Contents |
Jonathan Davis was known in Rowan County, North Carolina by the name of Schoolmaster Davis. He was an “active businessman, well qualified as an English scholar for any ordinary business and society."
Jonathan was a soldier of the Continental line in the Revolutionary War. He first volunteered for a three-month campaign in 1777, as a private in Capt. James Smith's Company against the British at Cross Creek under Col. Locke.
He returned home from War "about harvest time that year", and shortly thereafter married 28 year old Hannah Parks. The following year, their first child Augustus was born.
Hannah was pregnant with their 2nd child when Jonathan returned to War. Their friend, Benjamin Brown, remembered Jonathan saying, "Congress had promised the Army a big bounty and great things", and that Jonathan had planned to "fight the enemy till the war was over." It was April of 1780 when he reentered the War as First Lieutenant. He died several months later at the Battle of Kings Mountain.
Jonathan’s wife, Hannah, had thought for many years that he was killed in the Battle of Camden. However, after learning that battle was fought in August, she amended her statement, saying she knew it was October when he was killed. Their 2nd child was born that same month. Their son later said, " I had a piece of an old letter that was in the hand writing of my father dated near Cowpens South Carolina 5th of October 1780."
Hannah stated that she, "in company with Jonathan Davis's mother visited the Battle ground, a few days after the action, and all that they could hear of Jonathan Davis was that he was seen to fall in the Battle to rise no more -- killed". Their son also stated, "my Mother visited both places (Camden & Kings Mountain) in search of relations in company with other Whig ladies of that day".
Hannah never remarried. She and her 2 sons moved to White County, Tennessee sometime between 1790 and 1807. One of her sons may have already been married at the time they moved. Years later, she was living in the household of her youngest son when she filed for her widow’s pension. She died the following year at age 91.
[Much of the above information was summarized from the pension application and related pension documents. ]
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
Jonathan is 24 degrees from Emeril Lagasse, 26 degrees from Nigella Lawson, 25 degrees from Maggie Beer, 48 degrees from Mary Hunnings, 29 degrees from Joop Braakhekke, 27 degrees from Michael Chow, 21 degrees from Ree Drummond, 26 degrees from Paul Hollywood, 24 degrees from Matty Matheson, 26 degrees from Martha Stewart, 32 degrees from Danny Trejo and 30 degrees from Molly Yeh on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.