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ANCESTORS AND KIN:

Davis, Hicks, Kennedy

By: Mary Kennedy Reynolds

Published 1991

 

 

 

PREFACE

 

When I began compiling data on my Davis, Hicks and Kennedy lines, John Thomas Odom supplied me with data on other lines from which our Hicks family descended. I was not that fortunate with the Davis and Kennedy lines. About the same time, I concluded that the title would have to be Ancestors and Kin. Because that is what this book is all about - as much information as I could possibly gather about my ancestors, and then reaching out to everyone to whom I am related - however remote the relationship.

My roots go back to North Carolina, and then to Virginia, both my father's maternal line (Davis) and his paternal line (Hicks and Kennedy). When they settled in Clarke County, Alabama, the three lines began to intermarry. As I began to delve deeper into the past I discovered many other families which had ties into all three of mine.

So, this has been an interesting venture. I can visualize some relative reading in my book that a Davis descendant married a Hicks descendant or a Hicks descendant married a Kennedy descendant, and exclaiming, "I didn't know that!" I have lost count of the times I wrote in parenthesis: See Davis Section. Or See Kennedy Section. Or see Hicks Section.

I regret that I was unable to trace the Kennedys further back beyond my great grandfather, Neal Kennedy. A research trip to Cumberland County, North Carolina (his place of birth) and also to the Archives in Raleigh, North Carolina proved to be fruitless. I was told that there are many gaps in the Cumberland County records. So, I shall leave that mystery to be solved by someone who comes after me.

I have not copied any lineage on any family from a book that someone else has published, except for two charts from The Jeter Mosaic by Grata Jeter Clark. Booklets that were compiled by various relatives have proved to be a useful source, and I have given credit where credit is due.

My thanks to all those distant relatives who had never heard of me, but willingly completed the necessary forms so that they could be included in my book.

Mary Kennedy Reynolds

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EXPLANATIONS

 

The first section of this book is devoted to my Davis ancesors and kin; the second section to Hicks, which includes Dudleys, Harrises, Jeters, and Nances; the last section is on Kennedys.

The sources for information on each section are listed at the end of each chapter, with the complete index at the end of the book.

With a few exceptions, only names within the narrative portions are indexed - none of the names in various docuents, letters, newspapers clippings, etc. are indexed. Females are listed by maiden names for the most part.

It is so easy to make errors in dates and I apologize in advance for inevitable errors. If you find a birthdate is wrong, very likely it will be because the person completing a Family Group Sheet failed to comply with instructions.

The forms request dates in the following order: day, month, year. Invariably, a person would record the month, day and year. of course, some were easy to figure out. For instance, 12-16-40. obviously that is December 16, 1940, since we have only twelve months in the year! My favorite filler-in-of-blanks are those people who wrote the month instead of using a number.

Eventually I changed the forms to read month, day, year, but not soon enough to avoid errors, I am afraid.

It has been interesting to me to learn of the various occupations of Davis/Hicks/Kennedy descendants. Unfortunately, not everyone gave that information.

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SECTION A

CHAPTER I

DAVIS FAMILY OF HALIFAX COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

 

There are, of course, numerous Davis families in many counties of North Carolina. After much research in Clarke County by me, plus research in Houston, Texas libraries by Dr. Gary Drinkard, as well as research in North Carolina by William C. Davis, the conclusion has been reached that John Davis of Halifax County, North Carolina, is probably the ancestor we have been searching for.

Deed Book 5, North Carolina Deeds, shows that in the August Court of 1746, John Davis sold two tracts of land on the north side of Great Fishing Creek in Edgecombe County, both of them being part of a grant to John Davis. One of the tracts was sold to Samuel Davis of Edgecombe County; the other was to Arthur Davis of the same county. (See attached page from this Deed Book 5.)

on October 10, 1756, Margaret Shaw of Edgecombe County made a Deed of Gift to "my well-loved son John Davis". Is Margaret the mother of our John? Was his father deceased and did his mother marry a Mr. Shaw? (See attached copy.)

The Davis names that are prevalent in early Edgecombe and Halifax County records in North Carolina, were those given to Davis descendants in Alabama - Arthur, Abel, Enoch, John, Samuel, Thomas and William.

In 1757 Arthur Davis bought from Moses Surganer 100 acres lying on the south side of Great Fishing Creek. The name "Moses" was given to a son of Enoch, Sr. (See attached copy of document.)

