The Last Beat of the Drum

In 1776, when the call came to arms, George Raybourne/Rabon, of Henrico, Virginia, picked up a fife and a drum. A musician, George, son of Richard "Raibone", as the name had various spelling, served his country in a different way. Still, his service is credited in the annals of history. His job was not a divertissement. The role of the musician played an important part in the march to battle. 

George would recieve a land grant for his service, of 200 acres in North Carolina, but would return to Viriginia, passing away there in 1828. I will have to extrapolate on George's life and career later, but this post is not about him.

George is the ancestor of three of my four children, patriarch of a family I still feel very much a part of. George married twice and had at least two children. One of them was a son named Daniel.

Daniel Rabon would settle as a young man in Brunswick County, North Carolina, after first recieving a land grant in Bladen County, NC. He married an Elizabeth, an fathered 7 children, including a son named Jordan.

Jordan Rabon was born in Brunswick County, North Carolina, and would be the one who took our Rabon line to Florida. Found in Brunscwick, NC in 1830 and 1840, he recieved a land grant there in 1848. Selling it, he was in Jackson County, Florida by 1850, dying shortly after and leaving his wife, Polly Ann, alone with their 8 children; Daniel T., Asa, Richard, John Lexious, Sarah Jane, Harriet, Simon and Henrietta. Thankfully, several were already adults.

John Lexious "Leck" Rabon was born about 1838 in Marlboro County, South Carolina, showing movement in his father's family during that time. He married Agnes Elizabeth Burns in Jackson County, Florida in 1853, and is shown there in 1860, but in 1862, he enlisted in the Civil War in Alabama, as this family always lived close to Alabama, and many still do. In fact, their part of Florida is known as "Florabama". 

Lex and Agnes had 8 children: Emeon W., Samuel B., James, George W., John William, Martha, Sarah, and Benjamin Franklin Rabon. She was widowed before 1870. Some show John Lexious as dying in 1864, but his youngest son was born in 1869. More research needs to be done there, but facts show that Agnes remarried on February 24, 1870 to a man named Thomas Redd and she would have two more sons, Henry in 1870 and George Simon in 1874.

The next person in this line is John William Rabon, born in 1856. He married Nancy O'Bryan and had 7 children: Sarah Elizabeth, John Ceborn "Leck", James Holcomb "Hawkum", Dicey, Charles, Mary Magdalene and Amy. They settled in Calhoun County, Florida.

The next generation was that of James Holcomb Rabon, called "Hawkum". He was born September 14, 1891, in Altha, Calhoun County, Florida. Nancy "Doll" O'Brian Rabon would marry second, Joseph "Joe" Williford, so Hawkum would grow up with a stepfather for part of his childhood. He married Mittie Albert Johnson on May 3, 1913. This couple is shown above.

Beulah Rabon Deese as a young girl

Hawkum and Mittie would raise a family of six children in the Florida panhandle, in the sandy, flatlands near the Gulf.  Their first child was a daughter they named Nancy Lee Rabon, but called "Dovie". She lived to be 17 months old. 

Verna E. Cagle was born on October 23, 1915. She attended Mars Hill College in North Carolina and later married William Glendon Cagle. There were two sons:

                 James Malcolm Cagle (1940-1999) and William Darrell Cagle (1967-2012).

                 Verna passed away on March 2, 2003 in Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida She was 87.

James Willard Rabon was born on April 22, 1918 in Blountstown, Calhoun County, Florida. This is where we come in. Called' Jimmy'by everyone in North Carolina, and' Willard' by his siblings, James Willard Rabon, with his two first cousin, brother Frank and Jerome Rabon, would bring the Rabon family back to North Carolina with the CCC's, a depression era work program for young men. They built structures such as Morrow Mountain State Park and Rock Creek Park outside of Albemarle. All three met local girls, married, and raised their familes in Albemarle, North Carolina. Jimmy met Dorothy Beatrice Ragsdale. There were three sons:

                James Wesley Rabon (1938-1946) died of childhood leukemia before his brothers met him.

                Joe Thomas Rabon was born in 1947.

                Lanny Gene Rabon (1949-1993) was my 1st husband and the father of my oldest three children.

Dorothy Ragsdale Rabon died in 1978, before I ever met her. Jimmy would remarry Rachel Odessa Russell, Dorothy's first cousin. Dorothy's mother, Eulalah Russell Ragsdale, and Rachel's father, Gilliam Russell, were siblings. Jimmy and Rachel would both pass away in 1992, within two months of each other and a year before Lanny Gene Rabon.

Henry Nathaniel Rabon was born October 26, 1920. He served in WWII. Henry married Alice Mae "Allie" O'Bryan in 1939, a possible cousin. There was one son.

                Kenneth Wayne Rabon (1942-2011)

Henry was the first of the siblings who made it to adulthood to pass away on November 27, 1984.

Beulah Aileen Rabon was next, born in 1923 (shown above). We will be back to her in a minute.

Albert Lavon Rabon was born May 19, 1926. He also served in WWII. On July 29, 1945, he married Nobie Louella Clark. There were three children, all still living.

                Billy G. Rabon born in 1946

                Gail Dianne Rabon Varnum born in 1950

                James Albert Rabon born in 1956

Lavon Rabon died on Januray 27, 1998 in Panama City, Florida. 

Ethell Vernice Rabon was born September 7, 1930. She was the youngest Rabon. She married Harrison Ford Neel about 1945 and was widowed in 1967. There was a brief second marriage in the 1970's. Ethell (pronounced EE- thele) and Harry Neel had three children.

            Harry Eugene Neel was born in 1949.

            Shirley Faye Neel Meaux was born in 1950.

            Mittie Yvonne Neel (1950-2023)

    

                

                

                

This lineage resulted in the birth of this amazing woman I wish to honor. 

Beulah Aileen Rabon was born on a spring day, May 6, in 1922. She was a middle child, the middle girl, with three older siblings and two younger.

Beulah grew up in the small town of Altha, Calhoun County, in the Florida panhandle. Altha promotes itself as a "rural community with a proud agricultural heritage".  Altha is not an old town, it was first settled as a town in 1902 and incorporated in 1946.

