William Davidson (1740 – 17 June 1790) was a
Scottish-Canadian
Scottish Canadians are people of Scottish people, Scottish descent or cultural heritage, heritage living in Canada. As the third-largest ethnic group in Canada and amongst the first Europeans to settle in the country, Scottish people have made a ...
lumber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
merchant,
shipbuilder
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
and politician. He was the first permanent
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
settler on the
Miramichi River
The Miramichi River is a river located in the east-central part of New Brunswick, Canada. The river drains into Miramichi Bay in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The name may have been derived from the Montagnais words "Maissimeu Assi" (meaning Mi'km ...
in
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
.
Arrival in the New World
Davidson was born in
Cowford
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
, in the
Parish of Bellie,
Moray
Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.
Between 1975 ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, and was engaged in
salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...
fishing as a young man (see
River Spey
The River Spey (Scottish Gaelic: Uisge Spè) is a river in the northeast of Scotland. At it is the eighth longest river in the United Kingdom, as well as the second longest and fastest-flowing river in Scotland. It is important for salmon fishi ...
). He was born John Godsman, but changed his name to William Davidson after his grandfather. In 1765 he arrived in
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
and obtained extensive land grants, he and a partner getting 100,000 acres (400 km
2), of which 2/3 was Davidson's share. This amounted to a strip of on either side of the
Miramichi River
The Miramichi River is a river located in the east-central part of New Brunswick, Canada. The river drains into Miramichi Bay in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The name may have been derived from the Montagnais words "Maissimeu Assi" (meaning Mi'km ...
(then a part of Nova Scotia) with fishing and lumbering rights. He was required to clear and improve the land and establish one Protestant settler for every two acres (8,000 m
2). He settled many people on the Miramichi. Davidson is best known as the first settler in the Miramichi.
Founding a colony
Davidson went to
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
in 1766 to recruit settlers and supplies. Soon he was shipping fish to the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
and furs and fish to
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. To employ his workers in the winter he began to cut lumber and brought out from Great Britain a master shipbuilder,
shipwright
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
s and other craftsmen.
Throughout his life this visionary, practical, industrious and intelligent man was plagued by bad luck. His first locally built ship, the ''Miramichi'', sank off
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
on her maiden voyage and his second ship was wrecked in 1775 off the northern tip of
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...
. But, other cargoes got through and he soon had a seven-year contract with a British firm to supply fish and lumber.
The American Revolution and the Saint John River
In 1776 the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, came along and New England
privateers
A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
made sailing in the North Atlantic unsafe and rebel sympathizers stirred up the neighbouring
Mi'kmaq
The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the northe ...
Indian nation. With shipping so hazardous, the British firm he contracted with was soon bankrupt.
The Mi'kmaq began raids on the Miramichi settlers, and in 1777 Davidson withdrew inland with his employees to Maugerville, a settlement on the
Saint John River downstream from the site of present city of
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...
. Ever industrious, Davidson soon secured a contract to transport ship's masts and yards down the Saint John River to the port of
Saint John for shipment to the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
.
In 1783 Davidson was elected a member of the
5th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
The 5th General Assembly of Nova Scotia represented Nova Scotia between May 1770 to 1784, its membership being set in the 1770 Nova Scotia general election.
The 5th General Assembly is known as Nova Scotia's "Long Parliamentas it sat for fourteen ...
for
Sunbury County
Sunbury County (2016 population 27,644) is located in central New Brunswick, Canada. A large military base (CFB Gagetown) is located in the western part of the county south of the town of Oromocto. The county also hosts forestry and mixed farm ...
which, in 1784, became part of New Brunswick. He continued to serve for
Northumberland County after the new province was established.
The
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
was now over and Davidson moved back to the Miramichi Valley to secure his land grants. He went by ship with his employees and stopped en route at
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...
for supplies.
Back to the Miramichi
Davidson lost no time on his return to the Miramichi. Most of his employees came with him. He spent 5,000
pounds sterling
Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO 4217, ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of #Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories, its associated territori ...
on a shipyard, a sawmill and stores and other buildings and was soon back in business. In the period 1783 to 1785 he lost several more vessels and their cargoes to the North Atlantic. But some got through and he signed a contract with Wm. Forsyth and Co. of
Greenock
Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...
, Scotland and Halifax, Nova Scotia to provide masts and yards. He also shipped fish to the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
and
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
.
To provide another source of revenue, Davidson sent out employees to fish for
cod
Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...
in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence
The Gulf of St. Lawrence () is the outlet of the North American Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. The gulf is a semi-enclosed sea, covering an area of about and containing about of water, at an average depth of .
...
.
But
United Empire Loyalists
United Empire Loyalists (or simply Loyalists) is an honorific title which was first given by the 1st Lord Dorchester, the Governor of Quebec, and Governor General of The Canadas, to American Loyalists who resettled in British North America duri ...
were pouring into the
Maritime Provinces
The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of Ca ...
and in 1784 Loyalist settlers in the Saint John River Valley set up New Brunswick as a separate colony. They were land hungry and revoked Davidson's grant on the grounds that he had not brought out the settlers he promised. He was compensated with a grant of 14,500 acres (59 km
2), including the sites of his enterprises.
William Davidson was elected as representative from
Northumberland County to the
1st New Brunswick Legislative Assembly The 1st New Brunswick Legislative Assembly represented New Brunswick between January 3, 1786, and 1792. The lower house was the Legislative Assembly and the upper house was named the Legislative Council.
The assembly sat at the pleasure of the Gov ...
and served from 1786 until his death.
Davidson was out on snowshoes on business in the winter of 1790, when he was caught in a blizzard. He suffered severely and caught a cold from which he did not recover. He died in June, 1790.
Family and legacy
When he was living at Maugerville, Davidson married Sarah Nevers. They had five children. One of his brothers settled close to him. Many thousands of people in the Miramichi and across North America are descendants of the Davidson brothers. He died on 17 June 1790.
Portrait
A large portrait of William Davidson felling trees on the Miramichi hangs on an internal staircase of the
Banff Springs Hotel
The Fairmont Banff Springs, formerly and commonly known as the Banff Springs Hotel, is a historic hotel located in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The entire town including the hotel, is situated in Banff National Park, a national park managed by Park ...
in
Banff,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
. This is very appropriate as Davidson was a native of
Moray
Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.
Between 1975 ...
, very near the boundary with
Banffshire
Banffshire ; sco, Coontie o Banffshire; gd, Siorrachd Bhanbh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. It borders the Moray ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
.
The painting has been in the possession of the hotel for many years, and hotel staff believe that it was painted in the last years of the 19th century. It identifies Davidson as Canada's first lumberman, surely a misnomer. He was, perhaps, the first English speaking person to establish a significant commercial lumber business in Canada. But long before, French settlers cut trees for their own use and for local markets.
Acknowledgement
W. S. Spray's entry in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online (see link below) is one source used in the preparation of this entry.
References
* Davidson, W.H. (1947) An account of the life of William Davidson, otherwise John Godsman, of Banffshire and Aberdeenshire in Scotland and Miramichi in British North America. Publ. New Brunswick Museum, Historical Studies No. 6.
* Davidson, W.H. (1966) William Davidson 1740–1790. North Shore Leader, Newcastle
External links
Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, William
Canadian businesspeople
Nova Scotia pre-Confederation MLAs
Canadian shipbuilders
Scottish shipbuilders
Scottish businesspeople
People from Moray
People from Miramichi, New Brunswick
Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation New Brunswick
1740 births
1790 deaths
Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)