The “Aunts & Uncles” series of biographical sketches are Artificial Intelligence (AI) compiled narratives of selected individuals from my Genealogical database. The selected AI will used the RootsMagic Individual Summary from my Genealogical Software, Roots Magic. All genealogical data is my research material acquired over the past 46 years of research. Today's Biography of David Davis, Jr. (1758-1832) was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:
David Davis Jr.
1758 – 1832
Soldier, Farmer, and Patriarch of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Overview
David Davis Jr. was born in 1758 in Marion, Craven District, South Carolina, into a family with deep roots in the colonial South. He lived through some of the most dramatic years in American history — from the early rumblings of revolution to the nation's first decades as an independent republic. A private in the North Carolina Militia during the Revolutionary War, a farmer, and a devoted family man, David spent most of his adult life in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, where he raised five children with his wife, Jane Sloan, and became a well-known and respected member of his community. He died on September 17, 1832, at approximately 74 years of age, leaving behind a legacy that his family continued to honor long after his passing.
Parents and Early Family
David was the son of the Reverend David Davis Sr. (1717–1793) and Jane Miles (1720–1772). His father was a minister, which likely shaped David's strong sense of community and moral conviction. His mother, Jane Miles, passed away in 1772 when David was only about 14 years old, so he grew up without her during his formative teenage years.
Sadly, we don't have a complete list of David's siblings, but we do know he had at least one brother, John, who had already made his way to Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. It was to John's household that young David went when he left home around 1770 at the age of 12 — quite the adventure for a boy that age! Moving from South Carolina to North Carolina as a child, David would have experienced the full sweep of colonial frontier life firsthand.
Growing Up in Colonial America
David's childhood and teenage years coincided with one of the most turbulent periods in American history. By the time he was a teenager, tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain were reaching a boiling point. The Stamp Act (1765), the Boston Massacre (1770), and the Boston Tea Party (1773) were all events that would have been the talk of every household in the colonies, including the Davis family home in Mecklenburg County.
North Carolina was particularly stirred up during these years. In fact, Mecklenburg County — the very county where David was living with his brother — famously adopted the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence in May 1775, one of the earliest formal declarations of independence from British rule in the colonies. It's easy to imagine that living in such a politically charged community helped shape the young David Davis into the patriot soldier he would become.
Revolutionary War Service
When the Revolutionary War broke out, David Davis Jr. answered the call. He served as a private in the North Carolina Militia, fighting against British forces and their allies. Though the full details of his service were unfortunately lost — more on that in a moment — family and neighbors later testified to his role as a soldier of the Revolution.
One particularly colorful account comes from the Reverend Walter S. Pharr, who knew David well in his later years. Pharr recalled a story David had told him about a campaign in the western part of North Carolina against the Cherokee Indians. According to Pharr, the Reverend James Hall (also known as Captain Hall) was with the troops, and before they attacked an Indian town, he gathered all the men around a large tree, led them in prayer, and then declared: "Come on boys, the Lord is with us!" As it turned out, the Indians had wisely abandoned the town before the troops arrived. It's a vivid glimpse into what frontier military service looked like in those years.
Sadly, David's formal pension application was never completed. His neighbor William Barnette — who served as a Justice of the Peace and drew up David's pension declaration — described how the paperwork was sent to Congressman Henry W. Connor to be presented to the pension department in Washington. The papers were returned with corrections needed, but by that time, David was on his deathbed and could no longer attend to them. After David's death, the papers were given to another justice of the peace named Doherty, who accidentally burned them along with some old papers. It was a heartbreaking end to what should have been a well-deserved recognition of his service.
David's widow, Jane, later declared under oath that he had served between two and twelve months, and that he had been a private in the North Carolina Militia. She believed, based on what David had told her over the years, that he served four tours of three months each under Captain Robert Smith. His service was widely known and respected in the community — neighbor William Barnette testified that from his earliest recollection, David Davis "was known as one of the Soldiers of the Revolution," and that he had often heard David talk about his wartime experiences.
