Special Announcements North American Davenports - Northern Southern English Davenports
Welcome to the Davenport Surname DNA Project. The purpose of this project is to determine possible relationships between the various Davenport lines around the world. By using a simple DNA test we hope to find out which Davenports have a common ancestor. This includes but is not limited to the lines listed in the tables below. We may also be to help place a Davenport of "unknown" ancestry into one of the Davenport lines. For more information - click here.
The Davenport name can be traced back to Orme De Dauneporte, who was alive about 1086 AD. His descendants acquired the hereditary role of Magistrate Sergeants of the Forest of Macclesfield, of the county Cheshire, with local legal powers to prosecute and punish criminals. Over the centuries Orme's descendants have multiplied and moved away from the many Davenport Manors of Cheshire to the distant lands of North America, Australia, and beyond.
With the increasingly informative Big-Y test, we are making significant progress in our quest to discover how the Davenport lines around the world fit together. Albeit some better than others. For those with English descent, we are seeing 3 to 4 clusters of Davenports, probably descending from the originators of the various “Manors” of Cheshire such as Woodford, Henbury and others. We are attempting to build trees based on the antient documentation that DNA is then able to support. Once we are able to zoom in on a particular Manor, then any future Davenport that matches that “signature” will know they found a home, or where home began. There is a story to be told.
But, in order to keep advancing forward, we need more samples, more people. The foundation is there, but we need to fill in the blanks. We, of course, welcome all Davenports, but if you have a genealogy that traces back to England, we want you. If you also can trace your Davenport ancestry back several generations, then all the better. In some cases, we may be able to offer financial help with a test. For example, if you take a 67 marker Y-DNA test and find you match the Cheshire Davenports, we might help you with the Big-Y upgrade. Check us out!
The Rev. John Davenportwas born in Coventry, England in 1597, the grandson of Edward Davenport of Coventry. He left his homeland due to a dispute with the church and arrived in Salem, Massachusetts aboard the Hector in 1637. He was one of the founders of of New Haven, Connecticut and Yale University. He married Elizabeth Wooley and had a son John. The Rev. John Davenport died in Boston, Massachusetts in 1670. Many of John's descendants settled in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. There is very good documentation linking this line to Edward Davenport of Coventry and through him the Davenports of Henbury.
Humphrey Davenport was born before 1640 in Devonshire, England. He married (1st) Ann Collinson and had children Paramoog and Humphrey. His second marriage produced four more children - Rachel, born in Barbados, Richard, born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, William, and John. Humphrey died about 1680 in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
William Davenport of Fordham(formerly the Thomas the Pioneer line). William was born, probably in England, prior to 1654. He spent much of his life in Westchester County, New York. William had two children by his first wife - John and William, and four by his second wife - Thomas "the Pioneer", Robert, Samuel, and Rachel. William died in or after 1715.
Captain Richard Davenport born about 1606 in Weymouth, England. Arrived in New England aboard the ship Abigail in 1628 with Governor John Endicott. Admitted a freeman in 1634 and moved to Boston in 1642. He married Elizabeth Hathorne and had nine children -Truecross, Experience, Nathaniel, John, Eleazer, Samuel, Sarah, Elizabeth, and William. Richard was was commander of the fort at Castle Island in Boston Harbor in 1665 when he was struck by lightning and killed. Most of his descendants lived in Massachusetts and the general New England area.
Colonel George Davenport was born, as George King, in 1783 in Louth, Lincolnshire, England. He went to sea on his uncle's ship at 18 years old and settled in New York City in 1805. Shortly afterwards, he adopted the Davenport surname. George joined the army for ten years and then traveled up and down the Mississippi River establishing trading posts and becoming friends to the local natives. In 1835 he helped lay out the city named after him - Davenport, Iowa. George married Margaret Lewis and had two sons by her daughter Susan - George L'oste Davenport and Bailey. He also had a daughter Elizabeth by Catharine Pouitt. George was murdered by robbers in his house in 1845.
Thomas Davenport born about 1615 in England. He arrived in Dorchester (Boston), Massachusetts prior to 1639 becoming a freeman in 1642. He is believed to have married Mary Pitman. They had nine children - Sarah, Thomas, Mary, Charles, Abigail, Mehitable, Jonathan, Ebenezer, and John. Thomas died in Boston in 1685. His descendants settled in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island.
