Rockbridge-Augusta County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Biographies.....Davidson, Charles Hyde 1872 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000031 February 29, 2008, 2:49 pm Author: Leonard Wilson (1916) CHARLES HYDE DAVIDSON DR. CHARLES HYDE DAVIDSON, of Lexington, was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, in 1872, son of Charles Hyde and Mary (McClintic) Davidson. His father was a farmer of Scotch ancestry, and his mother was of a Scotch-Irish family which came from County Tyrone, Ireland, settling first in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and locating later in Bath County, Virginia. Dr. Davidson's branch of the Davidson family settled in what was then Augusta County, now Rockbridge, about 1740. His education was begun in the public schools of the county, followed by two years at Washington and Lee University, after which he entered the Medical Department of the University of Virginia, from which he graduated, receiving his medical diploma in 1894. He was an interne of the New York Polyclinic Hospital for eighteen months, took up post-graduate work in the New York Post-Graduate Medical School, and pursued his medical studies for a year in London, Berlin and Vienna. Thoroughly equipped for his profession, Dr. Davidson has had a successful career and built up an extensive practice. He is, at the present time. Health Officer of his County, a member of the Medical Society of Virginia, of the Southern Medical Association and of the American Medical Association. Capable in business, he is serving the Peoples National Bank of Lexington as a Director. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Politically, he votes with the Democratic party. He was married in Augusta County, Virginia, in 1905, to Addie McChesney Brown, born in Rockbridge County in 1872, a descendant of the "Mary Moore" who was captured by the Indians at Abb's Valley, Virginia, in 1786. Mrs. Davidson's maiden name also betrays a strain of Scotch-Irish blood. Her parents were Adam McChesney and Bettie Sterrett Brown. The children of Dr. Davidson's marriage are, Betsy Brown Davidson and Charles Hyde Davidson(3). The history of the Davidson family in Virginia is very confused, and it is a practical impossibility to work out anything like a definite history of the various branches of the family. The form Davidson is Scotch, and comes from an important Highland Scotch family, which was one of the Clans making up the great Clan Chattan Confederacy. This great Clan Chattan was one Clan made of a number of Clans, each having its own chief, and being often at feud with each other. There have been numerous disputes as to who was the head or Chief of the Clan. This much, however, is certain, that before the downfall of the Lords of the Isles the Clan Chattan Confederacy followed their banners. The founder of this great Clan, as to one branch, is said to have been Muriach of Kingussie in the eleventh or twelfth century. The founder of another main branch of the Clan were the MacDuffs, Earls of Fife. The traditionary descent of the Davidson Clan, or Clan Dhai, as it was known in the Highlands, is from David Du, fourth son of Muriach, of Kingussie. The Davidson Clan grew and prospered, and the Chief of the Clan became hereditary keeper of the Royal Castle of Dingwall. It is commonly believed that, in the celebrated battle fought by thirty champions on each side at the North Inch of Perth, in 1396, the Davidsons were on one side and the Macphersons on the other. This battle was most vividly described by Sir Walter Scott. As a result of this conflict, which sprang out of the desire for leadership, neither one of the opposing clans secured it, but the Mackintoshes stepped in and took supremacy. The first of this name in Virginia was an Englishman, Christopher Davison, who was Secretary of the Colony in 1624, and was a son of Sir William Davison, Queen Elizabeth's Secretary. The family was decidedly English. The first Davidson, whose name appears upon the records, is Richard, who married Catherine Downe, in Middlesex County, in 1690, and beyond the fact that they had one child, nothing further is known of them. Apparently, several families came in between 1700 and 1760—for it was during that period, especially between 1740 and 1750, that there was such an immense emigration of the Highland Clans to the American Colonies. Some of these Davidson families settled in Pennsylvania and later drifted to Virginia, and one line to North Carolina, where John Davidson became a member of the famous Mecklenburg Convention of 1776; and General William Davidson, a gallant Revolutionary officer, fell upon the battle-field. Many descendants of these two patriots are now to be found throughout the South. In the Revolutionary War, the Virginia Davidsons made a superb record—there being on the roster the names of twenty Davidsons who served as soldiers during the struggle. Of these, two, John and Samuel, were from Rockbridge County, and doubtless belonged to the same line as Dr. Charles H. Davidson. Of these, Samuel was second lieutenant in a Rockbridge company, and was serving at Point Pleasant in a regiment commanded by Colonel John Dickinson, in 1777. John Davidson appears to have been a private. Dr. Davidson comes from the Scottish Clan Davidson. His first American ancestor was Samuel Davidson, who married Anne Dunlap and, with his wife, came from the old country to Virginia, settling in what was then Augusta County (now Rockbridge) about 1740. The record is known of several of his children. The first, Samuel, previously referred to, was a Revolutionary officer, and was with Colonel John Dickinson at Point Pleasant in 1777. Samuel married Elizabeth Gilmore, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Gilmore. Thomas Gilmore was killed by the Indians, in 1763, on Kerr's Creek, and at the same time his wife was captured by the Indians. Robert Davidson, second son of Samuel and Elizabeth, was born in 1784. He married Lucinda Hyde, and was the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. Dr. Davidson's father, Charles Hyde Davidson, born in 1823, being the son of Robert and Lucinda (Hyde) Davidson. John Davidson, brother of Samuel, was the maternal grandfather of John Letcher, Virginia's Civil War Governor. Margaret Davidson, sister of Samuel and John, was the maternal grandmother of General Sam Houston, the great Texas liberator and statesman. He was Governor of Tennessee, later United States Senator from Texas, and then Governor of Texas. The Davidson families have given five Congressmen to the United States. One of these was from the northern line and represented Wisconsin. The other four were from the Virginia and North Carolina lines, and represented Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina and Florida. It is to their credit that they have had more men ready to fight for the country than they have had ready to serve in political positions. The late Dr. John P. Davidson, Professor of Opthalmologv in the Medical College of Virginia from 1898 until his death in 1010, was a brother of our subject. Now in the very prime of his life, Dr. Davidson has, by hard work and native talent, gained for himself an enviable position, and is serving his community both with skill and fidelity in one of the most useful professions. He is a man of high personal character and enjoys the regard of the people among whom his life has been spent. The Coat of Arms of the Clan Davidson, from which Dr. Davidson is descended, is described as follows: "Azure, on a fesse argent, between three pheons or, a buck couchant gules. "Crest: A falcon's head couped proper. "Motto: 'Sapienter si Sincere' (Wisely if sincerely)." Additional Comments: Extracted from: MAKERS OF AMERICA BIOGRAPHIES OF LEADING MEN OF THOUGHT AND ACTION THE MEN WHO CONSTITUTE THE BONE AND SINEW OF AMERICAN PROSPERITY AND LIFE VOLUME II By LEONARD WILSON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSISTED BY PROMINENT HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL WRITERS Illustrated with many full page engravings B. F. JOHNSON, INC. CITY OF WASHINGTON, U. S. A. 1916 Copyright, 1916 by B. F. Johnson, Inc. Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/rockbridge/photos/bios/davidson83gbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/rockbridge/bios/davidson83gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/vafiles/ File size: 8.6 Kb