John Andrew Davidson, 2nd Viscount Davidson (22 December 1928 – 20 July 2012), was a British peer and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

politician. Regarded as a safe pair of hands, he became deputy chief whip in the House of Lords.

Background and education

Davidson was the elder son of

J. C. C. Davidson, 1st Viscount Davidson John Colin Campbell Davidson, 1st Viscount Davidson, (23 February 1889 – 11 December 1970), known before his elevation to the peerage as J. C. C. Davidson, was a British civil servant and Conservative Party politician, best known for his cl ...

, and

Frances Frances is a French and English given name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'free one.' The male version of the name in English is Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman", comes from the F ...

, daughter of

Willoughby Dickinson, 1st Baron Dickinson Willoughby Hyett Dickinson, 1st Baron Dickinson, KBE, PC (9 April 1859 – 31 May 1943), was a British Liberal Party politician. He was Member of Parliament for St. Pancras North from 1906 to 1918. He was an influential proponent of establis ...

. He was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

and Pembroke College, Cambridge. Between 1947 and 1949 he served in the

Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd (Royal Highland) Regime ...

and the 5th Battalion of the

King's African Rifles The King's African Rifles (KAR) was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from Britain's various possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within ...

before going up to Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he was known for his thespian talents, being president of the Footlights in 1951.Who's Who 2007. A & C Black Publishers Limited, London, 2007.thepeerage.com
/ref> In 1960 he embarked on a 15-year career in large-scale farming, as a director of Strutt and Parker (Farms) and Lord Rayleigh Farms. By 1965 he was on the council of the Country Landowners Association (now the Country Land & Business Association). In 1966 he was appointed chairman of the Royal Eastern Counties Hospital for the mentally handicapped at Colchester, a job he considered the "most frustrating" of his life. Tensions with the regional hospital board which was ultimately responsible for the hospital boiled over in 1971, ostensibly because of the way Mauritian employees had been treated, and the following March the board sacked five members of the management committee.

Political career

Davidson entered the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

on the death of his father in 1970. He served in the Conservative administrations of

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

and John Major as a Lord-in-waiting between 1985 and 1986. An agile mind and a winning manner enabled Andrew Davidson to carry out the demanding duties of Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords for six years, 1986–92, with skill and marked success. As Deputy Chief Whip, he held the ancient but purely nominal office of

Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard The Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a UK Government post usually held by the Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords. The present Captain is The 9th Earl of Courtown, who was appointed to the position ...

. He lost his seat in Parliament after the passing of the

House of Lords Act 1999 The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...

, commenting: "I am getting on and maybe the younger generation should get a shot at it."

Family

Lord Davidson was married twice. He married firstly Margaret Birgitta, daughter of Major-General Cyril Henry Norton, in 1956. They had four daughters (one of whom, Hon. Alexandra Oldfield, is deceased) but were divorced in 1974. His second daughter Hon. Caroline Davidson was married to Lord Edward Alexander Somerset, second son of

David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort David Robert Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort GCC (23 February 1928 – 16 August 2017), known as David Somerset until 1984, was an English peer and major landowner. An important figure in the world of fox hunting, he was also chairman of Marl ...

. Lord Davidson married secondly Pamela Joy (now deceased), daughter of John Vergette, in 1975. They had no children. Viscount Davidson died on 20 July 2012 at the age of 83 and was succeeded by his brother Malcolm William Mackenzie Davidson, 3rd Viscount Davidson (1934-2019), also a Pembroke alumnus.

Arms

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Andrew Davidson, 2nd Viscount 1928 births 2012 deaths Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge Black Watch officers Conservative Party (UK) Baronesses- and Lords-in-Waiting King's African Rifles officers People educated at Westminster School, London Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom 20th-century British Army personnel Sons of life peers

Davidson Davidson may refer to: * Davidson (name) * Clan Davidson, a Highland Scottish clan * Davidson Media Group * Davidson Seamount, undersea mountain southwest of Monterey, California, USA * Tyler Davidson Fountain, monument in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA * ...