b. April 1778, d. 24 May 1842
| Birth | Apr 1778 | William Davis was born in Apr 1778 in Virginia however the exact date may have been the 15th, the 21st or the 22nd.2,3,4 |
| Marriage | 24 Dec 1813 | He married Sarah Ryburn, daughter of Mathew Ryburn and Jane Beattie, on 24 Dec 1813 in Washington County, Virginia, according to Washington County marriage records.5 |
| 28 Dec 1813 | However, their daughter Mary Jane Beaty (Davis) Moffett created a journal during Sarah's lifetime in which she recorded her parents marriage date as 28 Dec. 1813.6 |
| | In 1820 William's twin brother John married Sarah's older sister Jane. |
| Anecdote | | The following is taken from Mary Jane Beaty (Davis) Moffett's journal:
"My mother's place of residence and all of her people was in [the] Glade Spring neighborhood before she was married, all Presbyterian. After her and Father were married they lived on a small farm within 3 miles of what was called Kings Salt Works, 5 miles north of [the] Glade Spring Neighborhood, lived there until the children were grown and married (some of them) and sold out there with [the] intention of moving West but backed out and bought Father Moffett's farms down the valley north of Abingdon and lived there until he died..... then mother and the rest moved to Carroll County in the fall. Father was buried in the place that [he] died on, beside the dead of the Moffett family."7 |
| | William was a carpenter by trade. In Oct. [probably 1834] he traveled out to LaPorte County, Indiana to visit Mary Jane and her husband Garner Moffett. Finding them with an unfinished cabin William built floors, door shutters and cupboards for them. It may have been this trip that motivated William to consider moving west, although as Mary Jane tells above, he sold his Washington County land [May 1837] but did not follow through with the move.8,9 |
| Will | 16 Apr 1842 | William wrote his will on 16 Apr 1842, about 6 weeks before his death. He directed that his land and personal estate be sold and all his just debts be paid. Sarah was to receive her dower share and she was also named executor, along with William's son John. He left each of his daughters, whom he named as Mary J.B. Moffett, Eleanor McCoy, Ann Elizabeth Moffett, Margaret E. Davis and Sarah S. Davis, two beds and clothing, and $200. William's 3 sons, John B. Davis, Marthew R. Davis and William B.E. Davis were also to each receive $200. William stipulated that the 3 youngest children: Mathew, William and Sarah, were to be "reasonably educated" or were to receive an equivalent sum of money over and above their other legacy. Any remaining monies were to be equally divided among all the children.10 |
| Death | 24 May 1842 | He died on 24 May 1842 at age 64 of dropsey.4,11 |
| Burial | | William was buried in Moffett Cemetery, Washington County, Virginia.12,4 |
| Will-Recd | 27 Jun 1842 | William's will was recorded on 27 Jun 1842 in Washington County, Virginia. John Davis assumed the duties of executing his father's will and posted bond in the amount of $6,000 with Beatie Ryburn and James Clark as his securities.10 |
| Probate Recd | 22 Aug 1842 | An inventory was recorded on 22 Aug 1842. It listed a tract of land containing about 516 acres, various farm tools and farm animals, an assortment of books and a map of the United States.13 |
| Probate Recd | 25 Aug 1842 | When the items were sold 3 days later, Sarah puchased the map, a clock, and a variety of household items. The land was sold to Roger Craig for $2,000.14,15 |
