EIGHTH GENERATION

188. Hosea DAVIS Sr. ⁽⁴⁷⁾ was born on 9 Sep 1799 in South Carolina. He died on 20 Mar 1880 in Marion Co,MS. He was buried in South of Kokomo, MS. ⁽⁴⁷⁾ Following text was taken from Luter-Davis and Allied Families (Upton:1959).

Hosea Davis, first son of Zaborn and Esther Davis, came with his parents to Marion County in the early 1820s and settled in the Waterhole Community. The WPA Project History of Marion County has this to say: "Waterhole was one of the outstanding communities of Marion County in early days. The place was so named from the early Methodist Church, Waterhole, which the first settlers built as soon as conditions permitted. The church and settlement were in the southwestern part of the county near the Pike County line. The pioneer people who settled there were very pious and had daily worship in their own houses and regular neighborhood services. As early as 1810 we find pioneers making their home in this primeval forest near the headquarters of the stream known as Ten Mile Creek, and in the vicinity of the Waterhole Church. *** Some of the names identified with this early settlement are the Lewis Brothers, Quinney and Lemuel, Hosea Davis, Seve Regan, * * Lemuel Lewis bouth the January house which had been erected a few years earlier and was above the average in that community. Adjoining this place Hosea Davis owned a tract of land. Mr. Davis had come along with other early settlers from an eastern state, selected desirable land for farming, and established a home in the early years of 1800. He owned and operated a mill in connection with his farm on Ten Mile Creek. * * Adjoining the Davis place just below the mill was the Cowart house. * * * Joel Bullock, another North Carolina emigrant, settled in the same community. He was related to Hosea Davis by marriage."

From Conerly's Pike County History is quoted the following: "Hosey Davies, a relative of Joel Bullock and Rhoda Davis, came to Mississippi and settled in Marion County about the same time. These people along with Luke Conerly formed a settlement around Waterhole Church. There was a branch of the Davis family who settled in Lawrence County. * * * A community composed of men of noble attributes of character, among them Stephen Regan, Hosey Davis, Dr. Cowart, Wm. B. Ligon * * All pioneers and christian people."

Hosea Davis went to Natchez in 1823 and obtained patent to 160 acres on Ten Mile Creek, Section 4, Township 2, Range 12 East. This was signed by President Filmore, and always referred to as "The Purchase".

The Antioch Baptist Church was formed in 1814 in southwest Marion County and it was in that church that the Davis', Perkins, and Smarts were active. Early church records show that Hosea Davis served in various capacities in the church, moderator, clerk, deacon, treasurer, and Hosea was a delegate from Antioch to the Pearl River Baptist Association every year from about 1837 through about 1870. Associational minutes show Hosea as a delegate from New Hope, in the same geographical location, for the years 1876, 1877, and 1878. The report from New Hope to the 1880 Association, shows "Bro. Hosea Davis, a member of New Hope, has been long a member of this association, met with it in many meetings, he lived to a ripe old age and for many years a devoted christian."

Public records reflect Hosea Davis' activity in public and political life and he must have been held in high esteem. His estate was administered in Marion County by his son, Charles Bullock Davis. Final settlement does not show that he was a man of wealth, but he left a rich heritage to posterity and endowed his children with deep religious convictions and a civic responsibility. A slave woman by the name of Charity belonging to Hosea Davis, joined Antioch church in August 1850, and descendants recall the names of slaves by the names of Cato and Fanny.

Hosea's family Bible with practically a complete genealogy of his family, is now (1959) in possession of a grandson, John B. Davis, Rawls Springs, Mississippi, who reports that Hosea handed the Bible down to his son Josea and that Josea (Josie) traveled more than 2700 miles during his ministry in a horse-drawn buggy, carrying this Bible and preaching.

The mortality schedule shows that he died of pneumonia, attended by Drs. Hart and Hudnall. When taken ill, Hosea was on a visit to his daughter, Elnora Davis Luter, and he attempted to ride horse back to his home, but was forced to stop enroute at his son, Jesse Crawford Davis, where he died. He is buried near his old home site, about three miles south of Kokomo, where three of his four wives are also buried. He was married to Ellender SEALE on 9 May 1822 in Marion Co,MS. Recorded in Book 1, page 233, Marion County. Ceremony performed by James Thigpen.

189. Ellender SEALE ⁽⁴⁷⁾ was born on 13 Feb 1805. She died on 13 Sep 1845 in Marion Co,MS. Children were:

i. Daniel James DAVIS⁽⁴⁷⁾ was born on 19 Apr 1823. He died on 26 Mar 1843 in Natchez,,MS. Died of a goiter, was unmarried.
ii. Charles Bullock DAVIS⁽⁴⁷⁾ was born on 16 Nov 1824. He died on 28 Jan 1898. He was a teacher and was prominent in the New Zion Church and sold land to the trustees for a church in December 1886.
iii. Thomas Seale DAVIS⁽⁶⁸⁾ was born on 10 Jan 1827 in Marion Co,MS. He died on 23 Mar 1838 in Marion Co,MS.
iv. Esther Ellen DAVIS⁽⁶⁸⁾ was born on 31 May 1829 in Marion Co,MS.
v. Linna Elizabeth DAVIS⁽⁶⁸⁾ was born on 9 Sep 1831 in Marion Co,MS. She died on 31 Mar 1838 in Marion Co,MS.
94 vi. Zaborn Franklin DAVIS.
vii. Martha Jane DAVIS⁽⁶⁸⁾ was born on 25 Dec 1835 in Marion Co,MS. She died on 1 Oct 1871.
viii. Jesse Crawford DAVIS^{(68) (47)} was born on 15 Mar 1838 in Marion Co,MS. He died on 24 Jan 1916.
ix. Sarahann Melissa DAVIS⁽⁶⁸⁾ was born on 25 Aug 1840 in Marion Co,MS. She died on 16 Apr 1863.
x. Hosea Alexander DAVIS⁽⁶⁸⁾ was born on 16 Sep 1842 in Marion Co,MS. He died on 7 Feb 1872.
xi. Semantha Ann DAVIS^{(68) (69)} was born on 26 Dec 1844. She died on 24 Dec 1938 in Washington Parish,LA.

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