~
152	Christian Miller	1	1	1	~	~
152	George Long	1	5	6	~	~
152	Wm. Davies	1	3	5	~	~
152	Jacob Miller	1	3	4	~	~
152	George Long	1	3	7	~	~
	Cpt. Blackburn’s Dist.
154	William Davis	1	2	5	~	~
154	James Davis	2	1	5	~	2
154	John Davis	1	2	3	~	~

* Note: The above does not include all the Davises in Surry on this census.

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 21-59 (1726/1765) William Davis (c1731)

3m -21 (1765/1786) 1. Son? (1765/86) > gone by 1790

2. Son? (1774/86)

3. Son? (1774/86)

5f (before 1786) 1. Mary Miller Davis (1755/65) wife

2. Elizabeth Miller/Davis (1770/80) daughter

3. Mary Miller/Davis (c1783) daughter

4. Daughter?

5. Daughter?

One problem with the William Davis in Capt Wright’s District is that he has a rather large family consisting of three apparent sons, and five females which is perhaps four daughters and wife Mary. Our William and first wife only had three daughters per his Will. Of course it’s possible some children died young long before he made his Will in 1836, or that some of these on this census were born to Mary before he married her, thus were step-children. Or, they could be other relations. Mary’s sister Catherine had died in 1784 leaving numerous children. Perhaps they’d taken a few of those in. Or, one big possibility, this William Davis who married Mary Miller isn’t our William Davis after all.

Moving to the 1790 census, there are still three William Davises listed in Surry Co., NC. Unfortunately this census was roughly alphabetical so that makes it a bit harder to determine neighbors, however, since each community was grouped together that helps a little.

1790 Census - Surry Co., NC

Page	Name	Males 16+	Males under 16	Females	Others	Slaves
510	William Davis*	2	3	5	~	~
520	William Davis**	1	3	3	~	~
521	William Davis***	1	2	3	~	~

* Same group with a Jonathan Davis. This is the south western part of present Surry Co., NC near Wilkes line.

** Same general area as above group.

*** In same group with Mathias Carpenter, Andrew Davis and Gabriel Davis in what is now Yadkin Co., NC. This one is likely Mary Miller’s husband.

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

William from page 521

1m 16+ (before 1774) William Davis (c1731)

2m -16 (1774/1790) 1. Son? (1774/86)

2. Son? (1774/86)

3f (before 1790) 1. Mary Miller Davis (1755/65) wife

2. Elizabeth Miller/Davis (1770/80) daughter > m by 1797

3. Mary Miller/Davis (c1783) daughter

I would conclude that the third William listed above is most likely the same one who was near Jacob Miller and the others in 1786, and maybe the one married to Mary Miller. He is in the same grouping with then brother-in-law, later father-in-law Mathias Carpenter. If this is our William Davis, then he went to Burke later than most people believe.

Gabriel Davis (1755/65) was in the same grouping with William in 1790. He wasn’t listed on the 1786 census so probably still with his parents at that time. He married Barbara Long in 1787, daughter of George Long and Catherine Miller (d/o Christian Miller), thus would have been a nephew (by marriage) to William Davis at least, if not a blood relative. In fact, William Davis signed the marriage bond on Gabriel’s behalf suggesting they were brothers or father and son or otherwise closely related.

Gabriel was still in Surry in 1800 and 1810. In 1810 he was listed next door to Jacob Miller son of Christian Miller. Gabriel wasn’t in Surry for the 1820 census, so either dead or moved away by then. I did find one on the 1820 census in Simpson Co., KY about the right age, but I have no idea if the same man or not.

Andrew Davis (bef 1755) was in the same grouping with William in 1790. He wasn’t listed on the 1786 census. I don’t know who he married, or if he’s related to our William Davis, or the William Davis who married Mary Miller, if that’s not our William. Andrew Davis was still in Surry in 1800, but no longer there in 1810. I found a likely match in 1810 in (then) bordering Iredell Co., NC. I didn’t find this Andrew in 1820, so probably dead or moved away then.

It might not be a coincidence that the father of William Davis (Jr) (1809), who married our William Davis’s daughter Rachel Davis (1810), was from Iredell and was the son of a man named Andrew Davis (1780/1790). It’s not the same Andrew Davis who was in Surry in 1790 and 1800 and Iredell in 1810, for that man was much older. However, the younger Andrew (1780/1790) could certainly have been his son or otherwise connected to him. Of course the names and connections could be coincidental.

One of the Surry William Davises made a Will in 1794 naming wife Nancy and several children. He died in 1795. One of his sons was William Luckett Davis, who himself died in 1797 in Surry.

Moving to the 1800 census, there were still three William Davis’s in Surry. I believe our William was definitely in Burke Co., NC by this time so none of these are ours, but could one be the husband of Mary Miller, if that wasn’t our William? The 1800 census for Surry was alphabetical so we can’t determine any neighbors for any of these Williams:

1800 Census, Surry Co., NC

Page

Name

M0-9

M10-15

M16-25

M26-44

M45+

F0-9

F10-15

F16-25

F26-44

F45+

FPC

Slaves

549

William Davis

550

William Davis

550

William Davis

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 45+ (before 1755) William Davis (bef 1755)

2m 10-15 (1784/1790) 1. Son? (1784/90)

2. Son? (1784/90)

1f 45+ (before 1755) Wife (bef 1755)

2f 10-15 (1784/1790) 1. Daughter? (1784/90)

2. Daughter? (1784/90)

Of those, the first one is too young to be Mary Miller’s husband. The other two are old enough, both being 45 and up (born before 1755). The second one listed is a pretty decent match with the one in 1790 I thought might be Mary Miller’s husband. That doesn’t mean it is the same family though, but I wanted to present this evidence as possible proof that Mary Miller’s husband William Davis might not be our William Davis after all. Of course census analysis is not an exact science so it’s hard to draw solid conclusions from census records alone.

A Surry County William Davis made his Will in 1803 naming wife Catherine and several children. He died by 1806.

On 9 Dec 1805, Frederick and Jacob Long, both of Stokes Co., NC, sold 112 acres in Surry to William Davis of Surry. Seeing how they are sons of George Long and Catherine Miller, one might conclude this is the same William Davis who was married to Mary Miller, thus their uncle. However, there does appear to be another William Davis in that same area, perhaps related to ours, or perhaps not. The land bordered George Long, and Miller (first name not given) and Wright. (Surry Co., NC Deed Book M, p. 55.)

There were four William Davises on the 1810 census in Surry, none of whom seem likely to have been the one married to Mary Miller going by neighbors and ages. However, there is a listing for a Mary Davis, aged 45+ (before 1765), who very well could be Mary Miller Davis. Obviously there could be other widowed Mary Davises around, but this one just happened to reside next to Christian Weatherman and Thomas Wright, which shows this was the right neighborhood. (More on Weatherman later.)

1810 Census, Surry Co., NC

Page

Name

M0-9

M10-15

M16-25

M26-44

M45+

F0-9

F10-15

F16-25

F26-44

F45+

FPC

Slaves

639

Mary Davis

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

2m 16-25 (1784/1794) 1. Son? (1784/90)

2. Son? (1784/90)

1f 45+ (before 1765) Mary Miller Davis (1755/65)

1f 26-44 (1765/1784) Daughter?

I didn’t find Mary Davis on the 1820 census, nor did I find any kind of probate records for her or her husband William.

Whether our William Davis’s first wife was Mary Miller or someone else, she gave him three children according to his Will. The same document implies she had other children who he didn’t claim, though perhaps they bore the Davis surname as they would do legally, if born after her marriage to him. Some of her children may be named Miller if born before their marriage or after the marriage ended.

Those children, per his Will were named Betsy, Polly and Sally, which were standard nicknames for girls named Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah. What is of special note is that daughter Polly was married to a Browning. There is an 1805 marriage bond in Surry Co., NC for David Browning and Polly Miller. This David Browning was from Burke Co., NC and his family was associated with William Davis there! It appears he traveled all the way from Burke to Surry to marry Polly Miller. Is it possible that Polly Miller Browning is the same Polly Browning named in William Davis’s Will as his daughter? It certainly could be and it would explain why David went so far to marry, which suggests Polly was living with her mother at that time thus they married in her county instead of in Burke, but they had probably met in Burke. The fact she went by Miller instead of Davis may indicate she was born before William and Mary married, or after they split up. See Polly David Browning’s section below for more on them.

William’s last child by his 1^st wife was born ca 1790/94 per census analysis. The first child by his 2^nd wife was born ca 1793 which suggests William and Mary split up in the early 1790s.

If Mary Miller was William’s first wife, then those children may have been born in Surry Co., NC or not, if born after the move to Burke Co., NC.

