Biographies   Abbeville County - South Carolina Genealogy Trails A History of Texas and Texans by Francis White Johnson, Ernest William Winkler – 1920, pg. 1391 JUDGE JAMES W. MCDAVID -  It was in the year 1846, about the time Texas entered the Union, that the McDavid family was established in Lone Star commonwealth. Three active generations of citizens have since increased the honor and distinction of the name in this state, and in many ways have proved themselves capable and valuable factors in social and business affairs. Judge McDavid is now serving as county judge of Rusk county, and is the grandson of the pioneer who introduced this numerous family into Rusk county. The first settler of this name in South Carolina was an Irishman who came from his native isle, and identified himself with the agrarian class in South Carolina. His posterity adopted the customs of thrifty people of the south in the acquirement of slave labor for their plantations. His remains long since mingled with the soil of his adopted state, and he left descendants to perpetuate his name as an American pioneer. John McDavid, a son of this emigrant, also lived and died in the Palmetto state. He married a Miss Davenport, and their children were: James, who spent his life in his native state; William J., the Texas pioneer already mentioned; Richard, who was killed in the battle of Mansfield during the Civil war; Robert, who died in Rusk county as a farmer; John W., who passed away in Van Zandt county, Texas; Andrew who died in Greenville, South Carolina, after a service of thirty- two years as tax collector; George and Benjamin F.. who died in Anderson county, South Carolina; Rosanna, who married John Williams, and died in Anderson county, South Carolina; Nancy, who died in Georgia was the wife of A. W. Graham; Polly, who became the wife of Ben Arnold and died in South Carolina; and Adeline, who married William Roberts and died in Coleman county, Texas. His grandfather, William J. McDavid brought the family from Abbeville district, South Carolina, and settled nine miles northwest of Henderson. He spent his life as a slave-holding planter, and was one of the men who assisted in the development of the frontier district then comprising Rusk county. His death occurred in 1895, and he was born in Abbeville, South Carolina, March 3, 1815. Grandfather William J. McDavid married Agnes Gilkerson, a daughter of John Gilkerson. Her death occurred in Rusk county, in 1886. Their children were: John, father of Judge McDavid; James E., of Abilene, Texas; William P., who owns the old homestead in Rusk county; Susan, who married J. M. Smith and died in Rusk county; Mary E., the wife of C. D. Williams of Rusk county; and Elliott, who became the wife of A. C. Coursey and died in Coleman county. John McDavid, a son of William J., was born in Abbeville district, South Carolina, and came to Texas with his father in 1846, grew up in the country with only limited educational advantages. Although a southerner he never owned any slaves, and spent thirty- nine years of his life in Rusk county, Texas. He assumed his share of responsibility during the war, and joined a company of the Fourteenth Texas Infantry. His regiment was a part of Extor's Brigade in the Army of Tennessee, and it participated in many battles which contributed to the history of the war. At the battle of Chickamauga he was taken prisoner, but escaped and finished his service to the end of the struggle without wounds. His brother James performed a like service for the Confederacy and both returned home to do the part of a civilian in the restoration of industry in the war-burdened country. When the war was over and he had returned home from the southern army, he started in life- without respectable clothing, and it is said that neighbor girls gathered at his father's house and wove jeans for cloth out of which his "society" suit was made, and which he no doubt wore a few months later when he eloped with a neighbor's daughter and was married. He established himself in the community where he had grown up from childhood and thereafter lived an uneventful career. He was without political aspirations or ambition, voted as a Democrat, belonged to the Methodist church, and affiliated with the Knights of Honor. John McDavid in 1868 married Miss Susan Christie. Her father, Sampson Christie came from Taladega county, Alabama, some years before the Civil war. He was a rough-and-ready man of the primitive school of citizenship, loved horses and horse raising, and took his enjoyment chiefly in that way. Late in life he moved to Collin county, Texas, was successful in the accumulation of property and left a family of children. Mrs. John McDavid