John Davidson

     
     John Davidson was born cir. 1817 at Chirnside, BEW, SCT.³
     John Davidson married Agnes Fairbairn, daughter of Walter Fairbairn and Agnes Robertson, on 14 Nov 1839 at Chirnside, BEW, SCT, OPR entry reads: "John Davidson of Chirnside and Agnes Fairbairn of Edrom Parish were married". The entry immediately preceding this was the marriage of Andrew Jeffrey and Margaret Hogg, their future son-in-law's parents.⁴
     John Davidson died on 30 Nov 1900 at Chirnside, BEW, SCT; cert #27 reads: "John Davidson, labourer, widower of Agnes Fairbairn died 1900 Nov 30th 7:40pm Chirnside, aged 82. Mother Ann Collins, dec. cert. by S Macvie. Informant: John Davidson (signed) son. Registered Chirnside Dec 1st."⁵
     In Nov 1839 John Davidson was living at Chirnside, BEW, SCT.⁴ He was described as a labourer on dtr Agnes' baptism at Chirnside, BEW, SCT, in Mar 1840.⁶
     John Davidson appeared on the census of 1841 at Little Billie, Par. of Bunkle, BEW, SCT, with Agnes Davidson, as DAVIDSON: John 24 ag lab b BEW; Agnes 25 b SCT (sic); Agnes 1 b SCT; Margaret HUNTER 15 ag lab b BEW (NB enumerators were instructed to round ages down to the nearest multiple of 5).⁷ By Mar 1842 John Davidson was a hind at Little Billie, Par. of Bunkle, BEW, SCT.^8,7 In May 1844 John Davidson was a labourer at Chirnside, BEW, SCT.⁹ He was described as a hind when dtr Mary born at Mungos Walls, Par. of Edrom, BEW, SCT, in 1846 also when son Walter born there in 1848.^10,11 By 1851 John Davidson was a farm servant at Harelawside, Coldingham, BEW, SCT.¹²
     John and Agnes Davidson appeared on the census of 30 Mar 1851 at Harelawside, Coldingham, BEW, SCT, as (all Davidson): John, head, farm servant, 33 b Chirnside, BEW, Agnes wife 33 b Morebattle, BEW (sic). Children: Agnes, 11, scholar b Morebattle; Allison (should be Helen!), 9, b Bunkle, BEW; John, 7, scholar, b Chirnside, BEW; Mary, 5, Walter, 2 both b Edrom, BEW; Jas (should be Adam!), 1m b Coldingham, BEW.¹² By 1854 John was a farm servant at Nether Mains, Par. of Chirnside, BEW, SCT, when the birth of his eldest dtr, actually born in 1840, was registered in the Morebattle Parish records.¹³
     The census of 7 Apr 1861 showed John with his wife Agnes, their sons James, John, Walter, Adam and George, their dtrs Hellen and Mary at Chirnside, BEW, SCT, household enumerated as John, head, ag lab, 44 b Chirnside; Agnes wife, 43, b Morebattle; Children: Hellen (sic) 19, paper mill worker, b Buncle; John, 16, paper mill worker b Chirnside; Mary 14 paper mill worker b Edrom; Walter, 12, paper mill worker b Edrom; Adam, 10, scholar b Coldingham; George, 6 scholar, James, 3 both b Dunse.¹⁴ John Davidson was shown as a labourer on son John's mar. cert in Aug 1866.¹⁵ He was a paper mill labourer fr 1871 - 1884 at Chirnside, BEW, SCT.^16,3 He and George Davidson both in Doughty House, Chirnside, BEW, SCT, in 1881 were possibly related, but my only evidence is that they were near neighbours in this census.³
     John and Agnes Davidson appeared on the census of 3 Apr 1881 in Doughty House, Chirnside, BEW, SCT, as John, head, paper mill labourer, 64, b Chirnside, Agnes, wife, 64, b Morebattle, ROX. Dtr Hellen (sic) 39, unm, paper mill worker, b Bunkle, BEW.³
     John Davidson appeared on the census of 1891 in the High St, Chirnside, BEW, SCT, enumerated as John Davidson, head, widowed, 73, b Chirnside, "Ellen" dtr, 52, unm, farm servant, employed b Bunkle. (Next door to "Crofts(?) House") The description for Enum. District 1 is described as "the whole length of the Village, nearly a mile long due east and west, commencing at the Toll-bar east end and ending at ?Ninewalls? School west end, containing about 182 families and 137 houses."¹⁷