This all makes me wonder if he spent long periods away from home, long enough that coming home to find his wife pregnant or with a new child, he knew it couldn’t be his. He could have left her home in Surry for a time while he worked on clearing land and getting their Burke County property ready to live on. That could explain long absences from home, though Surry and Burke were not all that far apart even by the standards of that era (about 86 miles). That is roughly a 4 to 8 day walk, or a little less on horseback. Perhaps he went on “long hunts” as some did in those days, heading west to Tennessee and Kentucky for months on end, sometimes years away. Or, perhaps they married while the war was still going on, and he was gone from home for long periods because of his military duties.

If Mary Miller of Surry was our William Davis’s 1^st wife, then who was the William Davis still in her neighborhood as late as 1805? Ours was in Burke Co., NC by ca 1795. I suspect there was another William Davis who lived near her, perhaps related to Andrew, Gabriel and Samuel Davis who were in that area and later went to Iredell. More research is definitely needed on this subject, but for now, I’m sticking with Mary Miller, daughter of Christian, being the 1^st wife of our William Davis. They separated ca 1792, he left her, then ran off with her niece Frances Carpenter ca 1793.

Second Wife, Frances Carpenter

John Preston Arthur wrote in 1915: “William Davis, a soldier of the Revolution, stole his wife, a Carpenter, from Ashe ...” (Emphasis added by me.)

Frances Carpenter was born 26 Jan 1771 (in Surry Co., NC) as shown in Moravian Records. Her birth name was Maria Phroene Zimmerman. Her parents were German and that was the German version of her name. In the 1770s, her father, Mathias Zimmerman, Anglicized the family name from Zimmerman (meaning Carpenter) to Carpenter, thus changing their daughter’s name from Phroene Zimmerman to the English version, Frances Carpenter, or “Frankie” for short (also “Franky”).

Frances was a daughter of Mathias Carpenter and Elizabeth Miller (daughter of Christian Miller, already mentioned in the prior section). The Carpenters lived near the Millers on South Deep Creek of Surry, which is now Yadkin Co., NC (formed 1851).

Mathias patented land in the mountains of what was then Wilkes Co., NC just west of Surry and moved there between 1790 and 1791.

William Davis “stole” Frances Carpenter, ca 1793 when the area was still Wilkes Co., NC. I don’t believe Mr. Arthur meant he literally stole her, as in carried her away in the night. Then again, that may be exactly what happened. Perhaps Mathias Carpenter strenuously objected to his brother-in-law, still married to Mary Miller, running off with his daughter. If Mary was still living, which I think she was, then they couldn’t legally wed, thus would have been “living in sin” until such time as Mary died and they could marry. Frances was about 24 at this time, so didn’t need her father’s permission to marry anyone. However, she probably still wanted his blessing which he might not have been willing to give at that time. Then of course there was a legal obstacle if William and Mary had been legally married. They would have to divorce before he could marry again.

If William and Frances ever married, which presumably they did, there is no public record of it, nor have any bible or other records been found that recorded the date or place. Traditionally, one married in the home place, or home county at least, where the brides family was, so that would have been in Wilkes Co., NC, the section that later became Ashe County if in the 1790s, or if after 1799 it would have been in Ashe County. There is no marriage bond or other marriage record for them in Wilkes, nor any found in Ashe either, though no Ashe marriage records survive from that era.

William and Frances’s child was born ca 1793, so I use ca 1793 as their wedding date, though perhaps they married a few years after that, all depending on when William’s first wife died. If Mary Miller, then that would have been after 1810.

There is one tradition that William Davis married Franky Weatherman which has caused some confusion. No actual records of this have been found. The most likely explanation is that Frankie was married to a Mr. Weatherman prior to her marriage to William Davis.

Frankie would have turned 16 in 1787 so could have married someone between then and ca 1795 when she married William Davis. No marriage record has been found for that marriage either, though it would have been in Surry Co., NC. We don’t know who her husband was, but he presumably died before ca 1793.

Whoever he was, it seems likely he was a brother, or somehow closely related, to Christian Weatherman (1765-1848) and Samuel Weatherman (c1770-1852) who lived near her family in Surry Co., NC. In fact, one of Christian’s sons, Cornelius Weatherman (1789-1869), moved to Yancey in the 1840s after both William and Frankie had died. That could be a coincidence of course. Then again, Cornelius’s daughter Mary Weatherman (1831) married William Burleson ca 1861. William was Frankie’s grandson. Mary Miller Davis was listed on the 1810 census in Surry next door to Christian Weatherman (1765), thus showing a connection to her as well.

I’m under the impression that Frankie and Mr. Weatherman had no children together. If they did, I’ve never found any clues who they were. They would have been born between ca 1787 and ca 1794. A John Weatherman appeared on a record with William Davis in 1808 in Burke. Was he a son of Frankie and her first husband? More research might shed some light on who he was.

Wilkes Co., NC

If William Davis married Frances Carpenter Weatherman in Wilkes Co., NC ca 1793, there might be some records of them in that county. If he literally stole her away, then perhaps there won’t be any records since he didn’t reside there himself. Also, the section where her family lived became Ashe County in 1799, but there is a chance he left some records in Wilkes in the 1790s before the new county was formed. Such research is complicated by how common his name is. For instance, there were three William Davises on the 1790 census in Wilkes. Is one of these our William Davis? It’s entirely possible.

1790 Census, Wilkes Co., NC

Page	Name	Males 16+	Males under 16	Females	Others	Slaves
151	Wm Davis*	1	1	3	~	~
157	Wm Davis**	1	4	2	~	~
168	Wm Davis***	1	1	4	~	~

* 2^nd company. Next to Leonard Miller and two houses from my ancestor John Eastridge, no known connection to the Davis family. No other Davises listed near William.

** 7^th Company. Next to Jas Davis 1-3-5.

*** 16^th Company. No other Davises nearby.

As noted, I doubt any of the above are our William Davis but it is within the realm of possibility.

Ashe Co., NC

William Davis never lived in Ashe as far as I know, but there are some records in his name in that county when Mathias and Elizabeth Carpenter died in 1835. Frances is mentioned many times in those records, as is their son Jacob Davis, who did live in Ashe at the time and acted with his father’s power of attorney to deal with his part of the estate, thus you’ll find a series of deeds signed by Frances Davis and Jacob Davis as heirs of Mathias Carpenter.

When William “stole” Frankie away, the area was still part of Wilkes County. It became Ashe in 1799. I have not really looked for records for William Davis in Ashe other than to note there were two men of that name there on the 1800 census, both of whom are too young to be our William.

On 16 Oct 1835 William Davis of Yancey Co., NC granted Jacob Davis [his son] of Ashe Co., NC his power of attorney to deal with his share of the estate of Mathias Carpenter, deceased. William Davis signed with his mark. Witnesses were Josiah G. Wise and David Miller. (Ashe Co., NC Deeds Book 1839-1842, p. 250 and Deed Book G, p. 249.)

Josiah G. Wise was William Davis’s son-in-law. David Miller was Jacob Davis’s brother-in-law. David apparently went from Ashe to Yancey at that time to get this power of attorney from his uncle William Davis who was in already over 100 at this time.. David was 25 and unmarried at the time, so perhaps that’s why he was sent. He is the one who proved the power of attorney in Ashe County court 22 Oct 1836.

There may be other records for William Davis in Ashe Co., NC, but I haven’t done a thorough search yet.

Burke Co., NC

Burke County was created in 1777 from western Rowan and at that time was quite large and stretched all the way to the mountains into Indian territory. Over time new counties were carved out of Burke until it was left a much smaller county. Lincoln took a big chunk out of the east side in 1782. The western boundary of the state became a little better defined in 1783, limiting the westward extent of the county. In 1791 Buncombe took much of the western part of Burke. In 1833 Yancey was formed from north western Burke, and that is where much of our Davis family were at the time. In 1841 Caldwell took a large portion of what remained of Burke. Then in 1842 McDowell took another large section, leaving Burke more or less how it is today not counting any minor border adjustments.

We somewhat lose interest in Burke after Yancey was formed in 1833 as the new county is where our people were, though some relations were in the part that was still Burke at that time. Thus, our interest is primarily between 1777 and 1833. Unfortunately, many early Burke records were destroyed during the Civil War, including many probate records and almost all the deeds. This makes researching in this county difficult. The good news is that there are plenty of other records that survived for this era, so research isn’t impossible.

Tradition and earlier researchers place our William Davis in Burke County early on. The same tradition states that while scouting for food for his fellow soldiers during the war, ca 1778, he discovered the Linville Falls area and declared he would return and settle there when the war was over. He did settle there after the war, though just how long after the war isn’t clear.

