On Tower Hill Memorial, Trinity Square, London is the name of Apprentice John Robert Davison serving with S.S. Cairndhu (Newcastle) with the Merchant Navy who died 15/04/1917.

He was the son of Benjamin Robson Davison, of 22, Vespasian Street, South Shields, and the late Isabella Davison.

Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-

In Harton Cemetery, South Shields is a family headstone which reads:-

In Loving Memory
Of
Isabella
The Beloved Wife Of
Benjamin Robson Davison
Who Died June 2nd 1914
Aged 48 Years,

Also John Robert The
Dearly Beloved Son Of The Above
Born December 16th 1899
Drowned In English Channel
April 15th 1917

Also The Above
Benjamin Robson Davison
Who Died Jan. 24th 1937
Aged 74 Years.

John Robert Davison was the youngest son of Benjamin Robson Davison and Isabella Crawley born 1863 and 1866 respectively at South Shields historically in County Durham where they were married in 1892.

Isabella gave birth to their only daughter Dinah Crest Davison known as Cressie, at South Shields in 1895, Benjamin Harold in 1898 and John Robert on December 16th 1899. 

Benjamin Robson Davison was a Master Mariner, in 1901 he was at sea, his wife and children were living at Roman Cottage on the corner of Roman Road. In 1911 the family including Benjamin Snr were living in a 5 roomed accommodation at 22, Vespasian Street. While Cressie (16) remained at home with her mother, Benjamin (13) and John Robert (11) were scholars. Living in their household was their niece Mary Elizabeth Twentyman (32).

In 1911 there were already rumblings of a possibility of war with Germany which was declared on August 4th 1914. John Robert was only 14 years old but had followed in his father’s footsteps and by 1917 had gone to sea as an apprentice aboard the S.S. Cairndhu. 

S.S. Cairndhu of the Cairn Line of Steamships Limited was a steam cargo ship. While en-route from the Tyne to Gibraltar with a cargo of coal she was torpedoed by German UB-40 about 25 nautical miles West of Beachy Head with the loss of 11 members of her crew including Apprentice John Robert Davison. 

Although the Davison family headstone states he drowned, official documents state he died of exposure, this presumably occurred awaiting rescue. He was 17 years old. 

His sacrifice is recorded as one of the over 36,000 names inscribed on Tower Hill Memorial which stands on the south side of Trinity Square, London commemorating Merchant Navy and fishing fleet personnel lost at sea in both World Wars who have no known grave. 

The loss of John Robert came as an ulterior blow to his family as Isabella Davison nee Crawley (48) had died on June 2nd 1914. Master Mariner Benjamin Robson Davison (74) died on January 24th 1937. They are at rest within Harton Cemetery, South Shields.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace. 

John Robert Davison is remembered in our List of Ships’ Crews.