Yerby

 

In the old Job Davis cemetery near Cottonville in southern Stanly County, North Carolina, is an interesting, if not mostly destroyed tombstone. It states:

' Dennis Davis      February 15, 1888 said to be age 109 years."

The old cemetery is known to hold both white and black members of the Davis family. Job and his wife Sarah Winfield Davis, Virginians who migrated from Mecklenburg County, Virginia as teenagers, and then were married in Marlboro County, South Carolina by Sarah's cousin, Joel Winfield, were the progenitors of the white Davis family, and the plantation owners where the black Davis family had lived, toiled and died. While several of the younger members of the black Davis family moved to the industrial centers of Wake County, Durham and Winston-Salem and others all the way to Philadelphia and New York, several of them stayed in Stanly County and the surrounding counties of Anson and Montgomery. The long-lived Dennis appears to have spent his entire life in Stanly County, dying there along the Rocky River, where he became a share cropper, in 1888.

North Carolina sharecroppers

Among Dennis's many children was a young man named Yerby, not such a common name. Yerby, sometimes seen as "Y. B. Davis" was born around 1863, the year that local slaves were waiting anxiously to hear if the Emanicaption Proclaimation had been passed and the slaves in the Confederacy had been declared free. Of course, war was waging and the Confederate States considered themselves a separate country at this point, so the actual act of attempting to act free, or to flee to the north, was a dangerous decision at best. Dennis Davis and his family had remained put where they knew they were safe and sheltered to bring his newest son, Yerby, into the world. 

A recent discovery, or actually, rediscovery, led me to believe that the unusual name Dennis and his second wife, Mary Turner Davis, gave their son, was not random.

I first came across the name of Dennis Davis in the 1853 probate papers of Job Davis. He had passed away in November of 1852, and in his will, he had made note of the people who were part of his estate, kept in slavery.

To Wit: Perry, Dennis, Jim, Green, Lucy, Charlotte and child, Columbus, Jack, Mary, Ben, Anna, Austin, John, Dockery, Wiley, Daniel, Liz, Fanny & child, Nancy and child, Martha, Bob, Charles, Harriett, Clarissa, John, Bettie, Maria and Frank. The foregoing personal property was left to the widow of Job Davis by his last will and testament and the above negroes named Dennis, Jim, Jack, Nancy & child, Harriett and Betty were also given to her. The other negroes to be divided as his will directs...."

Dennis would have already been a middle-aged man by the time Job Davis died. His name comes up again, in just 4 years, as Sarah, the widow of Job, grew ill and decided it was time to write her own Will.

' To my beloved son, Edward Winfield Davis, negroes namely, Jim, Dennis, Jack, Nancy, Harriett, Sarah, Betty and George." 

As George was not mentioned 4 years earlier, he may have been the son of Nancy.

Name: Dennis Davies Age in 1870: 70 Birth Date: abt 1800 Birthplace: North Carolina Dwelling Number: 72 Home in 1870: Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina Race: Black Gender: Male Post Office: Albemarle Occupation: Farmer Cannot Read: Yes Cannot Write: Yes Male Citizen Over 21: Yes Inferred Children: Mary DaviesJular Davies Household Members Age Dennis Davies 70 Mary Davies 45 Jular Davies 15 Frances Davies 17 George Davies 12 Milas Davies 10 Irly Davies 6 Lucy Davies 3 Attay Momar 5 Mary Momar

The next time Dennis shows up is in the 1870 census, the first to include formerly enslaved people by name. 

His age is given as 70, which puts him being born about 1800. His wife Mary is 45, and they have 6 children: Julia 15, Frances 17, George 12, Milas 10, Irby (Yerby) 6, and Lucy, 3. George may have been a year older than given here, and the George mentioned in 1856. The two younger children, Atlas 5, and Mary 1, whose last names were actually 'Turner' and transcribed as "Momar", but looks exactly like Turner in the actual document, may have been grandchildren.

Dennis had an older son, Miles, who lived until 1924 and gave his mother's name as Anna Williams on his documentation and her birthplace as Montgomery County, NC. So Dennis had a first wife, Anna, who was the mother of his older children, including Frances. His second wife Mary was Mary Turner, who had been born in Anson County and had been a slave of George Turner.

