Person Page 1,294

Mary Ann ("Polly") Davis

Parents

Father	Thomas Davis (b. 10 February 1739, d. 22 September 1825)
Mother	Sarah ("Sally") Harrison (b. 10 March 1743, d. 17 February 1824)

Children with Captain William King Alexander (b. 20 December 1776, d. 13 August 1841)

Daughter	Anne Elizabeth Alexander+ (b. 6 November 1803, d. 1850)
Son	Thomas Jefferson Alexander (b. 1804)
Daughter	Elizabeth Alexander+ (b. 20 July 1806, d. 7 July 1875)
Son	James Harvey Alexander+ (b. 20 June 1808, d. 9 December 1891)
Son	John Harrison Alexander+ (b. 18 September 1808, d. August 1870)
Son	William King Alexander, Jr+ (b. 3 September 1810, d. circa 1859)
Son	Rev George Washington Alexander+ (b. 2 July 1814, d. 26 June 1902)
Son	James Jackson Alexander (b. 1816)
Daughter	Sarah Jane Alexander+ (b. circa 1818, d. 1875)
Son	Stephen Henegar Alexander+ (b. 20 March 1821, d. 10 May 1887)
Daughter	Marey Malinda Alexander+ (b. 15 September 1822, d. 18 May 1875)
Son	Robert Fletcher Alexander+ (b. 29 September 1827, d. 20 December 1914)
Daughter	Mahala Alexander (b. 1833, d. 1835)
Son	Asbury Summerfield Alexander+ (b. 5 May 1833, d. 4 July 1888)

Biography

Burial		Mary Ann ("Polly") Davis was buried in Dayton, Rhea County, Tennessee, United States of AmericaBG.1
DNA Verified		27 DNA matches through Mary Ann ("Polly") Davis
Anecdote (fam)		Letter to Aunt PearlThe following is a letter written to Pearl (Alexander) Bolton. It seems to be from her aunt Euphemia. There is no date on the letter . I have transcribed it here from a Xerox of the original. There is information about Stephen Henninger Alexander and MaryAlexJones originally shared this on 29 jul 2008 Pearl, you asked the date of birth of your grandpa and grandma Alexander, who were, of course, my mother and father.  My pa was born   Stephen Henager Alexander March 20, 1821 Died May 10, 1887  Mother was born September 12, 1842 and died July 24, 1914, and they are buried in a cemetery near Graysville.  They were both religious and were regular church goers and my mother denied herself things.  One summer she done without coffee so she could fix us little girls up well enuff to go to S.S.  You see my daddy died when I was a little over a year old.  My pa and Mother were Methodists; he was a Mason (Grand Mason); she an Eastern Star.  they were both raised by religious parents.  Here are the names of my Daddy’s brothers and sisters.  I don’t give them by ages, but will say my daddy was not the oldest or the youngest.  There were 12 of them.  Uncle Summer was born when Grandma Alex. was 50 years old.  Thomas Linda, who married an Ables George Melindy; died young William Annie; married a Green John Sarah (called Sallie) married a Morgan James Elizabeth, who married a Hixon Stephen Henager Robert Summer My Grandpa Alexander’s name was William; he married a Davis. I’m almost sure her name was Mary, and she was an own cousin to “Jeff” Davis, the only president of the Confederacy. My Grandpa did not believe in slavery so was called the white son-in-law. Since you seem interested in the history of your Dad’s family, here is a little might interest you. When my Grandpa and Grandma married, her Dad wanted to give Grandpa a slave to do his work, but he refused as he did not believe it right to have slaves. Well, he wanted to give Grandma a colored maid as a cook; she said no, if William can do his work, I can do mine. Her daddy had plenty and some of her folks said he married for money, but he said “no, I don’t want one dot of it”. He done very well, though, and owned a river bottom farm east of Dayton, Tenn., but went on his brother-in-law’s note (one of the Davis sons) and when he couldn’t pay it, my Grandpa sold off all his farm but a little homestead and paid it off. Some one told him they wouldn’t do it, but he said “yes, he calls me his white son-in-law and I’m going to do the white thing”. My Grandma and Grandpa died the same day. It was like this; they didn’t know she was much sick, so like they used to have 2 beds in same room. Well, they started to hang up a blanket by his bed. She said take that down, I know why you are doing that and there’s not been any thing between us and I don’t want any thing now. I’ll soon follow him. So she died that evening. She was able to get his breakfast tho’ not well; said I’ve always fixed his breakfast and I want to now. Well, I hope you can read this little bit of family history. O, one more thing my Granddad fought in the battle of New Orleans as a Captain under Andrew Jackson. Your Daddy said you could find that in the Meigs county history. Well enuff of this; it’s all in the past and don’t matter.
Birth	5 May 1786	She was born on 5 May 1786 in Greene, Tennessee, United StatesBGO.
Name	7 July 1802	As of 7 July 1802, Mary Ann ("Polly") Davis was also known as Mary Ann ("Polly") Alexander.
Marriage	7 July 1802	Captain William King Alexander and she were married on 7 July 1802 in Greene, Tennessee, United StatesBGO.2
Death	13 August 1841	She died on 13 August 1841 at age 55 in Dayton, Rhea, Tennessee, United StatesBGO. SONY DSC
Burial (fam)	after 13 August 1841	She was buried after 13 August 1841 at French CemeteryBG in Dayton, Rhea, Tennessee, United StatesBGO.

Citations

1. [S279] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
2. [S77] Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002: Greene - 1802 - August. Hereinafter cited as Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002.