In 1761, John Davis of Halifax County (formed from Edgecombe) made his will (see attached copy) in which he named his wife Sarah, son Samuel and daughters Mary and Sary (Sarah). Samuel was appointed his Executor.

Samuel Davis died intestate, as shown by Records of Estates, Halifax County, NC, Vol II, p. 21 by Davis B. Gannon (See attached page). Bennett Wood was appointed to administer the estate in 1786, by which date Samuel's widow Mary was already married to Bennett Wood. Bennett Wood was appointed guardian of Susannah and Enoch (our Enoch was born in 1768 so was under age in 1786). Joseph Hadley was appointed guardian of Abel and John. This was in February of 1786, and in August of 1786, Susannah chose William Davis as her guardian (Wil liam must have been the oldest son) but later chose Bennett Wood as her guardian, in February 1787. By August 1786, John may have been of age, as Enoch then chose John as his guardian.

 

 

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On November 2, 1789, William, John and Abel Davis sold to Enoch Davis, property lying on the north side of Great Fishing Creek in Halifax County. The deed further states that this was the plantation where Samuel Davis formerly lived (see attached copy of this deed).

Susie Kennedy (Mrs. Edd, Jr.) of Chance, Alabama has a paper written by an elderly relative which states that Susie's great, great, great grandfather, William Davis, came to the Suggsville area of Clarke County from Halifax County, North Carolina in 1834. This person further states that William's brother, Enoch Davis, also came to Alabama, settling at Lower Peach Tree, which is in Wilcox County, about five miles from Chance. Still another brother, Abel, left North Carolina and settled in Tennessee. on February 13, 1790, Abel Davis sold to Enoch Davis another tract of land in Halifax County, North Carolina (see attached document). If this Abel and our Abel are one and the same, perhaps he was disposing of his property before migrating to Tennessee.

This same paper from Susie's elderly relative states that the Davis family originally lived in Virginia, and then moved on over into North Carolina. I have not researched this fact.

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CHAPTER II

WILLIAM DAVIS

The following information on the Davis and Ransom families of Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina, on down to Clarke Co. Alabama, is taken from a Tribute to Lucretia Jacqueline Davis Rawls, written by her granddaughter, Estelle McLean Harvey. With permission from Mrs. Harvey's cousin, Susie Kimbrough Kennedy (Mrs. Edd Jr.), I have attempted to condense Mrs. Harvey's "Remembrances".

The Ransom and Davis families originally came from Virginia. James Ransom married Amy Davis, daughter of William Davis of Isle of Wight County, VA. James and Amy had eleven children, one of which was Capt. Richard Payne Ransom (Revolutionary War soldier), who married Keziah Portis.

Richard and Keziah moved over the mountains into Tennessee soon after the Revolutionary War. They settled in Rutherford County and many of their descendants now live in Nashville. Mrs. Harvey located and corresponded with some of them.

William Davis' wife was Amy Ransom, and one of their sons was born at Ransom's Bridge, Halifax County, NC in 1795.

The following quote regarding Ransom's Bridge is by Eben T. Rawls: "You asked about the name of the stream spanned by Ransom's Bridge. This creek is known as 'Fishing Creek'. The old wooden structure was gone long before my time, as when I first visited this spot a number of years ago, the state had put a nice concrete bridge over the stream. It is not a very large stream, perhaps the size of Bassett's Creek near St. Stephens or maybe not quite so large. I hope that Lillian and I will have time to visit this spot again when we go to Raleigh, and we will see what we can dig up in connection with the Davis family also."

Shugar Ransom Davis (son of William Davis) married Mary Sorsby and their children were all born at Ransom's Bridge. Not far from there are the graves of Amy Davis Ransom and Any Ransom Davis, the latter having died in 1810 or 1812.

one of the interesting legends of that district regards the Portis Gold Mine, located near where the Davis family resided. Civil War Colonel John Wesley Portis, who later migrated to Clarke County, AL, was the son of the man who discovered the gold. It is not clear from Mrs. Harvey's account of the "house chinked with gold", just where the house was located, but on the night that Mrs. Portis died, "the stars fell". of course, this was the meteoric display that occurred in 1833, just before daybreak. All the slaves on the plantation began

 

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to shout and pray. They thought it was gold falling from Mrs. Portis as she ascended to heaven!

