John Davis (abt. 1680 - bef. 1734)

Born about 1680 in Virginia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before Jun 1734 before about age 54 in Spotsylvania, Colony of Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Gail Williams [send private message] and Merilee Burton [send private message]

Biography

John Davis was a Virginia colonist.

"... John, son of William Davis, whose plantation was on the opposite of Major John Waller’s 1696 from the Davis Davenport Plantation."^[1]

"On May 19, 1702, John Davis of St. John's Parish, King William County, conveyed 300 acres of land to his sister who was planning marriage with William Holliday. The conveyance was made with the consent of his father, William Davis. The land had come to John Davis from his Aunt, Rebecca White, and it adjoined the Scotland lines and the lines of Richard Littlepage."^[2]

This John Davis would seem to be the same as the John Davis whose 1734 will mentioned land in "Pemunkey":

Death & Legacy

Abstract of will: Will was dated March 14, 1733, and proved June 4, 1734, in Orange County, Virginia, Will Book A, page 223. John Davis named his wife Elizabeth and sons John, William, Matthew, and Joseph; daughters named were Elizabeth and Elinor (Joanna, also his daughter and wife of Leonard Phillips was not named, however, Leonard Phillips was named in the will as son-in-law).^[3]

Text of will^[4]:

In the name of God amen. I John Davis of the parish of St. Mark in Spotsylvania County being sick and weak of body but of a sound & perfect memory praise be to God for ye same do premake and ordain my last will & Testament in writing as followeth...

Imprimis - I give & bequeath my soul to God that gave it in hopes to ___ ye resurrection of ye Great Day & my body to ye Earth to be buried in a decent mannor according to the discretion of my exe. hereafter named...

Item - I give & bequeath to my beloved wife Elizabeth ye plantation and land whereon I now dwell & after her decease to descend to my son John & his heirs....

Item - I give & bequeath to Leonard Phillips my son in law three hundred acres of land situate on Pamunky to begin at yet North west end of ye sd land & so along ye line to ye S. west....

Item - I give & bequeath to my son William three hundred acres more of land situate on Pamunky aforesd to joyn ye sd bequeathed to ye sd Leonard Phillips...

Item - I give & bequeath to my sd wife all my moveable goods & estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me during her natural life & after her decease to be in equall manner divided among my sd sons Leonard, John, William, Mathew & Joseph only that my daughters Elizabeth & Elinor shall at their wedding day each them have four dows and calves & one featherbed & furniture & whereas my said wife is now great with child, if it happen to be a boy I hereby require that my sons Leonard, William, Mathew & Joseph shall buy or take up for him one hundred acres of land, but it happen to be a girl I do hereby bequeath her ye same portion of her other sisters & I do hereby constitute & appoint my sd wife & my son John to be Executors of this my last will & Testament & do hereby disannul & make void all other former wills & legacies whatsoever this 14th day of March in ye year of our Lord 1733.

John Davis (his mark)

Signed and sealed in presence of us :D Bryne :John Davison :James Coward

BOND OF ELIZABETH DAVIS

Know all men by these presents, That we Elizabeth Davis, John Rucker & John Davison are held and firmly bound unto the Worshipfull Justices of Spotsylvania County in the sum of two hundred pounds currt money to be paid unto ye sd Justices their heirs and successors, to the which payment well and truly to be made and done, we bind our selves and every (one) of us, our and every (one) of our heirs, Executors & Administrators, joyntly and severally firmly by these presents sealed with our seals.

Dated the 4th day of June 1734.

The condition of this obligation is such that if the above bound Elizabeth Davis Executrix of the Last Will & Testament of John Davis Deceasd to make or cause to be made a Just and Perfect Inventory of all and singular the goods, chattels & credits of the sd deced which have or shall come to the hands possession or knowledge of ye sd Elizabeth Davis or into the hands and possession of any other person or persons for her and the same so made do Exhibit into the County court of Spotsylvania at such time as she shall be thereunto rquired by ye sd court and the same goods chattells and credits and all other the goods chattells and credits of the sd deceased which at any time after shall come to the hands possession or knowledge of ye sd Eliz. Davis or into the hands and possession of any other person or persons for her do well and truly administer Cording to law and further do make a true and just account of her actings and doings therein when thereto required by ye sd Court, and also shall well and truly pay and deliver all the legacies contained and specified in ye sd Testament as far as the said goods chattells and credits with thereunto extend & the law shall charge, then this obligation to be void & of none effect or else to remain in full force and virtue.

Elizabeth Davis

John Rucker [presumably brother of Ephraim and son of Peter, per http://www.joanhorsley.org/reports/Jarrell_Report_screen.pdf; Ephraim's descendants intermarried with the Graves family as well as the Terry/Davis family.

John Davison

Signed and delivered in the presence of Wm Wallor John Wallor

At a Court held for Spotsylvania County on Tuesday June ye 4, 1734, Elizabeth Davis, John Rucker & John Davison presented & acknowledged this their bond in Open Court which was ordered to be recorded...

Test, John Wallor, Cl Court

Research Notes

"Benjamin Davis's elder brother John continued to live in King William County when Benjamin left for Spotsylvania County. John Davis sold Spotsylvania land from King William County in 1745 with no wife's name included in the deed."^[5] This is clearly a mistake, and appears to refer to Benjamin's NEPHEW John, son of the John Davis of this profile, who died ten years before this land was sold.

Sources

1. ↑ Pamunkey Bakers
2. ↑ Malcolm Harris, Old New Kent County [Virginia: Some Account of the Planters, Plantations, and Places], Vol. 1, p. 689.
3. ↑ Per Virginia Phillips-Smith's website, citing Nancy Kiser for a copy of the will
4. ↑ Per Virginia Phillips-Smith's website, citing Nancy Kiser for a copy of the will
5. ↑ Per e-mail from Joan Horsley to John Schmeeckle, 27 June 2012

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Merilee Burton for creating WikiTree profile Davis-20021 through the import of burton[1].ged_2013-12-25.ged on Dec 26, 2013.
• Thank you to Davis-6834 created through the import of OliveMinverva.ged on Aug 5, 2011 by [[Davis-6767 | Ryan Davis
• Thank you to Laurel Fitzhugh through the import of Lucinda Davis - June 2014
• Thank you to Andrea Bulgier through the import of Lucinda Davis.ged on Jan 25, 2015.
• Thank you to Phil Martin, firsthand knowledge. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by Phil and others.