William Davidson

Who is William Davidson?

William Davidson was a Scottish-born miner and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Slocan in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1903 to 1907.

He was born in Aberdeenshire, the son of Andrew Davidson, and was educated in New Brunswick. In 1900, Davidson married Bridget Walsh. He was nominated as a candidate by the Slocan Labour Party, which was based on the 1902 Provincial Progressive Party and also supported by the Socialists. In the provincial assembly, Davidson aligned himself with the Socialist members Parker Williams and James Hurst Hawthornthwaite. Because Premier Richard McBride only held a slim majority in the assembly, he often required support from the Socialists, which meant that they were able to push for progressive legislation, such as the eight hour work day for miners, in the province. Davidson was defeated when he ran for reelection in 1907.