William Mahlon Davis
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel William Mahlon Davis was a Canadian surveyor
, civil engineer
, harbour engineer and officer.
. William and his 4 brothers were among the first settlers in Aylmer, Ontario
. He attended the Canadian Literary Institute, later known as the Woodstock College from 1872-74. He was educated as part of the first class at the Royal Military College of Canada
(RMC) in Kingston, Ontario
, student #4, one of the “Old Eighteen.” He entered the College on June 1, 1876. Since cadets received their numbers based on their standings in the entrance examinations, he was 4 of 18. He graduated as a sergeant from RMC in 1880 fourth in his class.
as a land surveyor with Wm Fraser Van Buskirk, another RMC graduate. He served as third president of the Royal Military College Club of Canada in 1888. He was elected a member of the Engineering Committee of the Association of Land Surveyors in 1896-7. He and his wife Catherine had two children. He served as the adjutant of the 22nd Regiment in Woodstock. In 1898, he sold his surveying business and became city engineer for Kitchener, Ontario
, Guelph
and Galt. In 1908, he organized a Canadian Militia cavalry regiment the 24th Regiment (Grey's Horse) with headquarters at Ingersoll, Ontario
and squadrons at Princeton, Ontario, Ingersoll
and Berlin with Davis as the first commanding officer. He became the City Engineer in Prince Rupert, British Columbia
in 1910. In partnership, his firm was appointed Harbour Engineers for the north arms of the Fraser River and city engineers of Port Moody, British Columbia
.
In 1914, Davis was a named partner in the engineering firm of Davis & Leslie of Vancouver, British Columbia. At the outbreak of World War I
in 1914, he volunteered for active service. LCol William Mahlon Davis was first Commanding Officer of the 54th (Kootenay) Battalion, CEF
, later 54th (Central Ontario) Battalion. He accompanied the regiment to England for training in December 1915. On January 15, 1916 he was seriously injured when he was thrown from his horse. After recovering in hospital in England for several weeks, he took change of part of the Canadian Reserve Force at Bramshott Camp
.
He took ill and was invalided home in July 1918. He died at 61 years of age on October 8, 1918. He was buried with full military honours at the Beechwood Cemetery
in Ottawa, Ontario. His son, Lieutenant Donald Davis was serving overseas at the time of his father’s death. He is commemorated on Page 395 of the First World War Book of Remembrance.
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
, civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
, harbour engineer and officer.
Early life
Lt. Col. William Mahlon Davies was born May 26, 1857 to Joel Wallace and Catherine Adams Davis in Malahide TownshipMalahide, Ontario
Malahide is a township in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada.-History:Malahide Township was named for Malahide Castle in Malahide, Ireland, birthplace of land grant administrator Colonel Thomas Talbot in 1810...
. William and his 4 brothers were among the first settlers in Aylmer, Ontario
Aylmer, Ontario
Aylmer is a town in Elgin County in southern Ontario, Canada, just north of Lake Erie, on Catfish Creek. It is 20 km south of Highway 401...
. He attended the Canadian Literary Institute, later known as the Woodstock College from 1872-74. He was educated as part of the first class at the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
(RMC) in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, student #4, one of the “Old Eighteen.” He entered the College on June 1, 1876. Since cadets received their numbers based on their standings in the entrance examinations, he was 4 of 18. He graduated as a sergeant from RMC in 1880 fourth in his class.
Career
He was employed by the Fort Madison and North Western Railway from 1880-3. In 1883, he joined the North West Land Surveys. Mahlon articled with the City Engineer of St. Thomas in 1884 and passed his final exam as a provincial land surveyor in spring 1885. He was consulting engineer for Woodstock and Oxford County from 1885-98. He was in partnership in Woodstock, OntarioWoodstock, Ontario
Woodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
as a land surveyor with Wm Fraser Van Buskirk, another RMC graduate. He served as third president of the Royal Military College Club of Canada in 1888. He was elected a member of the Engineering Committee of the Association of Land Surveyors in 1896-7. He and his wife Catherine had two children. He served as the adjutant of the 22nd Regiment in Woodstock. In 1898, he sold his surveying business and became city engineer for Kitchener, Ontario
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, Guelph
Guelph, Ontario
Guelph is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Waterloo and west of downtown Toronto at the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 7. It is the seat of Wellington County, but is politically independent of it...
and Galt. In 1908, he organized a Canadian Militia cavalry regiment the 24th Regiment (Grey's Horse) with headquarters at Ingersoll, Ontario
Ingersoll, Ontario
Ingersoll is a town in Oxford County on the Thames River in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The nearest cities are Woodstock to the east and London to the west....
and squadrons at Princeton, Ontario, Ingersoll
Ingersoll, Ontario
Ingersoll is a town in Oxford County on the Thames River in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The nearest cities are Woodstock to the east and London to the west....
and Berlin with Davis as the first commanding officer. He became the City Engineer in Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
in 1910. In partnership, his firm was appointed Harbour Engineers for the north arms of the Fraser River and city engineers of Port Moody, British Columbia
Port Moody, British Columbia
Port Moody is a small, crescent-shaped city in Metro Vancouver, located at the east end of Burrard Inlet in British Columbia, Canada. Port Moody is the smallest of the Tri-Cities, bordered by Coquitlam on the east and south, and Burnaby on the west. The villages of Belcarra and Anmore, along with...
.
In 1914, Davis was a named partner in the engineering firm of Davis & Leslie of Vancouver, British Columbia. At the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914, he volunteered for active service. LCol William Mahlon Davis was first Commanding Officer of the 54th (Kootenay) Battalion, CEF
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
, later 54th (Central Ontario) Battalion. He accompanied the regiment to England for training in December 1915. On January 15, 1916 he was seriously injured when he was thrown from his horse. After recovering in hospital in England for several weeks, he took change of part of the Canadian Reserve Force at Bramshott Camp
Bramshott Camp
Bramshott Military Camp, often simplified to Camp Bramshott, was a temporary army camp set up on Bramshott Common, Hampshire, England during both the First and Second World Wars....
.
He took ill and was invalided home in July 1918. He died at 61 years of age on October 8, 1918. He was buried with full military honours at the Beechwood Cemetery
Beechwood Cemetery
Beechwood Cemetery is the National Cemetery of Canada. Because it is located in Ottawa, Ontario, the nation's capital, it is the burial site for a number of statesmen as well as a large number of mayors of the city. A woodland cemetery founded in 1873, it is 160 acres and is the largest cemetery...
in Ottawa, Ontario. His son, Lieutenant Donald Davis was serving overseas at the time of his father’s death. He is commemorated on Page 395 of the First World War Book of Remembrance.
Books
- 4237 Dr. Adrian Preston & Peter Dennis (Edited) "Swords and Covenants" Rowman And Littlefield, London. Croom Helm. 1976.
- H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "To Serve Canada: A History of the Royal Military College of Canada" 1997 Toronto, University of Toronto PressUniversity of Toronto PressUniversity of Toronto Press is Canada's leading scholarly publisher and one of the largest university presses in North America. Founded in 1901, UTP has published over 6,500 books, with well over 3,500 of these still in print....
, 1969. - H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "Canada's RMC - A History of Royal Military College" Second Edition 1982
- H16511 Dr. Richard Preston "R.M.C. and Kingston: The effect of imperial and military influences on a Canadian community" 1968
- H1877 R. Guy C. Smith (editor) "As You Were! Ex-Cadets Remember". In 2 Volumes. Volume I: 1876-1918. Volume II: 1919-1984. Royal Military College. [Kingston]. The R.M.C. Club of Canada. 1984