I'm going to start this page with the story of Andrew Jackson Davis and Margaret Haney and then finish with information on each.

Back in the late 1980's I first found the 1880 Census record ( Click Here To View That Census). It states Henry Estes Hawkins was adopted. That was a shock to me and I ask my Grandmother (Inez) if Grandpa (who was by then deceased) knew his Dad was adopted. She said she was sure he didn't know that. Three times while he was alive I had ask Grandpa to write down his parents/grandparents and he never said anything to me about Henry being adopted.

The fact that he was adopted explained something I was always curious about. When John W. A. Hawkins died, the Hawkins plantation went to a niece, Willie Carter, rather than to Henry Estes, the "son". Family being big in the South, it appears they wanted the plantation to stay in blood lines.

On a genealogy trip to Georgia, I went to the courthouse in Preston and talked to a court judge who said that adoption records from that far back would have burned in a courthouse fire. So, I pretty much thought it would forever remain a mystery of who were Henry Estes Hawkins biological parents.

Then came genealogical DNA. One day I got the following email from my cousin, Mike Milner, who has done all the Hawkins DNA work.

Play around with Nathan Cook descendants. There are several lines with possibilities. I've been trying to narrow them down. I'm leaning toward his son Jesse but we match with descendants on a few other lines. There's also his son John Thomas Cook, daughter Mary Elizabeth Cook who married Owen Haney, daughter Sarah Jane Bryant Cook who married Seaborn Hay, and son Nathan Watson Cook. There are others but those are the ones I am most interested in. But Jesse Cook married Elizabeth Brunson. My main match that I'm interested in is Edwin Whitaker. His line is through his mom Evelyn Williams md. Herbert Whitaker, her mom Leila Cook (1890-1952) md. Ernest Williams, her dad Richard J Cook (1860-1924) m. Martha E Bush, his parents were Jesse Cook and Elizabeth Brunson. We get some Bush matches but we also get some Davis and Hay matches. There is also an Andrew Jackson Davis (1838-1914) who married Martha Ann Parham Nowell. I think we may be descended from them. Martha Bush is the daughter of Nancy Davis and John P Bush. Nancy Davis is the daughter of Elisha Davis and Sarah Powell. These are the parents of Andrew Jackson Davis. I'm thinking there may be a connection either with a Civil War unit or church connection (Methodist). I'm wondering if somebody died or there was a baby born out of wedlock and given up to adoption by the Hawkins because maybe JWA Hawkins was in the same unit or maybe a member of the same church but from a neighboring county? These are just my ideas. But those are some names you might take a look at. Nathan W Cook md. Charlotte Hooten. Their daughter Georgia A Cook married Henry B Webb. We get some Webb matches also. But like I said: we match a lot of people who descend from Nathan Cook so I am pretty sure we descend from him.

I worked on it for about a month and couldn't really come up with anything. Nathan Cook's kids all had numerous children and were alive after Henry Estes's birth and it just didn't make sense that they would randomly give up a middle child for adoption with no reason. Finally I just told Mike I was going to put it on the back burner because nothing was making sense to me.

That very day I came across the following newspaper article while searching Estes (thinking at the time Estes was more likely involved in Henry's ancestry).

Weekly Sumter Republician - September 29, 1876

There stood two of the very names in Mike's email Andrew Jackson Davis and Haney. So then I started with Margaret Haney and sure enough she was the daughter of Mary Cook and Owen Haney. Mary Cook was the daughter of - you guessed it - Nathan Cook, the very person Mike was sure we were a descendant of.

So that was the start of our research into the story of Andrew Jackson Davis and Margaret Haney. Next here is my storyline of what I think happened.