George Turner lived just across the Rocky River from the Davis Plantation. His daughter, Elizabeth, had even married Marriott Freeman Davis, the youngest son of Job and Sarah. Above is an excerpt of a map of the Northern neck of Anson County along its border with Stanly County, North Carolina. You see the Rocky River coming from the Northwest. As a road from that same direction comes in from the northwest side, you see James Turner, B. A. Turner, S. J. Turner and J. W. Davis, with J. D. Broadaway on the left of the road. The road crosses a Creek, which is Richardson Creek. Just beyond the forks of Richardson Creek and Rocky River, you see a dead end road coming from Stanly County that says "Davis Ford". that designates the Davis lands. Past Davis Ford is 'Efird Mill' with a line pointing across the river to the Anson side. This was the old Mill site that had been ran by James M. Davis, second son of Job and Sarah, that he had acquired from his father-in-law, John Lee, that had been sold to the Efird family, and below the Mill site, you can see the home of 'J. 'Efford' noted and below that, George Turner. The old George Turner cemetery is located near Richardson Creek, off of the remains of the old Efird Mill Road. This is how close the Davis family lived to the Turner and Lee's. In fact, the J. W. Davis noted on the map was John Wesley Davis, a son of James M. Davis and his wife, Rowena Lee Davis and a grandson of Job Davis. 

Back to the 1870 census, in which Dennis Davis and his young son Yerby first show up, in Tyson Community of Southern Stanly County, the page is led by the family of an Edmund Meachum, who was transient, and a recent transplant. After that is the family of Jack Davis and his wife Nancy, both former slaves of Job Davis, like Dennis. What is most interesting about the family of Jack Davis is that living with him is 89 year old Jenny, who may have been his mother or his mother-in-law, who was said to have been born in Virginia about 1781. This means she could have been brought to the Rocky River area of North Carolina by either Job Davis or the Winfield family when she was a child. 

Map of Mecklenburg County, Virginia where both Job and Sarah were born.

Next is the household of M. F. Davis, the youngest son of Job and Sarah, his wife Mary Pickler Davis and his 16 year old son, Millard Filmore Davis, whose mother was Elizabeth Turner, daughter of George Turner.

Next is a white family, that of John and Harriett McIntyre, followed by the household of Dennis Davis, followed by a teenaged couple, Alexander and Mary Coley, Alexander being the son of Edmund Murray/Coley, followed by Priscilla Aldridge, and her daughter, Matilda, 3. Priscilla Murray Aldridge was the widow of Henry Garner Aldridge and my 3rd Great Grandmother.

So it was very possible that M. F. Davis may have came unto possession of Mary Turner Davis prior to emancipation and that is how she met old Dennis.

Name:	Denis Davis
Age:	81
Birth Date:	Abt 1799
Home in 1880:	Tysons, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Dwelling Number:	67
Race:	Black
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Self (Head)
Marital Status:	Married
Spouse's Name:	Mary Davis
Occupation:	Farmer
Sick:	Well
Cannot Read:	Yes
Cannot Write:	Yes
Neighbors:
Household Members Age Relationship Denis Davis 81 Self (Head) Mary Davis 40 Wife Yerby Davis 17 Son Lucy Davis 15 Daughter Elizabeth Davis 7 Daughter

In 1880, Dennis's age is given as 81, with a birth year of about 1799, Yerby and Lucy are still at home, along with a 7 year old Elizabeth, who may have been a grandchild. His neighbors are primarily members of the white Aldridge family, and many black families whose names reflect origin in Upper Anson or Lower Stanly Counties.This would be the last record of Dennis Davis, except for the mention of his name on the marriage and death records of his children. Several of his children moved to nearby counties, but most of them actually stayed near where they had grown up. As Dennis' tombstone has thus far stood the test of time, we know that he died on February 15, 1888. Up for debate was how old he was. I don't believe he was 109 as his tombstone suggests. He was more likely 88 -89, given his recorded age on the 1870 and 1880 census records.

But it's time to go back to why I named this post "Yerby". I am currently combing through records of the Pickler family and waiting on documents from the state archives to arrive. There is a connection, somehow, between the Pickler family and my Davis family. It's a mystery that has intrigued me for quite some time and I recently came across some interesting information about them. 

There was one clear connection that I was aware of  and this takes us back to George Turner, Elizabeth Turner Davis and Marriott Freeman Davis. In the old George Turner cemetery lies the bodies of Elizabeth Turner Davis and her little daugther, Rebeth Elizabeth Davis. 

She left M. F. Davis with a surving son, Millard Filmore Davis, born about 1855. After the deaths of his young wife and toddler daughter, Marriott Freeman Davis remarried to the widow of his first cousin, Milton Winfield, Mary Ann Pickler. Mary Ann "Polly" Pickler was the daughter of John Davis Pickler and his wife (and first cousin) Babara McMakin / McMahan Pickler.

