The Davidson Papers 1778 - 1791

Preface

Held at the British Library in the African & Asian Department in the India Office & Private Papers Collection.

Containing the family correspondence of Alexander Davidson (c1742-91), East India Company servant, Madras 1760-91, Member of Madras Council 1782-87, Acting Governor of Madras 1785-86, and of his wife Elizabeth (nee Pigou, d 1791); also her journal, dated 1788-89.

The papers are not always bound in date order and consist mainly of letters, some of them only drafts, written by Elizabeth Davidson in India, also her journal and letters to her. They erratically cover the period 1778 -- 1791.

The volumes were transcribed by Michael and Richenda Wakefield in 2023.  
Richenda is descended from Lydia Falconar, the daughter of Alexander Davidson's sister Lydia, who married William Falconar.

Elizabeth, nee Pigou, was the wife of Alexander Davidson.  Her father was Benjamin Pigou, born in London in January 1726 and killed, as a Captain in the East India Company Army, in August 1754.  
Elizabeth's date of birth and her mother are unknown, however in the late 1750s she was receiving aid as an orphan from the Church at Fort St George in Madras.

The journals of her cousin Catherine Harriet Chitty, which are held in Christ College Library Cambridge, refer to Elizabeth as being taken from India to England as a child by her aunt Mary Gardiner, formerly Waller.

She and Alexander Davidson married in Calcutta 26 February 1768.  They had a least 7 children 2 of whom died young.

Alexander's birth date is unclear but circa 1740 -- 1742. When he applied to become a writer in the East India Company in 1759 his uncle Sir Alexander Grant stated that he was "above 17 years of age".  
He was appointed Acting Governor at Madras for a short time in 1785.

In 1783 Elizabeth took 4 of her children, Lydia, Mary, Harriet /Harriot and Alexander to England and in 1786 she returned to India, taking with her her eldest daughter Elizabeth, who had been in London for some years, and her nephew Alexander Falconar, leaving the other 4 children in the care of her cousin Miss Catherine Harriet Chitty, (known as Harriet and given the courtesy title of Mrs Chitty), in Gower Street in London.

Her daughter Elizabeth is variously referred to as Elizabeth, Eliza, Betsy or Bessy.

Both Elizabeth and Alexander died in 1791 and were buried in the Old Cemetery at Vizagapatam.

Notes written on the back of various pages giving information on the letter, dates etc were possibly written later by her son--in--law and nephew Alexander Falconar, who had married her daughter Elizabeth, and the Falconar crest is stamped into at least one of the volumes.

Alexander Falconar was the son of Alexander Davidson's sister Lydia and her husband William Falconar.  He went out to India with his aunt and cousin in 1786 where he first joined the HEIC army and then started his civil career with them as a writer in 1789.

Harriet Chitty took on the care of other children including some of the Falconar young. The Falconar young who stayed or visited her were Janet, Eliza, and Patrick and there is mention of 3 others Lewis, Lydia & Chesbarrow (Chessborough Grant).

Information on some of those mentioned:-

"Juliet"  -- also under Harriet's care, was the daughter of Harriet's brother, Reverend George Harry Chitty.

"Tom Hunt" -- an orphan, his father had been a Ship's Captain and died in India,  he was mainly away at school but spent holidays with Harriet.  His sister had died in her care.

"Pattersons"  three boys whose parents were in India, again they were mainly at school but spent holidays with Harriet.

"Devaynes" -- William Devaynes an MP & director of the EIC and his wife Jane

"Lady Grant" -- Elizabeth nee Cooke, born about 1717, she married Sir Alexander Grant in Jamaica in 1737.  She died 1792 in London.  Sir Alexander was the uncle of Alexander Davidson.

"Corbett" -- Peter Corbett, Bengal Warehouse keeper in the employ of the East India Company.

"Mrs Gardiner" -- Mary, nee Chitty, Harriet's sister & Elizabeth's cousin.  She married 1st Samuel Waller in Bengal in 1759 and returned to England shortly after, (as she had a child in London in 1762) bringing Elizabeth with her. Samuel Waller died in January 1775 and in December that year she married Reverend Edmund Gardiner.

"Mrs Vaughan" -- Elizabeth's aunt Elizabeth, nee Pigou, who married Henry Vaughan.

"My Uncle" -- Frederick Pigou, her father's brother.