PAMUNKEY KINFOLKS INTERESTED IN FAMILY HISTORY: Frankly, Cousins, from the responses I've been getting for the past several years I suspect that I've lost most you relative to Pamunkey Davenport Family History, that most of you are interested only in your own lineages and do share my enthusiasm for turning over rocks to expose our Virginia beginnings. Thunders of silence have greeted various discoveries, identifications, and historical revelations in recent years. I expected arguments relative to my identification of the wives of Henry Davenport, Sr. (first wife), of James Davenport, Sr., both sons of Thomas, Sr., of Cumberland, and of Richard Davenport, Gentleman, son of John, Sr., the Bankrupt, but not a peep was elicited. Where has all the fire gone? I'm likely extending my research beyond the patience of most of you, for I have the time and health to keep digging, and I am continually finding new facets of the Pamunkey Davenport history. Here's one recent development that demonstrates how fascinating my diggings in the old records has become. I have such a large data base now that relationships are literally jumping out when surname sorts are made. You'll recall that we identified circumstantially Crotia Mason, wife of John Mason of Caroline County, as a likely daughter of Richard Davenport, Sr., of Caroline, second son of Davis Davenport, our patriarch. John and Crotia Mason lived adjacent to Richard, Sr., for at least thirty-five years, and their son David Mason was the administrator of the Estates of both Richard Davenport, Sr. (1775) and his son David Davenport (1776). John Mason died in 1782. Crotia died in 1783. We've been beating the Crotia name origin horse to death vis-a-vis the Davenport-Kennedy connection over the past five years--and getting nowhere, so when we encountered the following records in Charlotte and Campbell counties, adjoining in west central Virginia south of the James River, we had to ask ourselves if we were experiencing reinforcement of our circumstantial identification of the Mason-Davenport relationship or was this a large chunk of coincidence, to wit: In Charlotte County deed books we found a 1790 deed of gift (all personal property including slaves) from William Mason to his eight children--namely James, John, Crotia Ann, Peter, Barbara, William, Claiborne, and David--with a special singling out of Crotia Ann, obviously his favorite. The deed was witnessed by Thomas Paullet and Thomas Ford. Both Paullet and Ford appear repetitiously in Charlotte records with the Davenports, namely William, Jack Smith, and Richard, sons of John, Sr., grandsons of Martin, Sr. of Hanover, and sons of the three. William Mason was located in the same general neighborhood as were the Davenports, had the same associates. Understand that the Davenport land in Charlotte was in the extreme northwest corner of the county, and when Campbell County was created in 1782, part of the Davenport lands fell into Campbell County, as did some of the Masons also. (In 1845 the Campbell part went into Appomattox County, but that's beyond our interest--for the moment.) No Davenport appeared on the Personal Property Tax Lists of Campbell County before 1796 when Wilson Davenport, only son of Henry, Sr., and his second wife Ann Pemberton, hung out his shingle in Lynchburg and began a law practice. We'll take up his colorful story, fraught with all sorts of contradictions and implications of disinformation, later. For now, we stay with the Davenports of John, Sr., and the Masons. Davenports were not on the Campbell County Personal Property Tax Lists in the 1780s and early 1790s, but they were on the Land List, which made them eligible to sue and be sued in Campbell Court and to be dragooned into bystander jury duty when they happened to be in Rustburg on Campbell Court day. (William, Presley, Jack Smith, Jr., and Richard all did Campbell jury duty in the 1790s.) On 1Mar1786 Richard Davenport, we surmise--the Court record is not specific as to which Davenport, but Richard was the only one among the Charlotte Davenports who had the staying power that this legal mess required, sued Martin Mason, we surmise, for the Court minutes used only surnames relative to cases on the docket, adjudged or tried, apparently for damages. This was the beginning of seven years of continuous litigation--first as "Davenport vs. Mason" in Case, then "Mason vs. Davenport" in Assault & Battery, then "Mason vs. Davenport" in Chancery, and finally as "Mason vs. Davenport" in Damages. The court record is barebones cryptic, but we can deduce much from definitive data inscribed. Apparently, Richard Davenport, who owned well over 1,000 acres had sold a parcel of land to Mason. Mason was dissatisfied with his deed, either did not pay fully or bad mouthed Davenport, prompting Davenport to file the first suit in 1786. Davenport's suit was soon gone. In Nov1787, Mason sued Davenport for Assault & Battery, and got a trial verdict for L10 in damages. Then the big case began, Mason sued Davenport in Chancery (Equity). This went on and on, continued from Court to Court, depositions upon depositions. The Campbell Court recognized that it was hot potato that was heating up the country side and referred the case to the High Court of Chancery in Richmond--which immediately sent it back and ordered the Campbell Court to try the issues. On 2Aug1793 a Campbell