Jack married Claire BOLTON on 6 Mar 1914 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Claire was born on 31 Oct 1890 in Neepawa, Manitoba; died on 18 Jun 1962 in Brandon, Manitoba; was buried in Neepawa Riverside Cemetery, Neepawa, Manitoba. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Jack married Violet A. BRADLEY on 16 Nov 1968. Violet died on 3 Nov 1988 in Neepawa, Manitoba. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

DAVIDSON, JOHN ANDREW, pioneer, businessman, jp, office holder, and politician; b. 19 Aug. 1852 in Thamesford, Upper Canada, son of Isaac Davidson and Chrystann (Christie Anne) Cameron; m. 20 March 1878 Sophia Ellen Hamilton in Palestine (Gladstone), Man., and they had two sons and three daughters; d. 14 Nov. 1903 in Neepawa, Man.

John Andrew Davidson and other members of his family were part of the first contingent of Ontario settlers who went to Palestine, Man., in July 1871. He, his father, and at least one of his brothers took up land in Township 14, range 11 west. In 1873 Davidson served in a volunteer company raised in the area to face a threatened Sioux attack. That year he established, at age 21, one of the first two general stores in Palestine; the other was owned by his future brother-in-law Corydon Partlow Brown*. Like most early storekeepers he accepted grain and other farm produce in exchange for goods because the railway had not yet arrived and marketing arrangements for such products were primitive. In addition, he engaged in the fur trade, in partnership with John Alexander McDougall and “an old Hudson Bay officer, Mr. Mcgillivray.” This venture was short-lived and unprofitable.

Quickly becoming an established figure in the community, by 1876 Davidson was a justice of the peace, a commissioner for taking affidavits, and a trustee for the Protestant school board. One of his most important posts was secretary of the Palestine Baseball Club, for the early settlers from Ontario took their baseball seriously. In 1877 he served as secretary of the committee seeking the incorporation of Westbourne into a rural municipality which would include Palestine. Municipalities were able to offer railways cash bonuses, and the incorporation of Westbourne was designed to induce the Manitoba Western Railway Company to build its line through the area. Despite his work in securing municipal status, Davidson came at the bottom of the polls in the first municipal elections.

In 1880 he left Palestine (which had been renamed Gladstone), and with his new partner Jonathan Joseph Hamilton moved to Beautiful Plains (Arden). On the land they purchased in Township 14, range 15 west, they established not only a store but a new town which was to be called Neepawa. In order to attract settlers, they built – in addition to a brick building for their own store – a hotel, a steam-driven flour-mill, a blacksmith’s shop, and other businesses. The store proved to be successful, as did the mill and a real-estate agency they had started. Davidson became president of the Neepawa Mining Company, the Register Printing Company (which published the Neepawa Register and Beautiful Plains County Advertiser, originally the Neepawa Canadian), and the Neepawa Curling Club. An older Davidson had shifted his interests from baseball to curling, the other great favourite of the early settlers from Ontario. As one of Neepawa’s founders, he was elected to the town council as soon as the municipality was incorporated and he remained a member for the rest of his life. He would be mayor from 1895 to 1900. In 1882 the people of Neepawa gave the Portage, Westbourne and North Western Railway a bonus of $16,000 to have it pass through their town, considerably less than the amount disbursed by Minnedosa, their neighbouring rival, the following year. Minnedosa moved ahead of Neepawa in population and business enterprise until 1886, when the heavy expenses of competing for hinterland trade led to its financial collapse. By the early 1890s Neepawa had outdistanced Minnedosa in size and volume of business activity.

In addition to his local commercial and political endeavours, Davidson was involved in provincial politics for much of his life. An active member of the provincial Conservative party, he was for years a member of its executive. In 1881 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the new constituency of Dauphin, a seat he retained in the general election of 1883. Nominated for Beautiful Plains in 1886 and 1888, he was defeated on both occasions. He finally won that seat in 1892 by the slim margin of 16 votes. He lost it in 1896 and failed to regain it in 1899. Although not a member of the assembly, on 10 Jan. 1900 he was appointed provincial treasurer and minister of agriculture and immigration in the administration of Hugh John Macdonald*. After the Liberal member for Beautiful Plains was persuaded to resign, Davidson was elected in his stead in March. He remained at his post when Rodmond Palen Roblin* took over as premier on 29 October. Davidson undertook a thorough overhaul of the finances of the province, and within the first year of his administration retired the deficit that had been built up by the Liberals under Premier Thomas Greenway. Thereafter his budgets showed a growing provincial surplus, created not only by careful administration but by a tax he had introduced on corporations, including railways. His death in 1903 came after a long spell of ill health. A special train was run from Winnipeg to Neepawa, to carry any members of the assembly or the civil service who wished to attend the funeral, which was conducted with full masonic ritual. Roblin himself was among the pallbearers.