Name	James Rabon
Birth Year	abt 1891
Gender	Male
Race	White
Age in 1930	39
Birthplace	Florida
Marital Status	Married
Relation to Head of House	Head
Home in 1930	Altha, Calhoun, Florida, USA
Map of Home	Altha,Calhoun,Florida
Dwelling Number	155
Family Number	161
Home Owned or Rented	Rented
Radio Set	No
Lives on Farm	Yes
Age at First Marriage	21
Attended School	No
Able to Read and Write	Yes
Father's Birthplace	Georgia
Mother's Birthplace	Florida
Able to Speak English	Yes
Occupation	Farmer
Industry	Farm
Class of Worker	Working on own account
Employment	Yes
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
James Rabon	39
Mittie A Rabon	31
Verna Rabon	14
Williard Rabon	11
Henry Rabon	9
Bulah Rabon	7
Lavon Rabon	4

Here is the family in 1930, living in Altha, their father a farmer, five of the six children were born. Beulah was age 7. Only Ethell had not yet arrived. This record also shows that James Holcombs father was born in Georgia and his mother in Florida. Altha is 45 minutes from Georgia and about an hour from the Alabama state line.

The above photo shows a teenaged Beulah with her good friend, Ellen. They are standing in front of a rural farm house, not underpinned. They were both wearing nice, formal dresses. This could have been a prom photo.

Name	James H Rabon
Respondent	Yes
Age	48
Estimated Birth Year	abt 1892
Gender	Male
Race	White
Birthplace	Florida
Marital Status	Married
Relation to Head of House	Head
Home in 1940	Calhoun, Florida
Map of Home in 1940	Calhoun,Florida
Farm	Yes
Inferred Residence in 1935	Rural, Calhoun, Florida
Residence in 1935	Rural, Calhoun, Florida
Sheet Number	7B
Number of Household in Order of Visitation	125
Father's Birthplace	Georgia
Mother's Birthplace	Georgia
Occupation	Farmer
House Owned or Rented	Rented
Value of Home	4
Attended School or College	No
Highest Grade Completed	Elementary school, 5th grade
Class of Worker	Working on own account
Weeks Worked in 1939	52
Income	0
Income Other Sources	No
Native Language	English
Veteran	No
Veteran Father Dead	No
Military service	No
Social Security Number	Yes
Usual Occupation	Farmer
Usual Industry	Farmer
Usual Class of Worker	Working on own account
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
James H Rabon	48
Mittie Rabon	42
Beulah Rabon	17
Lavon Rabon	13
Ethel Rabon	9
Henry M Rabon	19
Allie Mae Rabon	18
William G Cagle	30
Verna Cagle	24

In 1940, Beulah was 17, and her younger siblings Lavon was 13 and 9 year old Ethell had joined the family. Henry, 19, had married Allie Mae, and Verna, 24, had married Glenn Cagle. Both young couples were living with the James Holcomb Rabon family. The only one missing was Jimmy, who was living in North Carolina by this time, married to Dorothy Ragsdale, and father to little Wesley Rabon.

John and Beaulah Deese, 1943

A closer look at the Rabon's in 1940 reveals a young man named John Deese, living in the home of Allen W. Prince, nearby, his brother-in-law. On October 15, 1943, twenty-one year old Beaulah Aileene Deese married 24 year old John Emory Deese. John E. Deese was born on October 15, 1919, Cottonwood, Houston County, Alabama, so the couple had married on his birthday. The son of Ira Owen and Rosie Hallon Deese, he was registered for World War II on June 20, 1945. His draft card noted that he was 5 foot 10 inches tall, 159 lbs., with black hair, gray eyes and a ruddy complexion. 

The 1940's was an exciting decade for the young couple. In September of 1944, they welcomed their only son, Charles Joseph Deese. As happened in other branches of my family tree, the generation who was born or grew up during the Great Depression, and themselves probably came from a large family, were the first generation to limit their own family size. My mother was one of four, but her father was one of mine and six of her first cousins were only children. One aunt had two sons, one uncle five children and grandpa four, showing a big change in the typical family size. My Dad was the oldest of three, although his own father was number 11 of 16 children.

The Camillas. Aunt Beulah lived Camillas. She and John would set up housekeeping in the town of Warrington, near Pensacola, Florida. Shown above is a photo of the two of them standing in front of the Camillas after they had grown large. 

The 1950 census shows the young family living in Pensacola on Garden Street, John working as an electrician and Beulah as a chemist. Son Charles was five years old and John's mother, Rosa, lived with them. Aunt Beulah made a career as a Chemist and Lab Assistant.

During their impressive 60 year marriage, John and Beulah were blessed to see their son grow up and earn his  Doctorate of Chiropractory and set up a practice in 

Louisiana, where he still practices and is the Parrish Coroner. In time, they were blessed with four grandchildren, although one grandson died as an infant, and another as a young man. 

Over the years, John and Beulah hosted nieces, nephews and grandchildren at their lovely home on the Gulf, including memorable experiences for my own children.

Sadly, Beulah lost Uncle John in 2003 after a long struggle with illness. She would then move to Louisiana to be close to her children and grandchildren. She lived to see three additional blessings in the form of her three Great Grandsons, two named directly and indirectly for her husband, John. 

Aunt Beulah was a shining light, bright and a connective glue that worked hard to keep her extended family, spread out over multiple states and countries, in touch. She embraced technology as it came. 

The Rabon fortitude and resilience is amazing. Several of the cousins and Beulahs own son Charles are working well into their 70's, with no sign of slowing down.

A few years ago we rode down to Louisiana to visit Aunt Beulah on the occasion of her 100th birthday. She still had the lovely complexion a woman half her age would envy.

She kicked Covids behind when it came creeping in during her hundredth year. Beulah would see two more birthdays, but in the last few months she was getting tired. Her senses were failing and she was no longer enjoying life as she had. 

Last week we made another trip South, to honor the life of Beulah Aileene Rabon Deese, who almost made it to the amazing age of 103. She will be incredibly missed by all who were blessed to know her. Below is her official obituary. She was buried in Pensacola beside her husband John, and two grandsons, Chuck Deese II and Chuck Deese III.

Aunt Beulah was the last of the Rabon siblings. After losing infant Dovie in 1914, the brothers were the first to go. 

We lost Henry first in 1984 at age 64, Jimmy in 1992 at age 73, and Lavon in 1998 at 71. Then the sisters with oldest, Verna in 2003, at 87, youngest, Ethel, in 2019, at 89, and now Beulah in 2025 at the incredible age of 102. The last beat of the drum in this line of descendants of Patriot musician, George Rabon. 

The Autumn of my Family Tree

They say good things come in threes. Sometimes losses also come in threes, which undermines the first old saying. Lately, there has been a trifecta of losses to my family tree, effectuating a seasonal autumn of falling leaves.

This latest one is of an author and family historian, whom I met when he interviewed me on my branch of the Mauldin family tree, as that is the family name we share, and our branch is particularly strong due to endogamy.