Name:	Mary Davis
Age in 1870:	50
Birth Date:	abt 1820
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Dwelling Number:	70
Home in 1870:	Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Post Office:	Albemarle
Occupation:	Keeping House
Inferred Spouse:	M F Davis
Inferred Children:	Millard Davis
Household Members Age M F Davis 55 Mary Davis 50 Millard Davis 16 Maxhall Ramsey 8

She is the wife shown with him in 1870 census. Marshall Ramsey was a young boarder.

In 1850, she had been married to his cousin, Milton Winfield.

Name:	Mary A Winfield
Gender:	Female
Age:	32
Birth Year:	abt 1818
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1850:	Ridenhours, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Line Number:	30
Dwelling Number:	386
Family Number:	387
Household Members Age Milton Winfield 42 Mary A Winfield 32

Milton was the youngest son of Edward Winfeild and Susannah Lee Winfield. Edward was the brother of "Merrit's" mother, Sarah Winfield Davis. He passed away at a young age, and there were no children, so Mary was the sole heir of his estate. The estate of Milton Winfield was probated on April 11, 1855 and the administrator was his cousin and son of Job Davis, Edward Winfield Davis. Milton would have been about 47 years old.

M. F. Davis, as well as several other members of his family and several purchased merchandise from the estate of his cousin Milton. In particular, the 11 slaves owned by Milton Winfield were sold and the proceeds put in to the estate. The divison read:

Sarah Davis      Slave Jenny (taken for boon & clothes for life of slave) Note 1: recall Jenny, born in Virginia and 89 years old, living with Jack Davis in 1870? Jenny came from Miltons estate, and probably arrived to NC with the Winfield Davis. Sarah Davis was Sarah Winfield Davis, Milton's aunt and M. F. Davis's mother. She would live another year, and had probably known Jenny since she was a child.

The rest of the list will be as follows: Purchaser      Name of Slave and Value - followed by notes from me.

Arnold Watkins                       Sam       661.00            See Note 2 following

Rolin (Roland) Harris            Elick     778.00        Neighbor of Milton, both counties

Mary Winfield                        Yearby   1100.00          Widow, see paragraph post notes following

John Tyson, Jr.                     Anthony  936.00          Neighbor             

Frederick Staton                 Dick         642.00            "  "

Reddin Staton                     Sarah       905.50            "   "

Doct. E. Ash                        Jane       1000.00            See Note 3

D. Hancock                         Edy            507.00           Devotion Hancock, had to be.

John Thomas                Martha & child  1012.00      Neighbor                                 

Note 2: Arnold G. Watkins was born in 1818. He lived along Ugly Creek in between Center (Norwood) and Cottonville in Stanly County. He married Marina Wilkerson, a daughter of Jonathan Wikerson, who lived near the Davis family in Tyson Township. He worked for a while as an overseer for Eben Ingram, while maintaining his own farm in Stanly County. He bought some land along little long Creek in Ridenhour Township in Stanly County, near the Lowder and Mann families, and theat is where he is found in 1860. Arnold in not shown with any slaves in the 1840 census or 1850 slaves schedules, although in 1850, his 18 year old brother-in-law, Rowland Wilkerson, in living with him and helping him on the farm , along with Simeon Emanuel, who was a freeborn man of color, a Haliwa- Saponi Native American. After buying Sam, who was probably a child in 1855, he still is not shown on the slave schedules of 1860, which means either Sam died or Arnold Watkins sold him before 1860, which I can not find any records of in the deeds.

Noter 3: Doctor Edmund Fontaine Ashe, a physcian from Alabama who settled in Wadesboro, Anson County, before 1850. He had a son Edmund Strucwicke Ashe, who was also a physican, but this would have been the father, because of the year.

Mary Pickler Winfield, Milton's widow, ended up with Yerby (of Yearby), the most valuable of the lot. But wait, Dennis's son Yerby was not born until over a decade later, this was a different Yerby and most likely the younger Yerby was his namesake. What could have been his relationship to Dennis Davis? 

In August of 1874, 14 years before his death, Dennis Davis bought a tract of land on mortgage from a company called "Harris and Lanier". As collateral, he put up his growing crop of corn and cotton, 4 head of cattle. There is no probate records following his death, however, his son Yerby seems to have remained living in the area his father did.

