Page 58 - Davidson (New Zealand Family)

Hilda Amelia Davidson married Evan Girven in June 1921, Evan had returned in 1919 after the end of WW1 and he found it difficult to get work in Auckland with so many returned service men chasing the same jobs. Hilda was engaged to be married to an older man and then through her girlfriend Ginnie Haines, she met Evan and fell in love with his dark eyes. They eloped to Rotorua and were married.

They lived with Evans sister Mary Molly Moyle who had unfortunately lost her husband William to the Influenza Epidemic in 1918, they lived next door to Evans parents Adam and Harriet in Sackville Street. They then purchased a newly built house built in Wilson Street Grey Lynn, this was later re-named Webber street and my Uncle Ray their son still lived in this same house up until 2018.

Hilda was born Hilda Amelia Davidson in 1897 at Lower Hutt, her father was William Alfred Arthur Davidson and he was a blacksmith. They lived for a time at 22 Miriam Street, Masterton and then later moved to Auckland. William Alfred (Alf) and his son William James both served in WW1 and both were invalided by the way, Alf suffered a bad injury to his elbow when he was kicked by a horse in Egypt, William James suffered from the effects of gas in the trenches in France.

Hilda Amelia’s mother family were the Lloyds in Christchurch and I remember seeing Gran Davidson (Amelia Annie Lloyd) when I was a small boy at my Great Aunt Nan’s in Takapuna, shortly before she passed away. The Lloyds had emigrated from England, James Lloyd had married Mary Gould on the 27^th June 1868 in London and would have emigrated shortly after as Amelia Annie was born in Christchurch.

William Alfred Davidson father was James William (known as William) Davidson, he was an early emigrant to the Lower Hutt area but I have not found which ship he emigrated on. There are many Davidsons in Auckland so I suspect he may be related to them? James William married Mary Jane Clarke Judd (nee Lansdale) on the 22^nd April 1872 in Welington, NZ. James William had worked with William Judd in the Stokes Valley area of Wellington, William Judd was unfortunately killed in an accident in 1866 at Waiwetu Lower Hutt, and Mary Jane was left with 12 children (the youngest aged 14) and a farm to look after.

I remember my Grandmother was brought up with the Judds as close friends, I have been unable to trace much about James William Davidson so imagine he did not have a big family in the Lower Hutt area. In later years the Davidsons were quite a big family in the Auckland area and used to travel by boat around the Auckland harbour and they also had a batch on Rangitoto where they spent most of their holidays. My father learnt to sail at Rangitoto and my Great Aunty Nan (Myrtle Davidson) was full of stories about those days.