Ervin Perry Mauldin was born on September 5, 1932 to Samuel D. Mauldin and Beulah Jane Lee. He grew up in the town of Norwood in southern Stanly County, North Carolina. Mathmatically, Ervin was my second cousin, three times removed, but who's counting. Genetically, he shows up a generation closer because my Mauldin Great Grandparents were first cousins.

Early in life, Ervin had developed an affinity for local history and genealogy, especially his own. With appetency and a passion, he dug into the family roots for decades, seeking out information on all things Mauldin. Ervin became my go to on anything involving the Mauldins or anything in particular concerning the southern part of the county. He was the keeper of the Green Wesley Simpson Family Bible, which revealed a great deal of the comings, goings and family ties of the families around Aquadale and Cottonville and the old Rehobeth Church. Ervin would discuss history and facts with a bonhomie that was rare in genealogical research. I had met many in the world of family research who consider their ancestors theirs and theirs alone, and not free with any information to anyone else, not taking into consideration that this ancestor could have thousands of other descendants just as interested. 

Ervin's hard work traveling to many other counties and states, countless hours spent in dusty courthouse basements and the State Archives in Raleigh, and interviews with the oldest members of different family lines, resulted in the compilation of materials into two books."Ye Mauldins",  which I proudly own, came first. Afterwards, he would publish another on the Simpson family.

Ervin,  a single man, stayed self-sufficient and self reliant into his nineties. He had several nephews that would check in on him and always close if he needed them. Sadly, on March 6th, Ervin, always a proud Norwood resident, left home to run a few errands and was involved in a horrible automobile accident. We will miss this dedicated family researcher and author. His obituary is below.

in. 

A Patriot Gets his Marker

Monument to the Memory of Thomas Biles 

On March 22, 2025, at 11 a.m., a group of folks gathered to honor the life and service of Revolutionary War Patriot, Thomas Biles. I was among them. 

I am not descended from this family, but having deep Stanly County roots, they were certainly involved in the lives and business of those I am related to. 

Zelma Eudy, a Member of the Yadkin River Patriots Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and a Biles descendant, ordered a commemorative plaque for her Patriot ancestor some 16 years ago. With the placement of this plaque at the New London Town Cemetery, a dream has finally come to fruition. 

The beautifully preserved federal style Biles House in the town of New London, dating back to about 1830

In a brief summary, Thomas Biles Jr. (known in the area as Thomas Biles Sr.) was born in New Jersey in 1752. His family afterwards moved to what was then Rowan County, North Carolina. He served as a Private in the Revolutionary War and afterwards, married Miss Tabitha Marbury on March 8, 1783, in Salisbury. About 1797, they moved to Montgomery County, NC and settled on the west side of the river, in what is now Stanly County, near the Narrows of the Yadkin River and the headwaters of Mountain Creek. Old maps of North Carolina show a little town called "Narrowsville" along a northwest to southeast trajectory some few miles off the river and near the Narrows. It was perhaps to this area they came. 

A reinacter in uniform attends the ceremony

Five groups sponsered the event; the Yadkin River Patriots Chapter of the DAR, the Govenor John Archdale Chapter of the Colonial Dames 17th Century, the Colsons Mills Sons of the American Revolution, the Stanly County Genealogical Society, and the Stanly County Historical Assosciation. 

Mrs. Wanda Gantt

Mrs. Wanda Gantt, a member of the Yadkin River Patriots Chapter of the DAR, a member of the Colonial Dames, and President of the Stanly County Genealogical Society, emceed the event. Several Biles family descendants participated in the ceremony by placing flags, and reciting poems, in honor of their distinguished forebearer. 

The New London Town Cemetery location was chosen for the placement of the Memorial due to the history of the town to the Biles family. About 1830, Thomas Biles, Jr. (or actually the 3rd, as his grandfather, who did not live in this region, was also a Thomas), known about as "Uncle Tommy", and his wife, Betsy Sides Biles, chose the highest elevation around to build their home and plantation. Soon, a little village grew up around them, with business and enterprise. An academy was established for educational purposes. An old handdrawn map of Bilesville, as the village was known, shows a splattering of about two dozen homes located at the intersection of the "New Salisbury Road" and "the road from Dr. Kendalls to Stokes Ferry". Gold had been found and a tract was labled 'Biles Gold Mine tract' and 'Parker Gold'. Other names on the map show whomelse lived or owned land near the Biles family, that being the Howell Parker family, John Ivey and Henry Ivey. There is also a mention of a previous owner as "Abednego Merryman'. Gold had been discovered on Howell Parkers farm about 1859. Bethel Church provided the religious instruction, located a few miles east, until Bilesville Methodist was established. A school was built in 1884.

Writer Fred T. Morgan of local fame once reported that the name of Bilesville was changed to New London to attract investment and that New London was incorporated by the General Assembly on March 7, 1891 and Bilesville ceased to exist. 

Thomas Biles II (Sr.), the patriot, had married Tabitha Marbury in 1783. The name is also seen as Mayberry, Mabry, Marberry, and other various spellings.Their estate papers mentioned nine Biles children:

Isaac Biles, Alexander Biles, Daniel Biles, Thomas Biles III (JR) aka "Uncle Tommy", Francis Biles, William Biles, Sarah Biles Rogers, Udessa Biles Crowell and Lucinda Biles Crowell.

A young Biles descendant places a flag at the Thomas Biles marker.

Thomas Biles was 80 years old when he applied for a pension in 1832. One wonders why he waited so long. His case was heard in the Montgomery County, NC , January term of Court in 1833. He stated he volunteered as a Private under Captain Hugh Montgomery in Salisbury, under Captain James Craig near Neighbor and General Rutherford, the Commanding Officer of the Volunteers. He signed up for three months under Montgomery.

He marched from Salisbury to Cross Creek, 'now Fayetteville, 100 miles against the Tories.'  Under Craig, he marched from the Valley towns of the Cherokee Nation of Indian Cross and stated that the march was supposed to be 250 miles. He marched across the head of he Catawba River to the foot of Savannah Gap foth the South Regiment, with a company of Warriors from the Catawba Nation. They were ordered to destroy things of use to the Indians, and burnt all houses down and cut down corn. He testified that there was no fighting except with the spies who killed and took 17 Indians prisoner. 

Thomas said proof of his service could be provided by Daniel Biles near Salisbury, who was too advanced in years to come to court. This was probably not his son Daniel Biles, but probably his brother or another relative of his own generation. 

