Rev John Davis
Title:
Rev
First Name:
John
Middle Names:
Preferred Name:
Surname:
Davis
Order:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Co Wicklow
Country of Birth:
Ireland
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
Cathedral, Armidale NSW
Country of Ordination:
Australia
Ordination Diocese:
Armidale
Seminary:
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Inverell NSW
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Inverell NSW
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Appointments Table
Diocese | Place | Role | Start Day | Start Month | Start Year | End Day | End Month | End Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armidale | Armidale | Apr | 1871 | May | 1873 | Linane Vol 2; Campbell | |||
| Armidale | Inverell | May | 1873 | Feb | 1880 | Linane Vol 2; Campbell |
Biographical Notes
Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, p 130:
Davis, John, Irish
Defender of a Wronged Bishop
The story of the bishop so greatly maligned, Timothy O'Mahony of Armidale, has yet to be told in full. There were disloyal priests in his own house, prepared to frame him in the eyes of Archbishop Vaughan and of Roman authorities. When summoned to Rome to answer the persistent rumours in circulation, O'Mahony, hearing that a fellow he deemed to be a defender, was actually one of his accusers, resigned his See. Or rather, was compelled to resign and accept an appointment to Toronto as an Auxiliary. After his departure the woman in the piece retracted her accusations on oath in Melbourne — accusations she had made in court. But it was too late. O'Mahony had foolishly provided funds to enable her to leave the Armidale scene.
John Davis was one of the stalwarts who had stood by his bishop in the hectic years of the O'Mahony reign, 1869-1877. Origin and place of education have yet to be ascertained. He worked in Armidale, Bundarra, and Inverell, dying in the last-named place on 2 February 1880 at the age of 36. Some 29 years later Bishop Patrick O'Connor in a Pastoral Letter revived the Davis memory by praising the visitation he carried out at Bundarra, Moree, Bingera, Waialda, Barraba, Narrabri, and Manilla. And perhaps some of the complex of buildings that Bishop Torreggiani could boast of at Inverell, when he reported to the Plenary Council of 1885, were due to the zeal of Father John. Many other items relating to the man are in the file of the M.D.H.C. kept at Torquay. Further information is also found in Cardinal Moran's History, and in that rare document published in the 1880s in Brisbane, 'The Mystery Unveiled'.
(Footprints, Vol. 3, No. 7)
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T.W. Campbell, The Priests of the Diocese of Armidale: A Necrology, Braddon ACT, 2005:
Davis, John
Born in Ireland, date and place unknown. Details of education unknown. Place of study unknown. He was accepted by Bishop Timothy O'Mahony for the Armidale diocese while he was a student. He travelled to Armidale with O'Mahony as a Sub-Deacon when O'Mahony took possession of his diocese, completing his training for the priesthood en route. He was ordained deacon by O'Mahony in the Armidale cathedral on Easter Saturday, 8 April 1871, and priest on Sunday 16 April 1871. He was based in Armidale until sent to Inverell May 1873. While located at Inverell he travelled periodically within his mission district as far as Bingara, Bundarra and Moree. He became involved in the paternity and sobriety problems of O'Mahony, as a supporter of O'Mahony. He died suddenly at Inverell on 2 February 1880, aged 36. He is buried in Inverell cemetery. (Sources: FJ 22 Apr 1871 p 10, 7 Feb 1880 p 15, Footprints, Vol 3 No 7 Mar 1979 p 23, Farrell, Catholic Viewpoint Nov 2000 p 4, MDHC A-Z D25).
(Reproduced by permission of Tom Campbell.)