Andrew Jackson Davis was married and had seven children with his wife at the time Henry Estes Hawkins was born. AJ went on and had more children with wife after Henry Estes's birth. At the same time, AJ was having an ongoing affair with Margaret Haney who would have been about 22 years old at that time. Margaret was living with her mother, Mary, who had become a widow before the age of 36 and had no means of income that I have found. So, to keep the affair with Margaret on the down-low and legal reasons, AJ kept moving Margaret around so no one would catch on. If a child was conceived in one county and was born in another, both counties tried to avoid having to take financial responsibility for the child. So - for example - Henry being conceived in Terrell County and born in Webster County, created this situation. Terrell County says, "Not born here, not our problem." Webster County says, "Not conceived here, not our problem." Margaret got pregnant with Henry Estes approximately May of 1875. Sometime between February 1876 (when Henry was born) and January 1877 (Supreme Court Case date), Margaret became pregnant with a second child by AJ. Margaret's father had died 1858-1860. So here was Margaret living with her mother (who also had another child still at home). Mary Cook Haney was a widow trying to support 3 adults, a baby and another on the way. I think there just wasn't money enough to go around - and since AJ refused to help - Margaret decided to give Henry Estes up for adoption. John Willis Alston Hawkins and Mollie Knox had no children naturally, so they adopted him 1877-1880. I'm assuming that Henry Estes got to live with his mother for a few months at least (birth till sometime after the trial). This second Davis/Haney child would have been born between January 1877 and September 1877. (Supreme court case said "to be born" in January 1877) Most probably between first part of 1877 to mid-1877 based on the fact that in January 1877 Margaret would probably be a few months along before she knew she was pregnant. (No home pregnancy tests in those days.) I'm not totally sure what happen to this child. I do know Margaret Haney went on and married James Embro Stanford on 4/29/1881 in Randolph County, Georgia. I also know she had a son named Henry Samuel Stanford who was born 7/6/1880 (per his World War I registration card). Was he really James Embro Sanford's son??? Was he the 2nd child with AJ and lied to about his birth year??? Was he a third child with AJ??? All things I don't know. I do find it interesting that his name was Henry. Was he named for the child she gave away??? This Henry Samuel died 12/20/1958 (per Georgia Death Index) but I haven't found an obituary.

Weekly Sumter Republican February 16, 1877

Reports of Cases Decided in the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia, Volume 58

Andrew Jackson Davis

It's my belief that Andrew Jackson Davis was born February 10, 1839 in Fort Gaines, Clay County, Georgia (birthplace per daughter Minnie's death certificate) to Rev. Elisha Davis and Sarah Roe Powell. He died November 26, 1916 in Blountstown, Calhoun County, Florida and buried in Primitive Union Cemetery, Colquitt, Miller County, Georgia.

Note: There is another Andrew Jackson Davis born June 17, 1838, died in 1914 and buried in Harmony Baptist Church Cemetery in Mitchell County, Georgia. The tombstones appear to be flat slabs with info engraved on it. It is because of the shape of the tombstone that I chose the AJ I did.

Andrew Jackson Davis married Martha Ann "Mattie" Nowell April 20, 1859 (per Georgia Archives name card file). Together they had nine children: Maron W., Justus Cassabianca, Delula Princella, Alonzo Chester, Virgil R., Jackson Lee, Minnie Leila, Laura Ida and Georgia Manassa.

Family stories said AJ was so proud of the stone that he wanted his picture taken with it.

From findagrave

AJ is listed as a teacher in the 1850 census and then as a farmer from then on out. 1870 Agricultural Census shows him with 75 acres of improved land and 125 of unimproved wooded lands. The value of the farm is $800 and of machinery $10. Total wages for year $275. He had 1 mules, 1 milk cows, and 3 other cattle, along with 13 hogs for a value of $375. He had produced 220 bushels of Indian corn in the previous year.

Census Records: 1860 - Southern District, Webster, Georgia
J S Aven M 50 No Ca
Rebecca Aven F 59 Georgia
John E Aven M 16
Malissa A Aven F 14
Allice F Aven F 11
William G Aven M 10
Alonzo J Aven M 7
Willey J Aven M 6
Udariah T Aven F 4
Emma H W Aven F 0
A J Davis M 21
Martha Davis F 21

1870 - Part of, Webster, Georgia
Andrew Davis M 31 Georgia
Marthey A Davis F 32 Georgia
Maron W Davis M 7 Georgia
Justus C Davis M 4 Georgia
Delia P Davis F 2 Georgia
Alonzo Davis M 1 Georgia