By 1870, there is no record of an older Yerby. There was a Yerby Davis born in 1810 living in nearby Davidson County, NC, but he was a white man. Wrong Yerby.

The only hint at how old the first Yerby may have been is to look at the 1850 slave schedule for Milton Winfield, wherein he owned 10 slaves, one less than in 1855, which was probably the addition of Martha's child.

Just from years of studying these types of vile documents, trying to identify people, and in some cases succeeding, I've come to learn that they saw value in potential, as well as current health and skills. The most valuable ages for a man would be late teens to mid-twenties. A man in his thirties or forties may have acquired some valuable skills like blacksmithing or carpentry, but had been worked to a point, we can't think of these ages in modern terms. Women, likewise, were valued by their potential to bear children as well as to perform work. Young children had lesser value due to their low chance of survival, even though the future potential existed.

Using that formula and the value given to each person by age and gender in 1850 to 1855, I developed the following chart to perhaps determine whom each may have been.

1850 age and gender         1855 age       Possible name and value in 1855

F       70                             75                Definately Jenny. taken by Sarah for life, no value given.

M      42                             47                Middle-aged  Possibly Sam at $651

M      34                             39                Middle-aged  Maybe Ellilck at $788

F       22                             27                Well into child-bearing age, maybe Martha, $1012

M     17                              22                Prime age, young man. Yearby, most valuable at $1100

F      12                              17                Young woman, full of potential, Jane, most valuable at $1000

M       9                              14                Anthony, second most valueable male at $936, still reflecting youth.

F         7                             12                Sarah, $905.50, entering adolescense, but still a child.  

M        6                             11                Probably Dick, lowest priced male at $642, still a child

F         2                               7                Lowest priced of group, Edy at $507, very young child, no skills yet.

If Yergy number one was 22 in 1855, that gives him a birth year of 1832. Dennis would have been 30 or 40 years old already. This was not his father and probably not a brother either. Perhaps Yerby the first was just a good freind, or possibly even an older son of Dennis and perhaps he died before Yerby the second was born. I still belive Yerby the second was named in honor of Yerby the first.

At any rate, we saw Yerby in the home of his father, Dennis, in 1870 and 1880. We know exactly when Dennis died due to his long lasting tombstone. We also know he was not, as the tombstone stated, 109, but more likely 88 or 89, as the census records reported.  But what happened to young Yerby from there, born during the year of Emancipation?

Name:	Yearby Davis
Gender:	Male
Race:	Black
Age:	21
Birth Year:	abt 1862
Marriage Date:	30 Aug 1883
Marriage Place:	Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Father:	Dennis Davis
Mother:	Mary Davis
Spouse:	Louisa Swearingen
Spouse Gender:	Female
Spouse Race:	Black
Spouse Age:	17
Spouse Father:	Davidson Swearingen
Spouse Mother:	Caroline Swearingen
Event Type:	Marriage

First, he married, on August 30, 1883, at aged 21, to 17 year old Louisa Swearingen, daughter of Davidson and Caroline Swearingen. The Swearingens lived on Ugly Creek between Cottonville and Norwood.

Name:	Eb Davis[]
Age:	34
Birth Date:	Dec 1865
Birthplace:	North Carolina, USA
Home in 1900:	Big Lick, Stanly, North Carolina
Sheet Number:	1
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation:	13
Family Number:	13
Race:	Black
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital Status:	Married
Spouse's Name:	Louise Davis
Marriage Year:	1883
Years Married:	17
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina, USA
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina, USA
Occupation:	Farmer
Months Not Employed:	0
Can Read:	No
Can Write:	No
Can Speak English:	Yes
House Owned or Rented:	Rent
Farm or House:	F
Neighbors:
Household Members Age Relationship Eb Davis 34 Head Louise Davis 29 Wife Jonah Davis 15 Son Alonzo Davis 1 Son Bessie M Davis 1 Daughter

By 1900, Yerby and Louisa had moved their family to the community of Big Lick, near current day Oakboro. Big Lick was a thriving community at the time, with many buisnesses and opportunities.  Unlike Cottonville, Big Lick had not been part of the Plantation community along the rivers, and the population was composed primarily of white Yeoman farmers and businessmens families. Yerby seems to have found his way there along with Cicero Davis, who had been born on the Davis Plantation, also, around 1860.     

Yerby, also seen sometimes as Eb, Y. B., or  Yebbie, appeared to be renting from an Efird family. He and his teenaged son Jonah were working as farm laborers, and despite the large age difference between Jonah and one year old twins Alonzo and Bessie, Louisa was reported to be the mother of just 3 children with 3 living.

