Oxford defines homeland as, "a person's or people's native land".
The Davis family was the first branch of my family tree I began researching. The Aldridge's were the second. I was 14 or 15 years old. I'm 65 today. It's been a long time.
Both families settled in the southern part of Stanly County, along the Rocky River, in an area known as Tyson Township. What became the Davis and Aldridge lands was South of the little town of Aquadale and North of the Cottonville area and a little west of them both. Today we would call it UCLA, upper Cottonville and lower Aquadale.
I consider this area my Homeland, as I descend from several families from this area, not just these two.
I'm simply going to attempt to define the area my Davis ancestors lived in, using grants and deeds, to paint a caliginous portrait, at best, of the places they called home.
Job Davis arrived along the Rocky River, sometime around 1794 or so. He was about 19 and traveled with the family of Josiah and Mary Tillman Floyd. There were others in the party, Tillmans, undoubtedly, Ledbetter's possibly. More families from their particular area of Southside Virginia had arrived a decade or few before them, Marshalls, Allen's, Winfield's, Robertsons, Howells, Stokes, Atkins, Epps and others.
The Floyd's had lived up on Taylor's Creek, that straddled Mecklenburg and Brunswick Counties. Job Davis had been born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia on April 10, 1773. He probably lived near Taylor's Creek, as well, as he would later testify that he had lived within two miles of them his entire life. There's a great possibility that Mary was his first cousin, as her mother, Rebecca Ann Davis, was the oldest daughter of Henry Davis and Mary Marriott Davis. Her stepfather, James Taylor, was one of guardians of Henry's children who were underage up on his death in 1768. The other guardian, Joshua Winfield, was the brother of Peter Winfield, who had settled in Anson County, on the Southside of the Rocky River, a decade before. Peter would become the father-in-law of Job Davis. Both the Floyd's and the Davises would name a son Henry, and another Marriott.
Josiah Floyd was among the diluvial pack of Revolutionary War veterans who had emptied out of Virginia in the years following the War. They had arrived with a capacity to push out the western boundary of North Carolina and settled in the rolling hills and among the multifarious rivers and creeks.
He claimed a land grant for 150 acres in Montgomery County, NC, of which Stanly was a part of at the time, on August 20, 1802, Land Patent Book 115, Page 229, Montgomery County grant # 1868. It was on the SW side of the PeeDee River, which was Stanly, began at John Stokers corner and ran with Porters field line to a stake in Job Davis's line, and met with a 100-acre tract already in Floyd's possession.
So, Job already had property at that time.
His first was 50 acres on the west side of Cooper's Creek, entered in 1798. Cooper's Creek runs through property today that belongs to descendants of Job Davis, passed down through the generations. It was recorded in Book 111, Page 297, Montgomery County grant # 1818.
A small, second grant of only two acres, was entered on August 16, 1800, Book 110, Page 411, Grant 1909. It was also on the west side of Cooper's Creek and began at John Richardsons corner and met with Brooks property.
Job Davis was not married at this time. Sarah Winfield, who was also born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia in 1775, only two months younger than Job, had married Richard Howell as a teenager and they had four children between 1794 and 1800. When Sarahs father, Peter Winfield, died in 1802, Richard was still alive. He soon passed away as well, still in 1802, according to his own Will. Job and Sarah would be married in Marlboro County, South Carolina, in 1805, by her cousin Joel Winfield.
Jobs oldest sons, Henry and James, would also receive grants in Montgomery County, before it became Stanly.
Henry's land collection began with 50 acres, and was entered on July 4, 1837, and adjoined the property of Alexander Crump, 'formerly Daniel Easley's line ", and Josiah Floyds property, ' near a high land Pond's. It met Stokes McIntyres property, Nancy Throgmorton's 50 acres and Joel Greens line.
James M Davis, second son of Job and Sarah Winfield Davis, was born in 1808, two years after his brother, Henry. He first applied for a grant on March 3, 1835. His 100 acres grant was registered in Montgomery County Land Patent Book 142, page 155 as Montgomery County Grant # 3015. It was located "on the drains of Rocky River. It began at a Post Oak on the corner of Job Davis's 50 acre entry to a stake in Nash's line, then to a stake in Carpenters Spencer tract, then back to the beginning.
