Person:James Davis (269)

Title on p. [i]: Seventh Day Baptist, the South-Eastern Association, history. By Corliss Fitz Randolph Printed for the author by the American Sabbath tract society, 1905 Original from Harvard University available at http://books.google.com/

pgs 58, 59: Of the foregoing trustees, William Davis, John Davis, Jacob Davis, Zebulon Maxson, and Benjamin Thorp, were of those who in September, 1789, had set out from their homes in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, "in order to settle in the State of Virginia." (Established the town of 'New Salem' Harrison Co., VA)

page 403 REV. JAMES BALL DAVIS, son of Jacob and Prudence (Maxson) Davis, was born in what is now Lewis County, West Virginia, October 1, 1814. When he was about fifteen months old his mother died, and at the age of twelve years, he was left without a father. After the death of his father, he remained on the farm with his stepmother until he was in his seventeenth year, when he went to the state of Ohio. He was married, May 17, 1833, to Jane Hopping. To them were born eight children, six of whom lived to reach adult life. At the age of seventeen, soon after going to Ohio, he became a member of one of the Seventh Day Baptist churches there. In 1840, the Pike Church, of which he was a member, granted him licence to preach, and sent him as a delegate (The author is indebted to Mrs. George H. Trainer of New Salem, West Virginia, for material aid in the preparation of this sketch.)

pg 404 In 1843, with some five other ministers, he organised a preaching circuit extending from Northhampton to the "Yankee Street" Seventh Day Baptist Church on the Sciota River, covering a distance of seventy-five miles, with eleven preaching stations, requiring four weeks for the trip. These six men took turns in covering this route, and gave their services free of charge.

His wife died in 1853, and his own health failing, he gave up preaching temporarily, and returned to Virginia, where he was married in 1854 to Emily Virginia Davis, daughter of William F. and Rachel (Hughes) Davis. He then returned to Ohio and resumed his labours as a minister. In the summer of 1857, he removed with his family to western Virginia, and settled at New Milton, in Doddridge County. He and his wife joined the New Salem Church, but upon the re-organisation of the Middle Island Church, in 1866, he became a member of that church, by which he was at once licenced to preach. On March 1, 1867, the church called him to ordination; and in compliance with a request of the church, a council composed of delegates from the New Salem, Lost Creek, and Middle Island churches met with the Middle Island Church on September 5, 1867. The council recommended his ordination. Accordingly, early in the year 1868, he was ordained. Rev. Samuel D. Davis conducting the ordination service, assisted by Rev. Jacob Davis.

1. ↑ FitzRandolph, Corliss. Book: "Seventh Day Baptist, the South-Eastern Association, History". (Printed for the author by the American Sabbath Tract Society, 1905)
   Pg 403.
2. ↑ Research of Suzan Wedig, rec'd email Oct 2007 and July 2008. (http://www.strato.net/~wedig/genealogy.html).
3.   FitzRandolph, Corliss. Book: "Seventh Day Baptist, the South-Eastern Association, History". (Printed for the author by the American Sabbath Tract Society, 1905).