Davidson is the youngest son of William Marion Whitley and Martha Hathcock. There is some confusion as to the county he was born in. Montgomery and Stanly Co. were not formed at the time of his birth but it was somewhere in that area of North Carolina.
"Mr. and Mrs. Burris, I ask you as one, may I have your daughter, Mary, and become a lawful son?" Davidson is asking for the hand of Mary Burris, as told by Mrs. Hattie Helms of Locust, North Carolina, written in the Whitley History by Ada Whitley Goodman.
Davidson was a musician for Co. G 5th Regiment NC but apparently didn't want to be there and deserted two different times. In his packet of papers it looks like he was Court Martialed but I haven't found anything more about his court martial. The 1910 census does show Davidson as having been a Confederate Soldier.
Davidson and Mary have 11 known children together, all but the youngest, Cephus, growing into adulthood.
Davidson appears to have had illegetimate son with Mary Osborne. James Franklin Osborne was born 15 Aug 1866. The source for this information is from the marriage record of JF Osborne and Delphia Burris on 31 Jul 1887 in which JF states his father is Davidson Whitley and mother is Polly Osborne.
Davidson's first wife, Mary dies in June of 1872 at the age of 38 and just a few short months later Davidson and Bedee Hartsell Helms were married in Oct 1872 in Stanly Co., NC by Henry Garmon (minister).
Davidson and Bedee have 3 known children together and all 3 grow into adulthood. In 1900 I find Bedee living with her son (from her first marriage to Colonel Harley Helms), James Helms and family, but so far Davidson is nowhere to be found. I wonder if Bedee is not well and Davidson couldn't care for her. Bedee dies in December of 1902 at the age of 66.
Davidson marries Sarah Ann Honeycutt Whitley, 30 years his junior, in June of 1903. Sarah Ann was the widow of Alexander Whitley. At this time I have not researched Alexander to see where he fits in the Whitley family. Davidson and Sarah do not have any known children together.
Davidson died in 1916 at the age of 86 and is buried in Loves Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery in Stanly Co., NC. There is a stone next to Bedee (2nd wife) that looks like the same type of stone as Bedee's but it is illegable. I am guessing it is Davidson's. Davidson's Death Record does confirm he is buried at Loves Grove.

Research and bio by Rita McKale