Charles Edward Davis

Charles Edward Davis (29 August 1827 – 10 May 1902) was an English architect and antiquary.

Life Born near Bath, Somerset, in 1827, he was son of Edward Davis, an architect there and pupil of Sir John Soane, and his wife Dorothy Walker, widow of Captain Johnston of the Madras cavalry. He began as his father's pupil, and in 1863, having recently won a competition for the cemetery buildings on the lower Bristol Road, was appointed city architect and surveyor to the corporation of Bath. He held these posts for forty years.

To collect information on the nature and management of spas, Davis in 1885 made a tour of major European watering places. He applied his knowledge to improvements at Bath, and was consulted by English corporations with natural baths, including Harrogate and Droitwich. Difficulties with the corporation regarding his official duties led in 1900 to the transfer to another person of the supervision of the corporate property; the baths and the provision markets were left in Davis's charge. and St Mary Magdalene's Church in Langridge, Charlcombe. He was the architect of the Empire Hotel, Bath, opened in 1901,

Davis published Mineral Baths of Bath; the Bath of Bathes Ayde in the Reign of Charles II (Bath, 1883), and other several pamphlets on the same subject. In 1863, he designed an escritoire, Bath's wedding gift to Alexandra of Denmark, presented in 1869; it incorporated Royal Worcester designed by Arthur Murch.

Family Davis married in 1858 Selina Anne, eldest daughter of Captain Howarth, who survived him without issue.