The Davidson's - A Northumberland Dynasty

Gordon Taylor is a name familiar to many of Northern Insight's clientele as writer and photographer for the magazine.

What many of the readership will not know is the fact he is also a writer with two novels and a ghostwritten autobiography on Terry Miller, winner of ITV’s Hell’s Kitchen to his name.

As a voracious reader, he decided a few years ago to throw himself into the circle of authors by writing his debut novel, ‘Cometh the Man’, a historical adventure and romance work concerning the Davidson’s, a well-to-do family in Northumberland who live in the fictional estate of Thistlebrough in the county. As the first in a trilogy of works, the original is set between 1820 and 1854 between the county and South Africa. The main protagonist in this the first in the series of books, is Nathaniel Davidson, son of the family. A series of family disagreements force the sixteen year old to abandon his kin to seek his fortune in the African country. It’s a decision fraught with complications and troubles which stretch the young man to extremes.

“I felt I had the wherewithal to write this type of novel, having a passion for both our part of the world and history in general. The book was originally written to satisfy my ambition and when Austin & MaCauley of London decided to publish, it seemed to vindicate my belief,” advises the author, “Getting a publisher is a notoriously difficult thing to achieve, particularly when you don’t have an agent, so I was doubly delighted when the company decided to invest in my work.”

Since the success of the first book, Gordon has followed up with number two in the series, entitled, “Blood Ties.” In this instalment, Nathaniel’s son Toby, an officer serving in the army during the Crimean War, is forced to desert and makes it his mission in life to reclaim the family estate of Thistlebrough, which was lost by his Grandfather, Sir Toby Davidson in ‘Cometh the Man’. A unique set of circumstances conspire to thwart his ambitions and Toby’s character is forced to change dramatically throughout the story.

“Since the realisation I could write successfully, I have been surprised to hear of many people who have either written works but not had the confidence to send to a publisher or individuals with good concrete ideas for novels but have never got around to laying words on paper. My experience has taught me that success in writing can be achieved but it is the power of self-discipline and the ability to overcome that bogey of the writer, writers block which often distinguish the difference between achievement or not,” advises Gordon.

It’s worth remembering, you may not be William Shakespeare or Charles Dickens but you just might be William Dickens or Charles Shakespeare.

Gordon is planning to begin the third part of his trilogy very soon, entitled ‘And in the End’, which will complete the series between 1901 and 1939. In the meantime he is underway with two historical novels, ‘The Kings Spies’ set in the court of Henry V111 and a novel set in the heart of the Northumberland fishing community in the early part of the twentieth century.