DAVY, GEORGE BOUTFLOWER (1836-1929) was born in London, the son of Dr Edward Davy (1806-85), the inventor of the Davy blowpipe and of the relay or electrical renewer, and a pioneer in the development of electric telegraphy. G. B. Davy came to South Australia with his father (1839), finished his education there and began life on a sugar plantation and cattle station in Jamaica. He then returned to England, qualified for law and came to New Zealand in the Indian Empire (1862).

After acquiring land at Whangarei he was admitted a solicitor (1863) and practised his profession for some years there and in Auckland. He represented Auckland West in the Auckland Provincial Council (1867-68) and was for a short time in the executive. In 1869 he was appointed warden and resident magistrate for Hauraki and in 1871 was selected to inaugurate the land transfer system in Auckland province. In 1875 he succeeded J. S. Williams (q.v.) as Registrar-general, which position he held until his retirement in 1904. Davy was also for a time judge of the district court in Wellington and Wairarapa, New Zealand Company's land claims commissioner and a judge of the native land court. He married (1863) Margaret Liddell. Davy died on 31 Aug 1929.

D.N.B.; Parltry Record; Who's Who N.Z., 1924.

Reference: Volume 1, page 115

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