Henry Landon Davies
The only child of Nicholas ("Old Nick") Davies
Compiled by Dr. James David Boyle
Henry Landon Davies, Gentleman, son of Nicholas Davies and
Catherine Whiting Clayton, was born in Goochland Co, Virginia about
1745. As Henry "Langdon" Davies, he is referred to in the will of
Nicholas's brother, Samuel Davies, in 1769. Goochland was divided in
1744, the part south of the James River becoming Cumberland Co, later
Bedford Co, where Nicholas built "Pebbleton". Henry later inherited
"Pebbleton".
He first married Anne Whiting Clayton in Gloucester Co, Virginia, 15
January 1767. They were first cousins. Anne was born in Gloucester
Co, Virginia between 1745/49. She was the daughter of John (Whiting)
Clayton, Jr and Elizabeth Willis. Anne died at some time after the 23
Aug 1784 deed she executed (Deed Book 7:376) but before 1786. She died
in one of her husband's residences in either Amherst or Bedford Co,
Virginia. In a gift deed (Morton, "Clayton Deeds"), she is
acknowledged 10 Mar 1777 as the daughter of John and Elizabeth and was
to receive a Negro slave named ‘Phillis’. For generations she was
believed to be the daughter of Henry Whiting, but her identity as the
daughter of John W. Clayton and not of Whiting was suggested and then
conclusively proved by Philip Wayne Rhodes in 1986 (Clayton-Davies
Revisited).
Henry served as an officer in the Revolutionary War beginning 1774.
He was recommended to the position of Lieutenant by the Bedford County
Court in 1778, and he was Commissioner of the Peace in Bedford County
from 5 May 1777 to 1779. Henry was a miller, in addition to being a
large landowner in Amherst Co, Virginia, July 1776. He was granted
leave by the Amherst Co Court, September 1776, to erect a Water Grist
Mill on Salt Creek.
Second, he married Lucy Whiting Clayton in Amherst Co, Virginia, 11
September 1786. Henry applied for a marriage license to wed Lucy
Whiting Clayton in Amherst Co, Virginia, 15 August 1786. The
witnesses were Charles Taliaferro, Jr., Charles Crawford, Nicholas C.
Davies and Frances Waters. Charles Taliaferro, Jr. was surety. Lucy
was born in Gloucester Co, Virginia. She was the daughter of John
(Whiting) Clayton, Jr and Elizabeth Willis. She first married
Nathaniel John Manson, II 18 August 1775. Lucy died 2 January 1819.
The death notice appeared in The Lynchburg Press & Public Advertiser,
7 January 1819, p.3, col.5. By her first husband, she had 3 children:
Nathaniel Manson, who married Sally Alexander; Mary Thweat Manson, who
married Capt. Robert Coleman of Orange Co.; and Elizabeth Manson, who
married Edmund Cobbs.
Henry died before 1 March 1808 in Bedford Co, Virginia. His body
was interred 1808 in Bedford Co, Virginia, at the family cemetery on
the grounds of "Pebbleton". Upon Henry's death, his estate was
administered in Bedford Co, Virginia, 1808/21.
Henry Landon Davies and Anne Whiting Clayton had seven children: Nicholas Clayton Davies, Catharine Elizabeth Davies,
Arthur Landon Davies, Editha Landon Davies, Henrianne Davies and Tamerlane William Whiting Davies.
Henry Landon Davies and Lucy Whiting Clayton had two children: Addison Davies and Dr. Howell Davies