Ambrose R. Davenport was born in Virginia in 1771. He joined the army under General (Mad Anthony) Wayne and arrived in Mackinaw, Michigan in 1796. He married Elizabeth and they had six (?) children - Ambrose, William, Henry, Nancy, Caroline, and Susan. In 1812 after the British took over Fort Michilimackinac, Ambrose was deported to Detroit for refusing to renounce his American citizenship. Ambrose returned to Mackinaw in 1815 where he remained until he died in 1858. His many descendents settled in Mackinaw, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Known as the Mackinaw Davenports.
Lancelot Davenport was born about 1594. He emigrated to Virginia aboard the ship Duty in 1620. He was a servant of Edward Blaney until he gained his freedom in 1638. Lancelot and other Davenports in the area are know as the James River Davenports. Whether Lancelot married or had children is not known.
Davis Davenport born about 1660 in Virginia. He had six children - Martin, Richard, Thomas, Ann, Elias, and John. Davis died before 1735 in Virginia. His descendants settled in the Virginia, South Carolina, and Kentucky areas. Known as the Pamunkey Davenports.
The Tidewater Davenports were those Davenports who settled in the Peninsula or Neck between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers in the 1650s. They paid for their own passages, i.e., claimed no headrights, and were sufficiently wealthy to buy already patented land, i.e., they did no surveys, were not involved in the patent process. They were clearly of higher social status than the Pamunkeys, were planters and artisans of substance from the beginning, were involved with both Government and the Church. Prior to the Revolution, these Davenports located close to Atlantic waters, were to be found in counties affected by tides, hence the label "Tidewater."
Isaac Davenport of South Carolina. He had four children - Francis, William, Isaac, and Joseph. He died in 1749 in Granville County, North Carolina. Isaac's descendants are known as the Newberry Davenports..
William Davenport was born, probably in England, about 1748. He married Comfort Fisher in Accomack County, Virginia and together had eight children - John, Mary, Agnes, Thomas, Sarah, George, William, and Margaret. The family resided in Surry County, North Carolina and eventually in what is now Casey County, Kentucky. Since William and Comfort first appeared in the historical records in Accomack County, which is off the eastern coast of Virginia, his line is called the Eastern Shore Davenports.
Richard Davenport born about 1714, New Kent County, Virginia, possible grandson of Richard Davenport, listed as a headright in Virginia in 1677, and son of West Davenport, listed in the New Kent County Quit Rent Rolls in 1704. Children include Joseph, Charles, John, Richard Jr., Mary, Martin, William, Sarah, and Martin. Known as the New Kent / Hanover Davenports.
Richard Davenport born 1642 in England, first settled in Virginia before moving on to North Carolina about 1660. He married Johanna and had six children - Richard Jr., Elizabeth, John, Sarah, Isaac, and Susannah. Richard died in 1714. His descendants settled in the Albemarle Sound area of North Carolina where many still live today. Known as the Albemarle Davenports.
Abraham Davenport was born in England in 1714. He migrated to America between 1735-1745 and settled in St. Mary's County, Maryland. He married Mary Simms about 1745 and had 11 children - Elizabeth, Stephen, Abraham, John, Marmaduke, Anthony, Adrian, Mary, Samuel, Catherine, and Nancy. During the Revolutionary War, Abraham and his family moved to a farm in what is now Jefferson County, West Virginia. Today the farm is called Altona Farm and his descendents still reside there. Abraham died there in 1789. Known as the Altona Davenports.
The original Davenport line began in England. Over the centuries, as the number of descendants grew, the various Davenport families spread throughout Cheshire and the surrounding areas. In some cases a direct Davenport line can be traced in one location for hundreds of years. The table below lists some of those lines. There are more. Today, descendants of these early Davenports are scattered around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, and China.
The first table illustrates how the various Davenport Manors are linked. The last individual in a row is the first to use the "Manor name". For example - Arthur married Katherine Calveley and the Davenport family took over ownership of Calveley Manor.
The second table gives a brief description of the Davenport Manors, plus additional lines of interest. This list will grow as the need arises.
Note: In the early days there were many variations on the name we now know as Davenport. In the tables below, just one, Davenport, is used to keep everything consistent.