15 Mar 1906

Albemarle, North Carolina

In 1906, Yerby was reported to be back in Cottonville. A freak accident caused his fingers to have to be amputaed by Dr. King.   This would have been referring to Dr. Ogden Doremus King,Sr., born in Wilmington who lived in Albemarle and married into the Hearne family.  Besidesbeing a magnanimous physcian, Dr. King is known in Albemarle historically as the doctor who sold lots of his property to local African Americans, creating the neighborhood of Kingville in the southeast portion of the City, so they would not have so far to travel to their employment in Albemarle.     

Name:	Yebbie Y Davis
Age in 1910:	47
Birth Date:	1863[1863]
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1910:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Race:	Black
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital Status:	Married
Spouse's Name:	Lucy Davis
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Native Tongue:	English
Occupation:	Farmer
Industry:	Own Farm
Employer, Employee or Other:	Employer
Home Owned or Rented:	Rent
Farm or House:	Farm
Able to read:	Yes
Able to Write:	No
Years Married:	27
Neighbors:
Household Members Age Relationship Yebbie Y Davis 47 Head Lucy Davis 41 Wife Lony Davis 13 Son George Davis 4 Son

By 1910, the family had moved to Albemarle, where Yerby now owned his own farm. Sons Lonny (Alonzo) and a new son, George, were in the home. Lucy (Louisa) was now said to have been the mother of 9 children, with only 3 living. Those 3 were Jonah, who married in 1907 to Lula Parker, and Alonzo and George.

	[]
Age:	45
Birth Year:	abt 1875
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1920:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
House Number:	X
Residence Date:	1920
Race:	Black
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital Status:	Married
Spouse's Name:	Louise Davis
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Occupation:	Laborer
Industry:	Saw Mill
Employment Field:	Wage or Salary
Home Owned or Rented:	Rented
Able to Write:	No
Neighbors:
Household Members Age Relationship Neph Davis 45 Head Louise Davis 44 Wife George Davis 12 Son Loma Davis 22 Son Bertha Davis 23 Daughter-in-law Ruby Davis 4 Granddaughter Mabel Davis 2 Granddaughter

In 1920, Yerby and family were still living in Albemarle and Yerby was working at a sawmill.His son George was now a teeanager and Lonzo was living with his parents as well, despite having married Bertha Medley   and having two little daughters, Ruby and Mabel. The family lived on Norwood Road, which we now call old Highway 52. 

Name:	Josiah Davis[Jonah Davis]
Age:	37
Birth Year:	abt 1883
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1920:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
House Number:	X
Residence Date:	1920
Race:	Black
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital Status:	Married
Spouse's Name:	Lesly Davis
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Occupation:	Delivery Man
Industry:	Grocery Store
Employment Field:	Wage or Salary
Able to Write:	No
Neighbors:
Household Members Age Relationship Josiah Davis 37 Head Lucy Davis 36 Wife Eunise Davis 11 Daughter James D Davis 8 Son Letha Davis 4 Daughter Rayvon Davis 2 Son

Lonzo was working as a Drayman for a Grocery Store, while Jonah also lived in Albemarle and worked delivering groceries. Jonah's family was noted as living in Kingsville, which at this time was considered a suburb of Albemarle, and not inside the city limits.

Name:	Y B Davis[]
Birth Year:	abt 1870
Gender:	Male
Race:	Negro (Black)[Black]
Age in 1930:	60
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Marital Status:	Married
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Home in 1930:	South Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Map of Home:
Dwelling Number:	96
Family Number:	96
Home Owned or Rented:	Rented
Radio Set:	No
Lives on Farm:	Yes
Age at First Marriage:	30
Attended School:	No
Able to Read and Write:	No
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Occupation:	Farmer
Industry:	general farm
Class of Worker:	Working on own account
Employment:	Yes
Household Members Age Relationship Y B Davis 60 Head Louise Davis 60 Wife

By 1930, Yerby and Louisa were alone in the home, and was farming still alongside the Norwood Road. But son 'Lon' and his family is shown as right next door in their own home.

