Amanuensis Monday-Petition for Guardianship of Viola and Ernest Davis

Amanuensis Monday is a genealogy blogging theme. It was started by John Newmark who writes the TransylvanianDutch blog.
 
His definition of Amanuensis is:
Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.
 
Today’s subject is the Petition for Guardianship of Viola and Ernest Davis.

 

South Carolina} ¹
Florence County}
Ex Parte}
Henry P. Davis}
In re Est.}
of ______Davis}
        To M. J. Hough Probate Judge for Chesterfield County:--
The petition of Henry P. Davis for Appointment as Guardian for his two minor children shows to the the Court:-
I. That  [Eugenia] Davis died intestate on the [21] day [June 1898] leaving two children, viz: Viola and Ernest Davis.
II. That the said [Eugenia] Davis, dec's. was the wife of your petitioner. 
III. That the said Viola and Ernest Davis are infants under the age of fourteen and are entitled to a distributive share in the Estate of Mary C. Davis and Catherine Martin [McNair] amounting to probably $500.00 in both Estates. Wherefore your petitioner asks to be appointed Guardian for his said children.                                       H. P. Davis
Sept. 22, 1904}     
    
Henry Perkins Davis married Eugenia Cordelia Davis on 25 December  1879. They had two children; Viola and Ernest. Suddenly, at age 35, Eugenia passed away on 21 June 1898.

Her death triggered this petition for Guardianship of her minor children by the surviving husband, Henry Perkins Davis.

After the death of his first wife, Henry Perkins Davis married Martha Ellen Jones on 24 May 1899. This union resulted in five additional children.

Viola and Ernest Davis are my 2nd Cousins 3 times removed.









________________________
[1] "South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-JWNV-R?cc=1911928&wc=MPPB-JW5%3A190567401%2C190561002%2C190567402%2C191475301 : 21 May 2014), Chesterfield > Probate Court, Estate records > 1865-1927 > image 1310 of 1670; county courthouses, South Carolina, and South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia.

Tombstone Tuesday – Miss Viola Davis

Viola Davis was born May 17, 1902, a daughter of William Thomas and Effie Mangum. She died April 13, 1921 in Chesterfield, South Carolina and was buried in Bethel Cemetery on 14 April 1921. She was burned as a young child and her SC Death Certificate [1]indicates her death was related to these burns.  

Miss Viola Davis, the 18 year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Davis died at the home of her parents on the 1 of April. For several years preceding her death she was a great sufferer, but never lost the grace of patience. The phrase, "A beautiful child, a loving daughter and a noble sister," well describes her life during childhood. On April 14th, 1921, in the presence of a large number of friends and loved ones, Viola was laid to rest in the Bethel cemetery, the funeral services being conducted by Rev. Myers. She is survived by a father and mother, three brothers and six sisters. With aching hearts these left behind, bow submissively to His Divine will, and through their grief is intense yet they sorrow not as those who have no hope. May God's richest blessings rest upon the home and when "time shall be no more" may the family circle be unbroken about the throne of God.[2]

---

[1] Viola Davis, death certificate 004799 (13 April 1921), Vital Records, Department of Health and Environmental Control, Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina.

[2] James C. Pigg, Obituaries from the Chesterfield Advertiser 1892-1926; Self-Published, 2001, page 56. Obituary of Viola Davis; 17 May 1902–13 April 1921, Bethel Cemetery, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.