Nathaniel Davis

d. before 15 October 1765
Marriage Nathaniel Davis married Sarah (?)
Research1742  Is this "our" Nathaniel and Sarah?: First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia lists Nathaniel Davies and Sara Nut being married there October 28, 1742; note that there was a NUTT family living in Beverley Manor not far from Nathaniel Davis and a Robert Davis witnessed William Nutt's deed in Beverley Manor in 1748. The same records for the First Presbyterian Church list a Nathaniel Davis and Hannah L. Martin marriage in 1746.1 
Research6 Nov 1743  Augusta County, Virginia;
John Davis, son of Nathaniel, baptised at Stone or Tinkling Spring Meeting House2 
Research11 May 1746  Augusta County, Virginia;
Elisabeth Davis, dau of Nathaniel, baptised at Stone or Tinkling Spring Meeting House2 
Research28 Feb 1749  Augusta County, Virginia;
Wm Beverley to Nathaniel Davise, 150 acres cor Arthur Hamilton, Sam Downey, James Gilmore; is this an OS date? our Nathaniel? Arthur Hamilton bought land same day; his deed sounds as though he had already owned other adj land. The original survey of this tract is on FHL microfilm 030419 at front of film - old survey book was gifted to Augusta Co.

lots of others bought land same day. Nathaniel witnessed these:
DB 2: Page 614.--28th February, 1749. Same to James Callison, 276 acres in Beverley Manor. Corner William Ledgerwood. Teste: Nathanial Davies.
DB 2: Page 544.--27th February, 1749. Same to Thomas Peerie, planter, 375 acres in Augusta County, Shennadore in Beverley Manor. Corner John Campbell; corner Robert Young; corner William McClintock. Delivered: Thomas Kirkpatrick, January, 1752. Teste: Jacob Lockhart, Nathaniel Davis.3 
  Nathaniel may have had as many as 8 sons and may have been of Scotch-Irish descent.4 
  However, it is also possible the Davis line may have been of Welsh descent. In the 1888 History of Rush Co. Indiana, it states that John Moffett was the son of William Moffett who was of Irish and Welsh descent. William's parents were Capt. John Moffett and Isabella Davis. Since John Moffett was of Scotch-Irish descent it is possible that Isabella Davis (daughter of John Davis and granddaughter of Nathaniel Davis) was of Welsh descent (unless of course the reference was to John Moffett's paternal grandmother (Mary Gardner) or Isabella's mother (Mary ?).5 
Research1755  Nathaniel's son Samuel stated in his pension application that he was born 24 Dec. 1755 in what is now Rockbridge, then Augusta County, Virginia.

I am not entirely sure that this year of birth is correct; it might have actually been several years later. But this gives us a pretty good idea that Nathaniel, Sarah and children were already down on the Buffalo Creek land in the late 1750s. Morton's History of Rockbridge Co. states that that tract of land fell into Rockbridge Co. when it was formed in 1778 from Botetourt and Augusta.

Samuel’s statement also tells us that the family was no longer living on the land in Beverley Manor in the late 1750s (if indeed that was theirs in the first place) since that land was up near Staunton which remained in Augusta County. And it also lets us know that references to any Nathaniel Davises who were living in other parts of Virginia in the mid to late 1750s are probably not our man.6 
Research6 Dec 1759  Augusta County, Virginia;
Nathaniel witnessed the will of John Gay; WB 2: 361 as abstracted in Chalkley's Chronicles of the Scotch Irish Settlement, Vol. 3: 56 
Land-Sell1760  Augusta County, Virginia;
Nathaniel Davise and Sarah to Francis McDonnall, 34 pounds, 150 acres in Beverley Manor; cor Arthur Hamilton, cor Samuel Downey, cor James Gilmer; teste: Andrew Cowan, Arthur Hamilton; abstracted from Augusta Co. Deed Bk No. 8, p. 261, (no date given in Chalkley but entries bef and after were 1760)7 
Research18 Jun 1763  Augusta County, Virginia;
Nathaniel was appointed as an appraiser of Joseph McCord's estate; WB 3: 264 as abstracted in Chalkley's Chronicles of the Scotch Irish Settlement, Vol. 3: 80 
Land-Patent30 Aug 1763  Augusta County (now Rockbridge), Virginia;
Nathaniel patented 115 ac on Buffalo Creek  
Deathbefore 15 Oct 1765 Nathaniel died before 15 Oct 1765.8 
  Nathaniel's son Samuel's Revolutionary War application states that his father was killed by the Shawnee Indians.6 
Research15 Oct 1765  Nathaniel's son John and widow Sarah sold the 115 acre patent on Buffalo Creek to Moses Cavet; no neighbors named but witnesses were John Maxwell, Audley Paul and George Wilson.8 