1880 - Rock Pond, Decatur, Georgia
Andrew J Davis Self M 40 Georgia, United States
Martha A Davis Wife F 40 Georgia, United States
Alonza C Davis Son M 14 Georgia, United States
Delula P Davis Daughter F 12 Georgia, United States
Cassia B Davis Son M 15 Georgia, United States
Jackson L Davis Son M 11 Georgia, United States
Virgil R Davis Son M 8 Georgia, United States
Minnie L Davis Daughter F 6 Georgia, United States
Laura I Davis Daughter F 4 Georgia, United States
William H Wilson Other M 18 Georgia, United States

1900 - Militia Districts 1046, 1431, Donalsonville, Iron City Donalsonville town, Decatur, Georgia
Andrew J Davis Head M 61 Georgia
Martha A Davis Wife F 62 Georgia
Georgia M Davis Daughter F 19 Georgia

1910 - Militia District 1431, Decatur, Georgia
W A Drake Head M 60 Georgia
Tarnsey Drake Wife F 55 Georgia
Jones Drake Son M 19 Georgia
Tom W Drake Son M 17 Georgia
Lee Drake Son M 15 Georgia
Charles Drake Son M 11 Georgia
A J Davis M 71 Georgia

We can see that AJ left the Webster County area and went south between 1870-1880. Perhaps in part to escape the scandle and also perhaps because of loss of property, etc. due to the court cases.

Weekly Sumter Republican - June 25, 1880

Weekly Sumter Republican - October 22, 1880

Weekly Sumter Republican - December 2, 1881

At this point the only other reference to AJ that I can find is from a Bainbridge Democrat article in 1889.

Bainbridge Democrat - March 7, 1889

Margaret Ann Haney

Margaret Ann Haney was born in June 1853 in Shellman, Randolph County, Georgia and died October 8, 1921 in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia. She was buried October 9, 1921 in Cedar Ridge Cemetery in Macon. Margaret was the daughter of Owen Haney and Mary Elizabeth Cook.

After the affair with AJ Davis, Margaret went on to marry James Embro Stanford on April 29, 1881 in Randolph County, Georgia. I also know she had a son named Henry Samuel Stanford who was born July 6, 1880 (per his World War I registration card). Yes, note that again this child was born before the marriage. Was he really James Embro Sanford's son??? Was he the 2nd child with AJ and lied to about his birth year???? Was he a third child with AJ???? All things I don't know. I do find it interesting that his name was Henry. Was he named for the child she gave away????? This Henry Samuel died December 20, 1958 (per Georgia Death Index) but I haven't found an obituary.

Margaret and James moved to Bibb County, Georgia sometime between 1880 - 1900.

1860 - Dawson, Terrell, Georgia, United States
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Mary Haney F 35 Ga
Elizabeth Haney F 8 Ga
Bird M Haney M 1 Ga
Magarett A Haney F 6 Ga
Sarah C Haney F 4 Ga
Wm B Haney M 3 Ga
Owen Haney F 1 Ga

1870 - Dawson, Terrell, Georgia, United States
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Mary Haney F 42 Georgia
Margarett Haney F 18 Georgia
Lucy Haney F 11 Georgia

1880 - District 1092 and 1093, Webster, Georgia, United States
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Mary Haney Self F 52 Georgia, United States
Ann Haney Daughter F 30 Georgia, United States
Lucy Haney Daughter F 24 Georgia, United States
William B Haney Son M 21 Georgia, United States

1900 - Militia District 481, Godfrey (east part), Bibb, Georgia, United States
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
James E Stanford Head M 58 Georgia
Margaret Stanford Wife F 47 Georgia
Henry H Stanford Son M 20 Georgia

1910 and 1920 - can't find her

Margaret Haney and James Embro Stanford Marriage Record

Margaret Haney Stanford Death Certificate

Death Notice - from Findagrave - Dennis Roland

References:
Weekly Sumter Republician - September 29, 1876
Weekly Sumter Republician - February 16, 1877
Weekly Sumter Republician - June 25, 1880
Weekly Sumter Republician - October 22, 1880
Weekly Sumter Republician - December 2, 1881
Bainbridge Democrat - March 7, 1889
Census Records
Reports of Cases Decided in the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia, Volume 58
Georgia Virtual Vault (Death and Marriage records)
Findagrave