A Brief Tale of Two Job's

Out of the four sons of Job Davis, there were two that named sons for their father, Henry and James, the two who had the most children. Marriott F. Davis, the youngest son, only had one son of his own, Millard. The next to the youngest, Edward W. "Ned" Davis, married late in life and had two sons, Thomas A. and John T. Davis.

Both of the Job's show up in the 1850 census. Neither of them show up in the 1860 census.

James M. Davis's son Job was the oldest. His middle initial is shown as "P".

Name:	Job P Davis
Age:	15
Birth Year:	abt 1835
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1850:	Ross, Stanly, North Carolina
Gender:	Male
Family Number:	792
Household Members:	Name Age James Davis 42 Roena Davis 37 Charlotte Davis 19 Jno Davis 18 Job P Davis 15 William Davis 13 Catharine Davis 11 George Davis 9 David D Davis 7 James W Davis 5 Aranah Davis 3 Sarah E Davis 2 Arena Davis 0

Henry's Job is just a toddler in 1850, and is not shown with a middle name. 

Name:	Job Davis
Age:	2
Birth Year:	abt 1848
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1850:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Gender:	Male
Family Number:	947
Household Members:	Name Age Henry Davis 42 Martha Davis 33 Sarah Davis 13 Nancy Davis 12 Hampton Davis 10 Mary Davis 8 Martha Davis 5 Aughton Davis 4 Job Davis 2

I finally have a definate answer to what happened to one of the Job's. 

The North-Carolinian
(Fayetteville, North Carolina)23 December 1854 • Page 3

Stanly County, Job Pinkney Davis, age 20. This, of course, was the son of James Davis, who was noted as 15 in the 1850 census. Now we know when he died, (the column is headed "Died") and what the middle initial stood for. 

As for Henry's Job, a history of the Palmers (Henry's second wife Martha, was a Palmer) tells that they believe he went to Mississippi with one of his sisters. And indeed, it appears that he may have. 

In the 1880 Census, a "Jobe Davis" from North Carolina, of the approximately correct age, shows up in the census of Bright Corner, Carroll County, Mississippi. 

Name:	Jobe Davis
Age:	30
Birth Year:	abt 1850
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1880:	Bright Corner, Carroll, Mississippi
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Marital Status:	Single
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Neighbors:	View others on page
Occupation:	Day Hand
Cannot read/write: Blind: Deaf and Dumb: Otherwise disabled: Idiotic or insane:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age Jobe Davis 30

But what cinches it, is not shown in this view. Jobe is actually recorded in household number 131, along with 25 year old James O Wall and his 25 year old wife Offelia. In household number 130, is James O's father, James, with 5 more of his children, his wife already having passed away. 

What makes this significant is that James Wall married Nancy Baldwin Davis, Job's oldest sister, in 1859 and they relocated to Carroll County, Mississippi. She was not his first wife, but the five children shown with Mr. Wall in 1880, were hers. It would make perfect sense that the Job Davis living with the Wall's in 1880 was their nephew/cousin. But where was he in 1860 and 1870?

It is very clear that James Wall and family did not go to Mississippi alone, but in a pack. In the 1860 census of Carroll County, they are neighbored by North Carolinians with Anson County surnames: Threadgill, Streeter,  and Turner. But Henry's son Job is not the only son missing from Henry's household in 1860. Horton H. Davis, who definately survived, is not there either. Did they follow their sister to Mississippi and one return?

So what really became of Henry's Job?

Enough lookin' and maybe one day, I will find him too.