Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 5 June 1916 Letters 1916-1923 James Davidson

This work was originally published by Maynooth University in Ireland in 2017. In 2026 this data, stored in a relational database was extracted and converted into this TEI/XML document.

 Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities Vienna, AT 2026

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Letter from James Davidson (1877-1916) to his mother, Clara Mary (b.1852). In this letter, James writes of his recent engagement to Eileen, a family friend. He writes that he had hoped to propose once the war ended, but seeing Eileen while on leave confirmed his feelings for her. He cautions that news of the engagement should stay within the family circle until he returns from duty. This letter is part of a large correspondence from Captain James Davidson to his parents. Davidson, who was Managing Director of the Sirocco Engineering Works in Belfast, served with 13 Royal Irish Rifles and the Machine Gun Corps. His letters describe his experiences while training in England and serving in France. He was killed on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland PRONI-D3642-B-8-51 https://letters1916.ie/item/3760 English James Davidson 1916-06-05 Clara Mary Davidson Seacourt, Bangor, Co. Down, Ireland Male 1916 Personal Relations World War I (1914-1918) Personal Relations

The data in these XML files was generated based on a data dump from the Magellan database (https://github.com/Maynooth-Center-for-Digital-Humanities/Magellan). Each database record has been converted to a JSON file (https://github.com/letters1916static/letters-data/tree/main/json). The element section of the JSON file contains the TEI-encoded contents of the letters. The TEI XML has been cleaned and made well-formed using a Python script (https://github.com/letters1916static/letters-data/tree/main/src).

 D3642/B/8/51 5/6/16 My dearest Mother I have stilla number of arrangementsto complete for somespecial work we haveto carry out tonightso this can only be avery hurrried little noteto tell you how happyI am about myengagement to Eileen.I expect you got rathera surprise. I told Eileenhow I felt before leavingbut left it at that as Ithought it would bebetter to have nothingdefinite till after thisawful war wasover. However this idea has not worked out, wejust felt we could notgo on as it were pretending& so it has been all fixedup, only Mother dearthe engagement is to bekept within the familycircle till I come homeagain. I never realisedhow much I cared forEileen till I was homeon leave. Don't youthink I am an extremelylucky man — I amsure we shall be veryvery happy if onlythis war was at anend. I receiveda letter from Kathleen& Father yest. Pleasetell them how glad I was to get them.I would write to bothbut I simply have notanother minute as thereare too many seriousthings to be done inthe next few hours.Hope all will go well.My fondest love toall. Your loving son Jim On Active Service Mrs. S. C. Davidson Seacourt Bangor Co Down Ireland Seacourt, Bangor, Co. Down, Ireland Letter from James Davidson to Clara Mary Davidson, 3 November 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary. Davidson, 16 February 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 30 June 1916Telegram from Samuel Davidson to Frederick Ponsonby, 11 July 1916Letter from K.E. Fitzgerald to Clara Davidson, 5 July 1916Postcard from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 25 June 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 28 June 1916Telegram from the War Office to Samuel Cleland Davidson, 7 July 1916Telegram from James Davidson to Samuel and Clara Davidson, 8 April 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 12 April 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 18 June 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 16 April 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 21 June 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 29 February 1916Letter from James Davidson to his father Samuel Cleland Davidson, 16 February 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 5 June 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 6 June 1916Telegram from James Davidson to Samuel and Clara Davidson, 10 April 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 9 April 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 15 June 1916 James Davidson Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 28 November 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 12 November 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 16 November 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 19 December 1915Letter from Captain James Davidson to Clara Mary Davidson, 6 December 1915Letter from James Davidson to Clara Mary Davidson, 3 November 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 3 November 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 2 December 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 17 December 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 12 December 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 22 December 1915Letter from James Davidson to Clara Mary Davidson, 21 November 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 31 December 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 1 February 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 11 January 1916Letter from Captain James Davidson to his mother Clara Mary Davidson, 7 December 1915Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 19 January 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, S.C. Davidson, 27 December 1915Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 27 January 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 28 May 1916Telegram from Samuel Cleland Davidson to Captain SJ Davidson, 6 March 1916Letter from James Davidson to his sister, Kathleen, 7 March 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 13 March 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary. Davidson, 16 February 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 19 February 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 30 June 1916Postcard from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 25 June 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 28 June 1916Telegram from James Davidson to Samuel and Clara Davidson, 8 April 1916Letter from James Davidson to Samuel Davidson, 9 June 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 12 April 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 18 June 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 16 April 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 21 June 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 27 February 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 29 February 1916Letter from James Davidson to his mother, Clara Mary Davidson, 21 May 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 5 June 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 6 June 1916Telegram from James Davidson to Samuel and Clara Davidson, 10 April 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 9 April 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 15 June 1916Letter from James Davidson to Clara Davidson, 23 April 1916