James Davidson - Coachmaker, Liverpool

[GailB]

Hi, firstly I’m sorry for the length of this post, but I am trying to give as much information as possible. Secondly, I am posting to the England General Board rather than Lancashire as I feel there is a strong possibility that research may end up out of Lancashire.

My gggg grandfather, James Davidson, had two wives, Mary and Sarah but I cannot find a marriage for either nor can I find when they died. James died in 1837 and was buried at St John, Liverpool on 17 May 1837 age 69 his occupation was given as coachmaker. Other occupations I have come across are coachsmith, coach spring maker, smith and blacksmith. His children are shown below and mostly I cannot find anything for them except for a couple who died in infancy, Emerson Aaron Davidson and my ggg grandmother Mary Davidson.

I may be completely off track, but I feel there may be a connection with “Emmerson” as it is used in the name of one of James sons. There is a marriage in Kirkby Moorside, Yorkshire (familysearch) for a James Davison and Mary Emmerson on 18 May 1799, and a baptism on 31 Jan 1783 for a Mary Emmerson, daughter of James Emmerson at South Kirkby, Yorkshire.

Then there is a baptism for a Sarah Emmerson on 29 August 1791 at St Peter, Leeds, Yorkshire, daughter of John Emmerson. I know the 1841 Census says Sarah was born in the county (Lancashire) but that is not always correct.

My main query is who were the two wives Mary and Sarah? Could they have been cousins? Where could James have originated and what became of Mary Davidson who married Richard Barton, then John Smith. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Gail

These records are from either LAN-OPC, Ancestry or Familysearch:

Baptism: 21 Oct 1804 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire
Elizabeth Davidson - Daughter of James Davidson & Mary, Born: 16 Aug 1804, Moffitts Place, Occupation: Smith

Baptism: 2 Apr 1810 St John, Haymarket, Liverpool, Lancashire
Mary Ann Davidson - Daughter of James Davidson & Mary, Born: 2 Dec 1809, Moffits Place, Occupation: Blacksmith

Baptism: 2 Jun 1816 St John, Liverpool, Lancashire
Mary Davison – Daughter of James Davison & Sarah, Born: 17 May 1816, Moffitts Place, Occupation: Blacksmith
Mary is my ggg grandmother. She married Richard Barton (ggg grandfather) on 22 Jan 1838 at St Michael, Toxteth Park. Richard Barton died between 1850 and 1854 and Mary then married John Smith on 26 Nov 1854 at St Nicholas, Liverpool. I cannot find anything for Mary and John Smith after this., but then not sure if I should really expect to with those names.

Baptism: 18 Apr 1819 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire
Ellen Davison - [Child] of James Davison & Sarah, Moffits Place, Occupation: Coach Smith
Buried: 6 Oct 1819 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire

Baptism: 21 May 1820 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire
Thomas Davidson - [Child] of James Davidson & Sarah, Moffett Place, Coachsmith

Baptism: 9 Jun 1822 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire (familysearch)
Hannah Davison – Daughter of James Davison & Sarah

Baptism: 5 Mar 1824 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire
George Edward Davison - [Child] of James Davison & Sarah, Bolton St., Occupation: Smith

Baptism: 3 Apr 1825 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire
Will Davison - [Child] of James Davison & Sarah, Moffits Place, Occupation: Coachman
Buried 4 Sep 1826 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire – died of smallpox

Baptism: 12 Mar 1827 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire
Ellen Davison - [Child] of James Davison & Sarah, Moffit Place, Occupation: Smith

Baptism: 3 Jun 1832 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire
Emerson Aaron Davidson – Son of James Davidson & Sarah, Eldon Street, Occupation: Coach Spring Maker
Married 1: Mary Ann McCauley Catterall 27 Mar 1854 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire
Married 2: Elizabeth Griffiths 11 Apr 1887 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire
Died: 1906 Toxteth Park

I cannot find baptisms for Thomas (1836) and Margaret (1836) but they appear with Sarah, Ellen (no. 2) and Emerson on the 1841 Census in Liverpool, I think the address is St Andrew Street:

Sarah Davidson, 50, Y
Ellen Davidson, 10, Y
Emmerson Davidson, 9, Y
Margaret Davidson, 5, Y
Thomas Davidson, 5, Y

[robo196]

if you look at your dates for the marriage 1799 and the baptism 1783 she would have been only sixteen james Davidson born roughly 1768 looking at the age he died 69 and the year 1837

[GailB]

Thanks for that Robo196. I have just found a burial for her as an infant so there goes that theory. 

EDITED to state the burial was for Sarah, I think you were talking about Mary.

[amondg]

It's possible they are not her children, but grandchildren.
In the 1820' and 1830' also at St Peter there are a Thomas and Ann, Robert and Hannah, Mathew and Ann having children all being listed as coach maker or coach smith was this a family business with James as the patriarch.

James would have completed his apprenticeship by 1789, did he really wait until age 34 to marry for the first time, I think there maybe another wife prior to Mary and maybe other children.

Apprenticeship records would help approximately 1782 would make him age 14 giving the place he was born and who he was apprentice to. 

[GailB]

Many thanks amondg you raise some valid points there.

I am not sure that James Davidson married Mary Emmerson, just that it seemed possible given the name of James and Sarah’s son Emmerson Aaron Davidson. Given his age when he died, I have always assumed James may have had more children and possibly a previous wife prior to Mary or that the Davidson/Emmerson marriage is not correct, so thanks for the pointer to other baptisms for Davidsons who had parents as Coachmakers. I am now beginning to wonder if my ancestor James who married Sarah was in fact a son of James and Mary?

When my ggg grandmother Mary Davidson (born 1816) married Richard Barton at St Michael, Toxteth Park on 22 January 1838, she doesn’t name her father, the record just states “father dead”. When the widowed Mary Barton married John Smith (a labourer, son of Robert Smith a Joiner) at St Michael, Liverpool on 26 November 1854 her father is shown as James Davison, Coach Spring Maker.

I live in Australia so can’t access any Records offices in the UK but will see if I can find anything online for Apprenticeship records.

Gail

[GailB]

Hi amondg, I have just found records for the Robert Davison who was married to Hannah. He was widowed by 1841 and remarried in 1852 to a Jane Holmes. The marriage record states his father was James Davison, a Coach Smith.

The 1851 and subsequent Census shows that Robert was a coach smith and born about 1800 in Durham, he employed 3 men and 4 apprentices in 1851 so the business must have been quite successful. I didn't expect Durham, I was thinking they were of Scottish origin.

[PrawnCocktail]

There is a baptism for a Robert Davison on FreeReg, in 1799 in Durham St Oswald, second child of James Davison, whitesmith and Mary nee Addsion, father of Barnard Castle, mother of Easington

[GailB]

Wow that's great Prawn Cocktail. I will see if I can find any more.

[amondg]

The father James re 1799 St. Oswald entry is a whitesmith.

The Presbyterian Church might hold clues.
I can only see a transcribed version and not the original that may have more information.
Half Moon Presbyterian Church, Durham. Children of James and Hannah
Robert born 4 March 1801  bap 15 March
James born 14 September 1802 bap 10 October
Robert born 17 February 1804 bap 25 March***
David Simm born 29 July 1807 bap 23 August. gives mothers maiden name as Simm.

I realize that David was born in Durham after Elizabeth in Liverpool but there is a gap between 1804 and 1810 in the Liverpool records. 

Just looked at that again, if the transcription for Robert 1804 is correct then it can't be as Elizabeth was born August 1804 in Liverpool.
See if the originals are on line or if someone in Durham can check for you.