Life History

Notes

• The Davidson Genealogy website (Davidson of Tennessee Genealogy,http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~genea/Dzmrtenn.html) reports thatThomas Jefferson Davidson's mother was named Margaret Clayton, with apossible middle name of Sarah.  However, several genealogies reportthat the mother of Thomas Jefferson was Sarah Leeper Miller.  Hisfather is reported as Thomas B Davidson.  The genealogies show noother wife.
  
  T J does not appear in censuses of the family of Margaret.  In 1850she is a widow in Alabama, in the household of her son Clayton.  Thesiblings there match those reported by the Davidson Family Genealogy,except for T J and Milus, who is older and already married, alsoliving in Alabama.
  
  The Davidson Family Genealogy has apparently erred in placing ThomasJefferson Davidson as a sibling to Clayton and Matthew O, sons ofMargaret and <Unknown> Davidson.  But they must be kin, since T J hada son also name Matthew Oliver. They were all born in Tennessee.  Agesmatch for Margaret's husband to be a brother or cousin of ThomasJefferson's father Thomas B Davidson.  As of October 2008, when Istarted added this family to my Butler genealogy, I have not found theconnection.
  
  In 1850, the wife of Thomas J's father is named Sarah, matching thereports that Sarah Leeper Miller was his mother.  Sarah Leeper's birthstate of South Carolina matches the census report for Sarah Davidsonin 1850.  Her birth date in the genealogies is 29 December 1798, alsomatching her age of 53 in 1850.
  
  One of the genealogies that reports on Thomas B Jefferson and his wifeSarah Leeper Miller is the Clayton Family Genealogy.  This tree doesreport a Margaret Clayton, around this same period, but she married aperson reported only as Neel.  There are not dates given for herbirth, but her father George Clayton was born in 1723.
  
  The Davidson Family information has no previous generations, andreports the father of Milus, Thomas Jefferson, Matthew and theirsiblings with unknown first name.  so tit is possible somegenerational confusion has had effect here.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Marshall County, Tennessee, 14 November,Subdivision 53, page 3, Hse/Fam #37
  Thos Davidson 67 M Farmer $3250 Real Estate born North Carolina [b abt1783]
  Sarah Davidson 53 F b SC [Sarah Leeper Miller]  [b abt 1797]
  Thos J Davidson 21 M born Tennessee [b abt 1829]
  
  1860 Federal Census, Crawford County, Arkansas, 30 June, RichlandTownship, PO Van Buren, page 52, Hse #348, Fam #346
  Thos J Davidson 31 M Farmer $10,500 Real Estate b Tennessee
  Sarah A Davidson 17 F b Tennessee [Sarah "Sallie" Amanda Wakefield]
  
  In 1870, we find T J and Sarah in Arkansas County, where otherDavidsons have moved.  They are near the town of St Charles, a ferryport on the White River.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 7 July, PrairieTownship, PO Saint Charles, page 23 (scan p 95), Hse/Fam #183
  Davidson, Thomas J (Thomas Jefferson Davidson) 40 M W Farmer$5000/$1800 Tennessee
  Davidson, Sarah A 28 F W Keep House Tennessee
  Davidson, Sarah M 9 F W Arkansas
  Davidson, Thomas 6 M W Arkansas (married Ella Burks 16 Feb 1882)
  Davidson, Forsyth 1 M W Arkansas
  Connelly, Maxey 20 M W Farm Labor Mississippi
  
  1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, Prairie Township, page18
  Belknap, C W (Charles A Belknap) M W 62 Farmer Pennsylvania Mass Mass[b abt 1818]
  Belknap, S A (Sarah A.) f w 37 wife Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee [babt 1843]
  Davidson, T J (Thomas Jefferson) M W 18 Stepson Arkansas TennesseeTennessee [b abt 1862]
  Davidson, Forsythe M W 10 Stepson Arkansas Tennessee Tennessee [b abt1870]
  Davidson, W W (William W) M W 8 Stepson Arkansas Tennessee Tennessee[b abt 1872]
  Davidson, M O (Matthew Oliver) M W 6 Stepson Arkansas TennesseeTennessee [b abt 1874]

Sources

• 1. 1870 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 7 July, Prairie Township, PO Saint Charles, page 23 (scan p 95),
• 2. 1860 Federal Census, Crawford County, Arkansas
  • 30 June, Richland Township, PO Van Buren, page 52, Hse #348, Fam #346
• 3. Davidson of Tennessee Genealogy,http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~genea/Dzmrtenn.html
• 4. 1850 Federal Census, Marshall County, Tennessee
  • 14 November, Subdivision 53, page 3, Hse/Fam #37
• 5. Ancestry Trees
  • Clayton Genealogy,
• 6. Libby Beliew, email correspondence to Orville Boyd Jenkins, October2008
• 7. Ancestry Trees
  • Libby Beliew,
• 8. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 29 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 20B, Hse #358, Fam #366
• 9. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 28 April, Prairie Township, District 24, Page 11A, Hse #215, Fam #216
• 10. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 7 May, North Prairie Township, District 12, page 9A, Hse/Fam #161