Declaration of Thomas Davis
The State of South Carolina }
Chesterfield District }
On this seventeenth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty six, personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions now sitting, Thomas Davis a resident of the State and District aforesaid, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
That he was born on the 22nd March 1760 in the District and State aforesaid, that his age was set down first in a Prayer Book and afterwards in a Bible both of which was his fathers, that his eldest brother took possession of them after his fathers death and this deponent does not know what has become of them.
That he entered the service of the United States under the officers named and served as stated in the following account. That he was drafted a short time before Christmas in the year and served as a Private under Captain Morris Murphy and Maj. Robert Lloyd, that he does not recollect the Regiment to which he belonged; that he was marked to a place called the “Long Bluff on Pee Dee River in the State aforesaid from there to Seawee Bay from there to Haducts Point and from there to James Island near Charleston from which place he returned home having served in this tour nine weeks.
That he was again drafted and marched as a Private under Capt. John DeWitt and Col. George Hicks to Cheraw in the District and State aforesaid where he remained one month and returned home.
That he was again drafted as a Private and then on this 8th day of February (year not recollected) he marched under Capt. Ellerbe and Col. George Hicks crossed Black River at Busbour and crossed Santee at Lamusi Ferry and proceeded to Charleston – that he was in Charleston at the time it was taken by the British under Clinton where he was taken prisoner on the 11th day of May after his March and was discharged on parole on the 19 of the same month having served this tour up to this time he was taken prisoner three months and four days.
That he served two tours of two weeks each as one of a scouting party.
That he was again drafted and marched as a Private under Capt. William Preswood to McCords Ferry on the Congaree River in the State aforesaid where Col. Washington took command – That he returned home from McCords Ferry having served this tour one month and remained at home two months.
That he was drafted again and served as a Private under Capt. Benton and Maj. Tristam Thomas for one month. That he never received a discharge.
He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
Sworn to in open Court
The day and year above Thomas Davis (his mark)
written.
Richard Gantt
Presiding Judge
We Lewis Ganey a Clergyman residing in the District and State aforesaid and Alfred M. Lowry residing in the same District and State do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Thomas Davis who has subscribed and sworn to the above Declaration; that we believe him to be of the age he states; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides and is generally believed to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion and that he is entitled to credit.
Sworn to and subscribed in open } Lewis Ganey
Court the day and year above written } Alfred M. Lowry
John Criag, CCP
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogation prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the court further certify that it appears to them that the said Lewis Ganey who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman and resident in the said District and State and that Alfred M. Lowry who has also signed the same is a resident in the same District and State is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Richard Gantt
Presiding Judge
I John Craig Esquire Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions for Chesterfield District in the State of South Carolina, do hereby certify that the forgoing contains the original proceeding of the said Court in the matter of the application of Thomas Davis for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this seventeenth day of March in the day in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty six .
John Craig CCD
State of South Carolina }
Chesterfield District }
On this 16th day of February 1853 before me J.C. Craig Judge of the Court of Ordinary in and for the District aforesaid personally appeared William Davis who being first duly sworn according to law say that he is 63 years of age and doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed 3rd March 1843 entitled an Act granting pensions and certain widows. Also the Act 17th June 1844 and 2nd February 1848 and 29th July 1848. That this declarent aforesaid William Davis in behalf of his mother Nancy Davis widow of Thomas Davis late of Chesterfield District deceased states that the said Thomas Davis was a Soldier in the Army of the Revolution as the heirs understand and believe and as such allowed a pension first by the State of South Carolina at the rate of 60 dollars per annum and was afterwards pensioned by the United States under Act 7th June 1832 at the rate of 27 dollars and 32 cents per annum and that he always understood from his father said Thomas Davis that the principal part of his service was done in the Light Horse or Cavalry under Capt. Preswoods, Pegues, and others, General Marion and that the aforesaid Thomas Davis was married to his deponents mother Nancy Davis in Chesterfield District South Carolina in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven or eight (1787 or 1788) and as husband and wife they lived together until the death of said Thomas Davis who died in the District of Chesterfield South Carolina on the twentieth day of March one thousand eight hundred and forty five (1845) leaving his wife Nancy a widow who is still living but from extreme old age and bodily infirmity is unable to attend Court to make her declaration and his said mother has not intermarried since the death of the aforesaid Thomas Davis. This declarant further states that his mother has no record of her marriage or the births of her children that the record of the births of her children issue of their said marriage was carried to the western country by her son Samuel Davis. Some twenty five years past which record is believed to be lost, but that several of his declarants brothers have transcripts from said record so far as their own ages are concerned which he believed to be correct. He further declares that he makes the above declaration for the use and benefit of his mother said Nancy Davis who as above stated is unable to attend Court to make her declaration.
