Seeking connections to Davis, Jones families in Fayette

Sandra Moody of Sharpsburg wrote recently about her search for her Davis and Jones relatives in Fayette County. She writes:

" ... My research began with my grandmother, Elizabeth Octavia Davis Smith, who was born in Fayette Co., Ga. Her parents were Francis M. Davis (1834-1898) and Sarah E. Jones Davis (d. 1888) and he was a tax collector in Fayette County."

Later information received from Sandra shows children of Francis and Sarah Jones Davis (all born in Fayette) to be: (1)Mary E. or A. (Annie) Davis, b. abt 1860; (2)Sarah Melvina (Mellie) Davis, b, 4 March 1869, d. 4 Sept. 1906, m. Henry Milton Tarpley in 1893, he d. 1940, both buried Inman UMC cemetery; (3)Francis M. Davis b. 1871, d. 1941, m. Laura Viola (Ola) Campbell 1892, was constable and prison guard in Fayette, lived in Campbell Co. area; (4)Paul Edgar Davis b. 1873, d. 1927, m. Nancy Palestine (Pallie) Strickland abt 1891 in Clayton or Fulton Co.; (5)Minnie Rachel Davis b. 1877, d. 1967; (6)James Thomas (Tommy) Davis b. 1879, d., 1900, died in a cotton gin accident; and (7)Elizabeth (Lizzie) Octavia Davis, b. 12 June 1884, d. 3 Oct. 1968, m. Henry Austin Smith 1908 in Fulton Co., Henry d. 1951.

Some of these family members are buried in College Park Cemetery in College Park and some in Roseland Cemetery in East Point.

"My quest became even more important when I realized (my grandmother) had 'fallen between the cracks' when it came to family tree research. Others doing research on this line may not have even known she existed. Most of her siblings were older than she. She was born in 1884, therefore she wouldn't be in the 1880 census. The 1890 census burned, and both her parents died before the 1900 census was taken. She went to live with her brother, Paul, and his wife in Fulton Co. when she was about 15 or 16 years of age. During my childhood, I met one of her sisters and one of her sisters-in-law. I knew the names of her parents and other siblings, so I had a starting place for my research ... all these names were found in the 1880 Fayette Co. census.

"Francis M. Davis was listed with his parents and siblings in the 1850 Fayette census. Although Francis' parents were in the 1860 Fayette census, he wasn't shown, but in the 1870 Fayette census, he is shown with his wife and their child, living in Dist. #624, Shakerag.

"A few years back, a contact of mine told me a couple, Francis M. Davis and Sarah E. Jones, married Aug. 4, 1859 in Shelby Co., Ala. During the Civil War, there was also a Francis M. Davis who served as a private in Co. I of the 18th Infantry from Shelby and surrounding counties. I haven't made a positive connection yet.

"There isn't a positive connection on Sarah E. Jones' family either, but I assumed the Jones family listed in the 1850 Fayette Co. census could be hers. The 1850 census was the last Fayette census in which this Jones family was listed. The head of the household was James S. Jones b, abt 1808 in SC. Other family members (all born in Ga.) were: Mary A. Jones, b. abt 1820; William T. Jones, b, abt 1838; Mary A. Jones, b. abt 1840; Samuel G. Jones, b. abt 1842; Sarah E. Jones, b. abt 1844; Charles W. Jones, b. abt 1846; and Phebe Jones, b. abt. 1847.

"Also, there was a James S. Jones who served in the same Alabama Infantry company as Francis Davis, according to the listings of the Confederates from Shelby Co., Ala. and surrounding areas. And two Jones men born in Fayette County, Ga. served as privates in Ben Sawyer's Infantry Co., (S.G.W. Jones b. 13 Sept. 1841 and W.T. Jones b. 2 Sept. 1837) according to the same source. These men well may be the same Jones family members. I am not sure if they remained in that same area later, though. These are points of verification I wish to make, that there were possibly Davis and Jones kinspeople in this area of Alabama at this time.

"In the land records of Fayette Co., Francis M. Davis had interests in ownership in the lower section of LL 29 of the 7th Dist., and in LL 35 of the

7th Dist. Upon Francis' death in 1898, his second wife (Sarah A. Milsapps McEachern Davis) and John J. Davis are listed in the Fayette Co. Court of Ordinary minutes 1895-1903, pp. 319-320. The document mentioned 100 acres still owned by Francis, which was in LL 35 of the 7th Dist. There is mention of his minor children, a girl about 16 and a boy 20. Apparently, this girl was my grandmother. This was where their home was located, on the corner of Ebenezer Rd. and Ebenezer Church Rd. Many of the Davis descendants are buried at Ebenezer Methodist Church Cemetery, but some of Wesley's family members are buried at Phillips Family Cemetery off Davis Rd. in Fayette. It has been said that the land on which Ebenezer Church is located was originally Davis land. Francis' father, Wesley Davis, as well as other family members also owned land in this area (LL 29, 7th Dist.)

"Many Davis family members were probably members of Ebenezer, but I have been told the church records were lost many years ago.

"Census and cemetery research in Fayette has shown Francis' parents to be Wesley M. and Rachel Jones Davis, both from S.C."

Additional information from Sandra indicates Wesley and Rachel's children to be James M. Davis, Emily Davis, Francis M. Davis, Lucinda Catherine Davis, Mary Ann E. Davis, Rachel Melvina Davis and Marcellus Nimrod Davis.

"I have been told by a Jones relative that Rachel was from Abbeville, the daughter of Samuel Jones, b. NC, who later made his home in Abbeville. I haven't made a positive connection to Wesley's parents as yet, nor am I positive he was from Abbeville."

Sandra would be happy to share other information on this family and would like to know if anyone has old pictures of the Davis and Jones families. She also welcomes corrections to her research. You may write to her at: 355 Little Creek Dr., Sharpsburg, GA, 30277, or e-mail smoody@numail.org.

Send stories about your southside Atlanta ancestors to The Citizen, Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; E-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com.

Until next week, happy hunting!

(Judy regrets that time does not permit her to do personal research for others. She will willingly share research information on her own family lines, including collateral and allied lines.)

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