Thomas stated that he was born in New Jersey about 1750 and was living in Rowan County, NC at the time of his service. His family had came and settled with the Jersey Settlement, which is in Davidson County, but at that time, Davidson was still a part of Rowan. He described the place he first settled as "five miles above Salisbury". He moved from there to Montgomery County in the year 1797 in the State of North Carolina, "on a farm near the Narrows of the Yadkin River near the Head of Mountain Creek", and continues to live on the same place.

In Thomas's interview he was asked several autobiographal questions. Asked if was drafted or volunteered, he answered that he was a volunteer. Asked if he recieved a discharge, he stated that he did, verbally, by Captain Hugh Montgomery and Captain James Craig.

"I never recieved a written discharge, but verbally which was the custom in the back country."

Mr. James Cotton played the part of Thomas Biles and read his testimony at the ceremony.

He was charged with naming persons who could corroborate his testimony. "State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood who can testify as to your charactor for varicity and their belief of your service as a Soldier of the Revolution".  To which he named William Harris, David Pennington, Frances Locke, David Kendall and George Smith. 

Also giving testimony in his behalf were Stanly County (then Montgomery County) citizens, George Shankle and Robert Smith. 

"We George Shankle Clergyman residing in the neighborhood and Robert Smith residing in the same hereby certify that we are acquanted with Thomas Biles the above applicant........that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution."

Thomas Biles was just one of the brave men who stood up when duty called, to fight for the freedom of our young and growing nation. It was honor to watch the placement and ceremony to his service. He was also the patriarch to a large and industrious Stanly County family. 

Carolina Watchman

Salisbury, North Carolina • Thu, Feb 16, 1882Page 3

Above is the mention of the death of "Uncle Tommy" Biles, son of  Patriot Thomas Biles, for whom the town of Bilesville, now New London, was named. 

The above early map of Bilesville, located at the North Carolina archives, shows the Parker Gold mines, shows the "New Road to Salisbury" intersecting with the "road leading from Dr. Kendall to Stokes Ferry", (note; it could also be an abbreviation of David for David Kendall.). It shows the home of Thomas Biles on the south side of the road. Twenty-six homes are noted, as is the property of John Ivey and the Biles Gold mine tract. The Henry Ivy tract was to the west, and the Howell Parker tract was noted as "being 200 acres granted to Adednego Merryman" and next to an "heirs of Howell Parker deceased" tract. Biles Academy is shown on the map, as well as the home of "P. Kirk" and the "Flint Springs Property". 

We celebrate a piece of Stanly County History. 

Gentleman Jim

 

James M. Davis

Sometimes during a northbound trajectory, it doesn't hurt to double-back, especially if the trip has been long. In my decades long family search, people preceded me, but people have also came after. There are relatives who find the path that I have already tread, and they may have came in from a different angle, and brought with them different knowledge. Some have been very precipitous, but others have been far more diligent and meticulous than I have. Together, and in time, I hope mysteries can be brought to light.

So this happened yesterday. I revisited some of my earliest research, the Davis family, to look at matches. I'm still seeking more straight-line male Davis descendants to add to the Y-DNA database, so I look for Davis descendants who are already researching their family lines. I've learned to not ignore the ladies, although searching for a Y-DNA contributor. One might find someone willing to approach their 80 year old father-in-law or DNA test their 9 year old son. I made a major discovery, treasure chest wise, if not document or information wise. One of my distant Davis cousins had in their possession a picture of James M. Davis, the second son of Job and Sarah Davis. And there he is right up there. The westward cousins are a real gems, because they took tokens of their past with them, knowing they would not see their family often, if at all. 

They're also quite adament that his middle name was Marshall, however, in all the documents I find, I only see him as either, "Jim", which is what his father and brothers called him, James M. or even "J. M. Davis".

Although I have posted several times concerning various times in his life and about several, but not all of his children, even about the family of his wife, Rowena, I've never really taken a constrictive look at his nuclear family. So lets break it down. 

Census Records

Jim was born in 1808, so his first appearance would be noted by age in his father's 1810 Montgomery County record. They lived in West Pee Dee, now Stanly. 

Name	Job Davis
Residence Date	6 Aug 1810
Residence Place	Capt Cage, Montgomery, North Carolina, USA
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10	2 Henry, 4 and James, 2.
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 15	2 John W and Jordan 14 & 12
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25	1 Peter 16
Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44	1 Job 37
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10	1 Charlotte, 9
Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44	1 Sarah 37
Number of Enslaved Persons	6
Number of Household Members Under 16	5
Number of Household Members Over 25	2
Number of Household Members	14

Job Davis had married a widow, Sarah Elizabeth Winfield Howell. She had 4 children by her first husband, Richard Howell. The four were Peter, Jordan, JohnW. and Charlotte Howell and were born between 1794 and 1800. Henry Davis, Job and Sarah's oldest together, was born in 1806, and James came along two years later. 

Name	James Davis
Home in 1830 (City, County, State)	Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29	1 James 22
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5	1 Elizabeth Jane 11 months old
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19	1 Rowena 17
Slaves - Males - Under 10	1
Slaves - Males - 10 thru 23	2
Slaves - Females - Under 10	1
Slaves - Females - 24 thru 35	1
Free White Persons - Under 20	2
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49	1
Total Free White Persons	3
Total Slaves	5
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored)	8

The 1820 Census for Montgomery County was lost or destroyed, so the next census, 1830 is a 20 year jump. By this time, James has started his own family and own enterprise. He has married Rowena Lee, daughter or John Lee and wife, Elizabeth Coppedge Lee and their first child, Elizabeth Jane Davis is an infant. Rowena was a teenager still, as was not uncommon. James also had five enslaved people in his household, that appears to also have been a young family.

Name	James Davis
Residence Date	1840
Home in 1840 (City, County, State)	West Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5	3  John lee 8, Job Pinkney 5, William E 3
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9	1 Edmund Milton 10 *
Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39	1 James 32
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5	1 Winnifred Catherine 1
Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9	1 Charlotte W.    9
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14	1 Elizabeth Jane 11
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29	1 Rowena 27
Slaves - Males - Under 10	2
Slaves - Males - 10 thru 23	2
Slaves - Males - 55 thru 99	1
Slaves - Females - 24 thru 35	1
Persons Employed in Agriculture	4
Free White Persons - Under 20	7
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49	2
Total Free White Persons	9
Total Slaves	6
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves	15

By 1840, James and family have been productive in more ways than one. During this time, James has been buying property and receiving grants in both Stanly and Anson Counties. He and Rowena are now the parents of seven children, that is not up for debate. Family records of direct descendants, as I am a niece descendant, record the name of the oldest son as Edmund or Edward Milton Davis. That would make sense as Sarah's grandfather was Edward Winfield and she had a nephew named Milton. I'm not sure where in the family dynamic that name came from. By the time that the children start showing up in records in Stanly County, this son is not there. It is proposed that he struck out as a young man to Illinois and died there in 1901.

