Davidson Family Land

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Harris, Georgia, United States
Surnames/tags: Black Heritage Project Georgia

This is a description of the various lands purchased or otherwise obtained by John William Davidson.

Research by William H. Davidson

Transcribed by Judith Davidson from “The Davidson Family” (1959) a family genealogy compiled by Martha Phyllis Davidson, Margaret Davidson Davis, William Hutchinson Davidson, and Janie Lovelace Heard.

The DAVIDSON FAMILY FAMILY LANDS

The plantation lands of JOHN DAVIDSON, born 1792, died 1862, lay in Harris County, Georgia, about 11 miles from West Point, about five miles from Whitesville, about ll miles from Hamilton, the county seat, and about 27 miles from Columbus. Lands originally owned in Troup and Muscogee counties, both laid out in 1826, became Harris County lands when Harris County was laid out in 1827 from parts of Troup and Muscogee counties. Thus it is that re­ cords of land transactions of JOHN DAVIDSON, his sons, and others of the family, may be found in the county records at Hamilton (Harris County); LaGrange (Troup County); and Columbus (Muscogee County).

WILLIAM DAVIDSON, John's father, was born in Virginia in 1753. As a Revolutionary War soldier, (ensign in Sixth Virginia Regiment) he was granted land for his services, which he took up in Wilkes County, Georgia, where he reared his family. The grant was 450 acres. It was granted him on May 25., 1787, and appears of record in the Office of Secretary of State, Atlanta, Ga.., in Grant Book 11NNN11, page .303; and a plat of the grant is recorded in Plat Book "K", page 124.. He later moved to Alabama and died at Tuscaloosa in 1849. Papers of the Alabama Historical Society, No. 16028, 1904., state he is buried near the central part of the old cemetery there.

Records at Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County., Alabama., show that WILLIAM DAVIDSON bought 80 acres in that county., the Southeast fraction west of the Black Warrior River of Section J6, Township 20, Range 9, in the District of Tuscaloosa on March 19, 1825, from one Henry Russell for $300.00. (Deed Book "E, page 213).

WILLIAM DAVIDSON sold 150 acres, the Southwest tracing east of the river of Section 30, Township 20 of Range 8, West, on August 4, 1834, to one John Snider, (Deed Book "K", page 254, Tuscaloosa County, Ala.) His wife., Jane S. Davidson, recorded a release and relinquished her right and title to the land conveyed by her husband to John Snider on February 13, 1835.

WILLIAM DAVIDSON may have lived for a while in Harris County, Georgia, before going to Alabama. Harris County Superior Court minutes of the March term, 1829, (Minute Book 11A", page 18), show a case No. 13 carried over from the January, 1828 term, of Joel Kinsey versus William Davidson. Disposition only of the case is given, scire facias, Dismissed.

The year JOHN DAVIDSON came to Harris County is not definitely known, but it was after his marriage in Warren County, Georgia, to Elizabeth Nichols. He came to Harris County in the 1830's, and lived there awhile before he was drawn as a Grand Juror at the October 1838 term of Harris County Superior Court. John Davidson is listed as Grand Juror No. 16, and he was drawn to serve at the April, 1839 term of court. He was drawn at the same time as Juror No. 43 in the list of Petit Jurors to serve at the April,1839 term of court. This is the first record of him found in the First Minute Book of the Court., Book "A", and is on page 330. The minutes for April, 1839, however, do not show him empaneled among the jurors who actually served that term, so he evidently was excused.

Elias DAVIDSON, John's son, was drawn as Petit Juror No. 46, and John’s brother, Oliver Davidson, was drawn as Grand Juror No. 12 at the September, 1839 term of Harris Superior Court, for service at the March 1840 term. The record for the Grand Jurors empaneled to serve March 23, 1840, does not include Oliver Davidson, but Elias Davidson was empaneled in Jury No. 1., Petit Jurors, as Juror No Seven. Elias Davidson served as Juror No. 4 on a horse stealing case, "one flea bitten gray horse, fourteen years old of the value of Eighty Dollars". These records may be found in Minute Book "A", Harris County Superior Court, pages 334, 388 and 403.

Harris County records show that JOHN Davidson’s sons, Elias and Albert, bought land in the Fifth Land District of original Troup, now Harris County, in 1838, (Deed Book "C", page 736, 303-3/4 acres of Land Lots Nos. 108, 109, for $2500.00)

The first recorded purchase by JOHN DAVIDSON of lands is found in Harris County Deed Book "C", page 823, October 12, 1840, recorded October 17, 1840. This was Land Lot 356, 20th Land District of originally Muscogee County but then Harris County. The land, 202½ acres, was bought from William C. Osborn for $700.00.

On October 5, 1842, he bought 780 acres in the Fifth Land District, of originally Troup County, but then Harris County, consisting of Land Lots 51, 111, 114, and 172. Purchase price was $1,000.00 paid to Alfred Iverson. Deed is recorded in Book 11D11, page 240, November 7, 1842.

Another purchase was made on June 6, 1843, JOHN DAVIDSON being the high bidder at a sheriff's sale of land being sold at public outcry in Hamilton. For $8.00, Land Lot 170 was "knocked off to him” and record-ed September 5, 1843, Book "D", page 334. This land consisted of 202½ acres, and was in the Fifth Land District of originally Troup County, but then Harris County.

JOHN DAVIDSON paid $2,500.00 for 405 acres of land in Lots 103 and 104, in deed recorded June 30, 1852, Deed Book "F", page 283, from Alexander M. Wilkinson. This land. lay in the Fourth Land District of Harris County.

In addition, other old deeds of record in Harris and Troup Counties, show John Davidson and family owning the following lands:

Land Lot	Acres	District & County
106	202-1/2	5th Dist. Troup
107	202-1/2	5th Dist. Troup
108	202-1/2	½ 5th Dist. Troup & 1/2 Harris Co.
109	202-1/2	5th Dist. Harris Co.
115	70	5th Dist. Harris Co.
118	202-1/2	5th Dist. Troup Co.
119	202-1/2	Troup Co.
171	202-1/2	5th Dist. Harris Co.
184	101-1/4	5th Dist. Troup Co. (Lottery 106)
	1588-3/4

The total of all the lands is 3,178-3/4 acres.

A complete search has not been made in the records of Harris, Troup and Muscogee Counties, and that the holdings were considerable is evident. The Fifth Land District of Harris County is named DAVIDSON DISTRICT for John Davidson. This is Georgia Militia District 781.

A considerable amount of these original lands of the family is still owned by descendants of John Davidson living in West Point, Georgia.

Research by William H. Davidson

Transcribed by Judith Davidson from “The Davidson Family” (1959) a family genealogy compiled by Martha Phyllis Davidson, Margaret Davidson Davis, William Hutchinson Davidson, and Janie Lovelace Heard.