Thomas Benjamin Frederick Davis
| Thomas Davis | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Thomas Benjamin Frederick Davis 25 April 1867 Havre des Pas, Saint Helier, Jersey |
| Died | October 1942 (aged 75) Durban, South Africa |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | St Luke's Elementary School |
| Occupation | Businessman, yachtsman |
| Known for | Philanthropy |
| Children | 3 |
Thomas Benjamin Frederick Davis (25 April 1867, in Havre des Pas, Saint Helier, Jersey – October 1942, in Durban, South Africa) was a wealthy businessman, yachtsman and philanthropist.
Thomas Davis was born at Havre des Pas, St Helier, Jersey on 25 April 1867, the son of Thomas Leopold Davis, a fisherman and ship's carpenter, and Jemima Vickers.
The Davis family lived at Havre des Pas which in the 1860s had a strong boat building industry. Davis was educated at St Luke's Elementary School. His parents struggled to get the twopence a week they had to pay as a contribution to his education. Davis did not go on to higher education but instead went to sea as a ship's boy aged 15 on the vessel Satellite, a 245-ton three masted schooner owned by R & George Allix of Havre des Pas, Jersey but registered in Guernsey.
On his first voyage, the ship grounded in heavy weather on the Haisborough Sands just off the coast of Norfolk. In an attempt to save the ship's papers and valuables Thomas Davis was put into the ship's skiff but the painter broke and he was carried away from the vessel. Alone and drifting he was able to stay afloat by constantly bailing. Meanwhile, the Satellite was eventually refloated and returned to Southampton with the news that Davis was missing presumed drowned. He was saved when he was picked up some 19 to 36 hours later by a small Norwegian schooner, the Urda from Stavanger, who took him to the Isle of Wight. Once ashore in England he made his way to Southampton and the captain of the Channel Islands' mailboat took him back to Jersey. He arrived just as his family were leaving to attend his memorial service at St Luke's Church where he had been a member of the choir. It is reported that his mother fainted from the shock.
Davis continued with his seagoing career sailing as a seaman around the world and obtaining his Extra Master's ticket at the unusually young age of 25. He served in the Royal Naval Reserve between 1896 and 1899 and taught gunnery on The President.
In 1899 aged 32 Davis moved to South Africa, firstly to East London where he took up a stevedoring post. He then moved to Port Elizabeth and finally settled in Durban taking over Brock and Company Stevedores. This formed the basis of his wealth as eventually he controlled all of the stevedoring business from Port Elizabeth to Dar-es-Salaam. He developed harbour installations in Durban and elsewhere in South Africa and ran at least one trading vessel the Modwena. She had been the private yacht of the sewing machine magnate Mortimer Singer but under the ownership of Davis was used for trading between Durban and Madagascar.
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