Biographical Sketch of Mordecai DAVIS (1893); Chester County, PA

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Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsyl-
vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county", by Samuel T. Wiley
and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Phila-
delphia, PA, 1893, pp. 411-2.

"MORDECAI DAVIS, a well known farmer residing in Chester Valley, a highly
esteemed citizen of his community and a representative of one of the old
families of Pennsylvania, is the third child and only surviving son of
Joseph and Eleanor (Stephens) Davis, and was born in Tredyffrin township,
Chester county, on the 13th of October, 1829.  The Davis family is of
Welsh descent, and this branch traces its ancestral line back to Joseph
Davis (paternal great-grandfather), who came from Wales at an early day,
and settled in Willistown township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, where he
passed the remainder of his life and died.  He was an extensive farmer and
owned three hundred acres of land, beside owning a grist mill and black-
smith shop.  Among his sons was Mordecai Davis (grandfather), who lived in
Easttown township, at Waterloo mills.  In politics he was a whig, and
married Gennis Davis, by whom he had a family of nine children: Joseph,
Margaret, Sarah, Rebecca, Samuel, John, William, Lewis, and Susan, all now
deceased.

"The eldest son, Joseph Davis (father), was born in the city of Philadel-
phia in 1790, but passed his life in Chester county, dying in Tredyffrin
township in 1879, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years.  By occupation
he was a farmer and devoted most of his life to agricultural pursuits.  In
religion he was a member of the Society of Friends, and for a number of
years was a well known minister of that church, traveling and preaching in
various parts of the country.  He was a stainless character, and his life
was so uniformly in accord with his professions as to win the highest
esteem of all who knew him.  He was twice married.  In the autumn of 1824
he wedded Eleanor Stephens, a daughter of Stephen Stephens, of Tredyffrin
township, this county, and to them was born a family of four children, two
sons and two daughters: Sarah, who married Moses Walker; Susan, wedded
Lewis Walker, and is now deceased; Mordecai, the subject of this sketch;
and Stephen, deceased.  After the death of his wife, in 1846, he married
again, his second wife being Elizabeth Maule Peart.  He had no children
by his second marriage.

"Mordecai Davis was reared on the old homestead and received his education
in the public schools of his neighborhood, afterwards going to Gwynedd and
London Grove Friends' schools.  After leaving school he settled down to
farming, and has passed his whole life on the farm where he was born, and
which he now owns.  It consists of one hundred and six acres of desirable
land, ninety-six acres being well improved and the remaining ten covered
by a fine growth of valuable timber.  His life has been that of the average
industrious, progressive and prosperous farmer, unmarked by any great
changes or catastrophes, and unvexed by ambitious or unsatisfied longings
for a different sphere.  In political sentiment he has always been a re-
publican, and gives his party a loyal support on all leading questions.
In religion he has adhered to the faith wherein he was reared, and has
been a life-long member of the Society of Friends.  He takes an active
and intelligent interest in all public questions, keeps well posted on
passing events, and is an agreeable and affable gentleman.

"On March 29, 1871, Mordecai Davis was married to Hannah M. Beidler, a
daughter of Abraham and Sarah (Stephens) Beidler, of Montgomery county,
this State.  To Mr. and Mrs. Davis was born one child, a daughter, named
Ellen S., who is living at home with her parents.  She was educated at
the Friends' Central school in the city of Philadelphia, from which in-
stitution she was graduated with honors in the class of 1889, and has
since engaged in teaching."