Davis Company Ltd. records, 1909-1946:

A Guide to the Collection

Biographical Note

On August 30, 1918 the Davis Company, Ltd. was incorporated in Hong Kong as an import/export business. Offices were located in New York, California, and Hong Kong. The Davis Company was also involved in construction, railroad development, mineral exploration, harbor improvement, mills, Dragon Car Motor Company, and the unsuccessful manufacture of arms for various warlords in China in the early part of the twentieth century. Business partners were Frederick E. Davis, James A. Rabbitt Engineering Corporation, and Charles Powrie.

Paula Margarita Davis ran away from home at the age of eighteen to Honolulu, and was a secretary for Frederick E. Davis. Sometime after Mr. Davis’s wife died, he and Paula married. In 1917, Frederick E. Davis died upon their yacht in Hong Kong. Paula Davis took over her husband’s business interests and became director of the Davis Company. She lived in Hong Kong, New York, California, and in 1936 she moved to Copenhagen.

Sources:

Box 1, Folders 1-2

Nedda Adams letter to DeGolyer Library, 1982 March 17

Scope and Contents Note

Most of the documents refer to the company as Davis Company instead of Davis Company Ltd. Researchers interested in twentieth century neo-colonialism in China, corporate history, and Chinese railroads should find these materials useful.

The first series contains records of the Davis Company Ltd. and include business operating documents. The second series contains business correspondence of major Davis Company partners: Charles Rollo Powrie, Paula Davis [P.M. Davis], James A. Rabbitt, George Lynott, and Robert W. Munk. Most of the correspondence was written in Hong Kong and New York, and describes the political climate in early twentieth century China. Researchers should note there is correspondence about Sun Yat-sen, and manufacturing firearms for various warlords in China.

The third series contains reports written for the company about prospective business projects in China. The last series includes Paula Davis’ personal documents and correspondence. Two folders contain materials on Alexander Sklarevksy, a pianist and teacher at the Peabody Institute. His materials indicate that Davis funded his travel to America after he fled Russia. Also included are the personal papers of Charles Rollo Powrie, Davis’s business partner.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research use.

Publication Rights:

Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the Director of the DeGolyer Library.

Copyright Statement:

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright authorization.

Sensitive Material Statement:

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications for which DeGolyer Library assumes no responsibility.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Davis Company Ltd. records, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

Acquisition Information

Nedda Adams, daughter of Paula Davis, donated records from the Davis Company in 1971 to DeGolyer Library. In 1985 Carl Briggs donated to the DeGolyer Library a few letters regarding the end of the Davis Company, which were given to him by Nedda Adams.

Processing Information

Vivek Dhokalia wrote a preliminary inventory in 1982. In 2019 duplicative and out of scope materials were discarded. Cynthia Franco processed the collection and wrote the finding aid in 2019.

Detailed Description of the Collection