01.12 Douglas Duncan Ayson (Davidson) 1853 - 1927

Douglas Ayson, fourth daughter of Peter Ayson, of Corydon, was born in Dunedin on 18 April 1853 just six weeks after her parents landed in New Zealand.

 

She was only seven months old when, with her mother and her sisters and brothers, she made the arduous journey from Dunedin to Warepa, no doubt well wrapped up and cared for.

 

She received her education at Warepa School and afterwards helped her mother with the many household duties that were the lot of the early pioneers.   She was a good horseback rider, as was the custom in those days.

 

She had curly auburn hair and a genial nature that made her well liked by the younger people in the new settlement.

 

She married James Davidson, who had a blacksmith's business at Warepa Railway Station.

 

She and her brother, Lake, were both married at Knox Church in Dunedin on the same day -a double wedding.   By strange coincidence, she and Lake died on the same night.

 

Douglas and her husband lived at Warepa for 18 years after being married and their seven children were born there.

 

After disposing of the business at Warepa the Davidsons went to Crookston and took up farming, but prior to this James Davidson, with his brother-in-law, John Watt, went to the Wairarapa to look at virgin bush country in the Forty Mile Bush, between the Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay.   Fortunately for  both of them they failed to draw a section in the ballot because this country proved to be of poor quality after being felled.

 

In 1915, Douglas and James sold out at Crookston and went to live in retirement in Havelock North, close to where their sons, Michael and James, were farming.   It was while living in Havelock that their son Bobby (Robert Neilson Davidson) was killed in action in France.

 

Douglas died at Havelock on 18 June1927; and, James died in 1924.   They had a family of four sons and three daughters.

 

The Children of Douglas and James Davidson

 

Michael Davidson

Annie Davidson

Mary Craig Davidson

Peter Ayson Davidson

Thomas Davidson

James Douglas Davidson

Margaret Davidson

Robert Neilson Davidson