Samuel Davies was born on 3 November 1723 in the Welsh Tract in New Castle, Delaware, to David Davies and Martha Thomas. David was born in 1680 in Llantwit Manor, Glamorganshire, Wales and Martha was born in the Welsh Tract to immigrant parents from Wales.
Samuel's parents could not read or write, but knew the power of education and thus sent Samuel off to be educated for the ministry at Samuel Blair's famous school at Fagg's Manor, Chester County, Pennsylvania. After college, he was licensed to the minintry on 30 Jul 1746 and subsequently ordained as an Evangelist for Congregations on 19 February 1747 by the General Court of Virginia. On 14 April 1747, Samuel obtained a license from the Governor & Council of Virginia to preach in Hanover. He began preaching in May of 1747.
Samuel had been married to Sarah Kirkpatrick in the Wessh Tract on 23 October 1746 and he returned to care for his wife. Sarah and their unborn son died on 15 September 1747. Heartbroken, Samuel returned to Hanover, Virginia in April of 1748 to return to preaching. In May of 1748, Samuel's concerned parents followed their melancholy son back to Hanover to help their son.
On 4 October 1748, Samuel married Jean Holt in Hanover. Jean was born in Hanover in 1723 to David Holt and Margaret Dibdall. David was born on Hog Island on 28 May 1685 and was the grandson of Randall Holt, II. Margaret was born in 1693 in Charles City, Virginia. Her grandparents were immigrants from Prestbury, Cheshire in England and must have been neighbors of the Holts in Prestbury.
Samuel and Jean had a daughter named Margaret on 19 March 1757 in Hanover. Margaret married Colonel William Crawford Poage in 1776. Colonel Poage hosted General George Washington several times at his plantation near Staunton, Virginia.
The Reverend Samuel Davies began an association with the College of New Jersey in 1753 when the Trustees sent him the England and Ireland to raise money for the College. The trip was very successful and secured enough donations to build Nassau Hall and the president's house and to found a charitable fund ``for the education of pious and indigent youth for the gospel ministry.'' The College of New Jersey had been founded in 1746 and changed its name to Princeton University during the culmination of the institution’s Sesquicentennial Celebration in 1896. Historically, the University was often referred to as “Nassau,” “Nassau Hall,” “Princeton College” or “Old North.”
"In 1758 Davies was elected to succeed Jonathan Edwards as president of the College, but declined election, partly because of a reluctance to quit his pastoral work in Virginia, partly because he knew that while a majority of the trustees had voted for his election, a minority shared his own belief that Samuel Finley, a member of the Board, was better qualified for the office. The trustees subsequently reelected Davies and persuaded him to accept. He took up his duties on July 26, 1759. Eighteen months later, on February 4, 1761, he died of pneumonia, in his thirty-eighth year, a few weeks after having been bled for ``a bad cold.''"
