William Davison

Does any one here have any information on the pedigree of William
Davison (d. 24 Dec. 1608), the Secretary of State under Elizabeth 1?

I have his father's name, but not his mother's. And can only trace his
pedigree on his father's side back two generations.

Any help with this will be appreciated.

mjcar...

It sounds like you have already made excellent progress.

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography has this to say of him:

"(he) presents a number of biographical problems. Sir James Melville of
Halhill recorded that Davison told him that he 'was com of Scotismen
and was a Scotisman at hart', but hardly anything is known about his
background or his personal life (Memoirs of His Own Life, 328). His
parents cannot be identified, although a brother is mentioned in a
letter of 1583, and he left his sister Anne, who married a John
Carpenter, an annuity in his will. He is found in no extant university
or inns of court records, and all that can be said of his education is
that he was fluent in French as well as Latin".

If you have ascertained the names of his father and paternal
grandfather, I am sure the ODNB would be grateful to hear from you and
to have the relevant references.

jgibson000...

I have his father as Richard (b. 1510) and his grandfather as Francis (b.
1490) and his wife's name as Catherine (Katherine) Spellman. But these names
are undocumented. I have contacted the person who gives these names to see
where he obtained them.

I'll let you know if and when he replies.

Yours,

Jeffrey Gibson