In open Court }
Sworn before me 16 Feb 1853 } W Davis
J.D. Craig, Judge Court Ordinary
State of South Carolina }
Chesterfield District }
I J.C. Craig Judge of the Court of Ordinary for the District and State aforesaid certify that it has been shown in evidence to the satisfaction of the Court that Thomas Davis Revolutionary pension of the United States at the rate of 27 dollars and 32 cents per annum died at his late residence in Chesterfield District on the 20 day of March 1845 (1845) leaving his wife Nancy a widow who has not since intermarried and that she is now and has been for many years unable to attend Court to make this declaration in consequence of extreme old age and infirmity and that the declarant Davis is a man to whose statements full faith and credit is due and in the opinion of the Court. The widow is clearly entitled and that William Davis is the second child of Thomas and Nancy Davis on issue of their marriage.
Given under my hand and seal of office
this sixteenth day of February AD 1853
J.C. Craig Judge of
Court of Ordinary
State of South Carolina }
Chesterfield District }
Before me personally appeared William Rivers Sr. a resident of Chesterfield District aged 76 years the 25th last month, who being first duly sworn according to law says that he was intimately and personally acquainted with Thomas and Nancy Davis. Since his first recollection, that he was raised within one fourth of a mile from the said Nancy Davis, then Nancy Rivers, deponents aunt and well recollects the time they were married but was not present at the marriage and to the best of his knowledge and belief would say they were married about the year seventeen hundred and seventy seven or eight (1787 or 1788) that the said Thomas Davis lived the year before he was married with his deponents’ father and has known them as husband and wife ever since in which relation they were respectable members of the Methodist Church up to the time of his said Thomas Davis death and lived within two miles of deponent where his widow is still living and raises nine children and had ten issue of their said marriage the youngest of whom was born in the month of December 1812 which fact he knows from the birth of his own son Malachi who was born the 22nd day of August 1812 which record is now before him.
Sworn to and subscribed this 16th day of February 1852 in Open Court.
J.C. Craig William Rivers
Judge of the Court of Ordinary
Rilah Smith a highly credible citizen of said District aged 64 years past 28th last October being first duly sworn on oath says that he was born and raised within two miles of Thomas Davis deceased Revolutionary Pensioner and wife Nancy now applicant for a pension; that he was intimately and personally acquainted with both the above named and their family and was school fellow with their two oldest sons Samuel and William issue of their swaid marriage and has often heard his parents and the parents of Samuel above named speak of their ages and always understood that he was three months older than Samuel the first child of said Thomas and Nancy Davis which statement he always believed to be correct as he and Samuel were near about the same size and that he deponent was born as above stated a copy from the original family register of deponents father and mother reads as follows.
“Rilah Smith was born October the 28th 1788″ which record he believed to be strickly correct and has always been in deponents keeping since the death of his father and that the marriage of the said Thomas and Nancy Davis has never been doubtful.
Sworn to and subscribed this 16th day of February 1853
In open Court } Rilah Smith
J.C. Craig Judge of }
The Court of Ordinary}
I the said Judge do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with William Rivers and Rilah Smith the above subscribing witnesses, and that their statements are entitled to the highest confidence. I have no hesitancy in saying they are the age they represent themselves to be.
J.C. Craig
Ordinary CD
In a letter to Mrs. John B. Moyer ? Of Everett Wa stated: Thomas and Nancy Davis had 10 children reared 9 first Samuel born summer 1788 ? Western country about 1828; 2nd William was 63 in 1853, the youngest born December 1812 name not given, William Rivers born February 25, 1776 referred to Nancy as his aunt stated his son Malachi Rivers was born August 12, 1812.