When we consult the available records we need to keep in mind how large Burke was in the 1700s and that our William Davis wasn’t the only man of that name to reside there.

On 29 Dec 1778, a William Davis made a land entry for 300 acres on the east side of Turkey Rock Mountain and both sides of the “waggon road” on the branches of Clarkes Little River. The land warrant was issued on 22 Apr 1780. The tract was surveyed on 2 Feb 1787 for William Davis. Chain Carriers (often relatives or neighbors) were Thomas Anderson and William Green. The land was granted to William Davis on 16 Nov 1790. (North Carolina Land Grant # 1320, File # 1430.)

The above is the earliest record of a William Davis in Burke Co., NC. However, is this our William Davis or one of the others? Where is Turkey Rock Mountain and Clark’s Little River? Clark’s Little River is now called Upper Little River and it’s in present day Caldwell County which back then was part of Burke and Wilkes. That isn’t near where our William Davis supposedly lived, thus I’m going to say this 1778 land entry, and subsequent 1790 grant are not our William Davis but one of the other men of that name. This other William Davis appeared on other records in the section of Burke that later became Caldwell.

In 1778, our William Davis was still in military service most likely and not yet taking up land entries in the mountains of North Carolina.

In a loose Burke Co., NC court paper, ca 1784, someone abstracted from the minutes the case of Isaac Martin vs. Jacob Miller. The jury consisted of several men including William Davis and my ancestor George Cathey (not related to the Davis family). I don’t know if this is our William Davis or not. It’s interesting that the defendant was named Jacob Miller. Is this William’s brother-in-law? If so, he wouldn’t be on that jury as that was too closely connected. It’s probably not our Jacob anyway as he never left Surry Co., NC as far as I’m aware. I don’t believe this is our William Davis either. (Burke Co., NC Civil Action Papers.)

On 20 Jan 1787 William Davis sued James McKinney and Joseph McKinney in Burke Co., NC court (probably for debt) and won. The court ordered that goods and lands of the McKinneys be seized to cover the judgment totaling L2.39 which is approximately $820 in todays money. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1782-1787.)

I don’t think the above is our William Davis, but the McKinney’s did live in the same general area as our Davis family.

There were two William Davis’s on the 1790 census in Burke Co., NC I don’t think either of them are our William Davis. As best as I can tell, based on their neighbors, neither of these men lived anywhere near where our William was to live. Furthermore, the enumerations don’t line up with what our William’s household should look like.

1790 Census, Burke Co., NC

Page	Name	Males 16+	Males under 16	Females	Others	Slaves
97	Wm Davis*	2	2	2	~	~
100	Wm Davis**	2	~	2	~	~

* 7^th Company. Not close to any other Davis.

** 9^th Company. Not close to any other Davis.

If neither of those are him, then where was he in 1790? I strongly suspect he was one of the William Davis’s listed in Surry Co., NC that year. See above for that census entry and two other William Davis’s in that county. There were three Williams in Wilkes Co., NC (see above), the 3^rd one in the list being the most compatible entry, enumeration-wise. But is that him?

Are there other options? The 1790 census for North Carolina includes 41 households headed by someone named William Davis. Many of those are in eastern North Carolina or central North Carolina which are unlikely places for our William to be. In the west, there is one in Mecklenburg, one in Rowan, two in Stokes, three in Surry (see section above regarding first wife), three in Wilkes (previously mentioned) and one in Lincoln. Could one of those be our William? We know from his Will that he lived in Mecklenburg at some point, however, that William was living alone and also in the free colored column, so probably not our William.

1790 Census, William Davises in our general area of interest

Burke Co., NC

p. 97 Wm Davis 2-2-2-0-0 * 7^th Company

p. 100 Wm Davis 2-0-2-0-0 * 9^th Company

Lincoln Co., NC

p. 126 Wm Davis 2-1-4-0-7

Mecklenburg Co., NC

p. 373 William Davis 0-0-0-1-0

Rowan Co., NC

p. 320 William Davis 2-2-3-0-0

Stokes Co., NC

p. 545 William Davis 2-1-3-0-1

p. 550 William Davis 1-2-5-0-0 * two houses from George Davis

Surry Co., NC

p. 510 William Davis 2-3-5-0-0

p. 520 William Davis 1-3-3-0-0

p. 521 William Davis 1-2-3-0-0 * this is the one likely married to Mary Miller, and likely our William.

Wilkes Co., NC

p. 151 Wm Davis 1-1-3-0-0 * 2^th Company

p. 157 Wm Davis 1-4-2-0-0 * 7^th Company

p. 168 Wm Davis 1-1-4-0-0 * 16^th Company

So, our William doesn’t seem to have been in Burke yet by 1790, thus one of the above might be him instead. This makes the one in Surry who married Mary Miller look promising.

When did our William arrive in Burke if not before 1790?

On 22 Aug 1793 a William Davis made a land entry for 100 acres in Burke on Jumping Run beginning at James Warran’s corner. The land warrant was issued on 1 May 1794. The survey was made 12 Mar 1794 (predating the warrant), this time the water was described as Lower Little River. Chain Carriers were John Bradburn and Samuel Steward. (North Carolina Land Grant # 1339, File # 2280.)

Once again that is land in present day Caldwell County, thus probably not our William Davis.

John Preston Arthur wrote in 1915:

“Then he [William Davis] moved to what is still called Davis Mountain, near Crossnore, on the upper waters of Linville River. When the game was exhausted there, he moved to Three Mile Creek ...”

The area described above is now in Avery Co., NC, though was Burke County when William Davis moved there. Crossnore is a small town. The USGS maps do not show a Davis Mountain there, but there are numerous smaller mountains whose names aren’t listed.

In 1793 (no full date listed), our William Davis made a land entry for 100 acres on the “Lorril Forke of Linvile” (Laurel Fork of Linville River), including his own improvement. The land warrant was issued on 7 Mar 1794. The survey was made 7 May 1795. Chain Bearers were Charles Foster and Charles Rolin. (North Carolina Land Grant # 2198, File # 2409.)

The above is certainly our William Davis, considering the location of the land. This means he was in Burke by 1793. I don’t know where the Laurel Fork of Linville is. It’s probably been renamed since then. This might now be Crossnore Creek named for George Crossnore who also was granted land there which bordered William Davis. The Linville River flows just south of the present town of Crossnore.

Thus, we can see that our William Davis was in the Crossnore area by 1793. It was around this same time that he went to Ashe (then Wilkes) and “stole” his wife Frances Carpenter away and brought her back to Burke.

There are portions of the 1793 Burke tax list that survived, though in bad shape. A William Davis is listed with 100 acres and 1 poll in Cpt. Austin’s Company. I believe this is one of the other Williams and not ours. (Burke County, N. C. Land Records 1779-1790 Volume Two, Edith Warren Huggins, p. 131)

In Jan 1795 court, a deed from William Davis to Christian Absher for 250 acres dated 20 Jul 1795 was proven by Reuben Bray. I don’t know if this is our William or not. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1791-1798.)

In Jan 1795, the Burke court ordered William Davis and Joseph Cantrell and others to lay out a road from Towe and Linville River from John Wagley’s on Linville to Joseph Jones on Tow. Those named: Thos Wiseman, Thos Triplett, Thos Suttles, Jos. Jones, Wm Davis, George Crossnore, Benj. White, John Baker, Joseph Greyer, Samuel Bright, William Wiseman, Martin Wiseman, James Wiseman, Davenport Wiseman, William Wiseman, William Mays, Joseph Cantral, Alexander Cole, John Browning, Martin Davenport, Thomas Davenport, John Browning, Robert Cook and John Wagley. (Burke County, N. C. Land Records 1779-1790 Volume Two, Edith Warren Huggins, p. 143)

On 28 Jul 1795, William Davis, James Sherrill and Alexander Ervin signed an Administration Bond in Burke Co., NC for William Davis to be Administrator of the Estate of Thomas Davis, deceased. I’m reasonably sure this is another William Davis and not ours. (Burke Co., NC Probate Estate Files.)

William Davis is listed on the 1795 Burke Co., NC tax list in Cpt. Thomas Lain’s company with 100 acres. He was listed next to George Crossnore.

William Davis served jury duty in Burke in Jan 1796. I don’t know if it was our William or the other one.

On 7 Jan 1797, a William Davis entered 100 acres of land on a branch of England Mill Creek joining Thomas Davis and William English. The land warrant was issued 23 May 1797. The survey was made 10 Oct 1797. Chain Carriers were William England and Thomas Davis. (North Carolina Land Grant # 2222, File # 2433.)

The above is not our William Davis. As best as I can tell, this William (bef 1755-aft 1800) and Thomas Davis (1765/74-aft 1810) lived in what is now McDowell Co., NC and aren’t related to our William Davis.

