Robert Geddes Davies (1851 - 1933)

Born 29 Sep 1851 in Chicot, Arkansas, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Cornelia Alice (Gibbs) Davies — married 11 May 1875 in Rockbridge County, Virginia

Husband of Margaret Cameron (Fulham) Davies — married 22 Mar 1885 in New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Descendants

Died 19 Feb 1933 at age 81 in Hot Springs, Garland, Arkansas, USA

Biography

Robert Geddes Davies was born was born 29 Sept. 1851 in Chicot County to Mildred Pollard Gaines and Anthony Harpin Davies. He was an attorney and judge in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Early Life

Robert G. Davies was born and raised at Lake Hall Plantation. In 1862 at age 10, Robert G. Davies' family moved to whole household from Chicot County to Hot Springs, Arkansas in anticipation of Federal Troops entering Arkansas. Robert rode a pony the whole way. He remained in Hot Springs with his uncle and cousins while other family members returned to the farm in Chicot County where his father and sister died in 1862. Robert was educated by private tutors until he entered the Garrison Forest School at Baltimore, Maryland. He later became a student in Georgetown College at Washington, D. C. and attended the Locust Dale Academy. He graduated from the University of Virginia, completing a course in the law department, with the class of 1874. He next made his way to Little Rock where he entered the law office of Garland & Cockrell with whom he remained for a few months.^[1]

Family

Robert G. Davies married Cornelia Gibbs on 11 May 1875 at Rockbridge Virginia.^[2] and returned to his home state where they had five children.^[3] Cornelia died on 2 July 1884, ^[4]just a few weeks after the birth of their last child, Robert Geddes Davies, Jr., born 23 of June in 1884. The infant died a month later on the 3rd of August. Their previous child, Madge, born 21 of May in 1883, also died a few days after her birth, on the 27th of May. He married (2nd) Margaret Cameron (Fulham) Schenck of New Orleans on 22 Mar 1885 and interested himself on behalf of the Fulham heirs regarding interest in Potash Sulphur Springs and her grandmother Elizabeth Martin Fairchild’s deed to James Fairchild in trust. Margaret Davis later wrote, "In accord with the wishes of Ernest E. Woodcock and Fannie Hardin, Dr. James Fairchild accompanied Cammie to New Orleans to see his niece, Maria Louisa Fairchild Fulham, and an amicable settlement was reached, if not strictly business settlement, one perfectly satisfactory to Mrs. Fulham and her uncle, Dr. Fairchild, giving Mrs. Fulham one-third and Dr. Fairchild retaining two-thirds of same, he having two children.”^[5] Robert G. Davies and Margaret (Fulham) Davies had three children.^[6] Robert died on 19 February 1933 at Hot Springs Arkansas.^[7]

Occupation

Upon his return to Hot Springs in 1874, Robert G. Davies formed a law firm. He went to Little Rock to obtained a charter for the city of Hot Springs, a city council was organized, and Robert G. Davies was appointed city attorney of he then newly incorporated town of Hot Springs, a position he held for two or three terms. He is credited with having started the Sentinel-Record with Mr. Mathews and Mr. Bowers, writing the first editorial published in that Hot Springs paper. He was also chairman of the vigilantes committee in 1882 - an organization formed to address issues with Hot Springs' popularity among professional gamblers. In 1887 he went to Helena, Montana, where he followed his profession and also acted as assistant state land agent. In 1900 he again came to Hot Springs, where once more be entered into partnership with Elias W. Rector. In 1910 he removed to Elko, Nevada, where he practiced law and engaged in mining for three years. On the expiration of that period he once more located in Hot Springs, where he resumed his law practice.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Centennial History of Arkansas. Volume II, Chicago-Little Rock: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. 1922.
2. ↑ "Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940," Rockbridge County, Virginia, reference ; FHL microfilm 33,797. Online: www.familysearch.org
3. ↑ United States Census, 1880. Hot Springs, Garland, Arkansas, United States; district ED 74, sheet 149B, NARA microfilm publication T9. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. roll 0045; FHL microfilm 1,254,045. Online: www.familysearch.org
4. ↑ Find A Grave memorial 141558363 for Cornelia Gibbs Davies
5. ↑ The Davies and allied families Collection, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas. MS.000773
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1900." Helena Township Helena city Ward 5, Lewis and Clark, Montana, United States; (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.). Online: www.familysearch.org.
7. ↑ Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969. Arkansas Department of Vital Records; Little Rock, Arkansas; 1933; Roll: 1. Online: Ancestry.com
8. ↑ Centennial History of Arkansas. Volume II, Chicago-Little Rock: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

• United States Census, 1870. Gordon, Virginia, United States; p. 74, family 488, NARA microfilm publication M593. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 553,161. Online: Ancestry.com
• United States Census, 1910. Hot Springs Ward 1, Garland, Arkansas, United States; enumeration district (ED) ED 61, sheet 23A, NARA microfilm publication T624. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. FHL microfilm 1,374,063. Online: Ancestry.com

• U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta) Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.
• Dodd, Jordan, Liahona Research, comp Virginia Marriages, 1851-1929 Publication: Online: Ancestry.com.
• Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950 Publication: Division of Vital Records, Arkansas Department of Health. Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950. Arkansas: Arkansas Genealogical Society. Online: Ancestry.com
• 1860 United States Federal Census. United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1860. M653, 1,4; Online: Ancestry.com
• 1870 United States Federal Census. Ninth Census of the United States, Washington, D.C. National Archives and Records Administration. M593, RG29, 1,761 rolls. Minnesota. Minnesota; Online: Ancestry.com
• 1900 United States Federal Census. United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 18; Online: Ancestry.com
• 1910 United States Federal Census. NARA. Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Thirteenth Census of the United. Online: Ancestry.com

Notes

His father move the family (and entire plantation) to Hot Springs to protect themselves and property from Federal Troops entering Arkansas. That was the reason for Robert Geddes Davies riding a pony to Hot Springs as mentioned in his biographies. With regard to their "refuge status", the family found that sending wagons back and forth between Chicot and Garland counties for provisions was too expensive and burdensome, so the family returned to Lake Hall. Robert Geddes Davies stayed with his uncle (William H Gaines) and cousins in Hot Springs.