Frank's Bible

Tombstone of  Benjamin Franklin Davis

Benjamin Franklin Davis was the oldest son of Henry Davis of Stanly County, and his first wife, Sarah Kendall and the first biological grandchild of Job Davis. He was a Civil War soldier, as was his father, uncle Ned, and younger brothers, John E. Hampton, and Hawk.  Like most of the family, Frank as he was known owned land on both sides of the Rocky River, in Stanly and Anson counties, and for a while,he had even moved his family over to Richmond County, in the Steeles area.  His family graveyard, however, is located in Stanly County, near the river, on lands that were once part of the original Job Davis plantation, and extended across the river into Anson, on lands he inherited from his maternal grandfather, Reuben Kendall, along with his full brother John Edward Davis. 

One of the tombstones in the the B.F. Davis graveyard, his granddaughter Judy. 

In the Heritage Room of the library, a copy of portions of Frank's family Bible is on file. It lists the births of all of his children. A few did not make it to adulthood, as happened in most large rural families of the time. There were many obstacles in raising children then, accidents, diseases, few and far between doctors, animal attacks, snake bites and drownings. I have found a large number of children died from fires when they came to close to a fireplace playing, or trying to get warm. 

The inscription on the copy reads: "Taken from old Bible dow at Clyde's years and I believe copied by Frank."

Submitted by Luther McIntyre. 

Three of Frank's daughters married McIntyre's

The following is the list of children and their birthdates as listed in the Bible:

Lou      March 27, 1855

Sally     August 1857

Mathew A Davis  Dec 11 1858

J. F. Davis  Dec 2, 1860

Thomas Davis  July 3 1865

Mary Davis   Dec 27, 1866

Hart A Davis  January 15,1868

John S Davis  December 8, 1870

Mary A Davis   September 21, 1872

H. E Davis  August 18, 1874

Nannie Davis May 6,1876

Kitty Davis  September 15, 1878

Susie Davis March 7, 1870

Lillie Mae Davis  May 31, 1882

Sarah Kendall Davis buried Hopewll Methodist Church, Burnsville

Benjamin Franklin Davis died December 21, 1898

Julie Sibley Davis died February 18,1914

Hart A Davis died August 2, 1902

The Benjamin Franklin Davis cemetary is located in an Ivy covered wooded area in the front yard of a home on Boone-Caudle Road, South of Cottonville, off of Plank Rd, near the Rocky River, Stanly County. On the  map, it is about where the liver-shaped spot that says "A1" near Crump Ford and north of Rocky River Hill.

Cottonville was once a thriving community and the community once populated by an abundance of Davis's was called the Davis community, even as late as the 1930's and 1940's. In the Stanly News and Press, of this time, I would find little community news blurbs. In one such little column, in 1939, the year my mother was born, I found a mention of my grandparents, Lewis and Maude Davis visiting in the Davis community over the weekend. 

Rusted Funeral Home Marker for Frank Davis descendant

What the cemetary looks like today, covered in ivy.

Markers that had been taken down for unknown reason.

Cottonville today, empty store, two churches, Volunteer Fire Department and a scattering of houses and the intersection of 3 or 4 roads. 

What Cottonville was known for: Cotton. 

Refurbished McIntyre family home, descendants of Frank Davis

While Lillie Mae, Mary Ann and Nannie Davis married McIntrye's, Wincy Catherine 'Kitty' Davis married a Cox and remained childless, and H. E. or Henry Edward 'Hollum' Davis, Mathew Davis and John S Davis lived to grow up, I have not found out the fate of Eliza M (Mary Eliza or Eliza Mary), J. Franklin, Thomas F, Louvenia or Lou,  Susan or Sarah "Sallie". As these were fairly common names, it is difficult to determine who is the right one. Since many of the children were born in Richmond County, and one, John S, ended up living in Scotland County, they may have married and resided in that area. Mathew lived in Montgomery County and the McIntyre girls in Stanly, and Hollum in Marlboro County, South Carolina. Someone recorded the date of death for Louvenia as 1919, but I do not know where she lived or if she married. If anyone is a descendant of these children of Benjamin Franklin Davis, and great-grandchildren of Job Davis, please contact me. Several of the McIntyres migrated to Texas, some of the Davis may have as well.