Jefferson Finis Davis

June 3, 1807/1808 – December 6, 1889

Lineage

Note: This page is not intended to be an in-depth lineage of Jefferson Finis Davis at this time.  It is designed in order to maintain continuity in his immediate family only. A more detailed listing of his family can be found HERE.

 

Evan Davis, Sr. (born ca. 1693 in Wales; died 03/17/1743 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA – occupation: Carter) – married ca. 1716 Mary ? (born ca. 1697 in Wales; died 12/??/1758 in n/a – occupation: homemaker). At least 6 children were born of this union either in Wales or Philadelphia, PA and are, as follows:

 

1.    Benjamin Davis (b. ca. 1716/1718; d. n/a); 2. William Davis (b. ca. 1718-1720; d. n/a); 3. Samuel Davis (b. ca. 1720-1722); 4. Hannah Davis (b. ca. 1722-1725); 5. Joseph Davis (b. ca. 1725-1727); 6. Evan Davis, Jr. (b. ca. 1729)

 

Evan Davis, Jr. (b. ca. 1729 [probably] in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA; d. between 1756 and 1762 [probably] in GA – occupation n/a); married ca. 1754-1755 Mary Emory (b. and d. n/a - occupation: n/a [NOTE: Mary had previously been married to ? Williams]). At least 1 child was born of this union, as follows:

 

1.    Samuel Emory Davis (b. 1755-1756 in GA)

 

Samuel Emory Davis (b. 1755-1756 in GA; d. 07/04/1824 in MS – occupation: saloon keeper, farmer/planter) – married in GA in 1783 Jane Cook (b. 1760-1761 in SC; d. 10/03/1845 in n/a – occupation n/a; father: William Cook); 10 children were born of this union, as follows:

1.    Joseph Emory Davis – b. 12/10/1784 in GA; d. 09/18/1870 in Vicksburg, Warren County, MS; 2. Benjamin Davis – b. 1787/1788 in GA; d. 10/22/1827 in n/a [NOTE: one source shows conflicting dates (b. 07/28/1778; d. 11/22/1845)]; 3. Samuel A. Davis – b. 1788/1789 in GA; d. 1831 in Woodville, Wilkinson County, MS; 4. Anna Eliza Smith, nee Davis – b. 09/01/1791 in GA; d. 08/13/1870 in Louisiana; 5. Isaac Williams Davis – b. 10/??/1792 in GA; d. 1834 in Flora, Madison County, MS; 6. Lucinda Farrar Stamps, nee Davis – b. 06/05/1797 in KY; d. 12/19/1873 in Woodville, Wilkinson County, MS; 7. Amanda Jane Bradford, nee Davis – b. 11/14/1800 in KY; d. 10/22/1881 in KY; 8. Matilda Vaughn, nee Davis – b. 1801 in KY; d. 03/16/1834 in Woodville, Wilkinson County, MS; 9. Mary Ellen Davis, nee Davis* – b. 1805/1806 in KY; d. 03/02/1824 in Woodville, Wilkinson County, MS; 10. Jefferson Finis Davis – b. 06/03/1807/1808 in Fairview, Christian County, KY; d. 12/06/1889 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA

 

Jefferson Finis Davis (b. 06/03/1807/1808 in KY; d. 12/09/1889 in LA – occupation: politician, President of the Confederate States of America) – married on 06/17/1835 in Beechland, Lexington, Fayette County, KY 1. Sarah Knox Taylor  - b. 03/06/1814 in Vincennes, Knox County, IN; d. 09/15/1835 in Locust Grove, West Feliciana Parish, LA (dau. Of Zachary Taylor (12th President of the United States) and Margaret Mackall Taylor, nee Smith; married on 02/26/1845 in Natchez, Adams County, MS 2. Varina Banks Howell – b. 05/07/1826 in MS; d. 10/16/1906 in Hotel Majestic, New York City, New York County, NY (dau. Of William Burr Howell and Margaret Louisa Howell, nee Kempe. Children with Sarah Knox Taylor: None. 6 children with Varina Banks Howell are, as follows:

 

1.    Samuel Emory Davis – b. 07/30/1852 near Vicksburg, Warren County, MS; d. 06/13/1854 in Washington, D.C.; 2. Margaret Howell Hayes, nee Davis – b. 02/25/1855 in Washington D.C.; d. 06/18/1908 in Colorado Strings, El Paso County, Colorado; 3. Jefferson Davis, Jr. – b. 01/16/1857 in Washington, D.C.; d. 10/16/1878 in Memphis, Shelby County, TN; 4. Joseph Evan Davis – b. 04/18/1859 in Washington, D.C.; d. 04/30/1864 in Richmond, Richmond City County, VA; 5. William Howell Davis – b. 10/16/1861 in Richmond, Richmond City County, VA; d. 10/16/1871 in Biloxi, Harrison County, MS; 6. Varina Anne “Winnie” Davis (a.k.a. “Pie Cake”) – b. 06/27/1864 in Richmond, Richmond County, VA; d. 09/18/1898 at Narragansett Pier, Washington County, RI (never married)