Marriage and Family
On February 26, 1788, David Davis Jr. married Jane Sloan, who was born on March 15, 1768, in what appears to have been South Carolina. Jane was about 20 years old at the time of their marriage, and David was around 30. They would remain together for 44 years, until David's death in 1832. Jane outlived her husband by more than two decades, passing away in 1853 at the remarkable age of 85.
Together, David and Jane had five known children:
Elizabeth Sloan Davis (May 31, 1789 – 1857)
Elizabeth was the eldest child of David and Jane. Her middle name "Sloan" honored her mother's maiden name — a touching family tradition. She later appears in the estate records as Elizabeth S. Davis, signing the property settlement after her father's death. She lived to age 68.
Silas Davis (April 6, 1792 – 1857)
Silas was the second child and played an important role after his father's death, co-signing the estate administration bond and later providing sworn testimony in support of his mother's pension application. He was about 58 years old when he gave that testimony in 1850–51, confirming the family records he had known since childhood.
Jane Davis (September 13, 1795 – 1868)
The third child, Jane, was named after her mother. She later married a man with the surname Burnett, appearing in the estate records as Jane Davis Burnett. She lived until 1868, the longest-lived of the siblings.
Mary "Polly" Davis (June 16, 1797 – date of death unknown)
Polly, as she was known, was the fourth child. She married a man with the surname Barnett, appearing in estate records as Mary Davis Barnett. Her Barnett husband (Hiram Barnett, based on the estate records) also signed the property settlement. No death date has been located for Polly.
John H. Davis (1803 – 1886)
John was the youngest child and the one David specifically named in his will to receive the western portion of the family land. John took on the significant responsibility of administering his father's estate after David's death, and he lived to the impressive age of 83 — the longest life of all the children.
Life in Mecklenburg County
After his wartime service, David settled into life as a farmer in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The 1810 Federal Census found him in the Captain Duglas district of Mecklenburg County — at that time, he would have been around 52 years old. The census record listed him as head of household, with several younger family members living under his roof.
David owned a plantation along Clarks Creek, which he divided among his children in his will. The property included his "mansion house" (the main farmhouse), fields, springs, and the creek itself — all the hallmarks of a working farm of that era. He also owned smith tools and a wagon, which he directed to be shared among all family members as common property.
Life in early 19th-century Mecklenburg County was demanding but rewarding. The county seat, Charlotte, was a small but growing town. Farming was the backbone of the local economy, and communities were tight-knit, bound together by church, neighbors, and shared work. David's neighbor William Barnette described living "a near neighbor to David Davis and his wife Jane for more than fifty years" — a testament to the stability and rootedness that David built for his family.
Notably, the 1810 census also recorded a "David Davis" household in Marion, South Carolina, with five slaves — however, based on the research in this file, that entry appears to refer to a different David Davis, not our subject. Our David Davis was clearly living in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina at that time.
Historical Context: A Life Spanning a Revolution
To truly appreciate David's life, it helps to put it in historical perspective. He was born the same year as the last major conflict of the French and Indian War (1758) and died just three years before the death of President James Madison (1836). The span of his 74 years saw the birth of the United States, the drafting of the Constitution, the Louisiana Purchase, the War of 1812, and the rise of Andrew Jackson — a fellow Carolinian who became president in 1829, just three years before David's death.
David was 18 years old when the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. He was a young man in his twenties when the Constitution was ratified in 1788 — the same year he married Jane Sloan. He would have experienced the building of the new nation alongside the building of his own family. By the time he was writing his will in 1828, the United States was 52 years old — still a young country, but one that had survived wars, political upheaval, and rapid westward expansion.
Last Will and Testament
On June 23, 1828, David Davis Jr. sat down and wrote his last will and testament, witnessed by Walter S. Pharr and Jane B. Pharr. The will gives us a wonderful window into both his practical nature and his warm concern for his family.
David divided his plantation into three parts. His son John received the land on the west side of the hollow below his fields, running to Joseph Ewart's line. The other two portions, divided by Clarks Creek, were offered to Silas (who had first choice) and one portion to be equally divided between daughter Elizabeth and grandson Thomas Green Barnett. He also made a special provision for Elizabeth, allowing her half of the proceeds from her portion should she have heirs.