By 1850, Montgomery County has been  split in two, divided by the Pee Dee River and the Davis family shows up in Stanly County, what was the western side of Montgomery. They had not moved. The names of all freeborn members of a household are now shown, and the James M Davis family has grown by six, taking the count to twelve. George W., David D., James W., Mary Arranah, Sarah Elizabeth and Louisa Irena have joined the family.

In the above list, one can see the Davis family all living close to each other, with the exception of the oldest son, Henry Davis, who had moved closer to the future county seat, on Cloverfork Creek. At the top of the page is 70 year old James Crump, with Stephen Crump Jr. 27 and his young bride, Jane Crump 20, and their little daughter. 6 month old Charlotte. This was James M. Davis's oldest daughter, Elizabeth Jane, and his first grandchild. If you wonder about all the "Charlottes" in the family, it was because James M. Davis's mother, Sarah, was the daughter of Charlotte Freeman Winfield, who had several Granddaughters and Great Granddaughters named for her. 

They are followed by Daniel Crump and his family, then by Josiah G. Floyd, and his wife, a descendant of Josiah and Mary Tillman Floyd whom Job had arrived from Virginia with. After the Floyds is Merritt F. Davis, the youngest Davis son, then James' household with his multitude of children, an miller named Abram Kimmer, then Job, Sarah and third son, Edward Winfield Davis, listed as a Merchant. The page is finished out by the James Ludlow Carpenter household, who is also an ancestor of mine. 

James will appear in three more census records, 1860, 1870 and 1880. In this one, he appears in the Manufacting Schedule as a Miller and Sawyer. 

He also appears in the slave schedule with 7 slaves, a 40 year old woman and 14 year old girl, and three men, 60, 35, 22, and three boys, 18, 16 and 13, again, possibly a family, names unknown. 

The 1850's is when James experienced his greatest growth in his estate. How he must have needed it to feed his large, growing family. James had land grants issued in three counties. 

His first was in 1835 in Montgomery, when he was granted 100 acres on the Rocky River adjoining Job. This was in what is now Stanly but before the separation of the two counties.

The second, in 1844, was in Stanly County, 100 acres on Rocky River adjoining William Nash, Tye and Ludwell Carpenter.

The third was in Anson County, for 68 acres on the Rocky River and Richardsons Creek, adjoing the lands of the estate of John Lee, his father-in-law.

The fourth was in 1884 for 45 acres on the Rocky River and Meeting House Branch.

The fifth was about the same time for 50 acres on Coopers Creek adjoingin his own lands, W. F. Crump and his brother, M F Davis.

In the 1850's, however, he had picked up inheritances when his father, Job Davis, passed away in 1852, and again when his mother passed in 1856. He also inherited property from his father-in-law, John Lee, in lieu of his wife Rowena in 1853. Having gained property, he made several strategic purchases among neighbors both of land and livestock and other purchases, including business ventures. Jim helped his brothers operate a gold mine, and he had a Mill on Richardsons "Creek. Jim's Mill would become known as Efirds Mill and is partially still standing today. 

Exploring the site of James M Davis's old home on Richardsons Creek near the Mill.

Gentlemen Jim was a man of the plantation, and not into politics the way his brothers Henry and E. W. were. Still, his name appears quite frequently in the Stanly County court records. He posted a bond in 1842, along with Job, Henry, Eben Hearne, Joshua Hearne and Parham Smith, for his brother Edward Winfield Davis's Sheriff's Bond, when E. W. was elected Sheriff. He served on many juries and committees, and did his Civic Duty. He served on the Board of Superintendants of the Common Schools.

With James Floyd and Alexander Crump, he served as a Manager for District 8 for the Congressional Election. He recieved some property from his father in 1847. He served again as an Election Manager for his District in 1848 for the Govenors Election and the General Assembly.

Sadly, he had to stand with his brothers and give bond in 1849, when Edward W. Davis, Exparte, filed a petition to declare oldest brother Henry, a lunatic. Heny's alcholism had gotten so bad, his behavior had become eratic, and his business decisions unwise. Although he is shown in census records as the head of his household, his family took over his financial dealings in order to protect his wife and children. 

"Henry Davis found to be incapable from mutual infirmity to transact ordinary business of life. Ordered that a writ issue to sheriff to summon a jury to inquire into the state of Henry Davis's mind and sheriff to report to court". E. W. Davis, James M. Davis, Marriott F. Davis and Benjamin Ivy entered into a bond of $2000. 

James served on a few more election committees, and gave bond to family endeavors, but he never ran for office, like Henry, who served as a Magistrate, Justice of the Peace, Ranger and ran for State Senate, or Edward, who served as Sheriff and was a very involved Whig.

Rehobeth Church today

Jim was, however, a very religiously devout man. Two deeds dated 1852 and 1854 show that Benjamin Murray, another Uncle from a different family branch, sold to James M. Davis, John Poplin, William Hendley, William R. Randles, and Caleb Aldridge, as Trustees of Rehobeth Episcopal Church South, a tract of land containing by estimation, nine acres in one deed and six and 3/4 acres in the other in order to establish Rehobeth Church. James is also recorded in church records as being one of the owners of a cabin or wooden "tent" of about 4 rooms that were built in a circle around an arbor, orginally made of brush, that would serve as temporary shelter during the camp meetings, held outside, usually during times of the least activity for the farmers, when visiting ministers would come to stir the crowd with energetic sermons and songs and worship services. 

A camp meeting photo among my grandmother's collectio. She grew up near Cottonville and was born in 1898, so it was probably in the same area, although I don't know where this one was held. Circa 1930 perhaps.

1860

By 1860, Jim has become very established and is still living in Stanly County, although among very different neighbors. 