jury rendered a verdict that Mason had been shown one tract of Davenport's land and had bought it, but had received a deed for another inferior tract. Davenport moved that the verdict be set aside as contrary to the evidence, which was denied. The money damages had to be determined by another trial, so "Mason vs. Davenport" was continued to get the deposition of James Mason, who was not an inhabitant of Virginia. Davenport apparently settled or he bought the land back from Mason's Executors in 1799 (deed research needed), for "Mason vs. Davenport" disappeared from Campbell docket thereafter. Twelve witnesses, none being Davenports although all witnesses were, save one, from Charlotte County, were certified for payment by the Court, including Thomas Paullet, John Mason, and Crotia Mason. Crotia was the only female. Another witness, Andrew Wallace, had been one of appraisers of the Estate of Jack Smith Davenport, late of Charlotte County, Decd., in 1782. Several of the other witnesses were identifiable as being adjoining landowners to Richard and William Davenport lands that straddled the Charlotte-Campbell line. In 1796 Jack Smith Davenport [Jr.] was a witness for Thomas Ford against James Mason. In another trial at the same Court William Davenport, brother of Richard and uncle of Jack Smith, and Jack Smith were witnesses for Thomas Ford against James Mason. In 1799, a deed from Mason's Executors to Davenport was proved in Campbell Court. In 1804 Richard Davenport was a witness for Robert Jennings against Peter Mason. All of the Davenport-Mason associations in the Campbell Court records were in opposition in one manner or another. Now, were these Davenports, descendants of Martin, Sr., of Hanover, related to these Masons, likely descendants of Richard Davenport, Sr., of Caroline? Were they litigious cousins? Next, I'll tell you about Melchezedick Brame, whose wife Mary was likely another daughter of Richard Davenport, Sr., of Caroline, and I'll introduce you to his grandson of the same name who lived in Meadesville, Halifax County, adjacent to Thomas Davenport (IV), the merchant and later Congressman. John Scott Davenport Holmdel, NJ

Again, my thanks for this wonderful research that you are doing on the DAVENPORT family. Since my husband descends from Davis Davenport via the only daughter, Ann Davenport who married Thomas Graves, we do not go further into the DAVENPORT lineage. I read every morsel of DAVENPORT history, however, since my husband's history also is deep in the Pamunkey area involving surnames: GRAVES, BARTLETT, HANCOCK, SMITH, and many others via family connections. Clues of interconnected families also bring forth clues to help me with the research of our surnames. Your digging into your roots and sharing your finds is greatly appreciated by this researcher. Thank you. Audrey (Shields) Hancock -----Original Message----- From: JSDDOC@aol.com [mailto:JSDDOC@aol.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 12:53 AM To: DAVENPORT-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [DAVENPORT] Relatives or Naming Coincidences? More Pamunkeys? PAMUNKEY KINFOLKS INTERESTED IN FAMILY HISTORY: Frankly, Cousins, from the responses I've been getting for the past several years I suspect that I've lost most you relative to Pamunkey Davenport Family History, that most of you are interested only in your own lineages and do share my enthusiasm for turning over rocks to expose our Virginia beginnings. Thunders of silence have greeted various discoveries, identifications, and historical revelations in recent years. I expected arguments relative to my identification of the wives of Henry Davenport, Sr. (first wife), of James Davenport, Sr., both sons of Thomas, Sr., of Cumberland, and of Richard Davenport, Gentleman, son of John, Sr., the Bankrupt, but not a peep was elicited. Where has all the fire gone? I'm likely extending my research beyond the patience of most of you, for I have the time and health to keep digging, and I am continually finding new facets of the Pamunkey Davenport history. Here's one recent development that demonstrates how fascinating my diggings in the old records has become. I have such a large data base now that relationships are literally jumping out when surname sorts are made. You'll recall that we identified circumstantially Crotia Mason, wife of John Mason of Caroline County, as a likely daughter of Richard Davenport, Sr., of Caroline, second son of Davis Davenport, our patriarch. John and Crotia Mason lived adjacent to Richard, Sr., for at least thirty-five years, and their son David Mason was the administrator of the Estates of both Richard Davenport, Sr. (1775) and his son David Davenport (1776). John Mason died in 1782. Crotia died in 1783. We've been beating the Crotia name origin horse to death vis-a-vis the Davenport-Kennedy connection over the past five years--and getting nowhere, so when we encountered the following records in Charlotte and Campbell counties, adjoining in west central Virginia south of the James River, we had to ask ourselves if we were experiencing reinforcement of our circumstantial identification of the Mason-Davenport relationship or was this a large chunk of coincidence, to wit: In Charlotte County deed books we found a 1790 deed of gift (all personal property including slaves) from William Mason to his eight children--namely James, John, Crotia