DAVIES, HUGH (1739?–1821), botanist, was born in Anglesey, and having been educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge, took orders and became rector of Aber in Carnarvonshire. In 1790 the second edition of Pennant's ‘Indian Zoology’ was published, all of which, except the insects, was edited by Davies. A folio edition of this work, under the title ‘Faunula Indica,’ appeared in 1795. In 1790 Davies became a fellow of the Linnean Society, and he contributed Welsh plants to Hudson's ‘Flora Anglica,’ Smith's ‘Flora Britannica,’ and to ‘English Botany.’ In 1792 he spent some time in London with his friend Hudson; and he seems to have devoted considerable attention to cryptogamic plants, contributing a paper on ‘Four British Lichens’ to the second volume of the Linnean Society's ‘Transactions.’ Previous to 1813, ‘a constitutional nervous sensibility’ having rendered him unequal to the duties of his profession (Preface, Welsh Botanology), he retired to Beaumaris and devoted himself to the preparation of a catalogue of Anglesey plants, and of the ‘British,’ i.e. Welsh, names of plants. This appeared as ‘Welsh Botanology,’ 8vo, pp. xvi and 255, in 1813, dealing with both flowering and cryptogamic plants. It is largely quoted by De Candolle in his ‘Géographie Botanique.’ Davies died 16 Feb. 1821. His herbarium is now in the British Museum, and his services to botany were commemorated by Smith in the genus Daviesia.
DAVIES, JAMES (1820–1883), classical scholar, was born in Herefordshire 20 May 1820. His name was originally Banks, which he changed to Davies upon succeeding to property in Herefordshire in 1858. He was a scholar of Lincoln College, Oxford, and after taking his degree successively held an incumbency in the Forest of Dean and the head-mastership of Ludlow grammar school; he was also diocesan inspector of schools. After coming into possession of landed property he resided on his estate at Moor Court, near Kington, where he combined the functions of squire, clergyman, and banker, becoming a partner in his brother's bank and erecting a church in his own grounds for the convenience of his neighbours, for whom the parish church was too remote. His time, however, was principally devoted to literature, especially the pursuits of classical scholarship. For many years he wrote the majority of the classical articles in the ‘Saturday Review,’ and he was the author of a very remarkable essay on ‘Epigrams’ in the ‘Quarterly Review’ for January 1865. In 1860 he had published a metrical translation of the Fables of Babrius, from the text of his intimate friend Sir George Cornewall Lewis. This version included the apocryphal second part, the spuriousness of which was not then generally recognised. He also translated Hesiod, Theognis, and Callimachus into prose for Bohn's Classical Library, and in 1873 and 1876 wrote volumes on Hesiod and Theognis, and on Catullus, Tibullus, and Propertius, for Collins's ‘Ancient Classics for English Readers.’ A volume of original verse entitled ‘Nugæ’ was published in 1854. Davies was also an authority on architecture, archæology, topography, and horticulture. He revised several of Murray's Guides for the press, and contributed to the ‘Quarterly’ some delightful articles on English topography, and (July 1876) a very valuable one on ‘Ornamental and Useful Tree Planting.’ Davies was one of the most genial and urbane of men, esteemed and beloved by all who knew him, and especially valued and lamented in his own locality. He died after a prolonged decline of health on 11 March 1883.
[Personal knowledge.]
DAVIES, JOHN (1565?–1618), of Hereford, poet and writing-master, was born at Hereford about 1565. Wood states that he was educated at Oxford University, and among the poems prefixed to ‘Microcosmos,’ 1603, is a copy of Latin verses by Robert Burhill [q. v.], beginning
Oxoniæ vates cum sis, Herefordia quare,
Davisi, in titulo pristina scripta tuo?
Crede mihi, doctam non urbem tale pigebit
Ingenuum in titulo nomen habere suo.
From a poetical address ‘To my much honoured and intirely beloued patronesse, the most famous vniversitie of Oxford,’ published among the poems appended to ‘Microcosmos,’ we learn that he resided for a time at Oxford, pursuing his occupation of writing-master, and two of his sonnets are in praise of Magdalen College, where he seems to have had many pupils. But it is clear, both from the address to his ‘patronesse’ and from the sonnets, that he was not a member of the university. Although he attained high fame as a writing-master, and his pupils were drawn from the noblest families in the land, Davies assures us that it was difficult for him to gain a comfortable livelihood. The Earl of Northumberland's book of household expenses for 1607 records the payment of 40s. ‘to Mr. Davyes, the writer’ (Hist. MSS. Comm., 6th Rep., 229). In 1608 Davies was living in the parish of St. Dunstan-in-the-West, London (Hunter, Chorus Vatum), and in January 1612–13 his first wife, Mary Croft, by whom he had a son Sylvanus, was buried in the church
