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James DAVIS
Abt 1705 - Bef 1756 (~ 51 years)-
Name James DAVIS Birth Abt 1705 Gender Male AFN 1HRZ-R7T History Member of the "70 Families" 
Death Bef 7 Dec 1756 Frederick County, VA Probate 7 Dec 1756 Frederick County, VA Notes - (1) James DAVIS and Edward DAVIS were members of the "70 families" who were settled in Frederick County, VA by Alexander Ross and Morgan Bryan.
In Smyth, Samuel Gordon, A Genealogy of the Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre Family, Lancaster, PA : New Era Print Co., 1909, p. 37, the author states that James DAVIS, the husband of Sarah Jansen VAN METER, was "probably of the family of James Davis of Pilesgrove, Salem Co., N. J." The author does not state which member of that family was, according to his contention, probably the father of the James DAVIS who was the husband of Sarah Jansen VAN METER, nor does the author offer any evidence to support his position.
In O'Dell, Cecil, Pioneers of Old Frederick County, Virginia, Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Company, 1995, p. 68, the author states that EDWARD DAVIS was "probably father of James Davis," the husband of Sarah Jansen VAN METER. The author does not offer any evidence to support his position.
A DAVIS researcher, Gary W. Watson
James DAVIS is placed here as a brother of Edward DAVIS in order to stimulate further research, but there can be no assurance that such placement is correct.
(2) O'Dell, Cecil, Pioneers of Old Frederick County, Virginia, Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Company, 1995, pp. 66-67:
DAVIS
On 10 October 1734, James Davis (b. 1705 c.) had a tract of land containing 1,175 acres on ?Tulisses Branch? (Harlan Run and Tullis Branch) near the Cohongolooto (Potomac River) surveyed by Robert Brooke and he received a patent from the Colony for it on 12 November 1735. . . . The location of this land runs from present-day Spring Mills to North Mountain (community) near the North Mountain, then north along mountain to about one mile west of Little Georgetown and then east 1?? miles across Harlan Run.
Circa 1729, James married Sarah Vanmeter, daughter of John (b. 1683) and Margaret Vanmeter. James sold 400 acres of land on ?Tuliss Branch? to his son Robert Davis for 50 pounds on 13 July 1744. Sarah Davis deposed on 23 May 1769 that ?her son Robert Davis Departed this Life before he was Twenty years old (b. 1730 c.) and at the time of his Deceas he claimed a Tract of Land . . . that was surveyed for him adjoining his father James Davis.? On 1 July 1760, Dinah Davis (Executrix of Last Will and Testament of Robert Davis late of County of Chester in Province of Pennsylvania) sold 400 acres of land to George Myles (excepting the 27 acres surveyed and laid off for Casper Bonner); this land was purchased by Robert from his father James Davis and was a part of the 1,175-acre patent land. On the same date, Robert?s mother Sarah ?released all her Estate Right, Title Interest, Claim and Demand whatsoever to George Myles.? Robert?s son and heir and Casper Bonner sold the 27 acres to George Myles on 23 February 1768. James sold 37 acres of the 1,175-acre patent land to George Harlan for 33 pounds on 17 November 1749.
[Note by compiler: The author appears to have confused the Robert DAVIS who was Dinah (HARLAN) DAVIS' husband with the Robert DAVIS who was a son of James DAVIS.]
James Davis? will (dated 4 January 1754) was proved in Frederick County on 7 December 1756, leaving to his other four sons: James Jr., 200 acres; Jacob, the home place; John, land between brothers? Robert and James; and son Edward, 100 acres. His wife Sarah was to have maintenance and live with their son Jacob. The executors were son James and Jonas Hedges.
James Davis Jr. received a Fairfax grant for 420 acres on 16 October 1762. This tract lay adjacent to the Stephen Harlan, George Harlan, his brother Robert Davis and father James Davis line that was surveyed on 16 November 1752. (adjacent and northeast of Spring Mills, Berkeley County, West Virginia) James Jr. and his wife Ann who had moved from Frederick County, Virginia, sold his inherited 200 acres of land on 1 August 1771 to Jacob French.
