George Davidson was born in Boston in 1768, the son of a Scottish-American seaman. He began his career as a house painter and artist, but in the fall of 1790 he left with Captain Robert Gray on the ship Columbia for a voyage that would take them around the world. This was Gray's second voyage circumnavigating the globe, and along the way the ship stopped in the Pacific Northwest, where Gray was credited with discovering the mouth of the Columbia River, which bears the name of his ship. A visual record of the trip was made by George Davidson. After the voyage, Davidson continued his seafaring life, and he eventually became the captain of the merchant ship Rover. He was lost at sea, probably near the coast of the Pacific Northwest, around 1801.
From the description of George Davidson commonplace book [manuscript], circa 1785. (Oregon Historical Society Research Library). WorldCat record id: 162505128
