Peter Cousin Davie, M.B., F.R.O.S., M.R.C.P.

Peter Cousin Davie b: 1881 to parents Robert Davie and mother, Ann Drummond Hunter; d: 03 Dec 1949 in New Plymouth

Name DAVIE Peter; Admitted Washdyke School;   Reg No 0103; Admission Date Mar 1886; Parent / Guardian  Robert Davie; home Address Washdyke;

Name DAVIE Peter  Admission Waimataitai School;  Reg No 1006; Date 11 Feb 1895 Parent / Guardian DAVIE R; Home address Washdyke; Birthdate 06 Jul; Last School Washdyke Last Day 23 Dec 1894

1904: Name DAVIE Peter Cousin;  Place Timaru; Occ: Teacher; Src: NZ Gazette 1904; Page 743; Record Type - Teacher Examinations

1910 Src: NZ Gazette;  Name DAVIE Peter Cousin; Occ: Teacher; Page 1853; Record Type - Teachers Register

Otago University 1911: Peter Cousin Davie BA Science

New Zealand Herald, 12 Aug 1912: Edinburgh University summer term has just ended, and the names are- announced of those who have been successful in recent examinations. First-class honours , P. C. Davie, Successful in histology, with first-class honours, P. C. Davie, . 

Press, 21 May 1915; At the March examinations in the University of Edinburgh, Mr Peter Cousin Davie, of Washdyke, obtained first class honours with the second medal in Medicine, and first class honours with the third medal in Midwifery. Mr Davie joined the Colours at the outbreak of the war, and is at  present a staff-sergeant in an Edinburgh corps.

Sun,  21 May 1915: At the March examinations in. the Edinburgh University, Mr Peter Cousin Davie, of Washdyke, obtained first class honours with the second medal in medicine, and first class honours with the third medal in midwifery. At the outbreak of the war, Mr Davie joined the colours, and is at present a staff sergeant in an Edinburgh corps.

Timaru Herald,  29 July 1915: A cable message received to-day conveys the information that Peter Cousin Davie, B.Sc, son of Mr Robert Davie, Washdyke, has passed the M.B. Ch. B. examination of the Edinburgh "University. Mr Davie has had a most successful career, gaining first class honours, and obtaining the honour of being medallist in midwifery and medicine." He volunteered at the outbreak of the war, and on completion of his medical studies received a commission in the R-A.M.C. It is expected that at the present time he is with the army in north France.

ENGAGEMENT: The engagement is announced of Miss Janet, only daughter of Mr. David Morrison, Samoa, and Mrs. Morrison, New Plymouth, to Dr. P. Cousin Davie, B.Sc, M.8., F.R.C.S. and M.R.C.P., Edin., son of Mr. Robert Davie, Timaru.

Peter mar:  1925 Janet Hogg Morrison  (b: 1900; d: 23 Aug 1971 Crem: 26 Aug 1971 Te Henui Cem. aged 72Y) They had 2 children

Press,  19 Nov 1936; Problems for the Church: OUTSPOKEN SPEECH AT ASSEMBLY BIRTH CONTROL AND OTHER QUESTIONS Although he apologised for raising matters which some members of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church might find hair-raising. Dr. P. C. Davie, of New Plymouth, strongly urged that consideration should be given to criminal abortion, birth control, sterilisation of the unfit, and euthanasia, when the assembly-as dealing with the report of its public: questions committee last evening. A resolution that these matters should be considered by the committee was carried. Dr. Davie moved that the public questions committee should consider and report to the next meeting of the assembly upon: (l) criminal abortion, (2) birth control /euthanasia (4) sterilisation. These were all vitally important problems, and problems which concerned the church, said Dr. Davie. Doctors were now investigating the problem of criminal abortion. It concerned first of all, the unmarried girl. In this it was a matter of morals and therefore was a matter which had to do with the church. Second, it affected married women, who, wanting a good time, did not want children. The issue here was selfishness, again a matter of morals. The third group included those women who did not want children because they could not afford them. Here the issue was economic, and the church was concerned in the economic state of the community.

Proper Place for Consideration  "I thought that this assembly was the place in which to bring this matter up,” said Dr. Davie. “Doctors cannot deal with the factors that cause the unmarried girl, or the selfish woman, or the poor one to endeavour not to have children. The church must consider these things. Sterilisation of the unfit was another vital matter. It had been adopted in Germany, although he was not advancing it for that reason. Yet the result would be that before long Germany would have a race of very fit people. The reason why New Zealand would not have such a race of fit people was that it allowed the unfit to have children, and these were the ones who had large families. Other sections of the community paid for the support of these hordes of imbeciles. “Gambling causes no unhappiness in comparison with the unhappiness caused by the things I mention,” he continued. “To some my mentioning those matters here must be hair-raising. You younger fellows must face this. I commend the young men who wrote that ‘Christ and To-morrow’ pamphlet. To-day children know as much at the age of 15 as the generation before them knew at 50. You don’t need to tell them then. Yours is the opportunity to tell them before they get it from outside. There is no use in shirking the truth with children.” Dr Davie also mentioned euthanasia, or painless death, for persons suffering from incurable disease. Doctors, he said, would not advocate it, for it was their duty to preserve life whenever it was given to their charge. However, he wished the committee to consider it. “It seems that our church has been too long in investigating these matters,” said the Rev. J. Strang.. "Other churches have given pronouncements on them. No uncertain direction on them is needed from the church.” It was decided that the matters raised should be considered by the public questions committee.

12 July 1939

Evening Post,  23 Sept 1939:  "Germany Loyal to Hitler." "The German people do not desire war any more than we do. but their rulers do. But do not labour under any delusions. The German people are just as loyal to Hitler as we are to King George VI. so do not expect any results from the dropping of leaflets." These remarks were made to the New Plymouth Rotary Club in an address by Dr. P C Davie who recently returned from a trip to Great Britain and the Continent. "In New Zealand we were rather inclined to criticise Mr. Chamberlain and his policy and lean towards the more impetuous Mr. Anthony Eden's ideas, but in Great Britain I found few sharing these views." he continued. "Last September the people of Great Britain were nervous. They realised that as a nation they were quite unprepared for a war. Before I left opinion appeared to be changing and  feel that out here in New Zealand people are more nervous than they are in the Homeland. Great Britain has made progress with her preparations during the last year."

Evening Post, 6 Sept 1940; Lieutenant-Colonel P, C, Davie, N.Z.M.C, of New Plymouth, has entered Trentham Camp to join a Medical Corps unit to which he has been posted.

Death: Peter Cousin
Last Address: 31 Robe Street, New Plymouth (Doctor)
Age at Death: 3 Dec 1949 aged 68 Years
Cremation: Ashes to TE HENUI Cemetery.


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