Name:	Lon Davis[]
Birth Year:	abt 1890
Gender:	Male
Race:	Negro (Black)[Black]
Age in 1930:	40
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Marital Status:	Married
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Home in 1930:	South Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Map of Home:
Dwelling Number:	97
Family Number:	97
Radio Set:	No
Lives on Farm:	No
Age at First Marriage:	18
Attended School:	No
Able to Read and Write:	No
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Occupation:	Laborer
Industry:	Farm
Class of Worker:	Wage or salary worker
Employment:	Yes
Household Members Age Relationship Lon Davis 40 Head Bertha Davis 40 Wife Rubin Davis 14 Son Nancy Davis 12 Daughter

The area is called South Albemarle here, but in other records, death records, was noted as Porter. The family had suffered a devasting blow in Janurary of this year, when youngest son George, just 22, had died of Thyphoid fever

Name:	George Davis
Gender:	Male
Race:	Black
Age:	22
Birth Date:	abt 1908
Birth Place:	Stanly
Death Date:	10 Jan 1930
Death Place:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Father:	Y B Davis
Mother:	Louise Swaingen

He had been working at the Sawmill with his father and was unmarried. He was said to have been buried at the Porter Community Cemetery. There is a small African American community just off of Highway 52, just coming into what would be considered Porter, a little town that is for the most part disappearing, but where some old houses remain. I wonder if this is where the Yerby Davis family lived.

There are no records at all of the death of Louisa Swaringen Davis, but I believe she passed away early in 1935, or between the 1930 census and then.

Name:	Yerbey Davis
Gender:	Male
Race:	Colored (Black)
Age:	60
Birth Year:	abt 1875
Marriage Date:	3 Dec 1935
Marriage Place:	Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Father:	Dennis Davis
Mother:	Mary Davis
Spouse:	Sarah Copal
Spouse Gender:	Female
Spouse Race:	Colored (Black)
Spouse Age:	35
Event Type:	Marriage

On December 9, 1935, Yerby married a second time to Sarah Capel or Copal, who had a daughter named Ada. His age was given as 60, but he was closer to 70. Her age was given as 35. Louisa Swaringen Davis was most likely buried at the East Macedonia Cemetery in Porter, as that is where her son George, and eventually, Yerby, was buried.

Name:	Eb Davis
Respondent:	Yes
Age:	70
Estimated Birth Year:	abt 1870
Gender:	Male
Race:	Negro (Black)
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Marital Status:	Married
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Home in 1940:	East and Southeast Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Map of Home in 1940:
Farm:	No
Inferred Residence in 1935:	East and Southeast Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Residence in 1935:	East and Southeast Albemarle
Sheet Number:	18B
Number of Household in Order of Visitation:	341
House Owned or Rented:	Rented
Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented:	2
Attended School or College:	No
Highest Grade Completed:	Elementary school, 2nd grade
Neighbors:
Household Members Age Relationship Eb Davis 70 Head Sarah Davis 68 Wife Ada Davis 43 Daughter

In the 1940 census, Yerby, shown as "Eb", his nickname, is still living along the Norwood Road south of Albemarle, right beside his son, Alonzo. Ada was not his daughter, but Sarah's.

Yerby Davis would end up living a long life, nearly as long as his father, Dennis. 

Name:	Yebby Davis
Gender:	Male
Race:	Black
Age:	65
Birth Date:	9 Dec 1885
Birth Place:	Cottonville Stand
Residence Place:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Death Date:	14 Nov 1951
Death Place:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Father:	Dennis Davis

Yerby died on November 14, 1951 in Albemarle, NC and was buried at the East Macedonia Cemetery in Porter, between Albemarle and Norwood. As two decades had been added to his father's age, two added had been subtracted from his. Yerby had actally been born around 1863, making him about 87 years old. He and his first wife Louisa have many living descendants, many still local, descending from their sons  Jonah, who died in Albemarle in 1963, and Alonzo, or Lonzie, who died in Porter in 1971.

But what about the older Yerby? Was there any more information on him? Actually, there was.

I had found information on a lady named Abby Davis, the daughter of Yerby Davis and Martha Davis, who had been born in Stanly County, married a Lewis Harris in Stanly County and had died in 1917 in Moore County, again, her death records giving her parents as Yerby and Martha Davis. Her story begins with the record below.

This is the 1870 census for Tyson Township in Southern Stanly County. It shows Jack and Nancy Davis, a couple in their 60's, their 35 year old daughter, Martha and her 4 children; Loftin 12, Susan (?) 8, 'Early' (actually another Yerby) 6and Abby 1. Also in the household is 89 year old Jenny, born in Virginia. Remember Jenny in Milton Winfield's estate papers who Sarah Winfield Davis, his aunt, took for 'life' for some nice clothes? this was Jack's mother and Martha's Grandmother, and I have proof.

Below are some guardianship records from Stanly County during the late 1860's.

