Chatham County GaArchives Biographies.....Tinsley, Fleming Davies unknown - living in 1913
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 15, 2004, 11:14 am

Author: William Harden
p. 704-705

   FLEMING DAVIES TINSLEY. Among the foremost citizens of Savannah is Fleming
Davies Tinsley, whose relation to the business community is concerned with the
products peculiar to this section of the South, Mr. Tinsley being an exporter of
cotton and phosphate rock. It is safe to say that he has no peer in his
knowledge of these particular fields, and as one concerned in a line of industry
which has important bearing upon the progress and stable prosperity of the
community, he occupies a conspicuous position in business circles. He belongs to
representative families of the South, on the maternal side coming of
Revolutionary stock, this family—the Davies—having been prominent in this
section previous to the struggle for independence.

   Mr. Tinsley was born at the summer residence of his parents at Milledgeville,
Georgia. Their home, however, was in Savannah, and as the greater part of his
life has been passed within the boundaries of the beautiful and historic city,
whose traditions are very dear to him, he maintains that he is a native
Savannahian, and no one will gainsay this. He is the son of William B. and Sarah
Grantland (Davies) Tinsley. The father was born in Hanover county, Virginia, and
came to Savannah during the early '40s. For several years before the war and
during the first of the supreme struggle between the North and South, he was the
cashier of the old Savannah Bank, which occupied the building at No. 15 Bay
street, East. Prior to the war between the states he held the office of state
treasurer for several terms. This was previous to becoming cashier of the
aforementioned bank. The demise of this gentleman occurred when the subject was
a child, during the war, but he is still well and affectionately remembered by
the older residents of Savannah. Mr. Tinsley had four older brothers in the
Confederate service during the Civil war. His mother was the daughter of Judge
William Davies, of Savannah, one of the distinguished lawyers of his day, and
judge of the United States circuit court for the district of Georgia, and of the
superior court for the eastern judicial circuit. Judge Davies was the son of
Edward and Rebecca (Lloyd) Davies, the latter the daughter of Benjamin Lloyd of
South Carolina, who was a lieutenant of artillery in South Carolina troops in
1779 and 1780. Mr. Tinsley's great-grandfather, Edward Davies, of Savannah,
served as a member of the provincial congress of Georgia in July, 1775, and for
that reason he was named in the celebrated "disqualifying act," passed by the
royal council of Georgia. Mr. Tinsley received his early schooling in the public
schools of the city; afterwards he had private tutelage in Macon, to which city
the family had temporarily removed.  Upon growing to manhood, he entered
business life, for which his tastes and abilities fitted him, his first
association being in the office of Seymour, Tinsley & Company of Macon,
wholesale grocers, the junior member of the firm being his brother, A. R.
Tinsley. He remained in this business in Macon for some years and then went to
Alabama, where he engaged in the fertilizing business. In 1899, he left Alabama
and returned to his old home, Savannah, the memory of whose charms and
advantages had ever remained vividly with him. Mr. Tinsley has encountered the
best of fortunes here. He is the senior member of the firm, Tinsley & Hull,
exporters of cotton and phosphate rock. This is a prominent firm widely and
favorably known in the world of trade concerned with these two great industries.

   Mr. Tinsley married Miss Martha Rodman Ruan, daughter of John G. and Amanda
(Clark) Ruan. They are prominent in the social and benevolent activities of the
community. Mr. Tinsley is a vestryman of Christ church. He is a member of the
Cotton Exchange and the Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Oglethorpe Club
and of the Savannah Yacht Club. Besides his exporting business he has several
additional interests of wide scope and importance, among other things being a
member of the board of directors of the Merchants' National Bank of Savannah.


Additional Comments:
A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME I
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913

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