Family lore says a pair of spool leg tables were gifted to Nancy Ann Davis Daffan at the time of her marriage by the Jefferson Davis family. Jefferson Davis was Nancy Ann Davis Daffan’s first cousin and president of the Confederate States of America. I do not have supporting documentation for this family story, and Aunt Sally Lou Fitzhugh indicated to me that the connection to the Davises was tenuous. In addition, the handwritten note I found inside the table does not say that the table came from Jeff Davis — merely that the table was owned by someone who wanted her grandchild to reminder the kinship.
During the 2023 renovation, we found two documents and a sketched portrait inside the “hidden” drawer in the spool leg table. It lists a “linage” (lineage or provenance) of the tables:
“Nancy Davis Daffon (1860)
Virginia Daffon Shelkett
Lula Shelkett French
Sallie French Fitzhugh (1886)
Virginia Fitzhugh Moore”
“When Lula Shelkett French was a very little girl she remembered being at Nancy Davis Daffon’s sick bed and Nancy telling her she was kin to Jefferson Davis and to always remember that.
“Sallie got tables from her great aunt Patty, sister of Virginia Daffon. Daffon’s came from Richmond Co., Va. “
(Transcribed from handwritten and typewritten notes found inside the spool leg table)
The handwritten notes are internally inconsistent. I believe someone (Virginia Fitzhugh Moore) altered the provenance to include two of her her great-grandmothers who never owned the table. I believe the correct provenance to be:
- Nancy Ann Davis
- Patty or Patsy Julia Daffon
- Sallie Virginia French Fitzhugh
- Table One: Virginia Lee Fitzhugh Moore / Melissa Sue Moore Stephen
Table Two: Sally Lou Fitzhugh / Jennifer Lee Moore Smith
Why do I think this new provenance for the spool leg table is correct?
The drawing inside the table is labeled with the name “Margaret Patty Daffon (never married)”. The notes with the table say Sallie received the tables from her great aunt who was the sister of Lula Virginia Daffon Shelkett. I believe “Margaret” to be an error, and this name should have been Patty Patsy Julia Daffon, who is the sister of Lula Virginia Shelkett and never married.
Virginia Moore took one of the tables at some point, and it stood in the front room in her house in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Melissa Stephens received the spool leg table belonging to Virginia Moore in about 2001, and Melissa has it at her house in Houston.
Sally Lou Fitzhugh’s table was broken and in bad shape — I heard this all my life, which means the table top and fretwork had been broken prior to 1980. The broken table was stored in the back of the closet in Mr. Jack’s room. During the home renovations in 2023, I, Jenny Smith, glued the split (now warped) tabletop back together and glued the drawer base into the face. The construction of the table is such that it is essentially built around the drawer, and gluing the drawer like this (it had a ¼” gap and was out of square previously) made the table sturdier and usable. It is not the ideal way to repair a drawer, but this repair was necessary because of the peculiar table design and because the broken table had been stored in a closet with heavy items on top of it in high humidity. A future person may be able to use panel clamps and steam to flatten the broken table top to repair it better. The legs are also loose on this table and seem to be slightly out of square to me, possibly from having items stacked on them in the closet. A future person may remove the crossbar and reglue the legs, attempting to get them back into square. I noted some very bad putty work on part of the table fretwork — I didn’t do that, so don’t blame me.
Style
The style of table, dovetails, and screws are consistent with furniture of the 1850s. Maker is unknown.
Notes on The Daffon / Daffan Family from Davis Moore
William Daffan was in the War of 1812.
DEATH: Died age 78. Betty Brown has died 2 April 1855.
SOURCE: 1. Deaths of Stafford Co., VA film 8080 (red) p 5 line 41.
2. Genealogy Dept Letter, SLC, Utah, rec Feb 1981.
3. Sallie French Fitzhugh audio tape, 1980.
CENSUS: 1840 Stafford Co, Virginia census roll 185, page 178, head of family William Daffin: 1 M 5-10, 1 M 10-15, 2 M 15-20, 1 M 50-60, 2 F under 5, 1 F 5-10, 1 F 10-15, 1 F 15-20, 1 F 30-40 for a total of 11, 11 slaves, 9 working in agriculture.
1850 Stafford Co. Virginia census film 0444968 family 338: William Daffan 70, Farmer, 7000 real property; Ann 55, James 26; Alchison 24 M, Virginia 17, Patsy 15, Almira 13, Lucy 12, Luther 20 farmer. All born in Virginia.
1860 Stafford Co. Virginia census film 0805375 page 949, family 1013, William is not listed. Nancy Daffin is head of family and listed with children Luther, Patsy, Almira and Lucy. James lives next door.
Sallie Fitzhugh says William married twice both called Nancy, however the second Nancy’s name was Virginia Davis and that she was a cousin to Jefferson Davis. She also said William had two boys from the first marriage.
RES LOG: 1. Wife Ann age 55 on 1850 census and wife Nancy age 60 on 1860 census. 2. We have his wife died in 1859–Then why is she on the 1860 census? 3. Childrens ages don’t work out right according to the census. 4. On the 1850 Stafford Co. Virginia census, family 338: Ann age 55, James 26, Alchison 24 (male), Virginia 17, Patsy 15, Almira 13, Lucy 12 and Luther 20. All born in Virginia. ARE THE TWO OLDEST CHILDREN FROM A DIFFERENT MARRIAGE? 5. Hugh W. Daffin has one more child than we have: Hugh W. Daffan born 1833 (same year as Virginia Lula Daffan). I don’t find Hugh listed on any census record. IS HUGH A CHILD IN THIS FAMILY?
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Sallie Fitzhugh says William married twice both called Nancy, however the second Nancy’s name was Virginia Davis and that she was a cousin to Jefferson Davis. She also said William had two boys from the first marriage.
Nancy Davis probably William Daffon’s second wife.
I assume second marriage was after 1830?
Jefferson Davis was US Senator from Mississippi and as such near Washington and Stafford County for some time.
Jefferson Davis was son-in-law to President Zackery Taylor and Davis was a war hero during War with Mexico and Battle of Buena Vista. (Taylor was the commanding general of the American Army against Mexican General Santa Anna) Jefferson Davis just before Civil War was the Secretary of Defense in Federal Government.
So Jefferson Davis was around Virginia. (Also remember Hugh Uriah French left Poplar Grove and became overseer for Jefferson Davis in Mississippi……perhaps a connection there too?)
Jefferson Davis saved Carthage Grays in fulfillment of Joseph Smith prophecy during Mexican War.
