Davidson, James

Submitted by edpope on

James Davidson printer Clare Court, Strand voted Tooke 1790. St Clement Danes rates 1789 to 1794 James Davidson, Clare Court, Strand value £30. Thale is the source for otherwise unreferenced items below. On 11.4.1793 he printed handbills for LCS; a Davidson was in committee of correspondence 21.11.1793; a Davison was delegate of Div 5 on 2.1.1794. In the examination of spy Nodder by the Privy Council 22.5.1794 (Nat Arch TS 11/963) James Davidson of (Rickett?) Court, Covent Garden was claimed to have been sometimes printer for Lambeth Loyal Association. The list of witnesses for the treason trials October 1794 included James Davidson of Russell Place, Russell Street, Covent Garden printer. Debts to him were cleared by LCS May 1795. A Davidson was sub delegate of Div 42 on 13.8.1795.  At LCS Executive Committee 27.8.1795 a letter from Davidson the printer was read complaining at Davenport (qv) using position on Exec Cttee to underquote him, ordered to be read in the General Committee. He was still printing for LCS end of 1796. Land Tax 1797 a James Davidson, Jacksons Alley, St Martins in the Fields. Thale has indexed the Davidson arrested in 1798 as Alexander but this is an error (perhaps from British Library Place Add MS 27817, f.200 which I haven't seen). Nat Arch HO 42/45/110 f.474-7 lists James Davidson as taken to Tothill Fields 16.4.1798 for treasonable practices. Nat Arch PC 1/44/158 contains his letters (signed James Davidson) of 28.6.1799 to Richard Ford and the Duke of Portland and of 13.7.1799 to Richard Ford. Nat Arch PC 1/3536A does not list him, perhaps because he had just been discharged (see below). The Cambridge Intelligencer of 15.11.1800 reported "On Saturday died Mrs Davidson, wife of Mr James Davidson, printer, confined in Chelmsford gaol, under the act for suspending the Habeas Corpus". Chester Chronicle 20.2.1801 "James Davidson, just discharged on account of illness, through the humanity of Mr. Ford, after being confined above two years and a half. He now lies dangerously ill, and his life is despaired of."  A James Davidson was buried 20.3.1807 at St Clement Danes. I searched for his marriage and baptisms of any children but found none identifiable - it's a common name. Not to be confused with James Davidson stationer and printer of Tower Hill buried Bunhill Fields 25.9.1801 age 53, whose will PCC 30.9.1801 mentioned William Huntington (DNB 1745-1813).