In Apr 1797, the court ordered that jurors view and mark off a road from Alexander Coles on Toe River to the upper end of Linville Cove. The list of jurors: Martin Davenport, John Browning, Joseph Jones, Thomas Wiseman, Benjamin White, William Davis, Chesly Dobbs, William Dobbs, George Crossnore, William Wiseman, Martin Browning, Thos Davenport and Lazarus Phillips. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1791-1798.)

The above is definitely our William Davis.

On 20 Apr 1798, John Jones and John McGahey signed a recognizance bond for L5 each, in the case of the State vs William Davis. Davis had to sign for L50. The money would be levied from goods and land of them if William Davis failed to appear in court the fourth Monday of the April Term. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1797-1798.)

It didn’t say what the case was about, nor is it clear which William Davis this is.

William Davis is listed on the 1798 Burke Co., NC tax list which is damaged. It is probably our William judging by the other names on the list (Wiseman’s, etc.).

In an undated petition, ca 1799 I think, William Davis was one of several to request a new road leading from the road at or near where it crosses the Upper Creek thence over to Linville Cove and from thence into the Yellow Mountain road. The first part is quite difficult to read. Some of the signatures besides William Davis include John Wiseman, Thos Wiseman, Joshua Pendly and Benjamin Pendly. (Burke Co,. NC Court Records 1799-1801.) In a later court order most of the same names were ordered to “view and mark” the road, including William Davis.

In April 1800, the court order that William Davis be allowed twenty shillings for killing a wolf and producing the scalp in court. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1799-1801.)

There are three William Davis’s listed on the 1800 census in Burke. Unfortunately, this census is alphabetical so we can’t determine neighbors. I believe ours is the one on page 742 for it is a real good fit with what we know of our William’s family at that time.

1800 Census, Burke Co., NC

Page

Name

M0-9

M10-15

M16-25

M26-44

M45+

F0-9

F10-15

F16-25

F26-44

F45+

FPC

Slaves

740

William Davis

742

William Davis

743

William Davis Senr

My analysis (who each person *might* be)

1m 45+ (before 1755) William Davis (c1731)

1m 0-9 (1790/1800) John Davis (c1800) son

1f 26-44 (1755/1774) Frances Carpenter Weatherman Davis (1771) wife

1f 16-25 (1774/1784) Mary Miller/Davis (c1783) daughter

1f 10-15 (1784/1790) Sarah Davis (c1790/94) daughter

2f 0-9 (1790/1800) 1. Nancy Davis (c1795) daughter

2. Elizabeth Davis (c1796) daughter

While I assume the two older daughters are Mary and Sarah (William’s daughters by first wife) it’s entirely possible those two were still with their mother in 1800, and these two could perhaps be Frankie’s children by her Weatherman marriage if she had any. It’s difficult to be sure.

In April 1802 court, “Lazarus Phillips and William Davis came into open court and produced each a wolf scalp and qualified to have killed them in the County of Burke. Ordered that they be allowed each twenty shillings under the Act of Assembly.” (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1799-1817.)

On 25 Aug 1803, William Davis and Thomas Davenport were chain carriers for a survey made for Jonas Davenport of 150 acres on Squirrel Creek of Towe (Toe) River. (North Carolina Land Warrant.)

In October 1804 court, it was ordered that William Davis oversee the road from the New Ridge to the top of Yellow Mountain in the room of (in place of) William Dobbs with the same hands (helpers) to work under him. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1799-1817.)

Arthur wrote in 1915:

“Then he [William Davis] moved to what is still called Davis Mountain, near Crossnore, on the upper waters of Linville River. When the game was exhausted there, he moved to Three Mile Creek and built four log houses “all in a row,” with communicating doors between and a chimney at each end. Standing before a blazing fire in one end of the house, with the three intervening doors open, one looks through four large, low-ceiled comfortable rooms to cherry-red flames leaping up the chimney at the father end--one of the “fairest pictures of calm content that mortal ever saw.” The date of the building of this old structure is recorded on one of the inside logs, but it has been ceiled over and cannot now be seen. But it was made there many, many years ago.”

On 28 Dec 1804, William Davis made a land entry for 100 acres on Rodgers Fork (later referred to as Rogers Fork) of Three Mile Creek beginning on his north line of his old survey. The land warrant was issued on 7 May 1805. The survey was made on 21 Oct 1805. Jacob Carpenter (his brother-in-law) and Daniel Brandle were chain carriers. The land was granted to William Davis on 28 Nov 1805. (North Carolina Land Grant # 3366, File # 3599.)

Rogers Fork isn’t on the modern maps, but there is a “Fork Creek” that flows southward and joins Three Mile Creek. Fork Creek runs next to Rogers Ridge so I imagine this used to be called Rogers Fork.

The land entry and survey describe the land as bordering land that William Davis already had. As noted earlier the early deeds of Burke County are lost so we don’t know when he got that land. It wasn’t part of his prior land grant for that was about four miles north of this one.

The 1805 Burke Co., NC tax list includes two William Davises. I don’t think either of them is our William Davis, but if one is, it would more likely be the one in Cpt. Chester’s company. I would have expected to find ours in Cpt. Jones’ company as you’ll see many familiar names there. I abstracted the ones of most interest.

Capt Pravard’s Company

Thos Davis 106a, 1 poll

William Davis 100a, 1 poll

Capt David Chester’s Company

William Davis 350a, 2 polls

Capt Jones Old Company

Thoms Burleson 150a, 0 polls * Father of William’s future son-in-law Thomas Burleson

Joseph Buchanan 150a, 1 poll * Father of William’s future dau-in-law Sarah Buchanan Davis.

Robert Burchfield 100a, 1 poll * Father of William’s future dau-in-law Araballa Burchfield Davis.

Aaron Burleson 100a, 1 poll * Brother of Thomas Burleson (Jr)

John Browning? 100a, 1 poll * Brother of David Browning.

Thomas Browning illeg, 1 poll * Brother of David Browning.

Martain Browning illeg, 1 poll * Brother of David Browning.

Jacob Carpenter 80a, 1 poll * Brother of Frances Carpenter Davis.

David Browning 0a, 1 poll * William’s son-in-law.

Simon Weatherman 200a, 1 poll * Perhaps related to Frances Carpenter Davis’s 1^st husband.

John Weathermon 100a, 1 poll * Perhaps related to Frances Carpenter Davis’s 1^st husband.

John Browning Sr 450a, 1 poll * Father of David Browning.

Above from North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal Nov 1982, pp. 225-237.)

In July court, 1807, the court “ordered that Alexander Cole, Esquire, Justice, and Martin Davenport, John Browning and William Davis, freeholders, be appointed to allot and lay off to the widow of Patrick Obrien what shall be sufficient for one years provisions.” (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1807-1818.)

The presence of John Browning makes me think the above is our William Davis, since one of his daughters married a Browning.

On 10 Dec 1808, William Davis and Isaac Thomas Avery were chain bearers for a survey made for Waightstill Avery of 140 acres on Three Mile Creek. Alexander Cole, Esqr, and John Weatherman’s names were also on the survey, but I’m not sure in what capacity (listed after the chain bearers). Waightstill Avery (1741-1821) is for whom Avery County was later named. Isaac Thomas Avery is his son. I’m not sure who John Weatherman was. Could he be a son of Frankie Carpenter by her first marriage to a Mr. Weatherman? Any child she would have had would be at least 14 by then, thus old enough to be a chain bearer.

There are two William Davises listed on the 1810 census in Burke Co., NC, both on the same page though it wasn’t an alphabetical list, so perhaps they resided somewhat near each other. They were only 12 houses apart. Keep in mind this was the mountains so that could actually be quite a distance. It’s clear which one is ours by his age and his neighbors being Jacob Carpenter (brother-in-law) and Joseph Cantrell (son-in-law).

1810 Census, Burke Co., NC

Page

Name

M0-9

M10-15

M16-25

M26-44

M45+

F0-9

F10-15

F16-25

F26-44

F45+

FPC

Slaves

320

William Davis

320

William Davis

My analysis (who each person *might* be):

1m 45+ (before 1765) William Davis (c1731)

1m 10-15 (1794/1800) John Davis (c1800) son

2m 0-9 (1800/1810) 1. Jacob Davis (c1803 son

2. Thomas Davis (c1805) son

1f 45+ (before 1765) Unknown (before 1765) * < not in 1800 > gone by 1820

1f 26-44 (1765/1784) Frances Carpenter Weatherman Davis (1771) wife

2f 10-15 (1794/1800) 1. Nancy Davis (c1795) daughter

2. Elizabeth Davis (1796) daughter

2f 0-9 (1800/1810) 1. Margaret Davis (c1804) daughter

2. Frances Davis (c1807) daughter

I don’t know who the older woman living with them was. It isn’t Frankie’s mother unless on an extended visit from Ashe County. It’s probably not William’s mother for he was already 79 at this time, so his mother probably wasn’t still living. It could be a sister of his that we don’t know about, or an Aunt of Frankie’s we don’t know about, or perhaps a non relative who was staying with them at census time.