Name	James M Davis
Age	52
Birth Year	abt 1808
Gender	Male
Race	White
Birth Place	North Carolina
Home in 1860	Stanly, North Carolina
Post Office	Albemarle
Dwelling Number	1153
Family Number	1169
Occupation	Farmer
Real Estate Value	3250
Personal Estate Value	17000
Inferred Spouse	Rowena Davis
Inferred Child	William E Davis; George Davis; David Davis; Wesley Davis; Arranna Davis; Louisa J Davis

Household members

Name	Age
James M Davis	52
Rowena Davis	47
William E Davis	23
George Davis	20
David Davis	18
Wesley Davis	16
Arranna Davis	14
Louisa J Davis	9

He's in his early 50's, Rowena, her later 40's and they still have six children at home. The older daughters have all married and married well. Some of the sons had struck out on their own. There had been losses, and would be more to come. James and Rowena, as was typical, but tragic for the time, would outlive several of their children. The name of the Post Office indicates James had moved the family away from the Davis Plantaion, where most of his land holding till lay, and closer to Albemarle. His real estate value was $3250 and his personal estate $17,000. That's about $775,000 today. He owned 17 slaves, as reported in the 1860 schedule. This schedule, broken down in sections puts James in the neighborhood of William P Palmer, Geroge W. Crowell, Daniel Freeman,  Richmond Pickler and Eben Hearne. I wonder if he was not living on Henry's Cloverfork Creek property. His brothers, E. W .and M. F and Henry's oldest son, Benjamin F. Davis, were all living still close together, with the expected neighbors, Floyd, Carpenter and such, on the old Davis Plantation. Henry, even though his mental and behavioural issues due to alchoholism had already been well recorded, seems to have been located in the northern part of the county, at this time. He was not destitute, his property values were $2000 in real estate and $1000 in personal

In the agricultural scheudule, Jim was said to own 200 improved acres and 400 unimproved. That meant that 200 acres were tilled, worked or lived upon while 400 acres were wooded and wild. In the manufacturing schedule, he and his brother Edward were down as mechants, as well as millers, turning wheat and corn into meal and flour. 

The War came and there were losses. James lost a son, I believe and a brother. Legend has it that  Henry was found on the Island in the Rocky River, that at the time, belonged to James. Fact is that James buried Henry in the family cemetery in Anson County of his father-in-law, John Lee. Why Henry was not buried in the Davis family cemetery, where his parent were buried ten and six years earlier, is unknown and can only be guessed upon. 

James returned from close to Albemarle, in 1860, back to the Davis plantation area and rejoined his surviving brothers, E. W. and M. F. Living among them were former slaves, to whom they had awarded the heads of those households their own small plats of land to work and others, still worked as household help or sharecroppers. They even had their own church built upon the property. Descendants of those people still live in this county until this time. 

James is seen as a 60 year old farmer, Rowena 55 is keeping house in the 1870 census. Four adult children are still at home. David, at 27, is in school. The name of the school is not given, and may be the reason for the move. His age in mind, it seems more likely that it is a college or training school, perhaps the Bilesville Academy, or something akin to it. Wesley, 25, is just 'at home', as is Mary Arranna, 22, and Louisa, 19. Two boarders,  live with them, Louis Gaines, 17, is a farm hand and Delaney Hinson's role is unknown, she is just seen as 'at home'. She had an interesting and mysterious life as rogue women often do, however.

A decade later, James and Rowena are seen in their last census, 1880. They have now moved across the Rocky River to Anson County, probably to the mill site on Richardson's Creek, or to John Lee's old place. Jim is now 72 and Rowena, 67. Only the youngest two daughters remain. They will soon be married. All were born in North Carolina, but parents birthplaces are given in this census, and James parents were born in Virginia, which we know, and for Rowena, her father, John Lee, was born in North Carolina, while his wife, Elizabeth Coppedge, was born in Viriginia. Two young farm hands are living with them and helping them out. Henry Howard is 18, white, and a tenant while Louis Harris is 16, black and listed as a servant.

This last census reveals the family in Burnsville, Township, Anson County.

Neighbors, like freedmen Johnson Davis, before Jim's household listing and Elisha Davis, after, were probably former slaves. Eliza Turner, the last surving daughter of George Turner, is a near neighbor and knowing where both John Lee and George Turner lived, it makes sense that James is know living on the old Lee place that Rowena inherited. Richard Poplin is also a Stanly County resident who had moved south across the river. 

According to Jim's estate papers, he died in December of 1883 at the age of 75. The executor of his estate was his son-in-law, Valentine Mauney, and was probated in Stanly County, despite his last known location as Anson. In 1889, it shows his estate still holding 631 acres in Anson County. Jim did not leave a Will, which is odd, for a man of his age not to do, especially when holding as much property as he did, with as many heirs. James had outlived several of his children. Valentine Mauney listed the surviving heirs as Rowena Davis, widow, daughters C. W. Shankle, Aranna Perry and Lou Blaylock and sons, W. E., G. W., D. D. and J. W. Davis. 

A Division of Property is found in the Stanly County Registry of Deeds, Book 14, Page 175. Jim's property was divided into 9 lots. Although only 7 of his children survived him, two of those that predeceased him left heirs. 

December 18, 1885

Lot 1 that started at the mouth of the Throughfare, followed the Rocky River to the mouth of the 1st hollow and followed a road to Coopers Creek, contained 108 acres alotted to Charlotte Davis Shankle.

Lot 2 began at the mouth of the Upper Hollow and went down river to the old field, down the road to 20 steps from the Shop, from there to the creek, and followed the old line to the center of the road, contained 76 acres alotted to George W. Davis.

Lot 3 ran from the above lot to the bank of the Rocky River, to 20 steps from the Shop and was alotted to M. R. H. Perry and wife 'Arena'. 

Lot 4 was 85 acres alotted ot Valentine Mauney and wife, W. C. 

Lot 5 ran down the Rocky River opposite the Island, to the mouth of Scalybark Branch and was 66 acres, "including the Island" and was alotted to James Varker and wife, Sophronia and L. A. Heilig and wife. These two being granddaughters and their husbands, their mother, Jim's daughter, being deceased. 

Lot 6 began on the bank of the Throughfare, followed the Throughfare to the river, down river to the Meeting House Branch, ending at a Pear Tree and contained 70 acres alotted to W. E. Davis.

Lot 7 began at Meeting House Branch, ran along W. F. Crumps line, and was alotted to D. D. Davis.

The next lots were noted to be located in Anson County. 

Lot 8 was located on Richardson Creek' just below the ford'. It contained 143 acres bordering the Rocky River and excepted 8 acres belonging to the Davis Mill tract and alotted to James Wesley Davis.

Lot 9 began at J. H. Perry's corner on Richardson Creek below the ford and contained 137 acres alotted to Charles Blalock and his wife Lou. 

Rowena Lee Davis, widow, recieved the standard alottment of  land and property following her husbands death as Dower.  She would outlive him for a few years, passing away at age 74. Rowena would die in Anson County and her son, James Wesley Davis, a single man who probably lived with her, was the executor of her estate, apparently Valentine Mauney was appointed first, but J. W. took over. 

