Nicholas Darnell Davis collection

Nicholas Darnell Davis (1846-1915) was born in Grenada, and spent brief periods in Mauritius and Sierra Leone, but his main public career was in British Guiana [Guyana], where he served as Postmaster General (1876-1881), Comptroller of Customs (1881-1895), and Auditor-General (1895-1908).

Davis had a life-long interest in the history of the West Indies and more specifically of Barbados, and this collection comprises a vast body of material gathered by him from archives in Britain, the Caribbean and Europe. He contributed many historical articles to newspapers and periodicals in British Guiana, Barbados and the United States. His intention to compose a comprehensive history of the West Indies was frustrated by ill health.

Presented by Nicholas Darnell Davis around 1915.

In English, Dutch

Please cite as Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library, Nicholas Darnell Davis collection, RCMS 259

Davis wrote 'Cavaliers and roundheads of Barbados' (Demerara, 1883) which drew upon sources within the collection.

Donald H. Simpson, ed., 'The manuscript catalogue of the library of the Royal Commonwealth Society' (London, 1975), p. 139-40. Indexed

This collection level description was created by NE and MJC.