The Ransoms in Tennessee say that Col. Portis wrote a book about this gold mine, just for the immediate family, having remembered it from his childhood.

In 1834 William Davis, whose wife, Any Ransom Davis, had died at Ransom's Bridge, migrated to Alabama. He settled somewhere near Suggsville, Clarke County. With him was his son Norphleet, "a rich bachelor".

Another son, Samuel Davis, moved to Greensboro, Georgia. Mrs. Harvey has had a letter from a daughter of this Samuel.

Another member of that family married a missionary and went to Africa. (Note: Could Mrs. Harvey have been referring to Julius Johnson Davis who was a missionary to Belgian Congo, Africa for over forty years? Julius was the son of Enoch Davis, III, grandson of Johnson Davis and great-grandson of Enoch Davis, Sr.)

In October of 1836, Shugar Ransom Davis, along with his wife, Mary Sorsby Davis and seven children, began their covered wason wagon trip from Ransom's Bridge to Alabama. They brought with them thirty slaves. En route they stopped in Greensboro, Georgia to visit Samuel Davis.

When Shugar Davis and his family reached the Alabama River in Clarke County (Note: site not clear - may have been near Suggsville.), there across the river on the west bank was Shugar's father, William Davis, and Shugar's brother, Norphleet. Mrs. Harvey said when Shugar stepped off the ferry, William threw his arms around him and wept for joy.

Shugar Davis' Uncle Enoch Davis came to Alabama also and setled at Lower Peach Tree. Another uncle, Abel Davis, went with the Ransoms to Tennessee.

 

When you compare Mrs. Harvey's account of the Davis migration to Alabama with the early Davis family of Halifax County which is given in the first chapter of this book, you have to assume that this is one and the same family. In August of 1786 Susannah Davis (daughter of Samuel Davis - not the Samuel Davis mentioned above) chose her brother William Davis as her guardian, so he must have been of age. In 1795 William and Amy's son, Shugar Ransom Davis was born.

Also, note in the early documents that some of the Davis property was located on Fishing Creek.

 

 

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Assuming that William Davis who came to Clarke County in 1834, and Enoch Davis, Sr. are brothers (and sons of Samuel), Enoch was already in Monroe County, AL by 1830, according to Census Records.

It has been concluded by me and by other family members that Susie Kimbrough Kennedy descends from the same Davis family as that of her husband, Edd Kennedy, Jr.

 

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William Davis, believed to be the son of Samuel Davis of Halifax County, North Carolina and brother to Enoch Davis, Sr. who migrated to Clarke County, Alabama from Halifax County, North Carolina prior to 1830, was born about 1760-1761, according to the paper written by Estelle McLean Harvey. In 1786 when his sister chose him as her guardian(see copies of early North Carolina documents), William had to be of age.

William Davis married Amy Ransom, the daughter of Capt. Richard Payne Ransom and Keziah Portis, who moved to Tennessee in 1810. Capt. Ransom was the son of James Ransom and Amy Davis.

William Davis and Amy Ransom had at least five children before her death c. 1810 or 1812. Amy Ransom Davis and her grandmother, Amy Davis Ransom, are buried near Ransom's Bridge, Halifax Co., NC.

William Davis "migrated to Alabama in 1834, bringing with him his son, Norphlet Davis, a rich bachelor". I expect Norphlet brought William, who was around 68 years old at that time. William died in February of 1837,approximately three years after his arrival in Clarke County. He was seventy-one years old at the time of his death, but his brother Enoch lived to be ninety-one.

S. R. Davis, farmer Age 62 B. NC

Mary 55

Alford (Alfred) 25

Marmaduke 22

Edgar 17

 

 

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  1. Elizabeth Louise Kimbrough

      (C) Martha Louise Kimbrough, born October 16, 1926. Married Warren Thomas Musgrove on March 20, 1948. He was born in Bangor, Blount County, AL August 6, 1921, the son of Thomas Holmes Musgrove and Ollie Ruth Cantrell.

       

        (a) Martha Ann Musgrove, born at Tuscaloosa, AL January 20, 1949. Married James Joel Stringer on December 21, 1974 .

          .i James Joel Stringer, Jr, born August 2, 1981.

          .ii Kimberly Ann Stringer, born on December 16, 1983.

           

        (b) Naomi Sue Musgrove, born in Tuscaloosa April 18, 1950. Married Jim Hepburn June 16, 1984.

