General Notes

They lived in Surrey County, North Carolina until 1808 when they moved to Ohio

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from Eleanor Davis, Davis: a Quaker Family, 54-60:  William Davies was born in what is now Chatham Co, NC. Nothing is known of his boyhood and youth (which spanned the years of the American Revolution), but in 1782 at Cane Creek MM, he married Ann Marshill. Ann was a grandaughter of Jacob and Ann (Griffith) Marshill and of Thomas and Hannah (Hadley) Dixon. Hannah [Hadley] Dixon, who married second John Stanfield, was one of the witnesses at the marriage of William and Ann. Others were the bride's parents, Deborah and Ruth Hinshaw, John Davies, jr., Peter Stout, Jacob Marshill, Jesse Johnson and Williams Adams. William and Ann (Marshill) Davies remained in Chatham County for several years after their marriage. Then on 4-5-1788, along with Joseph and Hannah (Doan) Davies, they received certificates to Deep River MM, NC. This meeting was in Guilford Co, NC, but the two families settled in the southern part of Surry Co., the part that was later formed into Yadkin Co. They apparently lived on the waters of Forbush Creek. There were several men of the name William Davis in Surry Co. and early records rarely provide sufficient identification to distinguish one from another. It appears, however, that our William Davies owned land on a watercourse called Moore's Creek prior to 1803, held land on the waters of Forbush Creek from before 1818 up until about the time he left North Carolina, owned a 161-acre tract on "Stone's Creek" prior to 1821, and owned land on the south bank of the Yadkin River. In 1803 William sold to Daniel Reece 27 1/2 acres on Moore's Creek for L6. Then in January 1813, he deeded 172 acres to John Davis, presumably his son, for L86. This tract was next to the one he had sold to Reece, and Jacob Davis witnessed the deed. Subsequently this land must have passed to Jacob for in 1820 Jacob deeded 107 acres with the same general bounds to his cousin Charles Davis for L60. Apparently Charles already owned a part of the larger tract. This deed was witnessed by John Reece and Ezra Davis. The Forbush Creek land may have been acquired by William some years before 1818. There was a reference in one deed to the land being "part of Zephan Joanes tract and part of William's old tract." In 1818 Williams sold his brother Joseph 50 acres for L25, and joseph sold to William 120 acres for $100. Then in 1821 William sold joseph 161 acres on "Stone's Creek" for $80. The 120 acres on Forbush Creek were kept by William until 1827 when he sold the land to Josiah Hutchins of Grayson Co, VA for $200.This may have been the Josiah Hutchins who married William's niece Hannah. On 2-1-1823 for L100, William deeded to his son Ezra 100 acres on the Yadkin River "whereon Ezra now lives." The deed as witnessed by Jn. Davis and Josiah Hutchins. At this time William signed his last name Davis rather than Davies. On 10-11-1830 for $120 William sold Ezra another 70 acres on the south bank of the Yadkin adjacent to the land of the 1823 deed and bordering on land of William Dobbins. Witnesses were J. Davis Jr. and Thomas H. Reece. On 5-25-1831 William made a deed to William Dobbins on land on what appears to be "McGarn Creek" next to land of John Reece, and on 9-28-1831 for $25 he deeded another 26 acres on "McAffers Creek" to Dobbins. Witnesses to these deeds were John Reece and T. Davis, and Joal Adams and Joseph Davis. According to a gandson [William Davis in Lee Co, IA, Album, 393] , William Davis "was a remarkable man in many respects, the humane element in his character being largely developed. He was bitterly opposed to human bondage, and spent the greater part of his property in behalf of colored people who were illegally held in bondage, defending their rights in the courts." William's going into the courts has not been verified, but if he did, it may have been somewhere in Ohio defending runaway slaves. If he was force to sell his land to pay the costs, it might explain the obscurity into which he seems to have fallen in the last years of his life. William belonged to Deep Creek MM after it was established in 1793 but disappeared from the Deep Creek records. He was probably the William Davis Sr. disowned 7-2-1814 for holding a commission contrary to the discipline and non-attendence of meetings. The commission could have been a justice of the peace or some other political office, or perhaps something connected with his alleged court activity. Earl H. Davis claimed that William moved to Ohio about 1808. He probably did visit there, but he was clearly in North Carolina after that date and was listed in Surry Co, NC, with his wife and youngest daughter in the 1830 census. In 1832 Deep Creek MM granted a certificate for Anna Davis and her daughter Ann to Springfield MM, IN. The Springfield abstracts did not mention them, but the daughter married in Montgomery Co, OH, and her subequent death and her mother's birth date were included in the records of Mill Creek MM, OH. According to a grandson [William Davis], William spent the last days of his life withhis children and died at the home of his daughter in Ohio. According to Earl H. Davis, William died in June 1842. No probate records have been located in Montgomery Co, but it must have been at the home of Mary Jones in Butler Twp, just north of Dayton, that William died. The daughter Ann was buried in the graveyard of Randolph Mh and William and his wife may have been buried there as well. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------