Having read other deeds involving the Davis family, I knew that Nash had to refer to William Nash and Carpenter to neighbor, James Ludwell Carpenter, my 4th Great Grandfather.
By this time, Job Davis had increased his holdings in both Montgomery, Anson and even the distant Cumberland County. In Anson, he had acquired property by virtue of his marriage to Sarah Winfield Howell. Two years prior to their marriage, Sarah had inherited property after the death of her father, Peter Winfield, as assigned to her husband, Richard Howell. Richard would die later that same year, and his property was then assigned to his young widow and minor children.
Peter Winfield had first purchased property of Jesse and Susannah Spencer in 1785, on the Rocky River that had been John Spencer's patent from 1775 and met the property of Andrew (Andreas) Preslar, my 7th Great Grandfather, and also an ancestor of Elvis Presley. This tract was 280 acres. There will be mentions of the Spencer tract in future transactions within the family, on both sides of the river. In 1787, he would purchase property adjoining that tract from High Ross Sr. This land also met John Spencer's and Preslar's. This property had been granted to Ross, a Taylor, in 1775 by 'his Majesty' and was 200 acres. Witnesses were John Lilly, Richard Randle, and Donald Ross. The first deed had been witnessed by James Marshall, Benjamin Spencer, and Peter's son, Edward Winfield. It gives a little hint as to who was in the neighborhood. James Marshall had a close relationship to the family and may have made the trek from Virginia with Peter and company.
Peter would receive two grants, both on the Rocky River, and both in 1790. One was for 200 acres, and met the property of Ross and Preslar, which generation, I can't be sure. The second was 100 acres, along the Rocky River, and began at Spencer and Ross's corner, but met the lands of Griffith Hogan, Joseph Waters, and Taylor's line.
In 1792, Peter would also purchase two tracts from James Mcinvale. The first tract began at Ross and Spencer's corner and met the property of Griffin Hogan, Joseph Walters, and again, Taylors line, of 100 acres. Witnesses were Richard Howell and Griffin Nash, both sons-in-law, Richard married to Sarah and Griffin to Jemima.
The second Mcinvale tract began at the first at Spencer and Ross's corner and down Presley's line but met Cabin Branch and was 75 acres on the Rocky River. Peter's only son, Edward, would receive his own grants, then inheritances from Robert Lee and Argent Lee, by virtue of his marriage to their daughter, Susannah. Then, like his three sisters, he received shares of Peter's property, and then, his mother Charlotte Freeman Winfield's when she died. He expanded on that and had considerable holdings in both Anson and Montgomery (now Stanly). The Winfield Road would be built from the vicinity of Albemarle, through Edwards estate, past Rehoboth Church, across the river at Winfield Ford and to Brown Creek in Anson. Portions still remain, especially in Anson. Winfield Ford became Davis Ford.
To understand where the Anson holdings were, the above is from an historic map of Anson County, with an empty, Texas-looking Stanly County to the north. On this one, Gaddy's Ferry is marked, within the upper bend, and shows the Gaddy's living in Anson, below the Ferry. To the west, the Efird Mill is marked, the mill that had once been ran by James M. Davis. The location is a little off, as the Mill was on Richardson Creek, near its conjunction with the Rocky River, but not on the Rocky River. The homestead of George Turner is marked, near the Efird homeplace, misspelled "Efford". West of Efird's Mill, the old Davis Ford is marked. J. W. Davis who lived in Anson, just above the Ford would be Wesley Davis, a son of James M. Davis. The land above Davis Ford and to the left and the right of it, was the location of the Davis Plantation and the lands of Job Davis and his sons. All the way to right side of this portion of map, below the markings of Ugley Creek, and past the Crump Mill and Crump Ferry, is the area of the Peter Winfield Plantation that had passed to Richard Howell, in right of his wife Sarah "Sally" Winfield Howell, then to Job Davis and then to Richard and Sally's children.
This part of the Winfield Plantation would become known as the community of Wharf a century after Peter's passing.