 

 

Note concerning Mary Ellen Davis, nee Davis*: Mary Ellen Davis was the youngest of the girls and Jefferson Finish Davis was the youngest of the boys in their family. As they were the two youngest, Jefferson is said to have favored Mary Ellen as his favorite sister.  Mary Ellen Davis married Robert Davis (same surname) and they had at least 2 children, as follows: 1. Jane Lucinda Farish, nee Davis – b. 1820 in MS; d. 11/23/1851 in n/a – Married Hazelwood M. Farish (b. 1809/1810; d. 05/05/1851) on 05/03/1842 in Wilkinson County, MS and had at least 3 children from this union: 1. William Stamps Farish – b. 1843; d. n/a; 2. Robert Davis Farish – b. 1845; d. n/a and 3. Frances Ann Farish – b. 1846; d. n/a)   and 2. Ellen Mary Anderson, nee Davis (1824-1915) Ellen Mary married Thomas Salmond Anderson (b. 12/12/1819 in Camden, Kershaw County, SC; d. 02/22/1861 in Jackson, Hinds County, MS).  Thomas Salmond Anderson had been previously married to Flora Eliza Anderson, nee Levy, and at least 4 children were born of this union: 1. Chapman Levy Anderson (b. 03/15/1845; d. 04/27/1924; 2. Unknown Anderson; 3. Unknown Anderson; 4. Unknown Anderson. At least 2 children were born of the union with Ellen Mary Davis: 1. Jane “Jennie” Anderson – b. ca. 1854; d. after 1889; 2. Robert Davis Anderson – b. 1856; d. around 1889.

Jane Lucinda and Ellen Mary’s mother, Mary Ellen Davis* (1805/1806 – 03/02/1824) died young (age 18 or 19), possibly from giving birth to Ellen Mary (1824-1915).

 

 

Ellen Mary Davis Anderson and Thomas Salmond Anderson lived for a while in Jackson, MS, on the west side of the city near Judge Sharkey and Bishop Green. On 12/25/1862, after speaking at Vaiden, MS, Jefferson Davis reportedly returned to Jackson, MS to have Christmas Dinner with his niece, Ellen Anderson. Thomas Salmond Anderson had passed away 10 months earlier in Jackson. The newspapers listed the visit from Jeff Davis:

Davis, Johnston and their staffs arrived in Jackson on the morning of December 19 and reached Vicksburg early on the 20th. According to Johnston, Davis “was occupied there two days in examining the extensive but very slight intrenchments of the place.” Davis reviewed the troops near Vicksburg on the evening of the 21st, returned to Jackson, and on the 23d, accompanied by Johnston, traveled to Grenada to consult with Pemberton and review the defenses along the Yalobusha. As Johnston later recalled, “in conversing before the President in relation to the defense of his department, Lieutenant-General Pemberton and myself differed widely as to the mode of warfare best adapted to our circumstances.” Davis, Pemberton and Johnston presided at “a grand and imposing review” of the army on the 24th and left Grenada on the 25th, stopping briefly at Vaiden, where Davis gave a short address. According to one listener, Davis “said the prospects in the West were cheering, and that if the young men of Mississippi would turn out, the invader would be driven across the Ohio.” On his return to Jackson, Davis reportedly joined his niece Ellen Anderson for a Christmas dinner. From: Editorial Note. The Papers of Jefferson Davis, Vol. 8, (1862), Pp. 560-61. Lynda Laswell Crist, Ed. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge and London, 1995.

 

The newspaper articles telling of Davis’ stop in Vaiden, and the visit to Jackson for Christmas dinner, can be seen HERE and HERE.

 

During the Civil War, Ellen Mary’s house was burned by the Union Army. Having been on the side of the Confederacy and her uncle Jefferson Davis, she refused to take an Oath of Allegiance to the U.S. Government. Because of this, her claims of $50,000 for replacement of her house by the U.S. Government were delayed. For more, see The Times Democrat, Monday, February 12, 1912 (REFUSED TO TAKE OATH) and the Jackson News, February 12, 1912 (REFUSES TO TAKE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE), or CLICK HERE or HERE.

 

Deo vindice

(“God Will Vindicate”)