William Davidson^[1]

1823 - 1861  (37 years)

• Name	William Davidson
  Born	4 Oct 1823	, Scotland   [2, 3, 4, 5]
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1842	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Postmaster
  	Appointed 6 Oct 1842 - Separated 7 Mar 1861
  Occupation	1851	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	merchant
  Occupation	1851	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8]
  	merchant
  Occupation	1851	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8]
  	Postmaster
  Occupation	1852	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	merchant
  Residence	1853	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Occupation	1861	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9]
  	Postmaster
  Occupation	1861	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [10]
  	Postmaster
  Died	5 Jun 1861	Atlantic Ocean   [4, 5, 10]
  Immigration	1862	, USA   [11]
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-46037
  Person ID	I46037	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	Davidson,   b. Abt 1790, , Scotland ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F19746	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Annie McMillan,   b. 25 Mar 1825, Dalmellington, , Ayr, Scotland ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	12 Apr 1853	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Children	1. Nancy W. Davidson,   b. 1853, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1 Nov 1925, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 72 years)   2. Margaret Davidson,   b. 25 Jan 1854, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 25 Oct 1857, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 3 years)   3. John Davidson,   b. 21 Sep 1856, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 21 Aug 1857, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 0 years)   4. William Davidson,   b. 21 Sep 1856, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 21 Aug 1857, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 0 years)   5. Annie Woodburn Davidson,   b. 18 Jun 1859, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 3 Jul 1936, Hamilton, Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 77 years)
  Last Modified	7 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F11961	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  The local post-office remained at the corner of King and Queen Streets until 1846. Postmaster Davidson then built a three -story, frame store and post-office at No. 32 East King Street, parallel to and standing back several feet from the street line. The post-office was located is the eastern end. In 1847 George Davidson admitted his brother William to partnership and removed to New Aberdeen, six miles below Berlin. Nominally he continued to be the postmaster until 1851, when his brother William was appointed in his stead. William Davidson built the third post-office building in 1855, on a lot between Boedecker & Stuebing's bookstore and the American corner. It was a one story frame building, with a gable and verandah facing King Street. He live in a house nearby that until 1853 had been the home of Carl H. Ahrens, the first county treasurer. At the back end of the kitchen Mr. Ahrens built a brick vault that was said to be fireproof, end contained an iron chest for storing cash and documents. When that post-office was ready to use Mr. Davidson sold the building at No. 32 East King Street to Carl W. C. Kranz and Henry Stroh, general merchants. Later on C. Kranz & Son built a frame annex in front of the store and brought it up flush with the street..... William Davidson, the postmaster, bought a home in Schneider's Road (S. Queen Street) in 1858 from George Seip, the brewer. ... After moving to Schneider's Road, Mr. Davidson built a frame post-office in front of this house. To-day (1937) the building is numbered 61-63 S. Queen Streets used as a store. When Mr. Davidson announced his intention of building an office in Queen Street, merchants in King Street objected, fearing they might lose custom. Postmaster Davidson conducted also an express and telegraph office in the little building. he continued till 1862, when he left for the United States. A History of Kitchener, Ontario by W. V. (Ben) Uttley _________________ William Davidson, The Dumfries Reformer has received intelligence of the death of William Davidson, the defaulting postmaster of Berlin. it appears the deceased took passage from Great Britain for Melbourne, Australia, during the month of May last, and died on the 5th of June, before the vessel reached her destination. The Christian Guardian 8 Nov 1861 pg 3 __________________ QUEEN STREET SOUTH, EAST SIDE. On the corner of King Street Rehscher's vaulted cellar already spoken of. An open space. A two-story rough-cast building with two-story veranda along the Queen Street front built by Martin Anthes (father of John S. Anthes) in 1835 when it was considered one of the best houses in the village. Henry Stroh purchased this house from Mr. Anthes about 1837. Jacob Stroh was born in this house. Behind it there was a garden of about an acre of land. There were 31 pine stumps on the property when Mr. Stroh took possession and these stumps had to be laboriously removed as stump- pulling machines, which came later, were not then available. The well on the lot was only nine feet deep. Henry Stroh carried on a shoe shop in his house until he entered into partnership with Carl Kranz, on King Street. In 1857, after he had dissolved partnership with Kranz, Henry Stroh built a one and one-half story frame building next to his house and used it as a shoe store. Mr. Stroh continued in this shoe business until 1863 when he went into partnership with Mr. Reinhold Lang, the tanner. The Queen Street shoe shop was changed to a dwelling. Later Mr. Vanderhart, a tailor, had his shop in this building and after him Carl Englehart had it as photographer. Henry Stroh sold his house to George King. Later Charles Ahrens owned it and had it moved to the corner of Shanley and Braun Streets about 1880. A one and one-half story frame building erected about 1837 by Jacob Kraemer, later on Frederick Street, as spoken of. Later an addition was added to the front and the building used as the local post office, with William Davidson in charge. Later George Seip purchased the building and used it as a saloon, with a bowling alley in the rear, the first bowling alley in Berlin. William Jaffray lived in the house for a time and later William Knell, son-in-law of Mr. Seip. A one and one-half story frame building, originally a cooper shop, later the dwelling of Mr. Seip, after he sold the other building. In 1860 he built a brewery, known as Seip's brewery. Under the whole building he had a vaulted cellar built of field stone. Power for the brewery was supplied by a horse-power contained in an attached shed, shelter for the horses. Seip had a high reputation for good beer. He at first made his own malt, but later purchased it. After George Seip's death his son Louis continued the business until about 1880. The building was finally torn down to make room for the present auditorium. The cooper shop, a small one story building, with brick chimney such as coopers used to heat staves for their barrel making, operated by Henry Brickner who later had his shop at the corner of Young and King Streets. Later Adam Stein had the Queen Street cooper shop. The Berlin coopers were experts in the making of what was called tight-wear,that is water-tight barrels, in large tuns which they made for the brewers. A very early building, occupied by John Peters, a cabinet maker in Hoffman's factory, about 1860. The building had an outside stairway at the back. Peters was a bird lover and expert in trapping native song birds, mocking birds, cat birds, finches, etc., which he hung under his veranda roof in public display. On the corner of Church Street a frame house occupied by Mr. Knechtel, a weaver, about 1842-1850. Knechtel moved to a farm in Mannheim where later he was injured in the spine by a falling tree to such an extent that he was bedfast for fourteen or fifteen years. He lived to about 1871. Conrad Doering occupied the Queen Street house for a time. He also was a weaver and made coverlets, etc. The house was torn down to make room for the present one of brick built by Dr. Clemens and later occupied by the late Dr. Walters. Church Street. On the south side St. Paul's Lutheran Church. A one and one-half story unpainted frame building with gable towards the street, the dwelling, about 1860, of John Fleischauer, a laborer, a native of Hessen, Germany. A one and one-half story house occupied by E. Kern, cabinet maker, about 1860 and later by John Ansted. A vacant lot. George Street. Joseph Schneider originally owned all the land between George Street and Mill Street, mostly woods at that time, and extending to Benton and Eby Streets. REMINISCENCES OF BERLIN (NOW KITCHENER) By JACOB STROH Contributed by Joseph M. Snyder. Part I. Settlement - Early Villagers and Buildings, Waterloo Historical Society Annual Volume 1930

