Montgomery County PA Archives Biographies.....Davis Jr., William September 13, 1826 - 
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Joe Patterson jpatter@epix.net October 19, 2025, 5:11 pm

Source: Biographical Annals of Montgomery County Pennsylvania, T. S. Benham & Company and the Lewis Publishing Company, 1904
Author: Ellwood Roberts, Editor

THE DAVIS FAMILY. The first ancestor of whom we have any 
authentic information was Samuel Davis, born in Wales in 
1710, who with three brothers came to America and settled in 
Plymouth township, where he purchased a large tract of land.
  May 24, 1736, he married Jane Rees, daughter of John and 
Hannah Rees, and their children were: David, born February 
4, 1737; John, born September 6, 1738; Stephen, born October 
3, 1740; Hannah, born July 1, 1743; Katherine, born July 3, 
1744; Samuel, born January 1, 1747; Mary, born October 19, 
1750; and Daniel, born May 3, 1751. The mother of these 
children died in giving birth to her youngest child.
  In 1753 Samuel Davis married Susannah Hughes, a widow, and 
their children were: William, born March 25, 1754, died in 
infancy; and Thomas, born August 9, 1756.
  Stephen Davis, son of Samuel and Jane Davis, married Mary 
Shafer, and their children were Susan, born June 18, 1766; 
Rees, born October 13, 1769; Stephen, born July 18, 1777; 
Catherine, born 1767; Daniel, born June 6, 1772; Betsey, 
born 1775; Samuel, born 1782; Mary, born 1784; and Hannah, 
born 1785. Stephen Davis, father of these children, died 
November 11, 1808, survived by his widow, who passed away 
September 21, 1829. Rees Davis, son of Stephen and Mary 
Davis, married Rebecca Roberts, and their children were 
Thomas, Rebecca, William, mentioned hereinafter, and Daniel.
  William Davis, son of Rees and Rebecca Davis, was born in 
Plymouth township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, February 
25, 1793. He was reared and educated in his native county, 
and during his active years of life was extensively engaged 
in wagoning and hauling freight to and from Philadelphia 
during the erection of the buildings of Girard College, and 
he hauled much of the marble building stone from Upper 
Merion township to the college grounds. The latter years of 
his life were spent in West Conshohocken, where he was 
regarded as an exemplary citizen. He married Phoebe Supplee, 
born March 13, 1791, daughter of John and Rachel Supplee, 
and their children were: Jane, born January 6, 1812, died 
young; Rachel, born September 7, 1814, died young; Rebecca, 
born September 21, 1816, became the wife of Godfrey M. 
Young; Evan, born September 13, 1818, died young; Mary, born 
June 4, 1820, became the wife of David Horton; Catherine, 
born April 11, 1823, died young; Mark, born May 3, 1825, 
died young; William, born September 13, 1826; Charles, born 
December 2, 1828; Rees, born October 23, 1830, died young; 
George W., born July 13, 1832; and Andrew, born May 7, 1835, 
died young. The mother of these children died November 24, 
1862. Mr. Davis chose for his second wife Lydia Supplee, 
born February 28, 1797. There was no issue of this marriage. 
Mr. Davis died August 15, 1878, aged eighty-four years. Mr. 
Davis and also his son, William Davis, Jr., were 
instrumental and rendered important service in the 
organization of and procuring the franchise for the erection 
of the Matsonsford bridge across the Schuylkill river at 
West Conshohocken.
  William Davis, Jr., son of William and Phoebe Davis, was 
born near the old Swede church in Upper Merion township, 
Montgomery county, September 13, 1826. When about the age of 
three years he came with his parents to West Conshohocken, 
where he was reared to manhood and attended the schools of 
the neighborhood. He remained under the parental roof until 
about the age of twenty, when he began business on his own 
account in the anthracite coal trade. In 1850 Mr. Davis 
engaged in mercantile business at West Conshohocken in 
partnership with his brother, Charles Davis, and his 
brother-in-law, David Horton, under the firm name of William 
Davis, Jr. & Co. This business arrangement was successfully 
continued up to 1860, when the firm wag reorganized, William 
Davis, Jr., and his brother, George Davis, constituting the 
firm, which then engaged in the lumber and coal tradein 
addition to the mercantile department, at West Conshohocken, 
and continued up to 1870. In that year George Davis withdrew 
from the firm, and William Davis, Jr., conducted the 
business alone up to 1877, when he admitted his two 
sons-William Egbert and Reese P.-into partnership. This 
arrangement was successfully continued by the father and 
sons, and under their united and well directed efforts the 
business was developed to one of the most important 
enterprises in West Conshohocken, the firm name of William 
Davis, Jr. & Co. becoming well and favorably known for their 
straightforward and honorable business methods. In 1902 the 
firm relinquished the mercantile department of their 
business and has since entirely confined their efforts to 
their lumber and coal trade, which has now attained to 
considerable magnitude.
  William Davis, Jr., has proved himself worthy of 
commendation, and by his enterprise and progressiveness has 
contributed to the material advancement of the neighborhood 
in which his active years of life have been spent. He was 
one of the charter members of the First National Bank of 
Conshohocken, and served as a member of the board of 
directors for many years; he also served for many years as 
treasurer of the Merion Building and Loan Association. For 
about a quarter of a century he was a member of the school 
board, taking an active interest in the advancement and 
improvement of the educational system, and in fact it can be 
truthfully said that Mr. Davis gave liberally of his time 
and substance for every enterprise that had for its object 
the advancement of the material and moral welfare of the 
community. During recent years, owing to the impairment of 
his hearing, he partially relinquished active business 
pursuits, leaving the details of his business interests to 
others.
  On June 1, 1853, Mr. Davis was married to Emily Yocum 
Egbert, daughter of David N. and Maria (Yocum) Egbert, of 
Lower Merion township, and her birth occurred May 13, 1826. 
Their children were: Julia D., born April 7, 1854, died 
April 2, 1863; William Egbert, born July 7, 1855; Reese P., 
born August 30, 1857; Francis M., born August 17, 1859, died 
April 3, 1863; Emily Yocum, born November 27, 1866; and 
Clarence H., born September 16, 1869; died in 1874.
  Reese P. Davis, son of William and Emily Y. Davis, was 
married October 6, 1887, to Jennie J. Henderson, born 
November 16, 1861, died August 10, 1895, daughter of Charles 
and Mary Emily (Rambo) Henderson, of Upper Merion township, 
Montgomery county. To this marriage were born two children: 
John Kersey, born February 24, 1891; and Emily Mary, born 
December 19, 1894. On September 13, 1898, Reese P. Davis 
married Virginia N. Dunglison, who was born March 15, 186o, 
daughter of J. Robley and Bella (Wallace) Dunglison, and 
granddaughter of the celebrated Dr. Robley Dunglison, who 
came from England by request of Thomas Jefferson to take 
charge of the Medical Department of the University of 
Virginia, and who later became dean of the Jefferson Medical 
College of Philadelphia. Dr. Dunglison became famous as a 
writer and lecturer, and was the author of the "Dunglison 
Medical Dictionary," which has become known the world over. 
Two children were the issue of the marriage of Reese P. and 
Virginia Norris (Dunglison) Davis, namely: Norris Dunglison, 
born July 5, 1899; and William, born March 11, 1901.

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