Francis Terrey DAVIDSON

DAVIDSON, FRANCIS TERREY (b. London, England, 1902; d. Kuching, Borneo, 27 Apr 1945). Pioneer missionary to Borneo with the Borneo Evangelical Mission.

In 1917 Davidson's family migrated to New Zealand. Opportunities were lacking there and so after eighteen months they crossed the Tasman and began farming in Tongala, Vic. The family was devoutly Christian (his brother Hugh, for instance, became a pioneer missionary for the Assemblies of God in Papua New Guinea) and Davidson was very involved in the local Anglican church, leading a Bible class. He took an active part in CSSM work, and when he was in his twenties he and a friend, David Howell, (later a missionary in the Belgian Congo) went on an evangelistic tour of Gippsland before entering MBI in 1927. There, because of his personality and experience, he was made senior student and put in charge of the Institute's open air evangelistic work.

In May 1928 Davidson met with fellow students Carey Tolley (q.v.) and Hudson Southwell (q.v.) to pray about the needs of Borneo. In August the Borneo Evangelical Mission was formed, and in October the three sailed for Borneo via Singapore. There was already some Christian witness in Borneo but it was contained to the ports and coastal areas. Davidson and the others travelled inland and worked among the Iban, Murut and Kelabit tribes. After much difficulty success crowned their efforts, with great numbers being converted. On 7 Feb 1935 he m. Edith Gray in the Residency in Limbang, Borneo. In Dec 1942 Borneo fell to the Japanese. Davidson was interned in Kuching Civilian Internment Camp where he died a few months before it was liberated.

Davidson was a leader, an evangelist and a pastor. His faith and moral stability and character had a profound effect on his fellow prisoners in Kuching as well as on the Ibans, Muruts and Kelabits.

DARRELL PAPROTH