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 Devon Notes and Queries, 129 97. Jambs Bridgb Davidson. — By the kindness of his surviving sister we are able to present to our readers a portrait of the late James Bridge Davidson, M.A., F.S.A. He was born at Secktor, Axminster, in 1824, being the eldest son of the well-known Devon historian, James Davidson. He was educated at the Grammar Schools of Plymouth and Kingsbridge, and from the latter place he went to Cambridge, matriculated at Trinity College, and graduated a Senior Optime in 1847. He was called to the Bar in 1850, and practiced in the Equity Courts, and was reporter in the Courts of Vice Chancellor Page Wood, and his successors, for the Council of Law Reporting. James Bridge Davidson was a careful antiquary and topographer. His principal writings will be found in the Transactions of the Devonshire Assaciaiion, a society in the welfare of which he took a great interest. He died on the 8th October, 1885. His removal from amongst us was a great loss. He had done much good work for Devonian history, and much more was expected from him, and would have been accomplished had his life been spared. He was appreciated and esteemed by all with whom he was brought into contact,* but by those who had the privilege of his friendship, and who knew him well, he was greatly beloved, and to these his death was a severe blow. A memoir will be found in the Transactions Devon Association^ Vol. xviii, 1886, p. 58. Vide also Diet. Nat. Biog., Vol. xiv, P- 125. / 98. American Prisoners of War at Ashburton. — ^ In Part I., vol. xv. of the Transactions of the " Quatuor Coronati'* Lodge of Freemasons, there is an article by W. J. Chetwode Crawley, ll.d., d.c.l., p.r.g.s., &c., of Dublin, on Freemasons as Prisoners of War, in which appears the letter given below, brought, in January, 1902, by the outgoing President of the Masonic Veteran Association of Minnesota, U.S.A., to the notice of the Historical Section of the Association, and which, the President stated, had been presented to him by a freemason in London. From the article by Dr. Crawley it seems, however, that no information was forthcoming as to the result of the prisoners' petition. Perhaps some one at Ashburton may be able to throw some light on the matter, or at any rate discover traces of K