Davis
From: Anna Spencer. Jan. 15, 2013
I need help with Rachel Penina Bridges or Ledbetter. She married Jonathan W. Davis about 1820. Their first known child was born April 1822. Goodspeed's History of Southern Arkansas listed her last name as Bridges. The Davis Family of Wales and America listed her last name as Berryman which I think is in error. Most older descendants questioned remembered her name as Ledbetter. They are on the 1830, 1840 and 1850 Carroll County Georgia census and the 1860 and 1870 Sevier County Arkansas, Bear Creek Township. Some census has her name as Keninah, probably misspelled by the census taker, since she had a granddaughter named Rachel Penina. I would like to know her maiden name.
Jonathan W. Davis (6) (Morgan 1, Evan 2, David 3, John 4, John 5) born Georgia 1798 to Abbeville District South Carolina 1801 then to Carroll County Georgia 1815?16. He married about 1819 Rachel Penina Bridges or Ledbetter. They migrated to Sevier County Arkansas in 1858. He died in 1881 in Sevier County Arkansas. Rachel Penina Bridges or Ledbetter was born in 1802 and died in 1879 in Sevier County Arkansas. She is said to have been Cherokee Indian and used the name Many Rivers. Descendants called her Granny Rivers. The Davises lived in the town of Villericka, Carroll County, Georgia where Jonathan owned 300 acres of land. The children went to a log school house. The seats and desks were made of split logs with the flat side turned upwards. The family left Carroll County Georgia on Friday, April 16, 1858, starting with three coaches, six covered wagons, twenty-eight head of horses and mules and two yoke of oxen. They traveled for 52 days, arriving in Sevier County Arkansas on Sunday, June 6, 1858. Jonathan purchased 400 acres of land after arriving. There were wild turkey, deer and other big game in the county at that time.[1] My grandparents, Barney and Nancy Williams, had at their house a spinning wheel, a salt kettle and a yoke used with two oxen that had been passed down to them.
They had 12 children ? 6 sons and 6 daughters. One child died at age 16.[2]
[1] Undated clipping from "The DeQueen Bee" March 1930. A letter written by Barney Davis to his granddaughter about his life.
[2] Some information from Mandy Story, Joe Walker and Brookie Bray all of Broken Bow, Oklahoma. No Bible record could be found. Mrs. Ella Davis, granddaughter of Barney Davis, said there were two fires on the home place, one before her grandfather, Barney Davis, married and another in 1925. Maudie Gideon remembered books about the family. They were in possession of George Ayers. His house burned and the books burned. Grandpa used to go to his house and look at them. Also Aunt Mary would go there and copy things down from the books. There was a John S. Ledbetter in Carroll County Georgia in 1840 with 00021 10001. Jonathan Davis sold land to him. Later there was a John Ledbetter in Sevier County.
From: Jeannette Austin
Feb. 6, 2013.
I cannot locate a marriage in Georgia and have to assume that it occurred in South Carolina. However, there is a James Ledbetter family, age 46, mason, born in Georgia, listed on the 1850 Carroll County Georgia Census. Also, a John S. Ledbetter 33, Georgia. Since there is a Jonathan W. Davis deed to John S. Ledbetter for some land, it does appear that he married a Ledbetter. Sorry, there is no further information that I can find in Georgia.