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Manors
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c. 1086
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c. 1220
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d.~1297
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c. 1320
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c. 1340
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Davenport
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Ormus
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Marton
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Ormus
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Richard
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Thomas
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Richard
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Vivian
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Roger
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Henry
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|
|
|
|
|
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Calveley
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Ormus
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Richard
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Thomas
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Richard
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Vivian
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Roger
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Thomas
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Sir John
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Arthur
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|
|
|
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Wheltrough
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Ormus
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Richard
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Thomas
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Richard
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Vivian
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Roger
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Thomas
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Thomas
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|
|
|
|
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Henbury
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Ormus
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Richard
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Thomas
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Richard
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Vivian
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Roger
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Thomas
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Thomas
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Jenkin
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|
|
|
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Woodford
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Ormus
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Richard
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Thomas
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Richard
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Vivian
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Roger
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Thomas
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Thomas
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Jenkin
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|
|
|
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Bramhall
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Ormus
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Richard
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Thomas
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Richard
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Vivian
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Roger
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Thomas
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Thomas
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John
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|
|
|
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Capesthorne
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Ormus
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Richard
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Thomas
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Richard
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Vivian
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Roger
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Thomas
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Thomas
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John
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Nicholas
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..... + 8 ...
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Davies
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| Chorley |
Ormus |
Richard |
Thomas |
Richard |
Vivian |
Roger |
Thomas |
Sir John |
Sir Ralph |
Ralph |
......+ 3 |
Thomas
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Davenports of Davenport and Marton Manor. This is the original Davenport home, tracing its origins to Ormus de Davenport, alive at the time of the Norman Conquest around 1066 AD.
Davenports of Henbury Manor. John (Jenkin) Davenport, (d. abt 1390), second son of Thomas of Wheltrough, acquired Henbury around 1350. Through his first wife, Elizabeth, he had children Thomas, John, and Margery. The descendents of Thomas resided at Henbury.
Davenports of Capesthorne Manor. Davies Davenport of Woodford, born in 1696, married Penelope Ward, sole heir of Capesthorne. The family took ownership of Capesthorne in 1726. Walter Davenport, Davies' g-grandson, assumed the additional name of Bromley when he inherited the Baginton estate in 1822. The current Bromley-Davenports are the latest of eight resident generations.
Davenports of Leicester. "Mayor Thomas Davenport the Stapler" of Leicester, Mayor of Leicester in 1553-1554, married Mary Barnes of London. They had at least one son Henry.
Davenports of Belgrave. William Davenport of Henbury aquired the Manor in 1589 by his marriage to Elizabeth Wigston.
Davenports of Calveley Manor. Arthur Davenport, 6th son of Sir John Davenport, married Katherine, heiress of Robery Calveley, sometime after 1369. The Davenport line remained at Calveley for another 14 generations. When Richard Davenport died in 1771, the property was passed on to his daughter Phoebe. Phoebe was married to Davies Davenport of Capesthorne, so the male Davenport line continued.
Davenports of Woodford Manor. John (Jenkin)Davenport (d. abt 1390) was second son of Thomas of Wheltrough. Nicholas, a son of his second wife, Margaret, is the ancestor of the Woodford and Capesthorne Davenports.
Davenports of Chorley Manor.
Davenports of Hinckley. Richard Davenport, of Henbury, who went to Hinckley around 1500. He is the probable ancestor of the Thomas Davenport of Hinckley who was fined 20 pounds for selling wine to the Royalists in 1645. He may also be the ancestor of Arthur Davenport, the founder of Davenport Knitwear in 1888.
Davenports of Wheltrough Manor. Descended from Thomas, a younger son of Sir Thomas Davenport of Davenport.
Davenports of Bramhall and Sutton Manors. John Davenport, third son of Thomas of Wheltrough, married Alice de Bromale, heir of Bramall Hall abt. 1364. Descendent William was knighted in 1586 and sheriff of Cheshire in 1605. Bramall Hall remained in the Davenport family for over 500 years.
Davenports of Great Wigston. These Davenports are descended from Richard Davenport who was living here as early as 1570. One of his descendents was George Davenport, the Highwayman, who was hung in 1797.
Davenports of Coventry. Edward Davenport, Major of Coventry, pewterer. It is believed he is descended from the Davenports of Henbury Manor. One of his descendants, Christopher Davenport was also Mayor of Coventry in the 1640s.
plus any other Davenports where a connection is not known.