The smith tools and wagon were to be shared among all family members — but with a practical condition: if anyone didn't contribute their fair share of labor or expense to maintain them, they would forfeit their right to use them. You can almost hear David's no-nonsense, hardworking character coming through in those words!
Most touchingly, David directed that his wife Jane be allowed to remain in the mansion house for the rest of her life and to have the disposal of all the household furniture. After 40 years of marriage, his first concern was making sure Jane would be taken care of.
Death and Estate Settlement
David Davis Jr. passed away on September 17, 1832, at approximately 74 years of age, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He died before his pension application could be completed — a genuine loss, given his years of service during the Revolutionary War.
On April 1, 1833, his children and their spouses gathered to sign a formal agreement settling the parts of the estate not covered by the will. The document was signed by Elizabeth S. Davis, Silas Davis, Wm. (William) Barnett (husband of one of the daughters), Jane Davis Burnett, Hiram Barnett, Mary Davis Barnett, John H. Davis, and Thomas G. Barnett. Son John was named administrator of the estate, and in February 1835, he and his brother Silas signed a formal administration bond before the governor of North Carolina.
His widow Jane continued to live in Mecklenburg County and pursued a pension based on David's Revolutionary War service for many years. She gave sworn testimony in 1846 and again in 1852, at the age of 83 — remarkable persistence from a remarkable woman. Though the original service papers had been destroyed, her testimony and that of neighbors like William Barnette painted a vivid picture of David's service and his standing in the community. Jane Davis died on 1 September 1853, having outlived her husband by 21 years.
Legacy
David Davis Jr. lived a full and meaningful life during one of the most extraordinary periods in American history. He helped win independence for his country as a young man, then spent the rest of his life building a home, a farm, and a family on the frontier of the new nation. His children and grandchildren carried his name and his values forward into the 19th century, and the records they left behind — wills, deeds, pension applications, and sworn affidavits — give us a surprisingly rich portrait of who he was.
William Barnette, who knew David for more than 50 years, perhaps said it best: he had no doubt that David Davis was a soldier of the Revolution and "that was his reputation in his neighborhood." For a man who lived humbly and worked hard, that's a legacy worth celebrating.
David Davis Jr. is my 4th Great Grand Uncle.
My 4th Great Grandfather, Thomas Davis, is the youger brother of David Davis, Jr.
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1. 1810 U S Census, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, population schedule, Capt Duglas, Mecklenburg, North Carolina, Page: 573 (Penciled); Line 11, Household of Davy DAVIS; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : online July 2025); citing National Archives Microfilm M252.
2. David Davis , Jr., WILL BOOK: Last Will Book "G"; page 106; Probate Office, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
3. Ancestry, "Revolutionary War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (https://www.fold3.com : accessed July 2025), entry for David Davis, ; Date of Death - 17 Sept 1832; south.
4. Land Deed - Heirs and Legatees of David Davis decd; 1 April 1833; Deed Book #Deed Book 23,; Page(s) page 114; Register of Deeds; Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina; July 2026.
5. Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Probate Files & Loose papers, Legatees of David Davis decd ; digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org: online July 2025); David Davis.
6. Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, administrator of all and singular the goods and chattels rights and credits of David Davis, deceased do make or cause to be made, David Davis.
7. Ancestry, "Revolutionary War Pension" database, Military Service Records (http://www.fold3.com/ : accessed January 2024), entry for David Davis, Pvt;; America.
8. Ancestry,Military Service Records, database entry for David Davis, LT; https://www.fold3.com/image/13766343/davis-david-page-61-us-revolutionary-war-pensions-1800-1900; South.
Sources: Revolutionary War Pension Application W6962 (Jane Davis, widow); Mecklenburg County Will Book G, p. 106; Mecklenburg County Deed Book 23, p. 114; 1810 U.S. Federal Census; FamilySearch and Fold3 military pension records.
