William Richardson Davie

Life and Orange County connections

Storylines this person is part of, in date order. Each opens its own page, with its events date by date.

Dated events connected with this person, in date order. See these 25 dated events in the chronology →

During their lifetime

1. February 1, 1782 Three of David Fanning's men are hanged at Hillsborough Seven captured raiders were tried before Judge John Williams, with Alfred Moore prosecuting and William R. Davie defending in his first case. Three were hanged despite Fanning's threats, and Burke commuted the other four sentences to a year in the Continental army. People: Thomas Burke, David Fanning, William Richardson Davie, Alfred Moore, John Williams Place: HillsboroughLefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 61
2. July 21, 1788 The convention appoints a committee of privileges and elections with three members from each district The convention set up a 27-member committee of privileges and elections, three from each district, which went on to rule on the disputed returns. Alexander Mebane of Orange County sat on it with Thomas Person, William R. Davie and James Iredell. People: Thomas Person, James Iredell, William Richardson Davie, Alexander Mebane Place: HillsboroughDocumenting the American South: Proceedings and Debates of the Convention of North-Carolina, Hillsborough, 1788, p. 20
3. July 21, 1788 The convention names a select committee to draft its rules of debate On its first day the convention asked William R. Davie, Thomas Person, James Iredell, Elisha Battle, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Samuel Spencer and a member named McDonald to propose rules for its discussion of the Constitution. People: Thomas Person, James Iredell, Richard Dobbs Spaight, William Richardson Davie, Samuel Spencer Place: Hillsborough · Also named: Elisha BattleDocumenting the American South: Proceedings and Debates of the Convention of North-Carolina, Hillsborough, 1788, p. 19
4. July 31, 1788 The committee of the whole adopts Willie Jones's resolution for a declaration of rights and amendments before ratification After a day of debate on the resolution, Davie asked that the amendments be taken one at a time, but the committee approved the resolution as it stood by a large majority. Kenan reported it to the convention, which ordered it to lie on the table overnight. People: Willie Jones, William Richardson Davie Place: Hillsborough · Also named: James KenanDocumenting the American South: Proceedings and Debates of the Convention of North-Carolina, Hillsborough, 1788, p. 268
5. August 2, 1788 The convention adopts a declaration of rights and twenty-six amendments to be laid before Congress before ratification On Thomas Person's motion the convention concurred with its committee of the whole, resolving that a declaration of rights of twenty articles and twenty-six amendments to the most ambiguous and exceptionable parts of the Constitution be laid before Congress and a convention of the states before North Carolina would ratify. On Willie Jones's motions it also recommended a state impost matching whatever Congress laid, urged redemption of the paper currency, and ordered the resolutions sent to Congress and the twelve other states. People: Willie Jones, Archibald Maclaine, Thomas Person, William Richardson Davie, James Galloway Place: HillsboroughDocumenting the American South: Proceedings and Debates of the Convention of North-Carolina, 1788
6. December 11, 1789 University of North Carolina is chartered Meeting in Fayetteville, the General Assembly adopted William R. Davie's bill chartering the University of North Carolina. The act named some forty trustees and, instead of an appropriation, gave the school escheated property and uncollected debts; the trustees later placed it in southern Orange County, where Chapel Hill grew up around it. People: William Richardson Davie Place: Chapel HillNC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources: Charter of the University of N.C. (Highway Historical Marker I-70)
7. December 18, 1789 Benjamin Smith gives the university 20,000 acres of western land Davie announced at the trustees' first meeting that Smith of Brunswick County had given land he received for Revolutionary service, in what became Obion County, Tennessee. It sold some 25 years later for $14,000, and Smith Hall, now the Playmakers Theatre, bears his name. People: William Richardson Davie, Benjamin Smith Place: Fayetteville · Also mentions: Smith HallSearch the index · Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 73
8. December 18, 1789 The university's trustees hold their first meeting, at Fayetteville Senate Speaker Charles Johnson chaired the meeting, and Alexander Mebane and James Hogg attended for Orange County; House Speaker Stephen Cabarrus was among the other trustees present. Davie and Hogg were charged with printing the two subscription papers, one under the charter's terms and one for outright gifts. People: James Hogg, William Richardson Davie, Alexander Mebane Place: Fayetteville · Also named: Charles Johnson, Stephen CabarrusLefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 72
9. December 1789 The Assembly grants the university the proceeds of escheated property Alongside the charter, a second act gave the new university the proceeds from property that fell to the state for want of heirs. People: William Richardson Davie Place: FayettevilleLefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 72
10. December 1791 The Assembly lends the university trustees 5,000 pounds for its buildings Trustees meeting at New Bern named a committee to seek the loan, and Davie argued for it before the Commons. It passed 57 to 53 in the Commons and 28 to 21 in the Senate. People: Samuel Ashe, John Sitgreaves, Richard Dobbs Spaight, William Richardson Davie, John Williams Place: New BernLefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 73
11. December 5, 1792 Trustees name John Williams to the committee that will build the university and lay off Chapel Hill On the day they fixed the university at New Hope Chapel Hill, the trustees appointed seven commissioners to erect its buildings and lay off an adjoining town of 24 two-acre and six four-acre lots. People: John Williams, William Richardson Davie, Alfred Moore, Thomas Blount, Alexander Mebane, John Haywood Place: Chapel HillSearch the index · Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 77
12. July 1793 Orange County leads the state in pledges to the university By July, Davie and Willie Jones reported 909 pounds 4 shillings pledged in Orange against 804 pounds in Halifax, out of $6,723 statewide. William Cain and Walter Alves of Orange were among the three largest subscribers at $200 each, and Jesse Neville of Orange gave $100. People: Willie Jones, Walter Alves, William Richardson Davie, Alfred Moore, William Cain Sr. Place: Orange County · Also named: William Cain, Jesse NevilleLefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 78

