William Davis first appears in the historical record on a tax list for Mt. Pleasant Twp. in Westmoreland County , Pennsylvania, in 1786. We conclude that this William Davis is our ancestor because:
1. A Knight Scott is also listed in 1786 on the tax list for the same township.
2. Prudence Scott is a daughter of William Davis as shown in the Butler County will for William Davis, deceased, probated in 1814.
3. A deed in Westmoreland County records that Knight Scott was granted a land patent for land straddling Unity and Derry townships (formerly, Mt. Pleasant Township).
4. Knight Scott and Prudence Scott sell the part of their land patent in Derry township to William Davis in 1797 within a few months after it is awarded.
William and Ann Davis sold their Westmoreland County property in 1802 (Westmoreland County Record of Deeds, Vol. 6, p.257) and, together with the Samuel McCall family, moved to Butler County, probably in the present Franklin Twp. area (the 1883 Butler County History lists William Davis and Samuel McCall as pioneer settlers in Franklin Twp.). In 1805, Ann Davis paid bond to serve as administratrix for the deceased William Davis, as recorded in the Butler County register of Wills (Will D-1). The estate is paid to the widow and the five children (David, Lemuel, William, Else McCall, and Prudence Scott) in 1814.
There is a story about the decease of William that we recently heard, but have no idea about its truth. The story is that the area in those days was full of wild game---deer, bear, wolves, etc. Bill Davis and Sam McCall went hunting together and were gone for many days. Finally, Sam came back and said that a bear ate Bill! Take the story with a grain of salt---we don't know.