Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND.GEORGIANS 3201brought him some worthy distinctions in the profession. Mr. Davidson represents his home district in the State Legislature, and his name is associatedwith much of the important work accomplished by the last two sessions.William Thomas Davidson was born at Milledgeville, Baldwin County,Georgia, August 14, 1866, son of James C. and Louetta (Roby) Davidson,natives of North Carolina, where James was born, but was reared in JonesCounty, Georgia. James Davidson served in the Confederate army in theForty-fourth Georgia Regiment for a short time, and was then sent to Milledgeville as enrolling officer. After his death his widow married W. H. Bost, andis now again a widow and living in Putnani County. She was born in 1837,a daughter of 'William M. and Martha Ann (Rainey) Roby. Her grandmother was a full sftter of Gen. John T. Morgan, the great Confederatecavalryman. Her grandfather, Mathcw Roby, was a native of Maryland andfounded the famjly in Georgia, settling where the City of Eatonton now standsin 1800. He owned over 200. acres there, and a part of that estateis now included in the courthouse grounds. Capt. William H. Roby, fatherof Mrs. Davidson, was one of the distinguished citizens of Putnam County.In the early days he served in the Indian wars, and prior to the war betweenthe states practiced law at Monticello. He moved to Putnam County beforethe war, and his later life was given over to farming. His death occurred in1894 at the age of eighty-seven. He married a Miss Remy. Capt. WilliamRoby reared nine children; the oldest was Jefferson, who served in the FortyfourthGeorgia Regiment. The second, William Roby, was killed at the battleof Gettysburg. Thomas Roby was also a member of the Georgia Regiment.The other children were: N Daniel Morgan Roby; Blanche; Louetta, mother ofWilliam T. Davidson; George F., who married Mrs. Pearson and lives in ClaytonCounty, Georgia; Virginia, and Amizon, all of whom except Mrs. Pearsonare living in Putnam County, where -the Robys have for more than a centurybeen people of great prominence. William T. Davidson has one survivingsister, Savannah L., the wife of E. P. Folds, a farmer in Putnam County.William Thomas Davidson after the death of his father and the secondmarriage of his mother- grew up in the home of his grandparents, Capt.William Roby and wife. While there he attended the common schools regularly, but at the age of eighteen left school and had to support himself by workon farms and in other occupations. He studied law by himself, and he acquired a great amount of his knowledge of jurisprudence by reading his booksunder a white oak tree in the Kinderlock District of Putnam County. OnMarch 19, 1895, Mr. Davidson attained the first stage of his ambition whenhe was admitted to the bar by John C. Hart, Superior judge of the OcmulgeeDistrict. He was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of Georgia April25, 1898; was admitted to the United States District Court at Macon on March24, 1899; to the Federal Court of Appeals June 14, 1907, and at New Orleans,Louisiana, September 26, 1900, was admitted to the Federal Circuit Court ofAppeals. Mr. Davidson began practice at Eatonton, and pleaded his first casethe day after his admission. He successfully defended a negro woman whowas charged with hog stealing. From that time forward his reputation hasbeen steadily growing as a strong advocate, both in criminal and civil cases,and his practice has also brought him frequently before the higher federal andstate courts.In 1912 Mr. Davidson was elected to the Legislature of 1913-14 and duringthat session became author of the law amending the constitution so as to abolishthe office of county treasurer. This was a bill which met with much opposition, but when brought to a vote in the house passed by 156 for and 5 against,while the senate gave it 38 votes arid none against. By a popular vote ofthe people it was ratified in every county. This bill has made it possible tosave many thousands of dollars in each county. On the basis of his successfulwork in the preceding Legislature, Mr. Davidson was re-elected in the fall of