Evaline Tweet Davis

Family/Spouse: John Speed Smith. John was born on 1 Nov 1839; died on 18 Aug 1917. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He was a judge.

Melton married Permelia "Milly" Patrick on 12 Jan 1841. Permelia (daughter of Bryant Patrick and Nancy Ann Davis) was born on 23 Nov 1825 in Williamsburg, Whitley, Kentucky; died on 6 Jan 1866 in Williamsburg, Whitley, Kentucky; was buried in Highland Cemetery, Williamsburg, Whitley, Kentucky. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

[The paragraph below is from http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kmparker, evidently from info provided by Patrick's late aunt Nancy Jonckheere.]

"Born in 1776 in North Carolina, Billie Davis was famous as a trapper, guide and explorer. He had a disagreement with a bear and lost his arm as a result, but it was the bear who lost the fight. Later, one-armed Billie became sheriff of Whitley County, an office he held for many years. He had considerable presence and could handle just about any problem with words alone. Nancy Jonckheere once found online a copy of an old North Carolina election handout from about 1850, which said was that the candidate was endorsed by 'Billie Davis, the famous one-armed sheriff of Whitley County, Kentucky.' By 1795, when Billie was 19, he was already married to Sarah Rapier, who was born about 1779 in North Carolina. Her brother Jesse moved to Whitley County, Kentucky, as well. Billie and Sarah both lived to a ripe old age and died in Whitley County: Sarah between 1860 and 1870, when she was at least 81 years old; and Billie in 1864 at the age of 88."

*****

We wonder if he wasn't born significantly later than the late 1770s. According to the records of the Kentucky Assembly, William Davis was sheriff of Whitley County in 1848 and 1849, at which time he would have been 72 and 73 years old if he was in fact born in 1776. Memory and oral traditions often exaggerate the age-at-death of particularly colorful individuals.

More absurdly, multiple ancestry.com trees claim that this William Davis is the Union soldier who died on 6 October 1864 and is buried at Cave Hill National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. We have no idea how they imagine that an 82-year-old man was serving as a Union private.

*****

Michele Brooks reproduces a bill of sale for his estate, executed by his son Melton Lewis Davis, which may provide some clues to his ancestry:

Sale Bill Dated 3 December 1864
Son - M.L. Davis 1 pistol $5.50
Son - William R. Davis 3 books 1.60
William Patrick 4 books .50
William Patrick 5 books .60
Dau - Matilda 1 book 1.90
son-in-law Sampson Parker 2 razors 1.40
Son - M. L. Davis 1/2 bushel ?
Seth Freeman
Cousin - James E. White 1 board 1.00
Cousin-in-law - Melton E. White 2 boxes 4.00
Son - M. L. Davis Furniture 55.00
M. L. Davis 1 saddle 1.00
M. L. Davis 1 satchel 3.00
Dau - Matilda Cattle .50

William married Sarah Rapier between 1795 and 1800 in North Carolina. Sarah was born in 1777; died before 1870 in Whitley County, Kentucky. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: Abt 1778, North Carolina
• Alternate birth: Abt 1779, North Carolina

Notes:

Appears in some online trees as Roper, Rapour, etc. Frequently given as a daughter of William J. Rapier and Elizabeth Thompson; there is absolutely no evidence for this.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: Bef 23 Mar 1864, Whitley County, Kentucky

Bryant married Nancy Ann Davis on 13 Jan 1820 in Knox County, Tennessee. Nancy was born in 1802 in Tennessee; died in 1832 in Whitley County, Kentucky. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Variously given as born in Dublin, Ireland or Ayreshire, Scotland. In the 1880 and 1900 censuses, he was said by his son Andrew to have been born in Ireland.

A James Patrick is recorded as baptized 3 May 1778 in Dalry, Ayrshire, Scotland, born 1 May 1778, son of Robert Patrick.

James married Courtney Sykes. Courtney was born in Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

A Courtney Patrick appears in the 1800 census of Hertford County, North Carolina with sons under 10.