Henry Davidson senior

London merchant, leaving £500,000 in personalty in 1827 (much of which was reportedly offset by his indebtedness at death). Son of Duncan Davidson (1733-1799) MP and merchant, and father of Henry, John, William and Duncan (each of whom q.v.).

1. The Petition to HM King George III for the establishment of Tain Royal Academy lists Henry Davidson of Tulloch (Dingwall) as being a subscriber of £50 and upwards towards "defraying the expense of erecting building and endowing an Academy".

2. Will of Henry Davidson of Tulloch in North Britain and of Cavendish Square at present residing in Hampstead proved 26/02/1827. He left an annuity of £3000 p.a. to his wife Elizabeth Caroline, as well as his house at Rosslyn for life with consent to spend up to £10,000 from Davidson's overall property on improvements, and power of disposition over £20,000 on her own death, to be taken from his funds in his mercantile house. Under his will he left among other legacies the Highbury estate in Berbice to his son Henry; Mount Gay estate in Grenada to his son Duncan; Providence and Windsor Castle estates and Graylsfield Pen in St Thomas-in-the-East in Jamaica to his son John; and the L'Esperance estate in Surinam (for which he had entered a sale contract) and his interests in the Coley estate in Jamaica to his son William, in each case including the people attached to the respective estates. He also left £30,000 in money to each of his sons. He left annuities of £500 p.a. to his daughters Lucy (wife of Robert William Dallas q.v.) and Caroline (wife of Charles Baron), and left £30,000 in trust for his daughter Sarah Justina Davidson. He willed that his capital remain in the mercantile partnership until 1833 (its scheduled expiration) and then be divided between his sons active in the business, i.e. Henry and William.

W.D. Rubinstein, Who were the rich? A biographical directory of British wealth-holders Vol. 1 1809-1839 (2009) p. 262, reference 1827/15.

1. The Petition to HM King George III for the establishment of Tain Royal Academy lists John Campbell of Tobago as being a subscriber of £50 and upwards towards "defraying the expense of erecting building and endowing an Academy".

2. PROB 11/1722/223. He is indexed simply as 'of Hampstead'.

We are grateful to Derek Louden for his assistance with compiling this entry.