I have not identified the other William Davis listed nearby in 1810. He was still in Burke in 1820 as was our William.

In April 1810 court, a deed from Waightstill Avery to William Davis for 160 acres was proven by Avery himself. The deed was dated 3 Feb 1810. This is probably our William because Avery owned land on Three Mile Creek also. This is probably the 160 acre tract William had on the 1815 tax list (see below). (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1807-1818.)

On 30 Aug 1811, William Davis and James Deborde Junr were chain bearers for a survey for James Deborde Senr of 150 acres on Three Mile Creek joining William Davis, Rodgers Ridge and Randal Davenport. (North Carolina Land Warrants.)

William Davis is listed on the 1815 Burke County tax list in Capt White’s Company. He has several tracts of land listed all on Three Mile Creek “Rogers Camp”. He had no white taxables as he himself was probably exempt due to his advanced age. His three sons were all under 16 so not yet taxable. He had no slaves. The land and it’s value:

∙ 160a Three Mile Creek Rogers Camp, $250

∙ 140a, $120

∙ 100a, $50

∙ 100a, $60

∙ 100a, $30

There were probably deeds for each of those, but unfortunately all deeds prior to 1865 were destroyed. One of the 100 acre tracts is probably his 1805 land grant. The 160 acre tract is the one he purchased from Waightstill Avery.

In Jul 1818 the court order a group of men to “condemn” a tract of 1000 acres for some purpose I couldn’t quite read (it was dim). I could make out where Toe River was mentioned. The list of men selected were: William Phillips, Jonas Davenport, John Blalock, David Davenport, William Wiseman, William Davis, Jacob Carpenter, Martin Davenport, Henry English, Thomas Davenport, Rhymas Triplet, John Fagan, Davis Coxe, Samuel Brown, John Chandler, William Leatherwood, Thomas Young, Joshua Young. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1818-1829.)

In Oct 1818 court, Jinny Davis, Samuel Davis, James Pyett, Thomas Davis, John Davis and William Bright agreed to divide the estate of William Davis, deceased. This is obviously a different William Davis, maybe the one who lived in what is now McDowell County. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1818-1829.)

As in 1810 there were two William Davises on the 1820 census in Burke. The first one is listed two houses from a James Davis, who could be his son. I believe they are in the part of Burke that later became Caldwell County. They are not listed anywhere near our William.

Our William was two houses from his brother-in-law Jacob Carpenter, and next to son-in-law Thomas Burleson. His other “next door” neighbor was Charles Hughes.

1820 Census, Burke Co., NC

Page

Name

William Davis

My analysis (who each person *might* be):

1m 45+ (before 1775) William Davis (c1731)

2m 16-25 (1794/1804) 1. John Davis (c1800) son

2. Jacob Davis (c1803) son

1m 16-17 (1802/1804) * (Jacob)

1m 10-15 (1804/1810) Thomas Davis (c1805) son

1f 45+ (before 1775) Frances Carpenter Weatherman Davis (1771) wife

2f 10-15 (1804/1810) 1. Margaret Davis (c1804) daughter

2. Frances Davis (c1807) daughter

1f 0-9 (1810/1820) Rachel Davis (1810) daughter

Note that the older woman from 1810 was gone by 1820, so either dead or living elsewhere.

In April 1821 court, William Davis proved a deed between Benjamin Oppenshire? to Jacob Carpenter for 150 (or 180) acres of land. In the same court session a deed from Daniel Brandle to William Davis for 85 acres dated 12 Nov 1807 was proven by Isaac T. Avery, a witness who also verified the signatures of Alexander Cole and William Fyscue? two other witnesses. Also in the same session a deed from Joseph Cantrel to William Davis for 40 acres dated 19 Jun 1813 was proven by Jacob Carpenter. (Burke Co., NC Court Records 1818-1829.)

William Davis is listed on the 1830 census in Burke. This record gives us primary evidence of his actual age. He’s listed as 90-99! His “next door” neighbors are John Ollis and Lodowick Jacks. Brother-in-law Jacob Carpenter is two houses away. Other relatives are nearby: George Rowan (son-in-law), John Davis (son), Josiah Wise (son-in-law), and Levi Houston, relationship unknown, but closely connected to the family.

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+

196

Wm Davis

My analysis (who each person *might* be):

1m 90-99 (1730/1740) William Davis (c1731)

1m 20-29 (1800/1810) Thomas Davis (c1805) son > m Nov 1830

1f 50-59 (1770/1780) Frances Carpenter Weatherman Davis (1771) wife

1f 20-29 (1800/1810) Rachel Davis (1810) daughter > m 1832

In January 1830 the Burke County court ordered that James Wiseman oversee the road from Alexander Wiseman’s from the ford of Toe River on David Tate’s plantation to James Murphy’s plantation on Toe River with the following hands to wit (my notes after each name, if applicable).

∙ Andrew Davis hands - This is Andrew Davis (1780/90) formerly of Iredell, father of William Davis Jr.

∙ Matthew Vance - My uncle, married Sarah Grant. Related to the Vances who married into the Davis family.

∙ Houston and hands - This is Levi Houston OR William Houston, both associated with Andrew Davis.

∙ William Davis hands - This is our William Davis or his son-in-law William Davis Jr.

∙ Jacob Carpenters hands - This is William Davis’s brother-in-law.

∙ James Moody

∙ Bedford Wiseman - son of William Wiseman (1739).

∙ Grants hands - This is my ancestor Thomas B. Grant, no relation to Davis family except via marriages into same families. He lived near them about five or six years.

∙ John Ollis - William Davis’s neighbor.

∙ Johnson Levingen

∙ Davenports place

∙ Josiah Wiseman - My uncle via Gilbert family. Related to the Wiseman’s who married into the Davis and Carpenter families.

∙ and all the hands on the east side of Toe River on D. Tates plantation ...

Obviously William Davis himself wasn’t expected to work on the road crew, being in his upper 90s. However, he had sons and sons-in-laws and others who could be considered his hands.

Yancey Co., NC

In 1833 Yancey County was created from portions of Buncombe and Burke counties. The Davis family fell into the new county.

On 20 Nov 1835, William Davis made a land entry for 100 acres on Three Mile Creek joining his own land on the south, and Jacob Carpenter on the east and on the north side of Doe Mill. The Land Warrant was issued 15 Mar 1836. The survey was dated 3 Oct 1836 and had William Davis Jr (his son-in-law) and Levi Houston as chain carriers. The land was granted 28 Dec 1836. (North Carolina Land Grant # 81, File # 85.)

William Davis made his Will on 9 May 1836 describing himself this way, “being advanced in years and infirm of Body, but of sound mind and disposing memory.” He was approximate 105 then, so definitely advanced in years! We only have the court house copy of the Will, which was hand copied from the original by the clerk into the Will book. In doing so accidentally left out the name of Jacob Davis which has caused some concern among researchers since Jacob is most definitely a son of William Davis. In the estate papers it is made very clear that Jacob is an heir and that he was also named in the Will. However, as noted, his name does not appear in the surviving copy. More on that subject can be found on Jacob’s page.

The Will, as found in Yancey Co., NC Will Book 1, pp. 353-354.

In the name of God, Amen, I William Davis, formerly of Mecklinburg County, but for many years past a resident of Burke, now Yancey County in the state of North Carolina being advanced in years and infirm of Body, but of sound mind and disposing memory calling to mind the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death do hereby make ordain and publish this as my last will and testament. To wit:

Item first. After commanding my soul to God who gave it I desire that my body may be decently intered after my decease at the graveyard on the plantation on which I now reside at the expense of my estate and by me executors herein after named in this Will.

Item the second. To my daughter Betsy Cantrel, Sally Rowan and to the heirs of Polly Browning in addition to what I gave them when they left me, I give and bequeth to Betsy Cantrel one dollar. To the heirs of Polly Browning one dollar and to the heirs of my daughter Sally Rowan thirty dollars in property. These being all the children which my first wife had that were mine or ever claimed or acknowledged by me.

Item the third. I give and bequeth to my beloved wife Frances as much of my household and kitchen furniture and bedding as she may choose to keep for her own use, two cows and calves to be selected by her out of my stock and a horse team out of my stock to be worth fifty dollars and fifty dollars in money for her comfortable support during her life.