Having taken a hint from her husbands death, Rowena had written a will on April 28, 1884. It was filed in Anson County. She would live three more years after. Her Will was simple and direct. She requested a proper burial and her debts to be paid, after the usual statements about soundness of mind and weakness of body. She then devised One dollar each to her children Charlotte Shankle, 'J Monia', meaning Jane Mauney, Catherine "Monia" aka Mauney, Arannah Perry, George Davis, William E. Davis, David D. Davis, J Wesley Davis and 'youngest' Lew I Blaylock. 

"I give and bequeath all the rese and residue of my estate real personal & mined which I shall or may be seized of and present of or heir to at my death to be equally divided with my youngest son J. Wesley and my youngest daughter Lew I Blalock." J. Wesley and Lew were to see that their brother David D. Davis did not suffer. He may have came down with an ailment or handicap. Life was hard. She then nominated her son-in-law, Valentine Mauney and son James Wesley Davis, to be the executors of her estate. J. M. Broadway and W. L Kendall were witnesses. 

Wesley became the executor and within the Probate papers, her exact date of death was given as February  27, 1887. The papers also stated, " the other one Valentine Mauney has not decided to qualify as one of her executors. " 

Among her property was 200 acres in Burnsville Township in Anson County bordering Wilson P. Turner, M. F. Edwards, Thomas Birmingham, and others, one cow and yearling, household and kitchen furniture and other personal items worth about $500. Rowena's estate file is 22 pages and typically repetitive. Her list of heirs were:

• Charlotte Shankle of Anson County
• The heirs of Jane Mauney of Rowan County
• Catherine Mauney of Stanly County
• Arranah Perry of Anson County
• George Davis who lives in Texas
• W. E. Davis of Anson County
• David D. Davis of Stanly County
• J Wesley Davis of Anson County
• Lew J Blaylock of Anson County

The Rowena Lee Davis estate was probated on March 7th, 1887. Beside her land, she owned a buggy, a few cows, blacksmith tools, typical farm implements and a great deal of furniture, including 4 tables and 12 chairs, a bookcase and lots of books, indicating the house was of a good size. 

James M. Davis and wife, Rowena lived a typical and successful life that streached most of the middle years of the 19th century. They were enterprising, pious and resourceful and raised a large family of the same. The family bible was passed from Rowena into the hands of the Belk family of Mecklenburg County,  whom one of her granddaughters married into. They started a string of string of stores still thriving throughout the southeast today. 

Below is as complete a list of their heirs of Jim and Rowena,  to the grandchildren, as I can determine.

A) Elizabeth Jane Davis  Born July 12, 1829, Also seen as "Eliza Jane" or just "Jane".  Married 1st: Stephen Crump Jr. or Stephen James Crump, son of James Crump and member of a large cotton farming family of Cottonville, Stanly County. One child, Charlotte Sophronia Crump, born in 1850. Stephen Crump passed away in 1858. Sophronia Crump married James Barker. 

Jane married second, Ephraim Mauney (1812-1899), on September 16, 1858, a widower with children. They would have one child together, Tallulah Lee Mauney Heilig. She is the "Lula Heilig" in her grandmother's estate records. The family moved to Gold Hill, NC where Ephriam was a merchant and industrialist. Jane died and is buried in Gold Hill, Rowan County on January 1, 1880. Elizabeth Jane Davis Crump Mauney died when a physician accidentally gave her an overdose of morphine.

B) Edward Milton Davis born about 1830. I don't doubt that he existed, as a son of this birth order is shown in the 1840 census and his name is written in the Family Bible. He supposedly migrated to Illinois before the 1850 census. Others have him connected to a doctor that died there in 1901, but there is no mention of him or his heirs in the estate records of Jim or Rowena. He was born, but when or where he really died keeps Milton a mystery.

C) Charlotte W. Davis born February 9, 1831 She married Dr. Abraham Joseph Shankle on May 6, 1851 at the age of 20. He was a member of the Forks area Shankles, the fertile pennisula between the Pee Dee and Rocky River forks. They had three children: 

1)Josephine J. Shankle (1852-1925) 

2) Cains M. Shankle (1855-1930) Married Mary Kathleen Swaringen 7 children: Caroline "Carrie", Grover, Charles, Charlotte "Lottie", Josephine "Josie", Paul and Robert. Settled in Ellis County, Texas.

3) Talola Lee Shankle (1860-1942) Married Charles Augustus Maynor or Maner. 4 children: Tyler Bennett, June Postell, Fannie Andrews Maynor Smith, Valentine B. Maynor.

D) John Lee Davis was born about 1832. By 1860, he was running his own farm in Burnsville District, Anson County. He was listed next to George Turner, and it seems like he was on the old John Lee property on Richardson Creek. He enlisted in the Confederate Army in July of 1862 and mustered with Co. K 44th Infantry in Anson County, NC. He was often sick, wounded and captured as a POW. He is last recorded as alive in 1864, but as he never returned, it is assumed he died that year, possibly at Elmira, his last known location.

E) Job Pinkney Davis was born about 1835. His death was reported in the January 12, 1855 issue of The North Carolinan, as having died in December of 1854 at age 20. Reason unknown.

F) William Edward Davis was born in 1837. He married at 23,  in late 1860 to Eliza Ann Kendall Crump, daughter of John Spillman Kendall and Winifred Harrison Turner, and the third wife and  widow of  Stephen Crump, Sr. (1788-1857). This Stephen was the uncle of Stephen Crump Jr. that W. E. Davis's sister Eliza Jane had married. In 1857, Crump Sr.'s real estate was the second highest value in Stanly County. He had 15 heirs and 45 slaves when his property was divided. He had served in The War of 1812 and was locally, "The King of Cotton". When Eliza married him in 1848, she was 18 and Crump was 59, older than her own father. William Edward Davis married a wealthy young widow.

Eliza brought 5 children with her when she married W. E. Davis. He helped raise them. They were 1850: Lucy Ann Crump, 1852: Winifred Florence "Wincy" Crump, 1854: Robert Alfred "Bob" Crump, 1856 Walter Stephen Crump and 1858: Charlotte Helen Crump, who was born posthumously on April 15th of that year.

W. E. Davis and Eliza Kendall Crump Davis would have three daughters. Some show a son, Lee Davis, as well. The 9 year old child in the 1870 census, Lee, is marked as a male, however, Lila, who would have been 9 that year, is missing. I believe it was a mistake on the part of the census taker the the child "Lee" was actually Lila.