After their death in 1820

Later events: estates and burials, and the buildings, honors and histories that remember them.

1. by June 1885 A woman with no family tie to Davie pays for his Memorial Hall tablet William R. Davie's tablet in Memorial Hall was given by a woman unrelated to him, out of admiration for his work as the university's leading founding trustee. Cameron added that Davie's portrait then hung in the Dialectic Society's hall. Place: Memorial Hall, UNC, Chapel HillSearch the index · University of North Carolina, Memorial Hall Inaugural Proceedings, Wednesday, June 3, 1885 (1885), scan p. 16
2. 1908 The university opens Davie Hall for botany and zoology Ordered by the trustees in June 1907 and begun late that year, the university's new building for botany and zoology, named William R. Davie Hall, was finished for the fall 1908 session. It was renovated and expanded in 1967. Place: Chapel Hill, Davie HallSearch the index · The Tar Heel, October 8, 1908, p. 1, Davie Hall Is Completed · Also: Carolina Story: Virtual Museum of University History: William R. Davie
3. June 2, 1908 University trustees allow the Colonial Dames to put up a monument to William R. Davie Meeting at Chapel Hill during commencement, the university trustees granted the Colonial Dames' request to erect a monument on the campus to William R. Davie, the trustee credited with locating the university, possibly in the form of an arch. Place: UNC campus, Chapel HillSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), June 11, 1908, p. 2
4. 1925 Preston Davie starts the Governor William Richardson Davie Carolina Collection at the University library Preston Davie of New York gave the University of North Carolina library two rare North Carolina histories as the beginning of a collection to be known as the Governor William Richardson Davie Carolina Collection. People: William Richardson Davie Place: University of North Carolina library, Chapel Hill · Also named: Preston DavieSearch the index · Internet Archive: "Historical News", North Carolina Historical Review 2 (1925), p. 545
5. February 13, 1994 William R. Davie's gold watch goes on display in the North Carolina Collection Gallery On February 13 UNC system President C. D. Spangler Jr., a collector of clocks and watches, unveiled in Wilson Library a gold Breguet watch that William Richardson Davie, called the father of the University, bought in 1800, as part of a Bicentennial exhibit; a Davie descendant had left it to the University in her will. It was shown with a collection of gold coins struck by the private Bechtler Mint in Rutherford County, a gift of Herman Bernard of High Point. People: C. D. Spangler Jr., William Richardson Davie Place: North Carolina Collection Gallery, Wilson Library, UNC, Chapel HillSearch the index · The Daily Tar Heel, February 16, 1994, p. 3