      .i William James Hepburn, born October 28, 1985.

        (c) Warren Thomas Musgrove, Jr., born in Tuscaloosa August 2, 1951. Married Melissa Parham on November 27, 1976.

        (d) Phillip Kimbrough Musgrove, born in Tuscaloosa March 6, 1953.

        (e) Charles Scott Musgrove, born June 12, 1962 in Huntsville, Madison Co. Alabama.

      (D) John Gordy Kimbrough,MD, born November 7, 1928, St. Stephens, Washington Co. AL. Married Maudie Ouita-Beech July 5, 1953, in Chatom, AL. Ouita was born in Chickasaw, AL July 17, 1931, daughter of Maudie Lee Atchison and William Putney Beech.

       

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Ouita's mother died in March of 1934 when Ouita was less than three years old, and she was reared in the home of J.C.and Lola Beech Davis, her aunt and uncle.

J. C. was the son of James Robert Davis and Fannie Adams (see the Arthur M. Davis chapter).

 

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Edgar W. Davis Fannie S. Davis

B. August 17, 1833 B. February 24, 1843

D. October 15, 1878 D. October 15, 1912

 

  1. Benjamin Sorsby Davis, born in 1840 according to the 1850 Census. Benjamin was in medical school when the War Between the States began and enlisted in the Confederate States Army. He completed his studies after the War and began his medical practice in ocean Springs, Mississippi.

    Benjamin was engaged to be married to Miss Mollie White of Gainestown, Clarke County, AL but the wedding never took place. He lost his life in a drowning accident and his bride-to-be never married.

       

    2. Norphlet Davis, son of William Davis and Amy Ransom, was born on November 29, 1798 in Halifax County, NC. He came to Clarke County, AL with his father in 1834, and was described as "a rich bachelor".

    In Ball's Clarke County Alabama and Its Surroundings mention is made of one N. Davis married Eliza Hearin.

    Norphlet died October 16, 1859 and is buried in James Chapel Cemetery, Choctaw Bluff, Clarke County, AL.

       

    3. Samuel Davis, born in Halifax Co. NC. Settled in Greensboro, Georgia.

       

       

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CHAPTER III

ENOCH DAVIS, SR.

The North Carolina Census of 1790, Halifax District, listed Enoch Davis as being over 16 years old, with two slaves. He was also listed in the 1800, 1810 and 1820 Census in that county, but by 1830 he was in Monroe County, Alabama. The family was listed as follows:

The paper written by Susie Kennedy's relative told about the emotional reunion of William Davis with his brother Enoch who was already in Clarke County (or Wilcox) when William arrived.

By 1850 Enoch and his wife were living in Clarke County; son Arthur and his wife and children are living with them. One source told me that Enoch's wife was Elizabeth Anna Deloach, but we have no proof of her last name. They were listed as follows in 1850:

Enoch Davis, Sr. age 81 born in NC

Elizabeth Davis 73

Arthur Davis 33

Susan Davis 30

Thomas Davis 10 AL

Lucy Davis 5 if

Sarah Davis 2 It

Elbert Davis 1 month if

The account of Enoch Davis, Sr.'s death was published in the Clarke County Democrat of August 26, 1858, according to Clarke County Records, 1814-1883 by Marilyn Davis Barefield.

This account reads: "Enoch Davis, Sr., age 91, died at his home on August 12, 1858, after an illness of three months. He was born in Halifax County, North Carolina on July 12,1798 (should read 1768) and moved to Clarke County in the winter of 1822. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church."

It will be noted that the listing of Enoch's children in the 1830 Census of Monroe County shows a son born between 18101815 and three daughters under the age of 15. Their son Arthur was born in 1813. They had three daughters that we know of but their daughter Susan was born too early (1798) to be one of those in the 1830 Census. The mortality rate among young children was high in those days - perhaps one of theirs died early in life.

 

 

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Enoch Davis, Sr. died intestate and his wife is not mentioned in the estate papers, so she must have been deceased. His estate was divided among his children and their heirs, with Arthur M. Davis, acting as administrator. There are two papers - one making bond and the other a petition to the court (see attached) which include both Arthur and his brother John's names, but the distribution list and the statement made to the Probate Court by Arthur, being duly authorized, listed John as deceased. Apparently John died before the estate was settled.