1) Lila Pauline Davis Smith (1861-1934)

2) Harriet "Hettie" or "Hattie" Davis (1863-1895)

3) Annie L Davis (1867-1884) 

William Edward Davis died in 1891. His family are buried at the Concord United Methodist Church Cemetary in Anson County, NC, on part of the old Winfield Plantation, with the exception of Lila, the only child to have her own family.

G) Winnifred Catherine "Winny" Davis was born July 12, 1839. She married at age 20 to Valentine Mauney, 43, a brother of her sister Jane's husband, Ephraim Mauney, as his second wife. Hon. Valentine Mauney was a buisnessman, farmer, industrialist, merchant and politician. He served in the State Legistlature and owned a mining operation in Gold Hill with his brother, Ephraim. Although the family settled in Harris Township in Stanly County, records of Valentines business ventures can also be found in Rowan, Cabarrus, Davidson, Mecklenburg, Anson, Union,  Richmond and Lincoln Counties, where he was born. He had two children before his marriage to Winny Davis; John and  Virginia. Valentine and Winnifred Catherine Davis Mauney had five children together that they raised in the New London, Stanly County vicinity.

1) Mary Cora Mauney (1861-1939) Married 1st Madison Badget. Married 2nd Curtis W. Stokes of the Newsome Community, Davidson County, NC "Stokes Ferry Stokes". 

2) James Monroe Mauney (1866-1942) Married Nolie F. Burt.

3) Minnie Lee Mauney (1867-1958) Married James Lee Crowell.

4) Charles Julius Mauney (1871-1927) Married Marjorie Burns Atkins.

5) David Valentine Mauney (1872-1954) Married Delia Caudle.

Winnifred Catherine, "W.C." or "Winny" Davis Mauney died on August 4, 1906 of Dropsy, at the age of 67. She is buried in the New London, NC town cemetery.

H) George Washington Davis was born about 1841. George helped work for his father until the Civil War, when, at the age of 20, he enlisted as a Private with Co. D. 28th Infantry. He later transferred to Unit K. In 1864, he was imprisoned at Spotsylvania Courthouse, but made it home alive. After the War, George would go West, and ended up in the Red River Valley of Texas, where, on October 5, 1867, he would marry Mary Ellen Puett. Her family had Burke County, NC roots. They would afterwards settle in Ellis County, Texas where they would raise their 6 children;

1) James Puett Davis (1868-1927) His documents state he was born in North Carolina on June 12, 1868, depite his parents marrying in Red River, Texas. Married Emmma A. Felton. No children.

2) John Wesley (JW) Davis (1870-1943) Married Hattie Alzada Southern. 5 children.

3) George Davis II (born 1873- died young)

4) Anna Rowena Davis (1876-1938) Married Edward E. Lane. 3 children

5) Joseph Alexander Davis (1879-1935) Married Delilah Sutphen. No children.

6) Charles Washington Davis (1884-1946) Married Isla Mildred Griffith. 4 daughters.

George Washington Davis died on May 10, 1910 in the town of Toyah, Reeves County, Texas. He is buried at the Toyah Old Cemetery.

I) David Daniel Davis was born on November 14, 1842. He worked for his father until the War. Like his brother, George, David enlisted on July 29, 1961 in Company D, 28th Infantry and later changed to Company K. He was wounded at Gettysburg, PA and was imprisoned there.He was exchanged in a prisoner swap a year later and made it home alive. He remained single and in the family home for some time after. Finally, on May 10, 1880, David, 36, married 18 year old Ann Elizabeth (Ann Eliza) Thompson, daughter of George and Mary Ann Morton Thompson of Norwood, NC. There were three children born to this marriage.

1) Carrie Davis (1883-1915) Married William Thomas Mauldin, Jr. Carrie died in childbirth with her 3rd child at age 30.

2) Mattie Irene Davis (1886-1968) Married Merritt Filmore Mabry, 5 children.

3) Edward David Davis (1888 - 1971) Married 1st Nettie Mae Jordan of Iredell County, Married 2nd Biddie Cordelia Seagle Kessler. Five children by 1st wife.

David D. Davis died on November 20, 1887. He never met his son, who was born posthumously. His widow, Annie Thompson Davis remarried on March 7, 1888 to John Riley Eddins, by whom she had 6 more children. Some of the Davis children are at times shown as Eddins or Eddings.

David Daniel Davis was buried at Cedar Grove UMC Church near Norwood, NC.

J) James Wesley Davis was born about 1845. I have blogged about Wesley before. He never married and took over the running of his fathers Mill on Richardson Creek upon his death. Wesley also enlisted in the Civil War in Company D, 28th Infantry. He was imprisoned after being injured at Gettysburg. Some of his military records have been merged with a man with the same initials as Wesley made it back home alive.He would sell the Mill and move to Wadesboro, living for awhile with his nephew, David Valentine Mauney.

Wesley died on May 14, 1921. He is buried in the Mauney plot at the New London Town Cemetery with his sister, W. C. Davis Mauney.

K) Mary Arranah Davis was born November 12, 1846. She married on February 3, 1881 to the Rev. Marion Robinson Perry. As was opposite of the usual, Arranah was 30 and M. R. W. Perry was 22. The couple first settled in Burnsville, in Anson County, then moved to Monroe, in Union County, before finally settlling in Marshville. There were two children.

1) Minnie Josephine Perry (1881-1967) Married John Thomas Belk. The family settled in Charlotte, NC. 6 children.

2) James Heyward Perry ( 1885-1931) Married Alma James of Marshville. Settled in Charlotte,NC, returned to Marshville. One child.

Mary Arranah Davis passed away on August 22, 1923. She is buried at the  Marshville City Cemetery.  Rev. Perry outlived her and moved to Tampa, Florida.

L) Sarah Elizabeth Davis was born about 1846.  She died as a child in about 1860.

M) Louisa Irena (Arena) "Lew" Davis, the youngest of the Jim and Rowena Davis children, was born about 1849. She married on December 19, 1880, to Charles James Blalock, son of Mastin Crawford Blalock and Sarah McSwain Thompson, as his second wife. Louisa is shown living with him in Burnsville in 1900, her brother, Wesley, with them. He remarried on July 19, 1903 to Mary Edwards. This gives Lew a year of death between 1900 and 1903. Her place of burial is unknown, but perhaps the John Lee cemetery near where she lived. There were no children born in any of Charles Blalocks marriages. 

The final resting place of Gentleman Jim Davis and wife Rowena are unknown. It's thought to be the old John Lee Cemetery, where his brother, Henry is buried, but their markers not surviving or illegible. His family made an impact on the area in several counties.