Key Facts

Snapshot:	moved from Virginia, then to North Carolina, to Georgia, and (lastly) to Kentucky Indians stole two of his horses.
Parents:	972Thomas Harrison His mother's identity is unknown.
Born:	probably in the 1740's possibly Augusta County, Virginia
Died:	between 30 June and 3 November 1817 Christian County, Kentucky
Buried:	unknown

486Davis Harrison's father was 972Thomas Harrison, as explained below. One can make an educated guess that 486Davis was born in the 1740's, perhaps in Augusta County, Virginia (since his father was living there around that time), although direct evidence is lacking.

Problem: Resolved Who is 486Davis' father? Unfortunately, 972Thomas Harrison's will was destroyed in 1864 by Philip Sheridan's terrorists. However, the basic content of 972Thomas' will can be surmised from other records: He left a large amount of land in Rockingham County (formerly Augusta County), Virginia to his sons Robert and Reuben,1 but because Robert never married, his inheritance later passed to his (presumed) siblings "Jeremiah Harrison, John Harrison, Thomas Harrison, Ezekiel Harrison, Davis Harrison, Reuben Harrison" (emphasis mine).2 (I italicized Jeremiah Harrison's name because he will be mentioned again much later in this profile.) Since Robert Harrison is explicitly identified as a son of 972Thomas Harrison, and since Robert never married and later named 486Davis as an heir (and presumed sibling), one can conclude that 486Davis was a son of 972Thomas Harrison, too.

On 22 August 1766, 486Davis was appointed as a constable of Augusta County, Virginia.3 Someone else replaced him almost exactly a year later.4

1766: 486Davis was a constable in Augusta County, Virginia. Full page.3

486Davis later relocated to North Carolina. He bought 58 acres in Mecklenburg County on 11 January 1779,5 and he probably remained there through at least 1785. (His daughter 243Edith6 was born in North Carolina circa 1782.7 486Davis sold his 58 acres in a deed dated 1 November 1785, although oddly the deed wasn't proved in court until July 1799.8)

1779: Excerpt from the deed for 486Davis' land purchase in North Carolina. Full page.5

Although the evidence isn't as direct and explicit as one would prefer, 486Davis almost certainly married 487Phoebe Hood soon after his arrival in North Carolina (if not earlier).

Problem: Resolved Whom did 486Davis marry, and when? We know that 486Davis was acquainted with 974Tunis Hood by 1779, since 974Tunis signed the abovementioned deed for 58 acres as a witness.5 Although we lack an actual marriage record, we know that 486Davis did marry 487Phoebe, since 974Tunis' will, dated 12 April 1797, names "my beloved daughter Phebe Harrison" as an heir,9 and because 487Phoebe is mentioned in some later records with 486Davis [described and cited below]. Further, we know that 486Davis had children born in the early 1780's.6,7 487Phoebe is by far the most likely woman to have borne them.

486Davis was granted 270 acres in Greene County, Georgia on 9 February 1792.10 (We can be confident that this record refers to our 486Davis Harrison since later Greene County court records mention several of his family members.11) You can see the plat for this land here.12

1792: Excerpt from 486Davis' grant for land in Greene County, Georgia. Full page.10

Later that same year (1792), 486Davis had two expensive horses stolen from him, allegedly by Creek Indians. This theft was followed by multiple court proceedings over many years as 486Davis and (later) his surviving family sought compensation from the government.11

By August 1800 he had moved again, this time to Woodford County, Kentucky.13 Interestingly, his brother Jeremiah had moved there as well.14 (This helps to confirm that we've found our 486Davis, that he's the same man as in the abovementioned records from Augusta/Rockingham County, Virginia.)

He next moved southwest to Christian County, Kentucky—apparently his final move before his death. On 13 December 1815, he and his wife sold their old land in Greene County, Georgia. The deed was proved in both Christian County, Kentucky and Greene County, Georgia.15,16

486Davis wrote his will on 30 June 1817, and it was proved on 3 November. The excerpt shown below mentions wife 487Phoebe, daughter 243Edy Read, and others.17

This excerpt from 486Davis' will mentions his heirs. Full page.17

Sources Cited:

1: Rockingham County, Virginia. Burnt deed book 00 (1793-1802), pages 20-22. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYX-K942-H?i=328&cat=386882> et seq., accessed 4 June 2021. On page 21 the deed references "the last will + Testament of Thomas Harrison Deceased Bearing date the twenty first Day of February 1776."

2: ibid., pages 278-280. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYX-K94X-P?i=457&cat=386882>, accessed 4 June 2021.

3: Augusta County, Virginia. Order book 10 (1765-1767), page 233. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4H-8QXT-R?i=130&cat=275633>, accessed 8 June 2021. The court date (22 August 1766) is written at the top of page 227.

4: Augusta County, Virginia. Order book 11 (1767-1768), page 333. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4H-8Q6V-2?i=483&cat=275633>, accessed 8 June 2021.

5: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Deeds book 9, pages 265-268. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-9983-ZQFK?i=135&cat=168633>, accessed 8 June 2021.

6: Mrs. J. E. Hays (ed.), Indian Depredations, 1787-1825, Volume II (1939), page 395, a court record dated 1 July 1835. Copied from Georgia Archives microfilm 184/42. This record establishes 243Edith as a daughter of 486Davis.

7: 1850 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Division 11, Carroll County, Georgia. Page 65B, dwelling 903, family 903, T. H. Reid household. NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 63. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DBBQ-M6V?i=130&cc=1401638&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMZYN-1MV>, accessed 6 June 2021.

8: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Deeds book 16, page 226. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8983-ZS98?i=548&cat=168633>, accessed 8 June 2021.

9: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Wills book D (1777-1829), pages 16-17. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9GW-BLL7?i=291&cat=358218>, accessed 8 June 2021.

10: Georgia Surveyor General. Register of Grants, Book VVV (1791-1792), page 330. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-XTG1?i=357&wc=M61W-ZNP%3A200763201&cc=1914217>, accessed 8 June 2021.

11: Hays, Indian Depredations II, op. cit., pages 373 and 395. This is a transcription, but you can see the original document for 486Davis' testimony.

12: Georgia Surveyor General. Plats, Colonial & Headright, Book T (1787-1794), page 40. Georgia Archives, microfilm 51/24.

13: G. Glenn Clift, "Second Census" of Kentucky 1800 (Frankfort, Kentucky, 1954), page 127.

14: Lyman Chalkley, Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish settlement in Virginia, Volume II, page 48. Jeremiah deposed to a Woodford County court that he had been a vestry in Augusta County, Virginia for 27 or 28 years.

15: Christian County, Kentucky. Deeds book E, pages 415-416. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSTN-L7FJ-3?i=280&cat=115353>, accessed 8 June 2021.

16: Greene County, Georgia. Deeds book FF, page 5. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS42-97F7-G?i=430&cat=197862>, accessed 8 June 2021.

17: Christian County, Kentucky. Wills book C (1815-1823), pages 93-95. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GPSY-9QL6?i=99&cc=1875188&cat=131620>, accessed 8 June 2021.