Davis Children of Jefferson Davis

I am bringing this thread up on the Children of Jefferson and Varina Davis since there been thread on supposed son of Jefferson Davis who was from black mother. These children are verified and have documentation.

I am very suspicious of this so called other son. It seems like something the National Enquirer or other scandal sheets would have printed. Just my opinion.
 
You forgot a son- Jim Limber Davis.
There is no evidence that James Henry Brooks -- or "Jim Limber" as he was called -- was ever adopted by the Davises. He was taken in off the street by Varina Davis and became a playmate for their son, who was close to the same age. He was "family" only in the sense that he was part of the extended household, that included enslaved personal servants.
 
I don't believe I ever said Jim was adopted. He was taken in by Mrs. Davis and when they left Richmond he went elsewhere. There is book on him that I mentioned in another post on this thread.
 
Thank you - I have only noticed a second ago that this thread came from 2011! I do appreciate that you brought it up again because I will never have the chance to read through all these interesting facts and stories here.

Again I have to wonder what these parents back then had to go through. Losing so many children so young! I have heard once that in Germany back then children were only given their proper names after the age of 2 because they often died so young. It simply was not worth caring too much, they passed away so easily. I have always doubted that, because losing a child must be an awful experience. Maybe back then people had different views on children and parenthood, but any mother in any era and any part of the world would suffer terribly if she loses a child, I think. When it comes to medical care, we really live in blessed times!

Do you think that Jefferson Davis's habit of caring for each and every detail in his government comes from this experience? Maybe he thought that if he controls everything he would be safe from losing again somebody or something?
 
Good idea. He not only lost these children which was always a great sorrow but his first wife, who he loved so very much. It could have been a control mechanism.

I have several relatives and friends who have lost children. It is a loss they never overcome. They go on with life but there is a hole in their heart.

My Grandma who was my Mom's mother, lost two children. One died at child birth and the other when he was 12 years old of leukemia. She always mentioned them so warmly and tenderly. My Mom said when Grandma died that she was now with her beloved children in heaven.
 
Good idea. He not only lost these children which was always a great sorrow but his first wife, who he loved so very much. It could have been a control mechanism.

I have several relatives and friends who have lost children. It is a loss they never overcome. They go on with life but there is a hole in their heart.

My Grandma who was my Mom's mother, lost two children. One died at child birth and the other when he was 12 years old of leukemia. She always mentioned them so warmly and tenderly. My Mom said when Grandma died that she was now with her beloved children in heaven.

I know what you mean. My father lost a daughter from his first marriage, she had a bicycle accident. He had forbidden me to learn to ride a bicycle until I was 12 or 13. I could not understand that as a youngster but meanwhile I can imagine why he did that.
 
Good idea. He not only lost these children which was always a great sorrow but his first wife, who he loved so very much. It could have been a control mechanism.

I have several relatives and friends who have lost children. It is a loss they never overcome. They go on with life but there is a hole in their heart.

My Grandma who was my Mom's mother, lost two children. One died at child birth and the other when he was 12 years old of leukemia. She always mentioned them so warmly and tenderly. My Mom said when Grandma died that she was now with her beloved children in heaven.

My paternal grandmother lost her youngest child in World II, she lived to be 94 and never got over her loss. My youngest sister recently became online friends with a descendent of the German pilot who shot him down -- her ancestor didn’t survive the war either.
 
My paternal grandmother lost her youngest child in World II, she lived to be 94 and never got over her loss. My youngest sister recently became online friends with a descendent of the German pilot who shot him down -- her ancestor didn’t survive the war either.

Yes, there are a lot of sad stories. But isn't it a fantastic thing that now you can become friends over the internet? When I was a teenager I had some penfriends, but this now is much better! (Sorry, I'm already digressing again.)
 
There are groups in many areas for parents who have lost children. One of my best friends lost her son when he was 16 to Leukemia. He struggled several years and fought to overcome this dread disease. She took it very hard. She said her belief in God and her joining a group of parents who had lost their children too, has helped her. But there is always a big hole in her heart for this beloved son.
 
Do you have a word in English for parents who lost their children, like "orphan" for a child that lost it's parents? In German there is not even a word for that, as if it is something that may not exist. We have these groups also, I think it's a good thing for people to meet others with the same experiences. That might help a lot. Also praying helps, at least I feel it helps me in difficult or sad situations.
 
Paternal Grandfather lost his wife and two children in the early 1890s. He married again and fathered four girls and twin boys, in that order. One the boys, Anders, died of milk fever before he was age 2. The other was my father, Jens. Can you imagine being the youngest sibling of four older sisters?
 
Can you imagine being the youngest sibling of four older sisters?

Ole, that must be heaven on earth! I'm an older sister myself, one of three (then two, see above) older sisters to one younger brother. My brother was always in the center of admiration of his sisters and parents and interestingly enough, it did him well. He was and is (now aged 45) a sonnyboy and deeply believes that whatever he does will turn out alright - and you know what? It does!
So no criticism of older sisters, please! :laugh:
 
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Ole, that must be heaven on earth! I'm an older sister myself, one of three (then two, see above) older sisters to one younger brother. My brother was always in the center of admiration of his sisters and parents and interestingly enough, it did him well. He was and is (now aged 45) a sonnyboy and deeply believes that whatever he does will turn out alright - and you know what? It does!
So no criticism of older sisters, please! :laugh:
The dad, besides having 7 children, was responsible for a father, two sisters, 3 nephews and 1 niece. His other two sisters probably contibuted but, as the only boy in the family, it was his burden.
 
Interesting thread. I know Davis came in for plenty of criticism but its a wonder he made it through the day and did not go crazy after the war.
Leftyhunter
 
Interesting thread. I know Davis came in for plenty of criticism but its a wonder he made it through the day and did not go crazy after the war.
Leftyhunter

You could say the same thing about Lincoln - four sons and two dead - and his wife did go nuts. IMHO Davis was so sure he was always right that nothing could bother him.
 
Zachery Taylor was opposed to his daughter marrying Davis, on the grounds that the Davis plantation was located on riverland and therefore subject to smallpox, malaria, etc. He feared for her life. Sure enough, she came down with disease (either typhus or smallpox, I forget which) within just a few weeks of moving to the Davis plantation, and died a few days later. Davis himself was too ill to attend her funeral.

Davis feared Zachery Taylor would kill him in a duel thereafter. But years later they bumped into one another - literally - on a steamboat, and Taylor made it clear he harbored no ill feelings toward his former son-in-law.
 
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