Edwin Pascal Davis from Davis Bros. Photographers Portsmouth, NH

Edwin Pascal Davis from Davis Bros. Photographers Portsmouth, NH

Edwin Pascal Davis was born Christmas Day, 1840, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (or perhaps Lawrence MA) and died August 26, 1908. In October 22, 1877 he married Harriett Elizabeth Folsom, born December 3, 1843 in Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts. She died November 5, 1887. They lived for a while at 85 Berkeley Street, Lawrence, MA.

His father, Edmund G. (born August 1802 in Greenland, New Hampshire, where his father, Amos had 55 acres of land and operated a grist mill. On that land -- the "Old Davis Homestead"-- still is the Davis Cemetery) who died January 31, 1867 in Rye, New Hampshire married Sarah H. Folsom (born January 20, 1805 in Gilmanton, New Hampshire) on November 5, 1826 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was "well-known with his sons [George E. and Edwin P.] for their iron castings businesses in Dover and Portsmouth, NH, and North Andover and Lawrence, Massachusetts", In Andover in 1842 Edmund and his son leased part of the property where the well-known woolen machinery firm of Davis & Thurber operated, supplying it castings from their foundry, E. Davis & Son. In 1863, when Davis & Thurber begain its own foundry, the firm moved to Lawrence, under tha name The Davis Foundry Company. (Lawrence had been incorporated as a town from parts of Andover and Mithuen, April 17, 1847.) Sometime, "E. Davis & Sons" changed to "E. Davis & Son". The son divorced from the business was Edwin Pascal. I believe he received some consideration and went into the real estate business in Lawrence until his wife took sick and needed warmer weather. (Old family story.)

Edwin moved with his family to near Asheville, North Carolina buying property May 10, 1884, for $5,500, by Rossi's Creek of about 222 acres. The farm originally was apparently named "Tanglewild' and the house they built and into which they moved in 1890 they named "Crowhurst". Some of the property was sold two years after the death of Harriett, August 23, 1889 by Edwin as guardian for the minors, Minot, Mary G. and Margaret P. Davis. Minot Davis was born in Lawrence on October 8, 1879. His maternal grandfather, Nathaniel Smith Folsom, lived near or with them in Asheville and died there November 10, 1890. His wife, Ann Wendell Penhallow was born October 22, 1808 in Portsmouth (and died April 9, 1885), the daughter of Hunking Penhallow who was a well known shipmaster and merchant (born Novermber 3, 1766 and died September 24, 1826. They were married September 31, 1832) who is buried in the North Cemetery of Portsmith.