The Davison Family
It looks like there were several families in pre-revolutionary Russia that had this name. This is the story of of the Davisons who lived at Selo Velikoe - Gavrilov Yam and worked at Alexei Lokalov's Linen Factory. Most of the information comes from two main sources: Davison family archive that has been kept by their descendants and museum at Selo Velikoe.
Unlike the majority of the British families that came to Russia in the 19th century, the Davisons were neither from Scotland, nor Lancashire. They were Irish, originally from Gilford area of County Down in the North of Ireland. Still, they moved to Russia from Leeds, Yorkshire, another area heavily invested in textiles that provided Russian industrialists with mill managers and foremen. Robert Davison, known in Russia as Roman Romanovich Davison, was already in his early forties and a married man with 4 children when he moved to Russia. He had already had extensive experience working at Flax Spinning Mills - first in Limerick, Ireland, then either at Hunslet or Victoria Mill, near Leeds, where he worked as a Flax Mill Manager, as stated in the 1861 England census.
The Davisons moved to Russia in the mid-1860s. Their fifth child - Mary Caroline - was born in 1868, and in her birth certificate it says that her parents lived at Norsk Mill near Yaroslavl. Several other sources mention Robert Davison as the director of Norsk Linen Mill. Later Robert Davison became manager of Alexei Lokalov's Linen Mill which was also located close to Yaroslavl - at Selo Velikoe and Gavrilov Yam. On the maps below one can see these locations in relation to each other, Yaroslavl and Moscow.
The Davisons moved to Russia in the mid-1860s. Their fifth child - Mary Caroline - was born in 1868, and in her birth certificate it says that her parents lived at Norsk Mill near Yaroslavl. Several other sources mention Robert Davison as the director of Norsk Linen Mill. Later Robert Davison became manager of Alexei Lokalov's Linen Mill which was also located close to Yaroslavl - at Selo Velikoe and Gavrilov Yam. On the maps below one can see these locations in relation to each other, Yaroslavl and Moscow.
One of Robert's two sons - John - left Russia in 1878 to study medicine at Queen's College, Belfast, and became a doctor. The other son, Joseph, stayed in Russia and worked together with him at the Linen Mill. By that time Alexei Lokalov, the original owner and founder, had died and the Mill was inherited by his son Alexander Lokalov. Around 1889 Joseph Davison, known in Russia as Osip Romanovich, succeeded his father Robert Davison as Managing Director of the Mill. He was well-known among linen specialists and businessmen and went to all sorts Linen congresses - both local and those held in Moscow:
The first Regional Linen Congress in Pskov, 1909.
Congress of Linen Industry representatives in Moscow in 1911.
Congress of Linen Industry representatives in 1912.
It is interesting that in the second two photographs there is somebody called K. V. Souzdaltsev. In the 1911 photograph it is the person to the left of Joseph Davison; in the 1912 photograph he is #33. According to St. Andrew's marriage register, in 1883 Joseph Davison married Capitolena Souzdaltseva:
Among the wedding witnesses were Vasily and Alexei Souzdaltsev. This could be a complete coincidence and K. V. Souzdaltsev could be a namesake of Joseph Davison's wife's family, or maybe these people were related. On this website about Russian merchant families we find an entry about the Souzdaltsevs. They lived in Murom and worked at the local Linen factory that was built in 1879. Beginning with 1892, Nikolay Vasilievich Souzdaltsev was its Managing Director; Fiodor Vasilievich was on the Board of directors and had his own linen factory; Vasily Vasilievich was also on the Board of directors. They were obviously 3 brothers (judging by their patronymic), and their father's name was Vasily. So, this will remain a mystery, together with the fate of Capitolena Souzdaltseva/Davison - nobody knows what happened to her, but Joseph Davison married again, this time Nadejda Evgrafovna, whose last name is unknown. In the 1897 Census he is mentioned as the head of the household that included his wife Nadejda and a newborn daughter Margaret.
The same year, 1897, Joseph's father Robert died in Belfast. It is hard to say whether he was at the moment visiting his son John or retired there, but he died in John's house which John called 'Romanov'.
Joseph continued working in Gavrilov Yam until the Russian Revolution in 1917 when the Mill was nationalised. Joseph's family managed to move to Moscow, stay there for a while and then escape to Belfast - penniless, having to leave all their possessions behind. Joseph died in 1921. In 1926, Joseph and Nadejda's daughter Margaret married Ernest Tolson, an engineer who was born in Moscow in the family of a British engineer and merchant.
Mary Caroline married a 'Russian' German - Oscar Schneider (1866-1897), and had 2 children - Mary and Alexander. After her husband's death she moved to Belfast together with her children. Having shares in the Linen factory, she received the dividends until the Revolution.
Robert, John, Joseph and Mary Caroline are all buried in Belfast:
The same year, 1897, Joseph's father Robert died in Belfast. It is hard to say whether he was at the moment visiting his son John or retired there, but he died in John's house which John called 'Romanov'.
Joseph continued working in Gavrilov Yam until the Russian Revolution in 1917 when the Mill was nationalised. Joseph's family managed to move to Moscow, stay there for a while and then escape to Belfast - penniless, having to leave all their possessions behind. Joseph died in 1921. In 1926, Joseph and Nadejda's daughter Margaret married Ernest Tolson, an engineer who was born in Moscow in the family of a British engineer and merchant.
Mary Caroline married a 'Russian' German - Oscar Schneider (1866-1897), and had 2 children - Mary and Alexander. After her husband's death she moved to Belfast together with her children. Having shares in the Linen factory, she received the dividends until the Revolution.
Robert, John, Joseph and Mary Caroline are all buried in Belfast:
The Davisons were not the only British people at Gavrilov Yam Linen factory. They were friendly with the Begley family who also originated from the north of Ireland. George Rollo Begley went to Russia in 1893 and was employed as Assistant Manager at Alexander Lokalov's Mill. He married Sara Lucy Taylor at St. Andrew's in Moscow. But they didn't stay long in Russia, they returned to Ireland in 1895.
In the photo provided by the museum at Selo Velikoe, Joseph Davison is sitting next to Richard Howard, bleaching master and George Thorp, mechanic:
In the photo provided by the museum at Selo Velikoe, Joseph Davison is sitting next to Richard Howard, bleaching master and George Thorp, mechanic:
Other Davisons
In St. Andrew's registers there are some other people of the same name who were probably unrelated to the Davisons from Selo Velikoe - Gavrilov Yam. Alexander and Janet Davison lived in Russia as early as in 1866 when they acted as baptism sponsors to David Ramsay. Agnes Davison died in 1878 at the age of 67 and was buried in Moscow. William Davison died in 1884 at the age of 70.
On one of the Russian forums people discuss a ship-building specialist Alexander Davison who worked in Sormovo (near Nizhny Novgorod) at the local wharf.
On one of the Russian forums people discuss a ship-building specialist Alexander Davison who worked in Sormovo (near Nizhny Novgorod) at the local wharf.