Davison, John

Davison, John a Canadian Methodist minister, was born near Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, November 23, 1799. He was a member of the first Primitive Methodist Society formed in Newcastle, and at nineteen years of age made his first attempt at preaching. In March 1823, he was appointed, with certain others, to the Shields and Sunderland missions. Afterwards he was appointed to the HIexham Station. Subsequently he travelled on seventeen stations, extending over a period of twenty-four years. In 1849 he went to Canada as superintendent of missions. He resided in Toronto three years;, then, after filling four appointments, he was in 1859 appointed general missionary secretary and book-steward, which brought him to Toronto again, where he continued to reside until his death, March 1, 1884. In 1840 Mr. Davison compiled the journals of William Clowes, and in 1854 published the life of that evangelist. He commenced a monthly paper, The Evangelist, which in 1858 was merged into the Christian Journal, and had the charge of it until 1866. He also compiled the first Book of Discipline of the Canadian Methodists. See (Toronto) Christian Guardian, March 19, 1884.