52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #46 Ann Davis

My maternal 4th great grandmother was Ann Davis. I've seen her middle name written as Julia, Julian, and Julan. She was born on June 30, 1768, probably in South Carolina. I don't have parents listed for her, but I have one brother, Francis Davis. Several family trees on ancestry.com have Ann's parents as Zion Davis and Sarah Ann Graves. Another one notes that she is Francis's half sister and that her father was an Evans. I found Francis' Revolutionary War pension record on fold3.com but he didn't mention his parents' names. He said he was born in 1756 in Brittons Neck, Georgetown District, South Carolina, which where he was still living when he enlisted in 1777. This could also be where Ann was born. (Click on the images for a larger view.)

Brittons Neck, South Carolina (from mapquest.com)

When Francis gave his testimony for Ann in 1840 when she applied for her husband John Devane's pension, he said that Ann was a widow when she married John Devane Jr. (my 4th great grandfather) and he gave her name as Ann Julan Evans (see below).

A portion of Francis Davis' testimony for his sister Ann Davis (Devane)

Here is a transcription of the above: "This affiant was present and witnessed the marriage between said John Devane [Junior] and his widow then Ann Julan Evans (a widow) that said Ann Julan has not intermarried since the death of the said John and is still a widow." I added the red boxes to highlight where Ann's name is given as "Ann Julan Evans (a widow)" and Francis's name. However, Francis didn't say if Evans was her maiden name or married name.

Ann married John Devane Jr. on October 25, 1785. I have seven children listed for them: Ann J., John, Rebecca, William, Nancy Ann (b. 1792), Benjamin (b. 1796), and Francis (b. 1798, my 3rd great grandfather). At the time of the 1790 census, they were living in Bladen County, North Carolina, and they had 11 slaves. John's father John Sr. is listed right above John Jr. and Ann's brother Francis is listed one line down from John Jr. indicating they lived in close proximity to each other:

A portion of the 1790 Bladen County, North Carolina, census.
for John Devane Jr. and Francis Davis.
John Devane Sr. is above John Jr.

Bladen County, North Carolina, as of 1789 (Map from randymajors.com)

Military pension records are a wealth of information. They give birth, marriage, and death dates and sometimes names of parents. I also noticed while reading through the Revolutionary War pension records how families tie in to each other. Ann's brother Francis served with James Devane, John's brother. James and John Devane both served under a Thomas Devane. I'm not sure if this is their brother Thomas as I haven't finished reading through the files. They also served under their father John Devane, Sr. In Francis' testimony for his sister Ann about John's Revolutionary War service, he mentions another of John's brothers, William Devane. (Francis was married to John's sister Tobitha Devane.) I saw on Francis Davis' pension record the names George Larkins and Benjamin Evans. I wonder if Benjamin Evans is related to Ann's first husband (if her first husband was an Evans). The name Larkins is familiar, too. John Devane Jr.'s mother was Ann Larkin or Larkins. Unfortunately, several pages of Francis Davis' pension are barely legible.

Ann's husband John died quite young (in my opinion!) at the age of 47 in 1802. Ann lived another 43 years and died on February 13, 1845, at the age of 77 in New Hanover County, North Carolina. She was probably living with one of her children, maybe her daughter Ann Devane (married to J. C. Devane) or daughter Rebecca Devane Holloway. They filed a petition together in New Hanover County in 1856 for money they thought was owned for their father's pension.

Here is my descent from Ann Davis:

Ann Davis and John Devane
Francis Devane and Frances Giddens
Margaret Devane and William Roberts
John Taylor Roberts and Catherine Young
Leona Roberts and William L. Redles
Leona Redles and Albert S. Pendleton Jr.
Catherine Pendleton (me)


Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

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Records consulted:

"Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, compiled ca. 1800 - ca. 1912, documenting the period ca. 1775 - ca. 1900," digital images, fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com), entry for John Devane and Ann Julan Devane, Pension Number W3961.

"Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, compiled ca. 1800 - ca. 1912, documenting the period ca. 1775 - ca. 1900," digital images, fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com), entry for Francis Davis, Pension Number S8290.