Questionable

Edward Charles “Ned” Davies was born on January 19, 1832 in  Liverpool, England and always related to family members that he had served with the Confederacy during the American Civil War; possibly with the Confederate States Navy. Most of what we know about Ned Davies comes from family oral history and his great grandson, John Davies. Ned was said to have been a master mariner and married Eliza Sherman in 1857 in New York; having two children, Sarah and John, of whom nothing is known except that they died before their parents. It seems reasonable to assume that Ned, having been a master mariner, may have indeed served in the Confederate Navy.  Information regarding Ned and his Civil War service was passed down orally through the family generations, along with the comment he often made when asked why he chose to fight for the Confederacy; he said that he chose to fight on the side of the Confederates, "basically because they had better manners". 

There are nine Davies listed with the Civil War Database, all having Union connections with land based units; but Edward Charles Davies clearly stated to family members he served with the Confederacy. Due to a lack of preserved information on the naval personnel of the War Between the States, and even less relating to Confederate Navy personnel, the ships he may have served on and his naval service records have yet to be discovered. He is being remembered at the request of his descendant, largely due to the oral history of his life and his often quoted remark about serving with the Confederacy because of their “better manners”. It is hoped visitors to his site may be able to contribute information that will clarify his claim; one way or the other. In any event, like many other veterans after the war, Davies ended up in Australia where he lived until his death.

Ned and Eliza arrived in Victoria around 1883 and  lived for some time in Echuca, where Ned's brother William John Davies  owned and operated riverboats. It is definitely known he lived in Echuca in 1892 and for at least the last ten years of their lives; Ned and Eliza lived in Melbourne, Victoria.  Willam John Davies, Edward Charles Davies’s brother, died in St Kilda in 1903, but before passing away he sold his river boat interests to Permewan Wright Co. in 1891. Permewans afterwards named their next steamer after him; the ‘William Davies’ launched in 1893. Williams son was also a Riverboat Captain William Edward Davies who died in 1902 at age 43. Both are buried in the family grave at Echuca.

Ned died at the age of 80 on September 4, 1912 at Armadale in Melbourne and was buried on September 5, 1912, reference number 12663; his wife having died at age 70 on May 31, 1905, reference number 11963. They are both buried in the Church of England, Monumental Grave, Compt. C Section, grave number 607 in the St. Kilda Cemetery, in Melbourne, Victoria; where a large granite slab marks their final resting place.

"Ancestor" magazine, Victoria.

John Davies, great-great nephew

John Hulskamp, Friends of St Kilda Cemetery

Liz Calmer, The Necropolis Springvale

Pearl Collins, Echuca Moama Family History Group Inc.

Peter Johnson, Heritage Officer, St Kilda Historical Society

Royal Australian Historical Society

St. Kilda Cemetery Records

Victorian Death Records