Bios: JAMES RAMSEY DAVIDSON : Lawrence County, Pennsylvania

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  Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Lawrence Co transcribers.
  Coordinated by Ed McClelland

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  Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens
  Lawrence County Pennsylvania
  Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, N.Y., 1897
  
  An html version with search engine may be found at 
  
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/lawrence/1897/
  
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    JAMES RAMSEY DAVIDSON,
    
    [p. 267] lately deceased, was a prominent contractor and builder of New
  Castle, Pa., but was leading a retired life the last few years preceding his
  death. He was born in North Beaver township, Lawrence Co., Pa., Nov. 1, 1818,
  and received his early mental training in the common schools of his native
  place, and after completing the course of study mapped out for the youth of
  the district, which education, although considered amply sufficient for those
  early days, would be thought sadly lacking for the needs of the present time,
  he learned the carpenter's and builder's trade, which he successfully
  followed until 1861, when he turned his attention to the manufacture of
  lumber for ten years. In his day he was considered a very competent and
  skilled workman. He helped construct the first buildings in what is known as
  West New Castle, and also did work on the Old Stone Corner. Afterwards he
  worked at his trade in Pittsburg, being engaged on the old Cathedral, and
  spent a number of years in the employ of Brown, the Coal King. Machine work
  in the preparation of building material was unknown in those times, and as
  all the work was done by hand, much labor was required. Mr.Davidson jokingly
  remarked to a friend, when asked how much work he had accomplished: "Oh, I
  planed the Allegheny Mountains into the Atlantic Ocean."
    
    Our subject was a son of Capt. James Davidson, who was born Feb. 13, 1786,
  in Ireland, it is supposed in the northern part. The father of Capt. James,
  and grandfather of James Ramsey Davidson, was William Davidson, who was born
  in Ireland, and who married a widow, Mary Ramsey (whose maiden name was
  Ramsey), who had two children by a former marriage, Thomas and Barbara, who
  died in infancy. William Davidson's father having died at the old home in
  Ireland, William, as the eldest son, assumed the place of head of the family,
  and, in company with his widowed mother, his wife and two children, James and
  Rosanna, his sisters, Lydia, Sally, Molly, Peggy, Esther, and his two
  brothers, James and Robert, came to America, settling first in Redstone, near
  Carlisle, Pa. After living in that locality a few years, William with his
  family proceeded "out West" to McKeesport, Pa., but their stay in that
  section was not protracted to any extent, and in April, 1794, they removed to
  the old homestead site, then located in Beaver County, but now a part of
  Lawrence County. One of the interesting as well as thrilling incidents of the
  journey came to pass in this manner: They came on as far as Beaver, where they
  rested a short time with William's sister, Lydia Alexander; from there to
  their newly chosen home, they made the journey in a day, arriving at their
  destination at night-fall. The father led one horse, across whose back was
  adjusted a wallet, the ends of which contained the two little ones, Elizabeth
  and Mary; in addition the household bedding and other necessary domestic
  articles were heaped in a pack on the animal's back. The mother rode the
  second horse and carried in her arms the six weeks old infant, Lydia. The two
  older children walked and drove a little cow. While crossing Rock's Ridge, the
  horse, ridden by the mother, stumbled, throwing her over its head, and she
  threw the infant ahead of her. Full of apprehension and dire misgivings, the
  parents hastened to the spot where the babe lay, and to their surprise found
  it sleeping, as if nothing at all had occurred. As they had previously
  narrowly escaped drowning, the mother remarked that that child surely was not
  born to be either drowned or hanged. William Davidson departed this life, Aug.
  30, 1826, aged sixty-eight years; his wife passed away Feb. 10, 1831, aged
  seventy-four years. One branch of the Davidson family went South, and the
  other West, and as a distinctive feature in both branches will be, found the
  names of James, William, Robert, and Samuel. Gen. Davidson, who was killed in
  the battle of the Cowpens during the Revolution, came from the same section of
  Pennsylvania.
    
    Capt. James Davidson was brought to this country when quite young, and
  followed agricultural pursuits from the first. He was a prominent and leading
  character among his fellow-associates; politically he was an Abolitionist, and
  held several town offices. At the time of the War with the British in 18l2,
  Mr. Davidson was captain of a company; when he returned home he raised a
  company of volunteers, and was later accorded the title and rank of major.
  Besides farming, he also occupied himself in surveying. In his religious
  belief be was a Seceder, and then a United Presbvterian. An Abolitionist in
  his sympathies, his support was invariably given to the Whig party, until its
  disruption and assimilation into the Republican party, to which party from
  then on he gave full allegiance. His death took place Sept. 12, 1856, aged
  seventy years, six months and twenty-nine days. His wife, Elizabeth Houston,
  whom he married Dec. 4, 1810, died in her seventy-fifth year, Feb. 28, 1864.
  William Findley Davidson, the eldest of the six children born to our
  subject's parents, was born Feb. 26, 1812, was united in marriage with
  Harriet Newell Dungan, native of North Beaver township, this county, in the
  month of February, 1842, and died Nov. 16, 1873. Twelve children resulted
  from this union, as follows: Elizabeth Jane, born July 17, 1843; James
  Franklin, Sept. 6, 1844; Thomas Dungan, April, 1846; Joseph; Robert Stephen,
  March 7, 1850; Deborah; Margaret, March 17, 1854; Mary, April 20, 1856;
  Harriet, April 21, 1858; William Albert, Aug. 16, 1860; John Charles, June,
  1863; and Samantha, 1865. Jane, the eldest daughter of Capt. Davidson, was
  born in 1813, and died in September, 1895. Thomas Houston, the second son,
  died in February, 1890. He took for his partner Anna Mehard, who still
  survives him; seven children blessed this union, as followsÑTillie, James,
  Marguerite, Elizabeth, William, Samuel and Thomas, who died in infancy.
  Maria, the next in order of birth, was born June 19, 1817, was married May
  25, 1847, to James McAnlis, a native of Ireland, and departed this life Sept.
  3, 1881. Their three sons were as follows: James Davidson, born March 17,
  1848; John Gilmore, Dec. 27, 1849; and William Kirkpatrick, May 1, 1856. Then
  comes James R., the subject of this sketch, and after him Samuel Houston. The
  latter married Harriet McClelland, and gathered about his fireside a family
  of eight children: James Albert; Emily, deceased; Robert; William; Mary;
  Lizzie, deceased; Hattie; and Ella. Samuel H. Davidson died Feb. 20, 1888.
    
    Our subject in his political affiliations was a stanch and unyielding
  Republican, but was never an aspirant for office of whatever description. On
  Feb. 28, 1872, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Leonard, daughter of
  Alvah and Isabel (Allsworth) Leonard of Moravia, Pa. Two children resulted
  from this union: Elizabeth Bell, born Nov. 28, 1872; and Mary Dell, born Nov.
  1, 1873. Both young ladies are graduates of the New Castle High School, Miss
  Elizabeth being valedictorian in the Class of 1891, and Miss Dell graduating
  in the Class of 1893. After spending three years in Kentucky, where the two
  daughters were born, Mr. Davidson and family moved to their Locust Hill home,
  where the mother and daughters reside. Mr. Davidson was a member of the United
  Presbyterian Church his entire life, which closed Feb. 22, 1893.