The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.
Jonathan Davis was born about 1751, at Rowan County, North Carolina, a son of Conrad Davis and Sarah "Sally.”
Davis went by the nickname of "Schoolmaster" which was likely a nod to his profession. Anecdotal evidence suggests that he specialized in English literature. His father, Conrad Davis, bought land adjacent to Benjamin Merrill, a well-known revolutionary activist of Rowan County, North Carolina, through a mutual acquaintance, Reverend John Gano. It is thought Jonathan adopted a revolutionary spirit through his association with Merrill and others at the Jersey Baptist settlement of Rowan County.
Jonathan Davis married Hannah Parks, July 1, 1777, at Rowan County, North Carolina. They were the parents of two children: Augustus Parks Davis and Jonathan Clay Davis.
Military records show that Davis enlisted in the Continental Line of the Rowan County Militia, and participated in at least two battles. Davis was at the Battle of Camden, August 16, 1780, in which he was reported injured and captured. He reportedly escaped capture and rejoined his militia. He fought again at the Battle of King's Mountain, October 7, 1780, and was killed in battle. Due to the hasty retreat, he was buried in an unmarked mass grave at King's Mountain.
Hannah Parks Davis was pregnant with her second child when she heard the news of her husband's death at King's Mountain.
His estate was awarded 640 acres by the State of North Carolina for his service.
Neither Davis’ mother nor his widow knew exactly when or where Jonathan Davis was killed. They had heard reports that he was killed at the Battle of Camden and at King's Mountain. Every year they both traveled together to both sites to pay respects to their son and husband for the rest of their lives.
Because Jonathan Davis was enrolled in a state militia, Hannah Parks Davis’ federal pension claim was rejected in the 1840s.
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Additional Information:
The patriot's widow attempted to draw a federal pension. It was rejected because Jonathan Davis was part of the Continental Line of North Carolina which recognized his service with a 640-acre bounty (Warrant# 3454, Secretary of State, State of North Carolina)