Item the fourth. I give and bequeth all the residue of my bedding, household and kitchen furniture to my five daughters Nancy Burleson, Elizabeth Vance, Margaret Wise, Franky Burleson and Rachel Davis to be equally divided between them, share and share alike.

Item fifth. All the Residue of my property not contained in the bequeth all ready made consisting of slaves, horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, money on hand, notes and accounts and property of every description I give and divise to my children Nancy Burleson, Elizabeth Vance, John Davis, Margaret Wise, Thomas Davis, Franky Burleson and Rachel Davis to be equally divided among them, share and share alike.

Item the sixth. I constitute and appoint Josiah G. Wise my executor of this will.

I have this 9th day of May in the year of our Lord 1836 made ordained and published this as my Last Will and Testament revoking all former wills and have said the same in the pressance of the witnesses who said the same in the presance of each other and in the presance of the testator.

Signed William (his mark) Davis

Attest.

J. F. Avery (Jurat)

John (x) Buchanan

Although he made his Will in 1836, he lived another 5 years.

On 22 Jan 1839, William Davis (no suffix) made a land entry of 50 acres on Three Mile Creek adjoining Moores and Samuel Carpenter (William’s nephew) on Rogerses Ridge. The Land Warrant was issued 22 Apr 1839. The survey was dated 3 Dec 1839 and had Samuel Carpenter and Levi Carpenter as Chain Carriers. They were William’s nephews. The land was granted on 17 Dec 1840. (North Carolina Land Grant # 300, File # 352.)

It isn’t clear if the above 50 acre grant was for William Davis Sr or his son-in-law William Jr as no suffix was listed on any of the documents.

In the Fall term of 1839, in Yancey court, the state found John Davis guilty of assault and battery, which verdict he appealed to the supreme court. His security (bondsmen) were Bedford Wiseman and William Davis. I *think* this is William Davis (Jr) son of Andrew, and perhaps a brother of his named John, instead of our William Sr and his son John (c1800). There isn’t enough information in the case to be sure though.(Yancey Co., NC Court Minutes 1834-1848.)

The above case did go to the North Carolina Supreme court where John Davis was found guilty again. James Taylor was the one he assaulted. In 1844 this same James Taylor sued William Houston and [his son] Thomas A. Houston for assault and lost this case. In 1845, the same James Taylor was ordered to pay support for Martha Houston’s bastard child. These Houstons are closely connected to the Andrew Davis family, and to our William Davis family to a lesser extent.

There are two William Davises listed on the 1840 census in Yancey Co., NC. It’s easy to tell which is ours, as he is the one listed as being over 100 years old! It is interesting that none of his neighbors on ths census are names he’s normally associated with. Did he move before 1840? Or is it simply a case of the census taker inserting his entry in the list out of order?

They are listed between Isaac Cox and Z. Horton, Esq.

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+

266

Wm Davis

Slaves=0

My analysis (who each person *might* be):

1m 100+ (before 1740) William Davis (c1731)

1m 30-39 (1800/1810) William Davis (Jr) (1809) son-in-law (son of Andrew Davis)

1m 20-29 (1810/1820) Alfred Vaughn (1815) grandson (s/o Wm Vaughn and Elizabeth Davis)

1m 15-19 (1820/1825) Grandson?

1m 5-9 (1830/1835) George W. Davis (1833) grandson (s/o Wm & Rachel)

2m 0-4 (1835/1840) 1. John H. Davis (1835) grandson (s/o Wm & Rachel)

2. William N. Davis (1837) grandson (s/o Wm & Rachel)

1f 70-79 (1760/1770) Frances Carpenter Weatherman Davis (1771) wife

1f 30-39 (1800/1810) Rachel Davis Davis (1810) daughter > m 1832

1f 15-19 (1820/1825) Eleanor Vaughn (1823) granddaughter (d/o Wm Vaughn and Elizabeth Davis)

1f 0-4 (1835/18400 Frances E. Davis (1839) granddaughter (d/o Wm & Rachel)

You can see there were many “extra” people in the household. Some of them are almost certainly William and Frankie’s daughter Rachel Davis Davis and her family as they are not to be found on the 1840 census otherwise. Most of the others are probably Vaughn grandchildren whose father William Vaughn died ca 1828. Their mother was still alive and remarried, but these children don’t seem to be with her in 1840 so this is probably them with their grandparents. That leaves one male born ca 1820/25 who remains unidentified. He could be another grandson, though I don’t know which one. Margaret Davis Wise had a son that age with her in 1830 who doesn’t seem to be with her in 1840, so perhaps it is him.

William Davis died on 5 Oct 1841, presumably at home on Three Mile Creek in Yancey Co., NC. He is buried there on the home place as stipulated in his Will. He was approximately 110 or 111 years old going on the best evidence we have.

Frances Carpenter Weatherman Davis lived nearly another year before she too died, on 10 Sep 1842 at the age of 71. She is presumably buried next to William.

We are fortunate that their grand nephew, Jacob Carpenter, recorded a few tidbits about them in his journal.

Jacob Carpenter (1833-1920), affectionately known as “Uncle Jake,” kept a journal wherein he recorded the deaths of many of the members of the Three Mile Creek community where he resided. In some cases he also wrote a little something personal about the person. He began in the late 1840s. William Davis, his great uncle by marriage, died in 1841, and Frances Carpenter Davis, Jake’s great aunt by blood, died in 1842, when Jake was 8 and 9 years old respectively. It is doubtful he made their entries at the time of their deaths, but he did record them as the 2^nd and 3^rd entries in his journal which would become known as “Uncle Jake Carpenter’s Anthology of Death on Three Mile Creek.”

William Davis age 100.8 dide oc 5 1841 ware old Solder in rev wre and got his thie brok in laste fite kinge monte he wars farmer and made brandy and never had Drunker in famly

Translated, that might read: William Davis, age 108 died Oct 2, 1841. Was old soldier in Revolutionary War and got his thigh broke in the last fight at Kings Mountain. He was a farmer and made brandy and never had a drunkard in his family.

Franky Davis his wife age 87 dide Sep 10 1842 she had nirv fite wolves all nite at shogar camp to save her caff throde fier chonks to save caff the camp wars haf mil from home noe she mus have nirv to fites wolf all nite

Translated, that might read: Franky Davis, his wife, age 87 died Sep 10, 1842. She had nerve. She fought wolves all night at Sugar Camp to save her calf. Threw fire chunks to save the calf. The camp was half mile from home. Know she must have nerve to fight wolves all night.

We can say with much certainty that Uncle Jake got Frankie’s age at death wrong. She was not 87, she was 71.

Arthur, writing in 1915, described their graves:

“His [William Davis’s] grave is near the road in front of the Gen. Albertus Childs’ house on Three Mile Creek, now owned and occupied by Robert Moseley. Two common “mountain rocks” mark the place of his burial. Two other graves beside his are similarly designated.”

He didn’t mention Frankie specifically, but she is probably one of the other two graves mentioned. The third grave might be their daughter Catherine (Kate) who died at age five, though elsewhere in his book Arthur suggests Kate was buried at Crossnore before they moved to Three Mile Creek:

“... and settled at what is still called the Davis Mountain, now the Monroe Franklin place, and which Warsaw Clark now owns, one mile and a half above the Crossnore place, where Kate, the five year old daughter of Davis, is buried under an apple tree.”

If Kate is buried at Crossnore, then I don’t know who the third grave belongs to at William and Frankie’s burial site. It’s undoubtedly a family member.

In the 20^th century, perhaps in the 1950s, someone had a new marker made and placed at William and Frankie’s grave site. Some of the information on it is inaccurate, but now that it’s figuratively carved in stone, it’s hard to convince some of the correct information. The marker in inscribed:

Cpl. William Davis

2d NC Regt. 1778-1781

Born c. 1727. Died Oct. 5, 1841

Franky Carpenter Weatherman Davis

Born 1755. Died Sept 10, 1842.

The incorrect information is in regard to William’s birth date and Frankie’s birth date and also William’s military service. It’s a nice marker regardless and I’m glad whoever put it there took the time, effort and expense to do so. However, it might be time for a more accurate marker to be placed.

