Key Facts

Snapshot:	housewife
Parents:	166Neil Gillis 167Penelope Davis
Born:	circa 1851 Georgia
Died:	7 December 1911 At her daughter's house, Appling County, Georgia
Buried:	Section B, Red Bluff Missionary Baptist Church, Treutlen County, Georgia Coordinates: N32.39191 W82.68761

83Penelope was born circa 18512 in Georgia3-6 to parents 166Neil Gillis and 167Penelope Davis, as explained below.

Problem: Resolved Who were 83Penelope's parents? 83Penelope's marriage certificate7 and obituary8 make clear that her maiden name was Gillis. In the 1860 census we find a Penelope Gillis, age 8 (i.e., born circa 1852) in the household of 166Neil Gillis.3 One can reasonably conclude that Penelope is 166Neil's daughter. A further search of the 1860 census shows no other girls named Penelope Gillis around the same age living in the same area at the same time, so mistaken identification is unlikely. 166Neil Gillis married 167Penelope Davis in 18459 and was still married to her in 1860,3 so she is almost certainly the mother of 83Penelope Gillis, born circa 1851.

The 1860 census shows 83Penelope with her family.3

1860: 83Penelope's family in Montgomery County, Georgia. Full page.3

Problem: Unresolved Is 83Penelope listed in the 1870 census? Although the 1860 census shows 83Penelope in 166Neil Gillis' household, the 1870 census doesn't. However, it does show another young woman named Henrietta who's approximately the same age as 83Penelope.10 1870: Perhaps this is 83Penelope with her family in Montgomery County, Georgia. Full page.10 I suspect that "Henrietta" is actually one and the same as 83Penelope, and that "Henrietta" is just an error or perhaps a nickname. However, I have no evidence to confirm this suspicion.

83Penelope married 82Thomas A. Davis in Montgomery County on 25 February 1871.7 For more information about their marriage, their lives together, etc., see his profile since that information won't be repeated here.

83Penelope died on 7 December 1911.2,8 Her obituary is copied below.8

83Penelope is buried in Red Bluff Missionary Baptist Church cemetery, Treutlen County, Georgia at coordinates N32.39191 W82.68761. Below is a photo of her tombstone.2

Sources Cited:

1: Portrait of 83Penelope painted by an unknown artist, based on an original tin-type photograph once owned by 83Penelope's daughter-in-law Matra Lee Davis (wife of Austin Davis), and provided to me by Matra's granddaughter Debra Fennell, who reports that the original tin-type has been lost.

2: Tombstone of Penelope Davis, Red Bluff Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Treutlen County, Georgia at coordinates N32.39191 W82.68761. Photograph taken by 1Bryant Knight, circa 2010.

3: 1860 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Montgomery County, Georgia. Page 869, dwelling 81, family 81, Neill Gilis household. NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 131. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBF-SS4C?i=12&cc=1473181>.

4: 1880 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). McVille, militia district 340, Telfair County, Georgia. Enumeration district 92, page 43, dwelling 4, family 4, Thomas A. Davis household. NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 166. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-STJG?cc=1417683>.

5: 1900 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Militia district 1221, Montgomery County, Georgia. Enumeration district 78, sheet 3A, dwelling 47, family 47, Thomas A. Davis household. NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 213. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DZMW-KW9?i=4&wc=9BQV-W3J%3A1030554001%2C1030949701%2C1034179901&cc=1325221>, accessed 23 October 2021.

6: 1910 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Militia district 1221, Montgomery County, Georgia. Enumeration district 138, sheet 5A, dwelling 75, family 75, Thomas A. Davis household. NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 201. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRJZ-4TQ?i=8&wc=QZZQ-PL1%3A133641201%2C139479801%2C141056301%2C1589088973&cc=1727033> (sheet 11A) and <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRJZ-4B2?i=9&wc=QZZQ-PL1%3A133641201%2C139479801%2C141056301%2C1589088973&cc=1727033> (sheet 11B).

7: Montgomery County, Georgia. Marriage book C (1870-1883), page 9, marriage of Mr. Thos. Davis and Miss Pennie Gillis. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9BZP-4Q9?i=23&cat=334570>.

8: "Mrs. Pernelope Davis," The Montgomery Monitor (Mt. Vernon, Georgia), Thursday 21 December 1911, page 3.

9: Montgomery County, Georgia. Marriage book A (1810-1908), page 67, marriage of Neil Gillis and Penelope Davis. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9BZ3-DNN?i=68&cc=1927197&cat=334570>, accessed 23 October 2021.

10: 1870 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Montgomery County, Georgia. Page 65, dwelling 329, family 329, Neill Gillis household. NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 166. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-XKP3-RTR?i=64&cc=1438024>.