The following information mostly comes from William F. Davis Bible, as transcribed by Kate Carson, and the marriage records of Hempstead County, Arkansas:
William F. Davis and Mary P. (Hellums/Helms) married 23 Nov 1837 (place unknown) and had the following children:
1. B. Frank Davis b. 17 Oct 1838 in TN; married Susan C. Wilson on 27 May, 1858
2. William S. Davis b. 10 Mar 1840 in TN
3. Mary E. Davis b. 25 Jan 1842 in TN; married John T. Arnold 17 Jan
4. Eli Van Buren Davis 12 Jan 1844 in TN married Mary L. Yarberry 9 Jun 1867. Eli d. 29 Oct 1913.
5. Nancy A. Davis b. 9 May 1846; married Thomas L. Osteen 25 Feb 1864
Mary P. (Hellums) d. Dec 1868. William F. Davis married Mrs. L.A. Arnold, and they
had the following children:
6. Alice Belva Davis b. 23 Sep 1870, d. 20 Jan 1920; married John Barnwell
7. Louise E. Davis b. 14 May 1873; married William Barker
William F. Davis d. 22 Oct 1882--place unknown.
I do not have an exact transcript of the Davis bible and do not know who owns it now. I would say that the birth and death dates, as well as the marriage date for William and Mary, come from the bible. The bible may also be the source for Mary’s maiden name. I’d guess that the marriages for the Davis children come from Hempstead Co., AR records. This information was shared with me by Kate Carson in the late 1970s.
The breakthrough for connecting the Davis and Hellums families came from researching daughter Nancy A. (Davis) Ostein Sullivan. Her widow's Confederate pension that she filed on husband William Sullivan in 1910 stated that she was born in "McMahon County, Tennesse and that she was 64 years of age. She stated that she had been a resident of Texas since January 1867 and a resident of Winnsboro, Texas for eighteen years. Nancy (Davis) Sullivan died in the Confederate Women's Home in Austin on 12 March 1925. Her date of birth was given as 9 May 1846 in Tennessee. Her father is listed as William Davis with a birthplace of North Carolina and her mother as Mary Helms with a birthplace of South Carolina. This information led me to McMinn County, Tennesse where I found census and deed records linked to William Davis. Based on the deed records found there, I would guess that John Hellums is either Mary (Hellums) Davis's father or brother.
McMinn County, Tennessee:
17 Feb 1849 - William Davis and wife Polly formerly Hellems, William Osment and wife Elizabeth formerly Hellems, Thomas Hellems, Madison Carney and wife Martha Jane formerly Hellems, of Bradley Co., to Eli Hellems; their part as heirs of John Hellems, dec’d.
Deed Bk K, page. 80. [Source: McMinn County, Tennessee Deeds and Other Data 1820-1880 by Reba Bayless Boyer]
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| McMinn County, Tennessee Deed Bk K p. 80 |
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| McMinn County, Tennessee Deed Bk K p. 81 |
3 Jan 1851 - Alexander Sartain v. Robert B. Davis and James Calhoun. Filed 3 Jan 1851. File contains original deed from Jesse Walling to Calhoun, 28 Sept 1847, for land in Polk Co. on the county line and registered in Polk Co. Deed Book B, page 223 by S J. Rowan, Register. Sartin recovered judgment against Slvester Blackwell, Robert B. and Wm. Davis. Robert bought and paid for land in Polk and McMinn Counties from Calhoun of Polk Co. but deed not made. Wm. Davis is of Polk Co. page 113 [Source: Chancery Court Records of McMinn County, Tennessee by Reba Bayless Boyer]
26 Feb 1853 - Jon C. Gaut v. William H. Currie, John L. Bridges, William and Elisha Davis, and Eli Helms. Filed 26 Feb 1853. Currie of Ky. Gaut of Bradley Co. recovered judgment against Currie. Gaut asks attachment of a note on the Davises and Helms which Currie has sent to Bridges for collection. page 181. [Source: Chancery Court Records of McMinn County, Tennessee by Reba Bayless Boyer]
Census data:
27 Aug 1850 1st Civil District, Polk Co., TN page 195:
25-26
Davis, William 33 M blacksmithSC
Mary 44 b. SC
Benjamin F.11 b. TN
William S. 10 TN
Mary C. 9 TN
Eli V.B. 7 TN
Nancy Ann 5 TN
1860 Hempstead Co., AR
House #310
Davis, William 46 M b. SC
Mary 53 F SC
Eli V. 17 M TN
Nancy A. 15 F TN
27 Aug 1870, Prect #3, Davis Co. (Cass Co.), TX page 72:
493-493
Davis, William 55 M W - 250 SC
Louiza 38 F W VA
Missouri 17 M W AR
Jasper 14 M W AR
Virginia 13 F W AR
Thomas 10 M W AR
Amanda 4 F W TX
Hart, John 30 M W VA
1880 Camp Co., TX precinct #1 sheet 1 June 1880
Davis, Wm. 65 M Blacksmith b. SC fb. TN
----L.A. 48 F Keeping house b. VA fb. VA
Arnold, Amanda 13 F At school b. AR fb. GA
Davis, Alice 10 F At school b. TX fb. SC
----Lucy 8 F At school b. TX fb. SC
[this page was damaged]
1880 Camp Co., TX precinct #4 page 59 8 June 1880
102-124
Davis, E.V. 36 M Laborer b. TN fb. NC mb. TN
Mary E. 37 F Keeping house b. TN fb. NC mb. TN
Mary E. 12 F b. TX fb. TN mb. TN
W. F. 8 M b. TX fb. TN mb. TN
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