The above excerpt shows Ben Davis being allowed $4.00 a month for the care of Perry and Lucy Davis, paupers, (because of age and disability), in November of  1869. Ben, Perry and Lucy are all listed in the estae records of Job Davis and his wife, Sarah.

This one shows that Green Wesley Simpson, a white man and one who had a very big heart, from all I have discovered of him over the years, being compensated for the coffins of James and Susan Crump and Perry Davis. So, Perry did not make it to the 1870 census. G.W. Simpson was a deacon and layman teacher for Rehobeth Baptist church near Aquadale. He was close to the Ross, Davis and Aldridge families, and married the sister of my third Great grandfather, Henry Garner Aldridge.

Name:	Perry Davis
Gender:	Male
Race:	Black
Marital Status:	Widowed
Estimated Birth Year:	abt 1794
Birth Place:	Virginia, USA
Age:	75
Death Date:	Oct 1869
Cause of Death:	Cancer of extravasted
Census year:	1870
Census Place:	Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina, USA

The Mortality Schedule for the 1870 census shows that Perry Davis was born around 1794 in Virginia and died in October of 1869 of cancer.

Name:	Lucy Davis
Age in 1870:	80
Birth Date:	abt 1790
Birthplace:	Virginia
Dwelling Number:	123
Home in 1870:	Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina
Race:	Black
Gender:	Female
Post Office:	Albemarle
Occupation:	At Home
Cannot Read:	Yes
Cannot Write:	Yes
Household Members Age Benjamin Davis 55 Fannie Davis 45 Marre Davis 17 Eliza Davis 15 Emaline Davis 10 James Davis 5 Lucy Davis 80

Lucy is shown as 80, being born in Virgina, and living in the home of Ben and Fannie Davis. Knowing from Ben Davis's marriage license to Zelphia Cochran,  that he was the son of Ben Lee and Hannah Nance, the Lee's and Nance's also being part of the crowd who had migrated from Southside Virginia to the Upper Anson area along the Rocky and Peedee Rivers, and marrying into the Davis and Winfield families; Perry and Lucy were probably the parents of his wife, Fannie.

The above excerpt from May of 1869 is more specific. Jack Davis is being allowed $2 a month for  support of his mother, unitl November 15th.

The next session of court gives his mother a name, Jenny 'Winkfield'. Winkfield and Wingfield are early versions of the name that settled into becoming just 'Winfield'. There are several members of the family who still reside around the Burnsville and Brown Creek area of Anson County. In Virginia, the name Wingfield is still active, but they all have the same Jamestown roots.

This verifes my suspicions that Jenny (Jinny), arrived as a small child from Mecklenburg County, Virgina with the Winfield family and that my 4th Great grandmother, Sarah, had known her her whole life. Likewise, Perry and Lucy had probably arrived with the Davis or the Winfield families from Virginia in the late 1700's.

I'm very proud of being able to extend these family trees back that far.

So Jenny was the mother of Jack and the Grandmother of Martha, who was the wife (official or unofficial) of Yerby the eldest. What connection Yerby had to Dennis, I can not determine, but Dennis named a son for him. Yerby, from evaluation and compariosn to the ages in the Slave Schedules, was probaly born aroun 1832 or 1833. Martha was born around 1835. (Remember Martha and child in the estate record s orf Milton Winfield in 1855?)  As Abby was the daughter of Yerby, and was around a year old in July of 1870, and Yerby was not included in the 1870 Mortality Schedule, along with a 20 year old black girl named Elizabeth Davis, who died of Consupmtion and was listed next to Perry, I'm going to assume Yerby died around the late  part of 1868, unless he took off around then for greener pastures, but I have found no record of that.

Yerby and Martha had 4 children: J. Loftin, Susan, Yerby and Abbie. I have found full reocords of the lives of the oldest and the youngest, so we can safely assume that the two middle children were also the children of Yerby and Martha.

In 1880, young Yerby is found as a boarder, working as farm labor for David Stanly Morgan in Big Lick, Stanly County. I find no more record of Yerby locally. He, of course, like many young men, could have migrated away to another state, possibly Arkansas as I find a black Yerby Davis in Pulaski Couty, AR in 1900, who was born in 'South Carolina', which very well could have been a mistake. I also find no more reocrd of Martha Davis, his mother, or Susan davis, if that was indeed her name, . Both could have remarried and changed their name, or they could have died. Life was hard and often short in the lat part of the 1800's.