John Andrew Davidson’s political career was based on his business activities, which were largely concerned with the rapid commercial development of new agricultural settlements in what was then northwestern Manitoba. His success exemplifies the close connection between rural politics and business promoters in early Manitoba.

From Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online

John married Sophia Ellen HAMILTON on 20 Mar 1878 in Palestine, Manitoba. Sophia was born on 22 Apr 1852 in Mornington, Perth, Ontario; died on 14 Jan 1914 in Neepawa, Manitoba. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

1901 Census Isaac was living with his daughter Jean and her 3 children.

Neepawa, Macdonald, Manitoba, District 8, subdistrict g-2, reel T-6433

Isaac married Christy Ann CAMERON on 3 Nov 1851 in Ingersoll, Oxford, Ontario. Christy (daughter of Robert CAMERON and Nancy ROSS) was born on 17 Feb 1827 in Thamesford, Oxford. Ontario; died on 23 Oct 1892 in Neepawa, Manitoba. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Death of Robert Cameron, J.P., Esq. It is our painful duty to record the death of Robert Cameron, Esq., at his residence, Glengarry Hill, East Nissouri, on Sunday morning last, 24th inst. at 10 o'clock. He was one of the ablest settlers of this county, to which he came in 1821, and of which he has been an honored and widely respected citizen ever since. He was a man of tender sympathies and kindness of heart, mingled with great firmness and decision of character. The public spirit which he always manifested put him in active sympathy with all the improvements of this section of the country. In his own township he was Councillor and Reeve a great number of years, but owing to his old age he has for some time retired from all public life. He was one of the oldest Magistrates in the county, and always sought to conduct the responsibilities of this office with reference to securing the most lasting peace and kindly feeling amongst neighbors. Seldom did a case come before him without having it settled by bringing the parties together for mutual understanding or by arbitration. He was a Liberal Conservative in his politics, and being the son of a U.E. Loyalist, was earnestly loyal to the Government. Although a mere boy at the time, he served in the War of 1812; and although he was conscious of great wrongs that needed to be rectified, he identified himself with the Government in the Rebellion of '37, and was captain of a company for its suppression, believing that legislation is a better way to secure reforms than a resort to arms. Ever since that time, he has maintained a connection with the standing militia, in which he held the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel at the time of his death. His suffering was severe during his last illness, which continued about three months. It was all borne with the patience and submission of a Christian hope, which he had obtained and confessed during the last year or more of his life. He leaves a widow of seventy-two years, and who has borne him
twelve children, nine of whom are still alive. He was followed to the grave on Wednesday last, when he was buried in the Ingersoll cemetery, by a large number of sympathizing friends. Deceased was 76 years and 7 months old.
-- from Ingersoll Chronicle January 28, 1875

Robert married Nancy ROSS about 1821 in Cornwall, Stormont, Ontario. Nancy (daughter of Donald ROSS) was born on 22 Jul 1803 in Cornwall, Stormont, Ontario; died on 18 Jan 1884 in East Nissouri, Oxford, Ontario; was buried in Ingersoll Rural Cemetery, Ingersoll, Oxford, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

It is our painful duty to announce the death of the widow of the late Robert Cameron, J.P., at the old homestead in East Nissouri, at the extreme old age of 80 years and 6 months. Mrs. Cameron was the daughter of Mr. Donald Ross, of Cornwall, who was one of the original members of the Hudson's Bay Company. She spent her early years in the city of Quebec, where she received her education, and shortly after her return to her home, when she was scarcely 18 years old, she was married to her late husband in Cornwall. She lived with him over fifty years and about 12 years ago she celebrated her golden wedding with nearly all her children to rejoice with her. In the autumn of 1821 she came with her husband to the west and settled upon the site of the present homestead where the family has resided ever since. She entered upon the duties and hardships of her early pioneer life with a cheerfulness and courage that is not often seen in these modern days. She was a woman of many personal attractions and of admirable traits of character. She had strong common sense, a keen perception of right and wrong, great moral courage and firm integrity. She was a member of the Presbyterian church and always manifested a deep interest in its service, and a conscientious carefulness in all of her religious duties. About nine years ago her husband died, and since that time she has divided her time between her sons Mr. John Cameron, the governor of our County prison, Mr. George Cameron of Montreal, Rev. R. Cameron of Brantford, and Mr. W.W. Cameron of the old homestead, where she spent the last year of her life until she passed on to her final rest. With her demise, another of the old pioneer settlers of our County has passed from our midst and of all the number there was none of them who was more universally respected than Mrs. Cameron. On Monday last a very large number of sympathizing friends followed her remains to our cemetery and the funeral services were conducted by her pastor, the Rev. Mr. Cameron of Thamesford.

--from Ingersoll Chronicle Thurs 24 January 1884