The chronological order of birth of the children of Enoch Davis, Sr. and his wife Elizabeth Anna, is not certain. The list given by Arthur M. Davis is different from that of the distribution list. Both will be given below.

Distribution list:

1. John Davis 6. Samuel G. Davis

2. Thomas Davis 7. A. M. Davis

3. Johnson Davis 8. Susan Davis McCoy

4. Enoch Davis 9. Eliza Odom

5. Moses Davis 10. Sarah Jones

Arthur's list:

1. Arthur M. Davis 6. Johnson Davis

2. Enoch Davis 7. Moses Davis

3. Eliza Davis Odom 8. Samuel G. Davis

4. Sarah Davis Jones 9. Susan Davis McCoy

5. Thomas Davis 10. John Davis

This is my proposed list of Enoch and Elizabeth Anna Davis' ten children, based on Census Records and the only known tombstones for any of them. These are the one for Arthur M. Davis in the Kennedy Cemetery, Chance, Alabama; the one for Enoch Davis, Jr. in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Clarke Co. and the one for Eliza A. Davis Creagh in the Suggsville Cemetery. If there are grave markers for any of the others, I have not found them.

 

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SURVIVORS OF ENOCH DAVIS, SR. as given by his son, Arthur M. Davis

The State of Alabama)

Clarke County

Personally appeared before me, G. L. Bettis, Judge of the Probate Court in and for the County and State aforesaid, Arthur M. Davis, who after being duly qualified,deposeth and saith that the following are the heirs and Distributors of the Estate of Enoch Davis, deceased.

To-Wit: Enoch Davis, who is over the age of 21 years and who lives in the County and State aforesaid.

Eliza, who intermarried with James Odom, over the age of 21 years and who resides in the County and State aforesaid.

Sarah, who married Covington Jones, Jones being dead, and Sarah is over the age of 21 years, and lives in the County of Wilcox, State of Alabama.

Thomas Davis, who is dead, and left surviving him one child, Elizabeth, who married William Ressing, she is over the age of 21 and resides in the City of Mobile.

Johnson Davis, who is dead and left surviving him, Charles, Robert and Mary, all over the age 21. Charles resides in Clarke Co. Ala., Robert in Wilcox County and Mary, is over the age 21, who married Thomas Northrup, lives in the County of Wilcox, Ala.

Moses, who is dead and who left surviving him a daughter, Addy, over 21, who married Thomas Beliew, and who resides near Sparta in Mississippi.

Samuel, who is dead and left surviving him by his first wife, two children: Elisabeth, about 17 years old, who resides in Wilcox County, Ala. and Elijah, about 21 years of age and who resides in Wilcox County, Ala. and left surviving him by his last wife, Margaret Jane Davis, thirteen years; Celestia Ophelia Davis, twelve years; Julia Allas Davis, ten years; James Robert Davis, eight years; Sarah Cornelia Davis, six years. (The last five children's names were written on a piece of paper and were included in the Estate Papers of Enoch Davis, Sr. Written across the bottom of the paper were these words: "Heirs of Samuel Davis".)

Susan, who married John T. McCoy, the said Susan being dead, leaving surviving her six children: William and Jackson are of age and live in this county; James is about 18 and lives in the same county; Rebecca who married Columbus Stewart who lives in Harris County, Georgia; Susan who married John

 

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Thomas and Arretta who married Joseph Lawson; the said Susan and Arretta both live in this county and all of said girls are over the age of 21 years.

John, who is dead and left surviving him Eliza Ann, who is over the age of 21 and unmarried and resides in Talbert Co. Georgia; Mary, who married James L. Tillman and resides in Macon County. Ala. and over the age of 21; Epsey, who married Pennington DeLoach, she is over the age of 21 and resides in Clarke Co. Ala.; Martha,over the age of 21 married James Misan, lives in Coosa Co. Ala.; Elizabeth, over the age of 21, married Morrell Bakes, resides in Russell Co. Al; John Davis, who is now dead, leaving three children, names not known; they live in Butler Co. Ala.; Missouri, over the age of 21, married Cullen Miller, resides in Talbert Co. GA; Sarah Jane, about 21 years and lives in Russell County, Ala; Susan, about 20 and lives in Russell Co. Ala; Caroline, about 18 and lives in (illegible) Co. Georgia; and Enoch, about 13 years of age, and place of residence unknown.

 

 

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Ancestors and Kin: © Copyright by Mary Kennedy Reynolds, 1991

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