Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 39.djvu/92

 80 Southern Historical Society Papers.

father and mother while alive, which then were dead. She also left the church and joyned with ye presbyterians — And was therefore excluded." (Records, p. 75.) Though her exclusion followed that of Martha Davies by fifteen months, her influence appears to have been paramount in the action of her sister-in- law. They both showed commendable filial piety in avoiding every issue until after the death of their father, Elisha Thomas, the second pastor, who passed away on the first of September, 1730 (Records, p. 25).

In the Journal of the Rev. Samuel Davies the following entry occurs under date of Monday, November 12, [1753] :

"Went to see my relations in the tract; and when I passed by the places where I formerly lived or walked, it gave a solemn turn to my mind" (Foote, Sketches, p. ^t^j). One may wonder whether he encountered Evan Davis on this visit to his relations in the Tract. Three years later there was born to Evan his only son and heir. The Christian name of Samuel had been apparently unknown in this particular family, until it was introduced by Martha Davies. President Samuel Davies says :

"I cannot but mention to my friend an anecdote known to but few ; that is that I am a son of prayer, like my namesake Samuel, the prophet ; and my mother called me Samuel, be- cause, she said, I have asked him of the Lord." (Foote, Sketches, p. 158). Evidently it was an unaccustomed name, but Evan Davies may have been so charmed by the presence of the great preacher, and by the luster of his name in Europe and America, that he elected to call his own child Samuel in honor of him. That appears at least a. rational explanation of the Christian name of the father of Jefferson Davis.

The notices given by Jefiferson Davis are brief, and not always distinct. He says : "The youngest of the brothers. Evan Davis. removed to Georgia, then a colony of Great Britain. He was the grandfather of Jefferson Davis. He married a widow whose family name was Emory. By her he had one son, Samuel Davis, the father of Jefferson Davis." (Memoir by his Wife, A^ol. I. p. 3.)