Ann, Peter, Barbara, William, Claiborne, and David--with a special singling out of Crotia Ann, obviously his favorite. The deed was witnessed by Thomas Paullet and Thomas Ford. Both Paullet and Ford appear repetitiously in Charlotte records with the Davenports, namely William, Jack Smith, and Richard, sons of John, Sr., grandsons of Martin, Sr. of Hanover, and sons of the three. William Mason was located in the same general neighborhood as were the Davenports, had the same associates. Understand that the Davenport land in Charlotte was in the extreme northwest corner of the county, and when Campbell County was created in 1782, part of the Davenport lands fell into Campbell County, as did some of the Masons also. (In 1845 the Campbell part went into Appomattox County, but that's beyond our interest--for the moment.) No Davenport appeared on the Personal Property Tax Lists of Campbell County before 1796 when Wilson Davenport, only son of Henry, Sr., and his second wife Ann Pemberton, hung out his shingle in Lynchburg and began a law practice. We'll take up his colorful story, fraught with all sorts of contradictions and implications of disinformation, later. For now, we stay with the Davenports of John, Sr., and the Masons. Davenports were not on the Campbell County Personal Property Tax Lists in the 1780s and early 1790s, but they were on the Land List, which made them eligible to sue and be sued in Campbell Court and to be dragooned into bystander jury duty when they happened to be in Rustburg on Campbell Court day. (William, Presley, Jack Smith, Jr., and Richard all did Campbell jury duty in the 1790s.) On 1Mar1786 Richard Davenport, we surmise--the Court record is not specific as to which Davenport, but Richard was the only one among the Charlotte Davenports who had the staying power that this legal mess required, sued Martin Mason, we surmise, for the Court minutes used only surnames relative to cases on the docket, adjudged or tried, apparently for damages. This was the beginning of seven years of continuous litigation--first as "Davenport vs. Mason" in Case, then "Mason vs. Davenport" in Assault & Battery, then "Mason vs. Davenport" in Chancery, and finally as "Mason vs. Davenport" in Damages. The court record is barebones cryptic, but we can deduce much from definitive data inscribed. Apparently, Richard Davenport, who owned well over 1,000 acres had sold a parcel of land to Mason. Mason was dissatisfied with his deed, either did not pay fully or bad mouthed Davenport, prompting Davenport to file the first suit in 1786. Davenport's suit was soon gone. In Nov1787, Mason sued Davenport for Assault & Battery, and got a trial verdict for L10 in damages. Then the big case began, Mason sued Davenport in Chancery (Equity). This went on and on, continued from Court to Court, depositions upon depositions. The Campbell Court recognized that it was hot potato that was heating up the country side and referred the case to the High Court of Chancery in Richmond--which immediately sent it back and ordered the Campbell Court to try the issues. On 2Aug1793 a Campbell jury rendered a verdict that Mason had been shown one tract of Davenport's land and had bought it, but had received a deed for another inferior tract. Davenport moved that the verdict be set aside as contrary to the evidence, which was denied. The money damages had to be determined by another trial, so "Mason vs. Davenport" was continued to get the deposition of James Mason, who was not an inhabitant of Virginia. Davenport apparently settled or he bought the land back from Mason's Executors in 1799 (deed research needed), for "Mason vs. Davenport" disappeared from Campbell docket thereafter. Twelve witnesses, none being Davenports although all witnesses were, save one, from Charlotte County, were certified for payment by the Court, including Thomas Paullet, John Mason, and Crotia Mason. Crotia was the only female. Another witness, Andrew Wallace, had been one of appraisers of the Estate of Jack Smith Davenport, late of Charlotte County, Decd., in 1782. Several of the other witnesses were identifiable as being adjoining landowners to Richard and William Davenport lands that straddled the Charlotte-Campbell line. In 1796 Jack Smith Davenport [Jr.] was a witness for Thomas Ford against James Mason. In another trial at the same Court William Davenport, brother of Richard and uncle of Jack Smith, and Jack Smith were witnesses for Thomas Ford against James Mason. In 1799, a deed from Mason's Executors to Davenport was proved in Campbell Court. In 1804 Richard Davenport was a witness for Robert Jennings against Peter Mason. All of the Davenport-Mason associations in the Campbell Court records were in opposition in one manner or another. Now, were these Davenports, descendants of Martin, Sr., of Hanover, related to these Masons, likely descendants of Richard Davenport, Sr., of Caroline? Were they litigious cousins? Next, I'll tell you about Melchezedick Brame, whose wife Mary was likely another daughter of Richard Davenport, Sr., of Caroline, and I'll introduce you to his grandson of the same name who lived in Meadesville, Halifax County, adjacent to Thomas Davenport (IV), the merchant and later Congressman. John Scott Davenport Holmdel, NJ ============================== Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.1/309 - Release Date: 4/11/2006