William Davis, p. 576

WILLIAM DAVIS, a leading representative and highly esteemed citizen of South Strabane township, is a native of the county, having been born October 6, 1810, in West Bethlehem township.

William Davis, grandfather of our subject, emigrated from his native Scotland to America at an early day, and made a settlement in Washington county, Penn., where he passed the remainder of his life in farming pursuits. His children were Elizabeth (Mrs. Edward West), Thomas, Sarah (Mrs. William Moore), William, Samuel, Joshua and Rezin. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics a Whig of the old school.

Joshua Davis, son of this revered pioneer, was born October 6, 1787, in West Bethlehem township, this county, and received but a limited education at the subscription schools of the neighborhood. He married Mary McNeelance, who was born November 22, 1785, and the following are the names and dates of births of their children: William, October 6, 1810; Lucinda, February 2, 1812 (married to James Smith); George, July 23, 1815; Eliza, May 25, 1822 (married to William Pease); Margaret A., July 28, 1825. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Davis made their home in West Bethlehem township for a time, and then moved to Buffalo ownship, where they remained until in their declining years they had to abandon farm labor, and make their final home with their son William. Here the father died October 10, 1864, the mother on June 6, 1871, and both are interred in Washington cemetery. They were members of the Presbyterian Church; in politics Mr. Davis was originally a Whig and afterward, on the formation of the party, a stanch Republican.

William Davis, of whom these lines more particularly refer, attended in his boyhood the rate schools of the neighborhood of his birthplace, and early in life commenced working on his father's farm in North Strabane township, where he remained until 1847. In that year, by careful husbandry he was enabled to buy a farm for his own account in South Strabane township, and since that time he has devoted himself to agriculture and the growing of Saxony wool, in both of which industries he has met with well-merited success, his flock of sheep numbering often 1,000 head. He owns now about 500 acres of the best land in the county. Mr. Davis has been three times married: first, on January 28, 1836, to Juliet Palmer, who bore him three children: George, John K. and Mary Elizabeth. This wife died October 11, 1841, and August 15, 1844, Mr. Davis married Phebe E. Moore, who died July 8, 1852. On September 23, 1853, Mr.Davis took for his third spouse, Mary, daughter of David Kerr, which union has been blessed with one son, William H., now a progressive farmer. Mr. Davis, Sr., has held a number of important township offices, and was for nine years a member of the poor board of the county, the duties of which he discharged in a manner highly creditable to himself and most satisfactory to his constituents. For several years he was director of the First National Bank of Washington, in which he still is a large stockholder. He has long been a member of the Presbyterian Church of Pigeon Creek, in which for many years he was an elder. He is now an elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Washington, Penn.

David Kerr, father of Mrs. William Davis, was born near Finleyville, Penn., a son of James Kerr, a naïve of Chester county, and descended from stalwart Scotch-Irish ancestry. In Chester county James Kerr married Lizzie Porter, and their children were Martha (Mrs. Alexander Bell), Margaret (Mrs. James Taylor), James, Joseph, Hannah (Mrs. Thomas McVey) and David. The father carried on farming in Union township, this county, where he died in 1825, his wife following him to the grave in 1828. They were members of the Mingo Presbyterian Church, and in politics he was a Whig.

Their son David attended in his boyhood days the subscription schools of the vicinity of his home, proving an apt scholar and a good penman. On January 10, 1810, he married Sarah Varner, of Baldwin township, Allegheny Co., Penn., and the children by that marriage were John, James, Joel (in Pittsburgh), Cyrus (deceased), Howard, Mary (Mrs. William Davis), Willison, David and S. J. The father was called from his earthly labors and life work on the farm, October 9, 1865, the mother dying March 8, 1850, and both are buried in Mingo Creek cemetery. They were members of the Union Church, in which he was an elder, and in politics he was a Democrat. He was a liberal contributor to all educational enterprises as well as matters pertaining to religion. Mr. and Mrs. David Kerr's home after marriage was in Union township until 1816, when they removed to Pigeon Creek, Somerset township, where they passed the remainder of their honorable lives.

Text taken from page 576 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).

Transcribed May 1997 by Patti Godesky of Pittsburgh, PA as part of the Beers Project.
Published May 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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