Andrew Davidson, 2nd Viscount Davidson

John Andrew Davidson, 2nd Viscount Davidson (22 December 1928 – 20 July 2012), was a British hereditary peer and Conservative politician. Regarded as a safe pair of hands, In 1960 he embarked on a 15-year career in large-scale farming, as a director of Strutt and Parker (Farms) and Lord Rayleigh Farms. By 1965 he was on the council of the Country Landowners Association (now the Country Land & Business Association). In 1966 he was appointed chairman of the Royal Eastern Counties Hospital for the mentally handicapped at Colchester, a job he considered the "most frustrating" of his life. Tensions with the regional hospital board which was ultimately responsible for the hospital boiled over in 1971, ostensibly because of the way Mauritian employees had been treated, and the following March the board sacked five members of the management committee.

Political career Davidson entered the House of Lords on the death of his father in 1970. He served in the Conservative administrations of Margaret Thatcher and John Major as a Lord-in-waiting between 1985 and 1986. Davidson served as the Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords from 1986 to 1992, and held the ceremonial position of Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard.

Marriages and children Lord Davidson was married twice. He married firstly Margaret Birgitta Norton, daughter of Major General Cyril Henry Norton, on 30 June 1956. They had four daughters:

Hon. Alexandra Frances Margaret Davidson (13 April 1957 – 1995) Hon. Georgiana Caroline Davidson (born 16 May 1958), married Lord Edward Somerset, a younger son of David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort. In 2014, Lord Edward was jailed for 2 years for assaulting his wife. Hon. Camilla Birgitta Davidson (born 17 February 1963) Hon. Kristina Louise Davidson (born 17 February 1963)

They were divorced in 1974 and Lady Davidson subsequently married Mark Colville, 4th Viscount Colville of Culross.

On 6 June 1975, Lord Davidson married secondly Pamela Joy Vergette (now deceased), daughter of John Vergette. They had no children.