Robert ‘the Black’ Davis

Also seen as Robert Davis of St Mary’s.

Ref: Mary Elizabeth HUGHES Sex: F Note: ! Elizabeth m. Nathaniel Davis, a Welshman and early settler in the region. He made a large fortune by having choice river-bottom lands and trading with the Indians. Nathaniel and Elizabeth had 4 children: Robert Davis, ancestor of President Jefferson Davis who never publicly acknowledged his Indian heritage; Martha Davis who m. Abraham Venable; Abadiah (also called Abigail) Davis who m. William Floyd; Mary Davis who married Samuel Burks. (Abadiah Floyd who married Col. William Floyd seems of a later generation - a daughter of Robert ‘the Black’ Davis)

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King William Co. formed 1701 from King & Queen Co., VA (which formed from New Kent County in 1691).

Amherst Co. formed 1761 from Albemarle Co., VA

“We are not certain where Robert was born, though some say King William County, Virginia and believe Nathaniel was his father; he names his first son Nathaniel.” -- “Anna Cartlidge notes that Robert, having lost his land in Amherst Co., Va. In a disputed filing by a Nicholas Davies, removed to Nachez, Miss. (then a part of Ga.), by July, 1759, where ‘. . .we find him in Georgia with his wife, five children, and thirteen slaves, petitioned for a grant on the south side of the Sapala River known by the name of Cedar Point.’

Those in his will to whom he leaves money are the children who remained east. . .His will was dated September 5th, 1771, and it was proved in 1773. (or 1790). Caraol Seales notes that we have no proof of these wives, except Grace who is named in his will.” -- per Carol Seales, email dated January 2002: “. . .he married 3 times, so the span in the children’s birthdates would be wide. He acquired a large amount of land in Amherst county, but failed to patent it correctly. Nicholas Davies came along and entered the patents on Robert Davis’ land and because it was not properly patented before, the court awarded all of Roberts land to Nicholas. My guess is that this made Robert so angry, he left for the territories. . .After Robert lost his large acreage in VA, he and his 3rd wife Grace with their sons Lewis, Landon and Hugh moved to the Southern Territory. Many entries can be found in the Natchez court records, but also in the Georgia Records and sometimes sources state Florida. The documents list such rivers as Thompson Creek and the Homochitto River.”

(Stevens, Marshall, Mitchell, Washington and other Families, Pat M. Stevens IV, RootsWeb World Connect Project database)

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“The Davis Family continued to be fur traders until about 1750. One fur station is thought to be one mile above the Otter Creek. In 1753, Robert Davis and his family stopped fur trading for plantation life. Robert built a plantation above the Lawrence Creek (Otter). However, Robert lost this plantation to Nicholas Davies because he had neglected to get a proper title for this property. It was around 1750 that Nicholas Davies came into this peaceful settlement with land grants. These land grants caused Robert Davis and Nicholas Davies to quarrel over who had a right to this land. However, since land grants were recognized over squatter rights, Robert had to leave the county. He moved to. . .Natchez on the Mississippi, then part of West Florida.”

(The Stevens and Allied Families in America Since 1600s, Pat Stevens, Family Tree Maker On-line database)

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“Court records in Natchez -- Court Book E, p 237, 5 Feb 1791 (Galveztown) -- concerning and estate argument between Martha Davis Foley and her former husband’s brothers show that --

• Grace, widow of Robert Davis, died in the year 1784. . .
• Martha, widow of (1) Lewis Davis, married a (2) Foley). . .--
• Lewis, Landon, and Hugh Davis have made a settlement. . .on June 12, 1790 in Galveztown on the estate of their father. (editor -- confusing in the papers because Lewis died before his mother, as is noted elsewhere. . .).”

(The Stevens and Allied Families in America Since 1600s, Pat Stevens, Family Tree Maker On-line database)

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Will: 5 Sept 1771, Adams County (Natchez), MS: “I Robert Davis of the Province of Georgia”

-- wife Grace

-- sons:

• Nathaniel;
• Isom;
• Robert;
• Lewis;
• Landon;
• Hugh

-- daughters:

• Obediah Floyd;
• Sarah ---rks;
• Elizabeth Sexton

-- “In Natchez whereof I have set my hand and seal the fifth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred and Seventy One.”

https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/lewis/8002/

By Laura Lewis September 20, 2000 at 10:56:53 In reply to: Abadaih Lewis of VA 9/10/00

After checking my husband's notes, I think the Abadiah Lewis you're referring to was the mother of your Robert Davis, not his wife.She appears to have been a daughter of Hugh Lewis, Jr., and Nicketti, who was a daughter of Chief Opechancanough, Powhatan's brother or half-brother.

Abadiah Lewis married Nathaniel Davis, and they were parents of Robert Davis. It's not clear whether Robert was born in Wales, England or Virginia.

A note on this family I found (I just have my husband's earlier notes on hand) shows that Hugh Lewis, Nathaniel Davis and "Obadiah" Davis were transported to King & Queen County, VA, in 1717.This Hugh Lewis was apparently not the much older "Capt." Hugh Lewis some researchers assume, and Jay's evidence for that is too detailed to include here.

Nathaniel Davis and Abadiah Lewis had children:

1. Robert Davis (your ancestor?)
2. Mary Davis (m. Samuel Burks)
3. Martha Davis (m. Abraham Venable)
4. Abadiah Davis (m. William Floyd)

The most updated information I have on the man who appears to be "your" Robert Davis (courtesy of my husband's old notes - which may well have been updated since) is this:

Robert Davis was an Indian trader and one of the first settlers of Amherst Co., VA.He left the area in 1752 for North Carolina, and then moved to Georgia.His will of 1771 was found in Georgia.

Robert Davis married (1st) Elizabeth Hughes and had the following children:

1. Nathaniel Davis (m. Elizabeth Atkins)- these are my husband's ancestors
2. Isham Davis
3. Robert Davis
4. John Davis (not mentioned in his will)
5. Abadiah Davis (m. William Floyd)
6. Sarah Davis (m. Burks)
7. Elizabeth (m. Sexton)

He married (2nd) Anna Atkins.Their children were:

1. Absolum Davis

He married (3rd) to Grace (unknown). Their children were:

1. Landon Davis
2. Lewis Davis
3. Hugh Davis

References

https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/lewis/8009/

Robert Davis (called The Black Davis)who married Abadiah Lewis who was his first wife and had children: Susannah who married David Cox; Martha (sometimes seen as Hannah) married Abraham B. Venable- some books have Martha as the daughter of Nathaniel Davis and Elizabeth Hughes); Isham(Isom); James married Jane Black; Robert married Jane Jopling; John; Abadiah (Abby) married William Floyd (some books have Abadiah as daughter of Nathaniel Davis and Elizabeth Hughes); Elizabeth married Unknown Sexton; Nathaniel married Elizabeth Atkins (who is the sister of his stepmother Anna Atkins); Evan married Mary E. Williams.

Second wife was Anna Atkins - they had a son Absolom - she may have died in childbirth or shortly thereafter.

His third wife was Grace Unknown - they had children Lewis, Landon, and Hugh.

Robert Davis died in Natchez, Georgia which is now Mississippi.I have his will in my notes.

[LINKS]

Robert ‘the Black’ Davis

https://books.google.com/books?id=E9EeCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA351&lpg=PA351&d...

• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 7 2021, 21:00:47 UTC

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• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 7 2021, 21:00:47 UTC

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https://jemgen.com/getperson.php?personID=I23770&tree=A001 WITH ERRORS