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Note: estimates of birth dates for both elias p. davis and his wife, jane reno, vary. dates range from 1759 to 1790. there is some uncertainty as to whether elias was born in maryland or virginia. he is NOT the elias davis born in charles county, md in 1759, nor is he descended from the virginia fugates. reconciling best with the timeline of other individuals and events, is the date 1781, given in the 'richardson bible.' also, the 1810 pwc census says the oldest free male in elias' household (would have to be him) was one individual between 26-44 years of age, which would place his birth at between 1766 and 1784. sometime prior to november 1809, elias and jane filed a complaint in prince william county chancery court against her brother, bayliss, and uncle, enoch reno, who were the executors of her father's 1794 will. jane inherited slaves, whose offspring the executors intended to keep 'for costs.' the case became a landmark case and at one point was even reviewed by no less a figure than virginia's first citizen, george wythe, shortly before he was murdered by a socially ambitious nephew. ironically, bayliss came to support elias and jane's position before it was all said and done, and he was generally considered an ally of the couple. they all moved to fleming county together several years later.
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