died in 1882 and her husband in 1885. Their family of children were: William, who died in 1895; James W., judge of Rusk county; John E., a farmer of Rusk county, who was born December, 1874; Daisy, who was born in 1880, and is now Mrs. Daisy Williams of Westville, Oklahoma; A. Milton, who was born in April, 1881, and lives in Collins county, Texas. Judge James W. McDavid was reared upon the farm he now owns, and where he was born June 15, 1873. A man of excellent education and a lawyer with a wide range of experience, Judge McDavid was at one time a country school boy, and promoted himself to the higher ranges of learning largely through his own ambition to equip himself better than his neighbor in the race of life. Three years were spent in study in the effective school conducted by Professor Orr at Summer Hill, and he also spent two years at Baylor University. During the few months following his college career at Baylor, he reviewed his common branches while teaching, and then began preparation for law as a student with Judge W. C. Buford at Henderson. At Carthage when only nineteen years of age, he was admitted to the bar before Judge W. J. Graham, his examining committee embracing Frank B. Sexton, Judge W. H. Pope, R. C. Deraffnired, J. H. Long, and A. D. Sparkman. With his admission to the bar began his active career as a lawyer. He admitted to the bar before Judge W. J. Graham, his examining committee embracing Frank B. Sexton, Judge W. H. Pope, R. C. Deraffnired, J. H. Long, and A. D. Sparkman. With his admission to the bar began his active career as a lawyer. He located at Henderson and earned his first fees there. He soon became a partner with his old preceptor, and was associated with him for ten years. All phases of the law have received some attention from Judge McDavid, and he has practiced not only during his residence in town, but also while living on his farm nine miles north in the country. His first six years at the bar were spent in Henderson and from 1898 to 1907 he kept his family upon his plantation where his own infancy and childhood were spent. As a farmer Judge McDavid is one of the leaders in this section of Texas. At the present time his ownership embraces some eight hundred acres, and about half of this is cultivated to cotton and other staple crops. Eight tenant families are employed in operating this large acreage. Judge McDavid first entered the political arena in 1894, when he offered his services to the county for the office of county judge. The successful candidate in that election was the same man whom eighteen years later Judge McDavid succeeded by appointment. He first assumed the duties of county judge when appointed in February, 1912, and in November following he was elected his own successor. Judge McDavid is a working Democrat, is affiliated with the Masonic Order and the Knights of Pythias, and is a man always quick and ready to lend his support to community affairs. then drove it into the earth, exclaiming as he did so: '' There is one corner of this schoolhouse, and you can locate the other three corners where you please!'' The building was erected right there. On October 31, 1893, in Rusk county, Judge McDavid married Miss Annie H. Wood. Her father, J. W. Wood, was an old Texas settler at Pirtle, where he combined the occupations of farming and merchandising. He came from Tennessee. J. W. Wood married Mrs. Ann Kelly, a daughter of John Chapman of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Mrs. MeDavid is one of seven children. The children of Judge McDavid and wife are: John W.; Sue Blanche; Margaret Ann; Leaureme; Vernon W.; and Daisy Nelwyn. Mr. Milner was a man of more than ordinary stature, wore a heavy sandy beard and impressed strangers as a man of mold and worth. During the latter part of the war between the South and the North he served in the Confederate army with a company of cavalry in protecting the coast near Galveston. He was a Democrat, was concerned with public questions as they arose for solution and never failed to vote, save, perhaps, when he might have been disfranchised for his participation in the Civil War with the southern army. As a business man he was ambitious only for a competency, and proved himself an excellent farmer. Mr. Milner died in the faith of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, in 1883, and was laid to rest in the Pine Grove cemetery. The mother died in 1878. The children born to Arnold Milner and his wife were as follows: Williamson, a resident of Dallas, Texas; Henry B., who lives at McAlester, Oklahoma Robert Teague, of this review; and three who died before reaching their maturity. 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