Biographical Sketch of W. Latta DAVIS (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsyl- vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Phila- delphia, PA, 1893, pp. 439-40. "W. LATTA DAVIS, a leading farmer residing near Aldham, who has spent a lifetime in the cultivation of the soil, and is well known and highly esteemed throughout this section, is the third and only surviving son of John S. and Mary (Pauling) Davis, and was born in Charlestown (now Schuyl- kill) township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, August 7, 1816. When only three years of age he was brought by his parents to his present location near Aldham postoffice, in Charlestown township, and has lived here ever since. He grew to manhood on the farm, accustomed to the hard labor that fell to the lot of farmer's sons, and received such education as was afforded by the country schools of that early day. After attaining his majority he engaged in farming on the old homestead with his father, and has been employed in agricultural pursuits all his life. He now owns the farm, consisting of one hundred and two acres of choice land, nearly all well improved and in good condition. Politically he is a stanch democrat, giving his party a uniform support on all leading questions, but never taking any very active part in politics. His life has been quiet and uneventful, strictly devoted to business and the discharge of his duties as a good citizen and in the various relations of life. "On January 1, 1873, he was united in marriage to Mary A. Rapp, a daughter of John and Hannah Rapp, of Charlestown township. "The paternal great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch was Llewellyn Davis, a native of Wales, who came to America and settled in Chester county prior to 1705. He married Bridget Jones, by whom he had a family of four children (see sketch of William W. Davis in this volume), the youngest of whom was Llewellyn Davis (grandfather), who was born in Schuylkill town- ship, this county, where he lived all his life, and died at the early age of forty-four years. He was a farmer by vocation, a democrat in political faith, and a prominent member and trustee of the Great Valley Presbyterian church. His remains repose in the cemetery connected with that church. He married Rebecca Shannen, by whom he had a family of seven children, three sons and four daughters: Willmina, who married Samuel Pauling; Eliza, Harriet, Mary Ann, John S., Ezekiel H., and Shannon, all now deceased. "John S. Davis (father) was born at the mines in Schuylkill township, this county, in 1784, and died in Charlestown township in 1853, at the advanced age of sixty-nine years. He also was a farmer by occupation and devoted nearly all his life to agricultural pursuits, including stock raising. He owned a farm of one hundred acres of fine land, and was very successful and prosperous. Politically he was a democrat and took an active part in public affairs. During the war of 1812 he was captain of a company of Pennsylvania militia, and about the time the British forces occupied Wash- ington city was called out with his company and marched to Marcus Hook, but owing to an accidental wound in the foot was not engaged in active service. In religion he adhered to the faith of his ancestors, and was an active member, elder and trustee of the Great Valley Presbyterian church for many years, being liberal in support of the various interests of his denomination, and prominent in all its work and affairs. He married Mary Pauling, a daughter of Benjamin Pauling, and to their union was born a family of five sons: Benjamin P., Llewellyn, W. Latta, John A., and Jesse C., all now deceased except the subject of this sketch. The mother of these children, Mrs. Mary Davis, died in 1873, aged eighty-six years."