A Wilson Family Tree
Notes for Sarah (Sallie) Davis
From the Parks manuscript:
The fourth daughter and fifth child of our grandparents was Sallie, born about the year of 1760. She was somewhat distinguished in the family, and I believe, in the circle in which she moved, for intellectuality and intelligence. I presume that she was gifted with conversational powers. I have heard Alexander Herring, the husband of my Cousin Margaret Smith, say that he considered Aunt Reeves her equal in good sense, but not able to express her ideas so clearly. This I consider high praise for I was permitted to enjoy the society of Aunt Reeves in her old age, and even then I esteemed her a fine talker, and so she was esteemed by intellectual and literary persons who knew her. Aunt Sallie certainly enjoyed opportunities of mental culture which were not attainable, at least to the same extent by any other members of the family. In the year of 1776, that remarkable man and devoted minister of God, James Waddell, came to Augusta County, Virginia, and was settled as pastor over Tinkling Spring Church. Of this church our grandfather [Walter Davis] was a ruling elder. Mr. Waddell lived within about three miles of him. Of course intimate intercourse immediately sprang up between the families. At this time my Aunts Smith, Reeves, and Donly were all married. My Uncle James was probably absent in the army, but Aunt Sallie was just budding into early womanhood with the warm affections and sprightly intellect. It is easy to imagine the influence of his rare eloquence and of the society of a refined intelligent family on a girl of that age and character. Her life and character evince that she improved those rare advantages. She acquired a reputation for general intelligence and conversational powers far above the common standard of the ladies of that time. She married John Ewin of Rockingham County. They removed to Kentucky some years afterwards, probably intending to settle in Christian County where James Davis and Brewer Reeves had previously gone. But Mr. Ewin sickened and died in Hardin County, leaving his wife and three children; Henry Clayton, Watts Davis, and Jeanetta. I am not able to say much about Uncle Ewin. He was of respectable family, and was I think employed in the clerk’s office in Rockingham County. Aunt Ewin after the death of her husband managed (I suppose by the assistance of her brother) to reach the neighborhood of her brother and sister, and secure a home for herself and children. First that brother, so dear to them all, fell a victim, then the remaining brother-in-law, and the two sisters and sister-in-law were left with their children, the oldest scarcely more than twelve years, in that rude uncultivated country. But although the scattered inhabitants were rough in manner, many of them had large hearts.
I will put the name of one in this brief sketch, Edward Davis, the father of the late Col. Joe Davis of Howard County, who proved a true and unfailing friend to those bereaved and lonely widows. Aunt Ewin continued to live on her farm with her three children until the year of 1806, when she was taken from them.
The Ancestral file listed two daughters, one named Sarah and one named "Sally or Sarah". It looks to me like these are the same person. The Cormode info listed her as Sarah (Sally) Davis? Also Sarah (Sallie) Davis. Most sources call her Sallie.
Note that her mother’s will, dated 26 Dec 1805, refers to “the Heirs of my Daughter Sally Ewin”, so Sallie died enough before then for word of her death to have reached Virginia. By odd coincidence, Diane's Genealogy web site has the following item from Christian County Court Order Book A, p. 195, 14 Feb 1804 (thanks to Daniel Cormode for the pointer):
The Court doth appoint Edward Shanklin guardian of Watts Davis Ewin and Jennetta Ewin who entered into bond with Peter Ferguson and Sam'l Davis his securities in the penalty of 4000 dollars conditioned as the law Directs.
This makes it sound like Sallie may have already died by February 1804, but that doesn't seem to fit with other evidence. If she died that early, why was Jennetta not sent to Virginia until 1806? Is this possibly just an indication that Sallie was already very sick by 1804? Unless there was another Peter Ferguson in the area, he was the second husband of James Davis’s wife, Deborah Miller Davis Ferguson. No relationship is known to Samuel Davis.
Note: Some of the information in these pages is uncertain. Please let me know of errors or omissions using the email link above. ...Mike Wilson
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