Related Links and Images:

See also Any Davis.
Nathaniel's 1763 patent
John and Sarah to Moses Cavet (after Nathaniel's death)
Letter re Nathaniel from the notes of Mrs. Kathleen Bushman - noted Augusta Co. researcher9

Family

Sarah (?)
Children
Last Edited14 Mar 2013

Citations

  1. [S1297] Roger Davis, "1stpresby01," e-mail to Diana Powell, 5 Aug. 2005. Roger provided a link to a US Genweb site at this URL. It cites the Pennsylvania Archives. Second Series. Vol. IX. "Marriage Record of the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, 1702-1745," pp. 3-78.
  2. [S323] Howard McKnight Wilson, The Tinkling Spring, p. 470-484. Appendix F. contains baptismal records abstracted from Rev. John Craig's personal book. Among them are two entries for children of Nathaniel Davis: John, bapt. 6 Nov. 1743 and Elisabeth, bapt. May 11, 1746. Both of these baptisms took place "in the congregation" which included both Stone and Tinkling Spring Meeting Houses.
  3. [S330] Lyman Chalkley, Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia Extracted From the Original Court Records of Augusta County 1745-1800, 3: 283. This record is abstracted from Augusta Co. Deed Bk No. 2, p. 635, dated 28 Feb. 1749 (OS?), and states: William Beverley to Nathaniel Davise, 150 acres in Beverley Manor; corner Arthur Hamilton, cor Samuel Downey and James Gilmore; wit: George Pirie, James Henderson.
  4. [S1290] A Memorial and Biographical History of Johnson and Hill Counties, Texas, p. 336. This information provided by an unknown person for a biography of Samuel K. Davis (grandson of Samuel Davis). The bio states that Samuel Davis (the grandfather) was the youngest of 8 sons and was of Scotch-Irish descent.
  5. [S475] History of Rush County, Indiana, p. 727.
  6. [S1294] Samuel Davis personal statement, dated 8 Nov. 1832 at Madison Co., Alabama; Samuel Davis Revolutionary War Pension Application File; RG 15; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M804 - Revolutionary War Pension & Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, roll 755).
  7. [S879] Augusta Co., Virginia Deed Book 8: 261. Nathaniel Davies/Davise of Augusta County sells to Frances McDonnall 150 acres in Beverley Manor for 34 pounds; dated 1760 (no month or date), recorded 16 March 1760. Sarah released her dower although she was not named in the deed.
  8. [S1289] Augusta Co., Virginia Deed Book 12: p. 295. Sarah Davis (relict of Nathaniel Davis, dec'd) and John (son of Nathaniel and Sarah) sell 115 acres on Buffalo Creek to Moses Cavet; 15 Oct. 1765.
  9. [S1831] Letter dated 16 June 1982, Bushman to Mrs. Jueneman ,Kathleen Bushman Papers 1961-1997, accession #35743, Library of Virginia. Letter dated 16 June 1982, Bushman to Mrs. Jueneman.
  10. [S1295] James Davis deposition in case of Mary Davis vs Russell et al; Wythe Co. Virginia Superior Ct. Chancery Pleas Records 2: 37. James states that John Davis [deceased spouse of plaintiff] was his brother.