Jacob Davis and his wife sold 200 acres of the 1,175-acre patent land to Stephen Harlan on 4 October 1772.
John Davis received a 340-acre Fairfax grant on 29 May 1769 adjacent east of his father?s patent land and north of his brother James? 420 acres on present-day Berkeley County Highway 2/1. This land was surveyed on 16 November 1752 for his brother Robert who was deceased shortly thereafter. As his only male heirs, Robert?s four brothers inherited equally this 340-acre tract. John purchased his brothers? three shares for 5 pounds each on 27 March 1769.
Edward Davis received a Fairfax grant for 462 acres on 18 April 1771 which, along with the 140 acres inherited from his father, totaled 602 acres; this land was adjacent to John Davis? 200-acre division and James Davis? 200-acre division (by will). This 602-acre tract is located along the North Mountain from the present-day community of North Mountain to Georgetown, Berkeley County, West Virginia. Edward Davis and wife Mary sold five tracts of land in Berkeley County, West Virginia on 1 August 1772 and 19/20 May 1783.
(3) Frederick County, Virginia, Hopewell Friends History [database online], Orem, UT: Ancestry.com, 1997:
In the State Land Office at Richmond are to be found recorded in Book 16, pages 315-415, inclusive, the patents issued to the settlers who came to the Shenandoah Valley under authority of the Orders in Council made to Alexander Ross and Morgan Bryan. All bear date of November 12, 1735, and recite that the grantee is one of the seventy families brought in by them, and excepting location and acreage, are alike in wording and conditions, and are signed by William Gooch, Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony at that time. . . .
These patents were issued under the seal of the colony and were grants from the Crown, free of any obligation of feudal services to the Fairfax family, who claimed the land as lords proprietors of the Northern Neck of Virginia. The sixth Lord Fairfax, who later established his home at Greenway Court near Winchester, instituted many suits against early settlers in the Shenandoah Valley, but it does not appear that any Friend who claimed under Ross and Bryan was ever ejected from his land.
Although it is specifically stated that seventy families have been "by them brought in to our said Colony and settled upon the Lands in the said Order mentioned," only thirty-six patents issued to thirty-four grantees have been found. The names of these grantees are here given, together with sundry information gathered from the minutes of various Friends' meetings, from the records of the counties of Orange and Frederick in Virginia, and Chester County, Pennsylvania. . . .
James Davis, 1175 acres, on Tullis' Run, in what is now Berkeley County, W. Va. The will of James Davis was probated December 7, 1756, and left his home plantation to his son Jacob. He mentions "my eldest son, James Davis Jr.," and his son John; his son Edward was to have certain land joining Peter Hedges; refers to his brother Robert Davis; and appoints as executors "Mr. James Hedges, Gent.," his son James, and his wife Sarah. Witnesses, Samuel Burrows, Isabel Burrows, and John Parks.
Person ID I9698 Frost, Gilchrist and Related Families Last Modified 17 Apr 2024
Father --- DAVIS, b. Abt 1675 Family ID F100 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Sarah Jansen VAN METRE, b. Bef 30 Oct 1706, Somerset County, NJ d. Aft 7 Dec 1756, Frederick County, VA (Age > 50 years) Marriage Aft 18 Jun 1730 Notes - (1) O'Dell, Cecil, Pioneers of Old Frederick County, Virginia, Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Company, 1995, p. 47:
Daughter Sarah Vanmeter was a witness at the marriage of Thomas Mills (son of John) and Elizabeth Harrold (daughter of Mary Harrold, widow) held at Josiah Ballenger's house in "Manaqucy" on the 18th day, 4th month (June) 1730. Sometime afterward, she married James Davis. Sarah received 220 acres from her father's estate, located on both sides of present-day Rockymarsh Run, Berkeley/Jefferson County line and adjacent south of sister Rebeccah's inheritance. James Davis sold her 220-acre tract to brother-in-law Jacob Vanmeter for 60 pounds on 9 July 1754.
Family ID F4773 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 17 Apr 2024
- (1) James DAVIS and Edward DAVIS were members of the "70 families" who were settled in Frederick County, VA by Alexander Ross and Morgan Bryan.
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