Robert McIntyre Davidson (1881 - 1916)

Born 9 Sep 1881 in Chirnside, Berwickshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Died 16 Sep 1916 at age 35 in Carberry, Dist of North Cypress, Manitoba, Canada

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Biography

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import.^[1] It's a rough draft and needs to be edited.

Name

Name: Robert McIntyre /Davidson/ ^[2]

Birth

Birth:

Date: 09 SEP 1881

Place: Chirnside, Berwickshire, Scotland^[3]

Death

Death:

Date: 16 SEP 1916

Place: Carberry, Dist of North Cypress, Manitoba, Canada

Note: having been murdered and thrown off a train. According to the newspaper accounts saved by the family, the inquest ruled the death suspicious, but the military ruled it accidental.

The newspaper cuttings for 17 Sept describe a mystery death, the body of R M Davidson being found early yesterday morning beside the CPR track, 2½ miles west of Carberry, the injuries causing his dth being undoubtedly caused by a train. Not a cent being found on his person although he was known to have had $50 in his possession some hours prior. An officer had spoken to him at 9pm the previous night, and he was found 8am. The description of the position of the body casts doubt on the accidental nature of his dth as the trail looked as if it was caused by a westbound train, but the body was in a ditch beside the eastbound line. Mention is also made of a half smoked cigarette and the position of his coat. He did not have a pass to be absent from camp. Only known relative was a brother in Regina.

The inquest was adjourned on Sep 18th (Mon), being postponed until Wed evening, "a full investigation of rumors which would indicate foul play is now being made"^[4][5]

Reference

Reference: 36524

Residence

Residence:

Date: JAN 1916

Place: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Note: as he joined the CEF there. No paper trace of his movements between his arrival aged 8 and his enlistment have yet been found. He must have been in touch with his family though, as pictures of him in his youth have survived, he named his brother Walter as his next of kin, and left his worldly goods to his half sister Jane and sister-in-law Edith (wife of John). The pictures show him working as a farmer, cook, trapper in Northern Canada. He apparently also had a homestead south of Regina, but no trace has yet been found. At enlistment he gave his occupation as a cook^[6][7]

Occupation

Occupation: supposedly a farmer as his funeral notice refers to his owning a farm several miles out of Regina^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Davidson-3683 was created by Lorna Henderson through the import of DavidsonDesc4WTMay2014.ged on May 20, 2014. This comment and citation can be deleted after the biography has been edited and primary sources are included.
2. ↑ Source: #S1611 Page: rcvd Dec 2003
3. ↑ Source: #S1611 Page: rcvd Dec 2003
4. ↑ Source: #S1611 Page: rcvd Dec 2003
5. ↑ Source: #S2635 Page: Dth 16 Sep 1916 Robert McIntyre DAVIDSON, reg. RM North Cypress, MAN, 1916-054103, aged 30, extracted Oct 2007
6. ↑ Source: #S1611 Page: rcvd Jan 2004
7. ↑ Source: #S1873 Page: http://www.archives.ca WWI attestation papers online, Robert McIntyre DAVIDSON, searched Jan 2004
8. ↑ Source: #S1611 Page: Newspaper clippings from the Regina Leader Post Sep 17/18th 1916, from Scrap book of Isabella DAVIDSON, rcvd Jan 2004

• Source: S1611 Title: EM DAVIDSON/McINTYRE ex Shirley H (BRC, CAN), Recipient: Lorna Henderson (NZ)
• Source: S1873 Title: Misc. web searches and corres. re DAVIDSON
• Source: S2635 Title: BDM: Manitoba, Canada Index, Record Type: index of births deaths marriages, File Number: http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php