Peter Howell, Sarah Winfield Howell Davis's oldest son, was granted 10 acres on the Rocky River, that bordered Phillip Lynch and Griffin Nash. Griffin Nash was his uncle, married to Sarah's sister, but Phillip Lynch was of no known familial connection, yet also connected to a Joshua Davis, whom I have scrutinized with little luck. It began at an oak at Job Davis's fence, then ran with his line south 51, then east for 110 poles to Griffin Nash's line, then south 50 west 45 poles to Phillip Lynches line, then North, 40 west 110 poles to Lynches corner, then back to the beginning. His uncle, Griffin Nash and Stepfather, Job Davis witnessed it and Peter McIntyre was the surveyor. The extraordinary thing about this grant is that it was first entered on March 8, 1803 and granted on December 1, 1807. Peter Howell was born about 1794, making him a child when receiving this grant. Only 13, when it was granted.
In July of 1818, Job Davis and his wife, Sally, of Montgomery County, transferred to Peter Howell of Anson County, 28 acres of land in Anson, "being part of a tract of land that Richard Howell lived on and died on that come to his wife from her father Peter Winfield". It began at two pines in the dividing line of Edward Winfield, 'in or near the path' and ran east to the Spring Branch, then ran with Peter's grant to Phillip Lynches line, then followed Edward Winfield's property line, (another uncle) to the beginning. It included "the house and spring". It was witnessed by John W. Howell and William Cawthorn. John Winfield Howell was Peters brother, about a year younger than Peter and William Cawthorn was the son-in-law of Phillip Lynch. I can't help but speculate over a closer connection between the two families besides just neighbors. Peter would have been about 24 at this time.
On April 3, 1821, Jordan Howell and John W. Howell of Fayetteville, and Levi Stancill and Charlotte, his wife, of Montgomery County, sold to Peter Howell, for $300, their shares of the estate of their father, Richard Howell, who had passed away in 1802, when they ranged in age from 8 to 2. The younger two brothers, Jordan and John Winfield Howell, had already relocated to Cumberland County and Levi, a minister, and Charlotte, the youngest child, would soon be relocating to Georgia. It was witnessed by Stephen Nash, and Darling Allen. Stephen Nash was their cousin, son of Griffin and Jemima Winfield Nash and also the son-in-law of Phillip Lynch, having married his daughter, Nancy. Darling Allen was also a son-in-law of Phillip Lynch, having married his daughter, Catherine or "Katie".
On February 7, 1848, Job Davis of Stanly County (having been established in 1841) sold to Peter Howell, of Anson County, for $525, a considerable sum in those days, land on Rocky River, known as "Lot No 2". It consisted of 41 acres and met Lot 1 and Lynches property. It was witnesses by Peter's half-brother, E. W. Davis and signed by Job and Sarah. An addendum was witnessed by Ausborn Turner and John Winfield, Peter's cousin and son of Edward Winfield. At this point, Job and Sarah were 75 years old and wanting to divide out properties among their children. The Howells seen near the Wharf Post Office and school in the above map portion were descendants of Peter Howell. Peter would marry, Elizabeth "Betsy" Floyd, daughter of Josiah and Mary Tillman Floyd, whom I have mentioned already. J. E. was James Edward Howell, born in 1834, who was the one son of theirs who had not gone west. W. M. Howell was his son, William Marshall Howell, born in 1872, probably named for J. E. 's brother of the same name, born in 1830, who had moved to Yell County, Arkansas and Grayson County, Texas.
James was the second son, James Robert Howell, as William Marshall was the oldest. J. E. McSwain, listed twice due to two distant properties he owned, was also living on land inherited from Peter Howell. Peter's oldest son, named quite predictably, Richard, had died a young man in 1855, leaving a widow, two small children and a stepson, Patrick R. Threadgill. His father, Peter, had settled his estate and took custody of the two children, Teresa Florence Howell and Robert. When Peter died in 1866, the two children inherited their father's share of Peter's estate. Robert is not seen past age 14, and doesn't seem to have made it to adulthood, so Florence received his share and when she married James Edward McSwain, this portion came to her. Most of it remains in the McSwain family to this day.
Job and his sons continued to buy, sell and trade property under the heading of Montgomery County, and due to multiple Courthouse fires, several of those records were lost. When West Pee Dee and East Pee Dee separated into two counties in 1841, several entries were made on behalf of the Davis clan. Most of it along the Rocky River in a big hunk above Davis Ford.
1841 Stanly County NC Entry Takers Office February 9th, 1841
Stanly County is born. In the Land Enntry Book, the following entries are made by the Davis's:
No. Date Name Location and Number of Acres
12 2-23 Henry Davis 100 acres on Fly Blow Branch adj Lewis Smith & Charles McSwain.
13 2-23 Benja F. Davis 100 acres on the old road leading from Rocky River Springs to Allenton
adj. Lewis Smith & Charles McSwain.
48 9-1 Stokes McIntyre 100 acres adj Henry Davis, George McSwain & others.
49 9-1 Merrot F. Davis 100 acres adj Charles McSwain & others.
50 9-14 Edward W. Davis 100 acres adj. an entry of Henry Davis & others.
51 9-16 Job Davis 100 acres on or near Fly Blow Br. adj. David Kendall, Lewis Smith &
others including Thomas Brown's 1st site School House Spring near Cattail.
85 1-5 James M. Davis 100 acres on waters of Rocky River adj.William Nash, Tye and Ludwell
Carpenter.
86 1-5 Job Davis 100 acres on waters of Rocky River adj. Wm. Nash, Tye & others.
142 6-3 Henry Davis 100 acres on Winfield Rd (spelled Winkfield) adj Eben Hearne & others.
170 12-8 Henry Davis 100 acres on Rocky River adj. John Gibson & Co.
300 11-22 Henry H. Davis 100 acres on East side of Flat Rock Branch adj Henry Davis, Job Davis & others.
304 12-8 Edward W. Davis 100 acres on waters of Rocky River adj. his own lines.
390 3-25 B. F. Davis 100 acres on the SW side of Mountain Creek adj Bailey Smith & Edward
P. Smith. (Baily Smith was married to Mary Palmer, sister of Henry Davis's
wife, Martha Palmer Davis. Edward P was Bailey's son. Family)
This entry was preceded by entries on the same date by Bailey and Edward Pinkney Smith.
391 3-25 John Davis 100 acres on SW side of Mountain Creek adj. B.F. Davis's 100 a entry.
(Note: John, Benjamin F. and Henry H. Davis were the three oldest sons of Henry Davis).
429 7-27 Job Davis 70 acres on the waters of Rocky River adj E. W. Davis & others.
432 8-17 Henry Davis 100 acres on Winfield Road adj. his own line.
(Two interesting non-Davis entries were 433 8-17 Gabriel Bell 100 acres on both sides of Winfield Rd. adj. Henry Davis and 436 8-26 Chapman E. Bell 100 acres on waters of Mirehole Branch adj. Kiah Morton and Henry Davis's lines, Kiah Morton being Hezekiah Morton).
 |
| Job Davis and E. W. Davis mentioned in account book of Ebenezer Hearne |
In NC Land Grants for Stanly County, we see the paralell.
Job Davis has two, one in 1842 and another in 1843. Patent Book 149 page 224 as Stanly County Grant # 79. On the waters of the Rocky River, joining E.W. Davis's tract, formerly William Nash's, To a pine in Jerry Broadway's line, to a stake in Tye's line, for 100 acres.
Land Patent Book 149 page 222 as Stanly County Grant # 74. Also on the banks of the Rocky and also joining Neddy's land (E. W. Davis's nickname was Neddy).To James M. Davis's corner, Ludwell Carpenter's line,
Henry Davis was issued 100 acres of land on 10 Apr 1844 in Stanly County, located "On the Fly Blow Branch". This was recorded in Land Patent Book 149 page 134 as Stanly County Grant # 66. This one joined Lewis Smith and Charles McSwain and his own line of his Poplin tract.
Benjamin F. Davis was issued 100 acres of land on 10 Apr 1844 in Stanly County, located "Adj. Charles McSwain etc.". This was recorded in Land Patent Book 149 page 135 as Stanly County Grant # 67. Henry's oldest son, Benjamin Franklin Davis, was granted land on Ugly Creek joining Charles McSwain, James Crump and Jones Green.