A History of Watauga County North Carolina 1915

“A History of Watauga County North Carolina” by John Preston Arthur, 1915, includes a section about William Davis with more on him later in the book. The author doesn’t state who provided him the information, but he does mention Jacob Carpenter (“Uncle Jake”) so perhaps he was the source of the sketch. Note that this book is now in the public domain so you can find copies online which can be read or downloaded for free.

p. 67

William Davis.--What?-- Hero: Patriot: Let us see. His grave is near the road in front of the Gen. Albertus Childs’ house on Three Mile Creek, now owned and occupied by Robert Moseley. Two common “mountain rocks” mark the place of his burial. Two other graves beside his are similarly designated. No munificent government, proud of his record, has “sought his frailties” or his virtues “to disclose.” Why? For he was a soldier of the Revolutionary War as well as those over whose ashes grave-stones have been erected. Who knows? Probably a bit of red-tape was missing somewhere. maybe his name does not appear on any roster or muster roll. Yet, in the congressional Library, at the nation’s capital, is an allegorical painting called “History.” It represents a gray-haired sire telling the story of the past to his son, and this son selling the same story with additions to his son, and so on down the line till the printed page is reached. The name of that oral story is “Tradition.” Well, tradition says that William Davis was not only a brave soldier, but a mighty hunter as well, when the wilderness was to be conquered and weaklings stayed at home and sneered at the illiterate and lowly. Davis came to America with William Wiseman and William Penley long before the Revolution. He settled first in Virginia and afterwards came to Ashe County, where he married Frances Carpenter, sister of the first Jacob Carpenter. Then he moved to what is still called Davis Mountain, near Crossnore, on the upper waters of Linville River. When the game was exhausted there, he moved to Three Mile Creek and built four log houses “all in a row,” with communicating doors between and a chimney at each end. Standing before a blazing fire in one end of the house, with the three intervening doors open, one looks through four large, low-ceiled comfortable rooms to cherry-red flames leaping up the chimney at the father end--one of the “fairest pictures of calm content that mortal ever saw.” The date of the building of this old structure is recorded on one of the inside logs, but it has been ceiled over and cannot now be seen. But it was made there many, many years ago. The present Jacob Carpenter, his grand-nephew, of Altamont, knows the date of his birth and death, but they would cost the United States some “good money” to have them carved on a 12 X 24 inch stone. Davis died November 18, 1841, when 114 years of age. Still, as he had no middle name, it does seem that the Government, with a big G, might “sort of look after” uncle Billy, who fought his battles for him before Uncle Sam was born, he having been shot through the hips at King’s Mountain. His wife, who sleeps beside him, was certainly a heroine, whether Uncle Billy was a hero or not, for on one occasion, in February, while in a sugar camp on Davis Mountain, he had to be away from her on a cold night. One of her cows found a calf that night, and Mrs. Davis brought it to camp with her and fought off the wolves with fire-brands till morning.

p. 225

William Davis, a soldier of the Revolution, stole his wife, a Carpenter, from Ashe, and settled at what is still called the Davis Mountain, now the Monroe Franklin place, and which Warsaw Clark now owns, one mile and a half above the Crossnore place, where Kate, the five year old daughter of Davis, is buried under an apple tree. It is said that he first gave the name of the Cow Camp to a creek of that name which runs into the Toe River because of the fact, that, having no feed for his cattle, he camped near them on that creek and supplied them with lin tree limbs, called laps, from the time the buds began to swell till the grass came. Another reason is given, however, for this name, which is that there was abundance of stagger-weed on the creek, and when the cattle ate it, as they did, their owners camped on the creek in order to doctor them.

All of the above is quite interesting, and probably accurate for the most part. However, it is highly unlikely that William Davis arrived in America with William Wiseman (1739-aft 1820) and William Penley (1729-c1820). They were certainly contemporaries, at least in Burke/Yancey. Perhaps they knew each other prior to moving to western North Carolina. I should note there are other versions of the story that say the men didn’t just arrive together, but stowed away on a ship together. Another version tells of the stowaways but says it was William Penley and his older brothers, not Wiseman and Davis. As I noted earlier William Davis was certainly born in Virginia, thus didn’t “arrive” here from England, Wales or elsewhere. His father certainly could have though.

Children

William Davis has three proven children by his first wife, Mary Miller, and nine by his second wife, Frances Carpenter, for 12 children total.

In his 1836 Will, William Davis named daughters Betsy Cantrel, Sally Rowan, heirs of Polly Browning, his children by his 1st wife. By wife Frances he had five daughters Nancy Burleson, Elizabeth Vance, Margaret Wise, Franky Burleson and Rachel Davis and three sons John, Thomas and Jacob. Although Jacob’s name was accidentally omitted from the court house copy of the Will, the estate papers clearly show that he was a son as well.

The aforementioned Estate papers are found in both Yancey and Cherokee and Graham Co., NC records. The latter two are because William’s son Jacob Davis filed them there, as he also filed some Ashe Co., NC records there pertaining to the Mathias Carpenter estate. These records clearly show that those named in the Will, and Jacob, were the only heirs of William Davis.

From Graham County, North Carolina Estates, folder “1849 William Davis”, 35 pages:

- Jul 1849 Received of William Davis, Adm with the Will annexed of Wm Davis deceased the following property in ... (personal property named) ... and the sum of one hundred and eighty eight dollars and twenty eight cents in cash, all of which is in full of my share of the estate of said William Davis Deceased. John (X) Davis. Attest: B. Wise.

- 24 Jul 1849 Know all men by these presents that we

Nancy Burleson

Elisabeth Vance

John Davis

Jacob Davis

Thomas Davis

Margaret Wise

Franky Burleson

Rachel Davis

are held and formally bound unto William Davis administrator with the Will annexed of William Davis deceased in the penal sum of Three thousand dollars to which payment to be made and done we bind ourselves and heirs Executors and Administrators firmly by these presents.

The condition ... last Will was administered to probate at the July Term of Yancey County Court and the above bounded Nancy Burleson and others is the legatees named in the said Will and ... received following titles of property to which they are entitled ... $188.28 in full of our shares in property and cash ...

S: John (X) Vance

S: John (X) Davis

S: Wilson Burleson

S: Nancy (X) Burleson

S: Margaret (X) Wise

Attest: B. Wise, G. W. Davis, Tilman Blalock.

We Tilmon Blalock, Joseph Pyatt and Arthur Erwin being chosen by the heirs and legatees of William Davis dec met at the house of William Davis this 23 Jul 1849 a majority of the heirs being present it was agreed that the property notes judgments cash should be valued as cash and divided accordingly. We find that after paying all the expenses against said estate there would be a sum of $188.28 of cash ...

Also leaves in hands of the administrator William Davis Jr, with the Will annexed the following sums bequethed to the other heirs of the first wife

Sally Rowen thirty dollars

the heirs of Polly Browning one dollar

Betsy Cantrel one dollar

The following is a true account of all the heirs of William Davis deceased, to wit

1st: John Davis due the Estate $147.06. Good debts and cash $188.28. Bad debts $9.13. Total due in good debts and cash $41.22

2nd: Jacob Davis due the Estate $200.66 and $12.38. Good debts and cash $188.28. Bad debts $9.13.

3rd: William Davis due the Estate $110.62. Good debts and cash $188.28. Bad debts $9.13. Total due in good debts and cash $77.66

Thomas Davis due the Estate $79.50 Good debts and cash $188.28. Bad debts $9.13. Total due in good debts and cash $108.78.

Wilson Burleson due the Estate $21.75. Good debts and cash $188.28. Bad debts $9.13. Total due in good debts and cash $166.53.

John Vance due the Estate $117.14. Good debts and cash $188.28. Bad debts $9.13. Total due in good debts and cash $71.14.

Margaret Wise due the Estate $72.06. Good debts and cash $188.28. Bad debts $9.13. Total due in good debts and cash $116.22.

Nancy Burleson due the Estate $188.28. Good debts and cash $188.28. Bad debts $9.13. Total due in good debts and cash $0.00.

Sally Rowen $30.00.

Polly Browning $1.00

Betsy Cantrel $1.00

The above, combined with the Will, very clearly proves the family of William Davis.

They are further proven by a deed dated 1872 in Mitchell Co., NC. 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.)

William A. Burleson apparently signed the above on behalf of his mother Nancy who might have been dead by then. Margaret Wise died in 1868, so I’m not sure how her name is on this 1872 deed. She didn’t sign, obviously.

There are summons in the 1873 lawsuit of A. D. Childs vs. Samuel Carpenter that name many of the living heirs of William Davis at that time which is quite helpful. The information in brackets [...] was added by me to clarify who the people were.

4 Oct 1873 to Sheriff of Mitchell County summons for:

Andrew Davis, Dulcena Wiseman, William Burleson, Elizabeth McCurry

Sheriff complied, except for Dulcena Wiseman who was not found in Mitchell.

[The above are heirs of Nancy Davis, daughter of William, wife of Thomas Burleson. Nancy died in the 1860's.]

4 Oct 1873 to Sheriff of Mitchell County summons for:

Elizabeth Carpenter, Rachel Sullins

Sheriff complied William Carpenter, Elizabeth Carpenter and Rachel Sullins. Attest T. D. Vance for William & Elizabeth.

