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William Davidson (lumberman)
William Davidson (1740 – 17 June 1790) was a Scottish-Canadian lumber merchant, shipbuilder and politician. He was the first permanent European settler on the Miramichi River in New Brunswick.
Davidson was born in Cowford, in the Parish of Bellie, Moray, Scotland, and was engaged in salmon fishing as a young man (see River Spey). He was born John Godsman, but changed his name to William Davidson after his grandfather. In 1765 he arrived in Nova Scotia and obtained extensive land grants of 100,000 acres (400 km2) with his good friend, John Cort, of which 2/3 was Davidson's share. This amounted to a strip of 13 miles (21 km) on either side of the Miramichi River (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 m2). He settled many people on the Miramichi. Davidson is best known as the first settler in the Miramichi.
Davidson went to New England in 1766 to recruit settlers and supplies. Soon he was shipping fish to the West Indies and furs and fish to Europe. To employ his workers in the winter he began to cut lumber and brought out from Great Britain a master shipbuilder, shipwrights 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 on her maiden voyage and his second ship was wrecked in 1775 off the northern tip of Prince Edward Island. But, other cargoes got through and he soon had a seven-year contract with a British firm to supply fish and lumber.
In 1776 the American Revolutionary War, came along and New England privateers made sailing in the North Atlantic unsafe and rebel sympathizers stirred up the neighbouring Mi'kmaq 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. 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.
In 1783 Davidson was elected a member of the 5th General Assembly of Nova Scotia for Sunbury County 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 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 for supplies.
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William Davidson (lumberman)
William Davidson (1740 – 17 June 1790) was a Scottish-Canadian lumber merchant, shipbuilder and politician. He was the first permanent European settler on the Miramichi River in New Brunswick.
Davidson was born in Cowford, in the Parish of Bellie, Moray, Scotland, and was engaged in salmon fishing as a young man (see River Spey). He was born John Godsman, but changed his name to William Davidson after his grandfather. In 1765 he arrived in Nova Scotia and obtained extensive land grants of 100,000 acres (400 km2) with his good friend, John Cort, of which 2/3 was Davidson's share. This amounted to a strip of 13 miles (21 km) on either side of the Miramichi River (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 m2). He settled many people on the Miramichi. Davidson is best known as the first settler in the Miramichi.
Davidson went to New England in 1766 to recruit settlers and supplies. Soon he was shipping fish to the West Indies and furs and fish to Europe. To employ his workers in the winter he began to cut lumber and brought out from Great Britain a master shipbuilder, shipwrights 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 on her maiden voyage and his second ship was wrecked in 1775 off the northern tip of Prince Edward Island. But, other cargoes got through and he soon had a seven-year contract with a British firm to supply fish and lumber.
In 1776 the American Revolutionary War, came along and New England privateers made sailing in the North Atlantic unsafe and rebel sympathizers stirred up the neighbouring Mi'kmaq 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. 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.
In 1783 Davidson was elected a member of the 5th General Assembly of Nova Scotia for Sunbury County 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 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 for supplies.