Edward Winfield Davis, James M. Davis and Marriott Freeman Davis also recieved two grants each.
In the 1850 census, Job and Sarah are listed as 77 and 76 years of age, and living in Ross with their single son, EW, a merchant, 37. Job's real estate was evaluated at $400, while Neddy's was evaluated at $1000. By this time, Job had already distributed much of his property among his sons and stepsons.
A look up the page, and you can see that son James and his family lived close by, with Merritt/Marriott next to James. Names of neighbors reflect names seen in some of the grants. Miller, Abram Kimmer lived next door. He may have been an employee. James Ludwell Carpenter is listed on the other side and above Merritt and James is Stephen, James and Daniel Crump households with Josiah Floyd (IV) between them.
The top of the page is led by John Davis, Henry's son, an Overseer. The family he was Overseer for was the last entry on the previous page. He was employed by his other Grandfather, Rueben Kendall. Henry Davis had first married Sarah L. Kendall, Rueben's daughter, with whom he had the two sons, Benjamin Franklin in 1829 and John in 1831. His remaining children were by his second wife, Martha Palmer. Henry was living near Albemarle on Cloverfork Creek by 1850, while still owning land along the Rocky. An 1849 deed also revealed he purchased some land in Montgomery County from Brittain Manuel. He would afterwards, before his death, go into a steady decline and sell most of his land. The Cloverfork Creek property was described as having a garden, apples trees and being near Timothy Ragsdale.
Job did not live long after the 1850 census. He had been steadily transferring propety to his sons and other kin, before his death. In Stanly County Deed Book 2 Page 63, he transfers a tract to his three younger sons, along the Rocky River, beginning near the mouth of a 'Throughfare", past a stand of Iron wood trees to an apple tree, excluding the Mill and the Mill tract. It was a small 6 acre tract and I wonder at its purpose.
In 1851, Job transfered to James, his second son, property along "Temple's Old Path". I might have to try to figure out who Temple was. It met a marked line in the road then with the Road to Coopers Creek, to the south drain of the branch, then to the river, down various courses of the river to D. Crumps line. (Probably Daniel).
About that time Henry donated half an acre to the School Committee. This would be the start of the Old Davis School.
The Davis property would include a Mill, a Gold Mine, and E. W's Davis's Store. It sat along the Rocky River and both sides of Coopers Creek, bordered and crossed Jack's Branch and Fly Blow Branch and mentions the Mineral Springs and Mineral Springs Branch. In one of the youngest sons' properties, which bordered that of his brothers, M. F. Daivs, is described as meeting Mount Carmel. Was Mount Carmel a church or a Mountain? It was near Rocky River Springs. In 1850 M. F. Davis had bought property from Lewis Brown and Brown lived near the Springs. Another deed of Marriott's places his property on the Rocky River adjoining Myrick Harward, the Old Murray tract (Jesse Murray, another ancestor who settled along Alligator Branch and whose homeplace was on a ridge above Long Creek near its confluence with the Rocky River), Ross tract, which met the Murray tract, (another family that had married into the Murray family), L Green's line, (possibly Lafayette) and Stokes McIntyre's line to the Mineral Springs branch to the River and adjoining H. R. West and included the third part of "Cal Brown's tract".
There were other Job Davis's. He had two grandsons named for him, but there was a Job J. Davis in Anson County who lived near Brown Creek. This was a descendant of the Christoper/Arthur/Isham Davis clan of Anson County that I have thus far found no connection to. There was one who lived in Randolph County, and several in the Quaker lands of the North.
My Job Davis died on November 8, 1852, his wife, Sarah, followed on July 10, 1856. The property, Job had devised in his will to be distributed among his three youngest sons, and a portion to the family of his oldest son Henry, who had become incompetent and indebted due to alcoholism. He instructed the younger brothers 'see after' Henry's family as if they were their own.
Though not a taphophile, I'm drawn to the old Davis cemetary and the lands around it. There is an elyisum to it, a feeling of comfort and belonging. It's my Homeland.
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