[The above are heirs of Samuel Carpenter and Frances Vaughn]

4 Oct 1873 to Sheriff of Cherokee County summons for:

Jacob Davis, Alfred Carpenter, Nancy Carpenter, Martin Singleton and Mary M. Singleton.

Sheriff found none in his county. Stated Jacob Davis lived in Graham and died there last winter.

[Jacob Davis is son of William, the others are heirs of Samuel Carpenter]

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, Mrs. Francis Burleson, Mrs. Elizabeth Vance, John Davis, Thomas Davis

Sheriff complied except as to Franky Brewer and Thomas Davis, not found.

[John Wise through Newton Wise are heirs of Margaret Davis (died 1868), the rest are children of William Davis Sr.]

John Preston Arthur, in his 1915 book mentions another child, a daughter Kate Davis, who died at age five and is buried near Crossnore.

1. Elizabeth “Betsy” Davis (1770/80-aft 1836) m Joseph Cantrell.

2. Mary “Polly” Davis alias Mary “Polly” Miller (c1783-1864) m David Browning.

3. Sarah Davis (1790/94-1850/52) m George W. Rowan.

4. Catherine “Kate” Davis (c1793-c1798). Died young.

5. Nancy Davis (c1795-1860/70) m 1) Thomas Burleson, 2) George W. Dean.

6. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Davis (1796-1883) m 1) William Vaughn, 2) John Vance.

7. John Davis (c1800-1881) m Sarah Buchanan.

8. Jacob Davis (c1803-1873) m Susanna Miller.

9. Margaret Davis (c1804-1868) m 1) Josiah G. Wise, 2) — Burleson.

10. Thomas Davis (c1805-aft 1880) m Arabella Burchfield.

11. Frances Davis (c1809-1892) m Wilson Burleson.

12. Rachel Davis (1810-1865) m William Davis (Jr).

You will see family trees that add a few more children to William’s family, but those are not his children. They were probably attached to him by earlier researchers who noticed an association with William Davis, and assumed he was their father. That’s understandable. Some of them were actually children of Andrew Davis, who was a neighbor of our Davises. It’s possible that Andrew might be related in some fashion, but how isn’t known. Andrew’s children with his first wife Elizabeth Houston include Delpha Davis (1807-1853) who married John Buchanan, William Davis (1809-1874) who married our William’s daughter Rachel Davis, Isabell Davis (c1812-1860s) who married Lewis Vance, Caroline Davis (c1815-1878) who married Godfrey Cody, Elizabeth Davis (c1818-aft 1880) who married Stephen Cody, Andrew Davis (Jr) (c1820-aft 1873) who married Margaret Burleson, and Miles H. Davis (c1824-aft 1880) who married Elender Holloway. Andrew married a 2^nd time and had more children, but no one typically tries to assign them to our William Davis.

There was also supposedly an unidentified daughter of William Davis who married “Billie Wilson.” There were several William Wilsons in the region, so I don’t know who this might have been. Regardless, she wasn’t William Davis’s daughter as far as I can determine.

Finally, there is Socro Davis (1790s) who married David Oakes in 1813 and lived in the same area as William Davis for a time. She is not William’s daughter, or at least she wasn’t named in his Will. She’s a proven Davis via her marriage record, but who are her parents? Also, why do I have DNA matches with some of her descendants? Could she be related to William, i.e. a niece or cousin? Perhaps she’s one of those he alluded to in his Will born to his first wife that he never claimed. Her approximate birth date works that way. My DNA matches might suggest she was his child after all unless my connections to her are via some other branch of the family.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Davis was born ca 1770/80 and died after 1836. She married Joseph Cantrell. They lived in Burke then moved to Carter Co., TN where both likely died.

See their own page for more information.

Mary “Polly” Davis was born ca 1782/83 and died in 1864. She married David Browning in Surry Co., NC, then lived in Burke Co., NC then later to Giles Co., TN, then to Missouri.

See their own page for more information.

Sarah Davis was born ca 1790/94 and died between 1850 and 1852. She married George W. Rowan. They lived in Burke/Yancey until ca 1839 when they moved to Blount Co., TN.

See their own page for more information.

Catherine “Kate” Davis died at age five according to the 1915 book by John Preston Arthur. He is the only source I’ve seen for her, otherwise she would have been unknown to us.

He wrote:

From the above we see that Kate Davis died before her father moved his family from Crossnore to Three Mile Creek. He made that move ca 1803/1804. Thus we know that Kate died before ca 1804.

Consider these potential time-lines for Kate:

∙ died age 5 in 1804, then born ca 1799

∙ died age 5 in 1803, then born ca 1798

∙ died age 5 in 1802, then born ca 1797

∙ died age 5 in 1801, then born ca 1796

None of those work because the 1800 census entry for William Davis includes only two daughters born in the 1790s and those are identified as Nancy (c1795) and Elizabeth (1796), thus we have to assume Kate died before 1800, or at least before the census that year.

∙ died age 5 in 1800, then born ca 1795 Conflicts with Nancy (c1795)

∙ died age 5 in 1799, then born ca 1794

∙ died age 5 in 1798, then born ca 1793

Any of the above would fit. I don’t go back before her born ca 1793, because it’s unlikely William and Frankie married much earlier than that. Thus, to make a little space between her and Nancy, I’m estimating that Catherine “Kate” Davis was born ca 1793, probably the first born of William and Frankie, potentially named for Frankie’s aunt Catherine Miller Long who died in 1784.

Using ca 1793 as her birth date, then Kate died ca 1798, if five years old as stated in the book.

Her grave, under the apple tree near Crossnore, is long lost, unfortunately. It’s entirely possible an apple tree from that era might still be standing today, but probably not. I’m not sure if anyone has ever attempted to find her grave. It was probably only marked with a field stone.

Nancy Davis was born ca 1794/95 in Burke Co., NC, now Avery Co., NC, probably on the Crossnore property. She died after 1860 in Yancey Co., NC or in Mitchell if after 1862. She married twice, first to Thomas Burleson and second to George W. Dean, who was a widower.

See her own page for more information.

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Davis was born 24 Sep 1796 in Burke Co., NC, now Avery Co., NC, probably on the Crossnore property. She died 10 Oct 1883 in Mitchell Co., NC. She married twice, first to William Vaughn and second to John Vance.

See her own page for more information.

John Davis was born ca 1799/1800 in Burke Co, NC, now Avery Co., NC, probably on the Crossnore property. He died ca 1881 in Mitchell Co., NC.

He married Sarah Buchanan.

See his own page for more information.

Jacob Davis was born ca 1802/1803 in Burke Co., NC, now Avery Co., NC. He was born around the time the family moved from the Crossnore area to Three Mile Creek, so I don’t know which section he was born in.

He married Susanna Miller in 1825 in Ashe Co., NC where they lived awhile, and then to Blount Co., TN with brother Thomas Davis and sister Sarah Davis Rowan, then to Cherokee (now Graham) Co., NC.

See his own page for more information.

Margaret Davis was born ca 1803/04 in Burke Co., NC, probably on the Three Mile Creek property.

She married Josiah G. Wise.

See their own page for more information.

Thomas Davis was born ca 1804/05 in Burke Co., NC, probably on the Three Mile Creek property.

He married Arabella Burchfield in 1830 in Burke Co., NC. They moved to Blount Co., TN with brother Jacob Davis and sister Sarah Davis Rowan, then to Cherokee (now Graham) Co., NC, then to Polk Co., TN, then back to Graham Co., NC where he died after 1880. Arabella died in Blount Co., TN in 1882.

See their own page for more information.

Frances Davis was born ca 1807/08 in Burke (now Avery) Co., NC presumably on the Three Mile Creek property.

She married Wilson Burleson, nephew of Thomas Burleson who married Nancy Davis.

See their own page for more information.

Rachel Davis was born 21 Jun 1810 in Burke (now Avery) Co., NC, presumably on the Three Mile Creek property.

She married William Davis, son of Andrew Davis and Elizabeth Houston, on 8 Apr 1832 in Burke Co., NC. William was called William “Jr” to distinguish himself from his father-in-law in Yancey County records. William Jr was born 18 Jun 1809 in Iredell Co., NC. There is a possibility he’s related to William Sr somehow, but how isn’t clear. They lived on Three Mile Creek until the 1850s when they moved to Cherokee (now Graham) Co., NC to join Rachel’s brothers Jacob and Thomas Davis. Rachel died there in 1865, William in 1874.

See their own page for more information.

For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database pages for William Davis and Mary Miller and Frances Carpenter.

Revised: January 23, 2026

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