His brother, Loftin Davis is seen as "J. Loffy" Davis and is living across the river in Anson County near James M. and Rowena Lee Davis, the second son of Job Davis. Loftin is sharing a home with Johnson Davis, a son of Amos and Leticia "Tishie" Lee, and a former slave of James and Rowena, through her father, John Lee. Livng in the home of James and Rowena is one Lewis Harris, a young man who will marry Loftin's sister, Abbie.

On December 23, 1886,  17 year old Abbie Davis, daughter of Yerby and Martha Davis, both deceased, married William Lewis Harris, 24 son of Wade and Laura Harris, his father living, his mother deceased. The wedding took place at the home of John Davis Sr. in 'Township 8', Stanly County, which was Tyson Township, and performed by Baptist M<inister, James M. Wilkerson, who was white. Witnesses were Johnson Davis, who Loftin Davis was living with in 1880, and John Davis Sr and Jr. .

An historic home in Iron Station

The Harris's moved to Ironton Township in Lincoln County, NC, where they are found in the 1900 and 1910 census. The area was known at the time for it's Iron Mining. Some of their children claimed to have been born in Lowesville, which is nearby and near the current South end of Lake Norman. They then moved to Moore County, where their younger children reported being born in Springlake, Aberdeen and McNeils.

Abbie did not live a long life.She died February 13, 1917 at the age of 48 of TB. Her oldest daughter, Shalem, also died of TB on March 20th of the same year, aged 27. Her next to the youngest son, Joe Harris, died of Thyphoid Fever in Moore County in 1924 at the age of 15. Despite these tragedis, Abbie Davis Harris left a large family of children with Lewis Harris. The total family included 1890, Shalem, 1893, Felix, 1894 Helen Harris McDonald, 1895 Ithiel (possibly Ethel), 1899 Stella Harris Manuel, 1901 Grace Harris Smith, 1905 William Lewis Harris, jr., 1907, Patrick Henry Harris, 1909 Joe Harris, 1912 Leo Harris.

Several of Abbies' children relocated to Ohio, one to Phiadelphia and another to Norfolk, VA. Some went back and forth between locations. Today, she has descendants all over the country.

On December 26, 1881, Abby's older brother, Loftin, or J. Loftin "Loffy" Davis married Doris Ponds of Anson County. The groom was 22 and the bride 19, he being the son of Yerby Davis, both paretns desceased and she being the daughter of  Ephraim and Jane Ponds, both living.

Worth noting, Dora's younger sister, Mary jane Ponds, married John W. Davis, son of hampton and Bettie. Hampton and Bettie are both buried in the Old Job Davis Cemetery.

Loff and Dora raised thier family in Anson County, in the town of Burnsville.  They are found living in Burnsville in all available census records after their marriage. Loftin and Dora Davis raised several of their grandchildren. 

They had 4 children:

1882-1949 Eliazabeth Narcissa Davis Thomas, Married :  Alex Thomas

1885- 1906 Ephriam Davis, Married Annie Sawyer, a widow.

1888-1920 Alexander Freeman Davis. Married Flora BKrns 4 children: Foster, Clarence, Bessie& Dora May.

1897-1976 John Wesley Davis, Married Christina Gaddy Ross: tow children; Mary L and Dora Lee.

Both Loftin and Dora died in 1951. They are buried at the old Poplar Springs Missionary Baptist Church near Polkton. Below is the obituary for Lofton Davis, it gives a bit of information not found elsewhere.

Loftin Davis had remembered growing up on the Davis Plantation that was orignated by Job Davis and later taken over by his next to youngest son, Edward Winfield Davis, the second Sheriff of Stanly County. This is just one step taken to connect the people buried in the Old Davis Cemetery and the families once owned by my Davis ancestors.

Loftin, like Dennis Davis, was thought to be much older than he actually was. He was not 106, he was 93, still a long age for a man born in slavery.

So here is to the 3 Yerby Davis's; Yerby the oldest, who married Martha Davis, daughter of Jack and Nancy and died as a young man, still in his 30's, most likely.

To his son, Yerby Jr., who is last seen as a young teen on the farm of David Stanly Morgan.

And to Yerby Davis, son of Dennis Davis, who lived a long life in Stanly County. And also to Dennis Davis, whose tombstone had started this journey.

To Loftin Davis, who lived a long life like Dennis as well.

And most especially to Jenny Winfield, Perry Davis and Lucy Davis, who were born in Virginia and follwed my ancestors on their trek southward to the Rocky River, when just children, in the late 1700's.