  
  

• Sources

  [S110] Church Records - ON, Waterloo Co., Cambridge - First United. William DAVIDSON of Berlin married Annie Woodburiedn McMILLAN of Galt, witn: Adam WARNOCK & George DAVIDSON, 12 April 1853, by license in Galt [S123] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1861, Div 1 Pg 7. W. Davidson Postmaster Scotland FC 39 M A. W. Davidson Scotland FC 30 F N. W. Davidson UC FC 7 F A. W. Davidson UC FC 2 F A. W. McMillan Scotland FC 50 F [S131] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1851, Div 4 Pg 6. William DAVIDSON Merchant Scotland 29 Presbyterian b. 4-Oct M Margareth DAVIDSON Scotland 33 Presbyterian b. F [S20] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berlin Telegraph (title varies: Berlin Telegraph, Berlin Daily Telegraph) (1853-1922), 25 Oct 1861. Davidson: At sea, on the 5th of June last, on board the ship "Queen of the Mersey" on her voyage to Melbourne, Australia, William Davidson, Esq., late of Berlin, aged 39 years. [S31] News - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Dumfries Reformer (1850-1892), 30 Oct 1861. Davidson, William died 5 Jun 1861 On board ship "Queen of Mersey" on voyage to Melbourne, Australia. Late of Berlin. Age 39. [S1802] Post Offices and Postmasters - Waterloo Region Entries. Davidson, William Date of appointment: PM in 1853 Date of vacancy: 1861-03-07 Cause of vacany: Absconded Place: Berlin, Ontario [S490] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - The Record (1994-March 2008), Obituary of Eileen Stroh - 21 Sep 2007. [S2070] Directory - Ontario Directory for 1851. [S123] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1861, Div 1 Pg 7. [S60] News - Christian Guardian, Death of William Davidson - 8 Nov 1861. [S552] Book - A History of Kitchener, Ontario.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 4 Oct 1823 - , Scotland Occupation - Postmaster - 1842 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - merchant - 1851 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - merchant - 1851 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Postmaster - 1851 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - merchant - 1852 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1853 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 12 Apr 1853 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Postmaster - 1861 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Postmaster - 1861 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 5 Jun 1861 - Atlantic Ocean Immigration - 1862 - , USA  = Link to Google Earth