The artist was born in London, and studied under the Victorian watercolourist John Absolon (1815-1895). From 1844 he exhibited a considerable number of watercolours in London but, as he rarely signed his work, a great deal may have been re-attributed. After his marriage to Ann, he is recorded as living at Redhill, Surrey for about thirty years before moving to 3 Mansion House, St Buryan, Cornwall in 1880. They were the parents of the artist Charles Topham DAVIDSON, also a landscape painter, who worked locally and elsewhere.

From 1882-84 Davidson lived in Falmouth. In 1891 his address was Trevena House, Melville Road, Falmouth, and then Perranporth in 1898, after which he returned to Falmouth, remaining there until his death.

Most of his paintings were exhibited at the Old Watercolour Society (over 800 of his works were shown), and he also exhibited at the RCPS Jubilee Exhibition in 1882 at Falmouth.