John Scott Davenport: I was intrigued by your letter below, and wonder if you can help me with a Davenport problem. I have Davenport roots which go back to Ambrose R. Davenport who was born in Richmond, Virginia on 11 September 1771. Other information about him is presented in the following obituary upon his death in 1858. He married a Mackinac Island woman named Elizabeth Blatchford. I have a great deal of information about his family and activities, but nothing about his parents and their roots. I just wonder if any of this "rings a bell" in your fabulous information about the Davenvports of Virginia which would pertain to Ambrose R. Davenport. Any information or suggestions at all will be greatly appreciated. Obituary in the Mackinac Herald of March 19, 1858 Death of Mr. Davenport.--It is with feelings of regret that we announce the death of one of our oldest and most respected citizens, Ambrose R. Davenport, who departed this life on Saturday evening last (about 11 May 1858), at the advanced age of eighty-seven and a half years. The demise of this gentleman who for many years was a prominent actor in the stirring scenes connected with the early history of the country, is an event that cannot fail to awaken emotions of grief in the breast of every citizen. Mr. Davenport was born in Richmond, Virginia, September 11, 1771, and emigrated to this island at the same time the Americans first took possession of Fort Mackinac in 1796, when the British Government surrendered the western posts to the United States, under "Jay's Treaty." He served in the army some eleven years; was in 1812, with the American troops made a prisoner of war, and taken to Detroit, where he was allowed to depart on parole. He returned in 1814, under Colonel Crogan, who made an unsuccessful attack on the Fort, at which time the brave Major Holmes was killed. This post was restored to the United States by the Treaty of Ghent, when he again returned, and ever since has reared a family of thirteen children, eight of whom survive; had fifty-six grand-children, forty-one of whom are living, and thirty-two great grand children, twenty-eight of whom are still alive - and most of them witnessed his last illness and death. Mackinac Herald, March 19th, 1858. Dr. Woodrow W. Morris Iowa City, Iowa >Melanie of Greenville: > > By location and antecedents given, you're of Newberry Davenport descent. >I am putting this reply on the DAVENPORT-L Rootsweb because there are a >number of Newberries thereon who can help you trace your roots. I appreciate >knowing that you have a brother named John Scott Davenport, for I will no >longer consider myself unique in that regard. Although I really haven't >thought too much about it--I started using the Scott back in 1948 when I was >on the faculty of Indiana University and got called on the carpet by the >University President because I had allegedly hit a policeman in Indianapolis >while being drunk and disorderly. A case of mistaken identify which I easily >established. The culprit had been a John A. Davenport of Fort Wayne, an >ex-GI who was an IU graduate student. Thereafter, I was no longer John >Davenport, was and have been since John Scott Davenport. I do have Scott >ancestry (a great-grandmother was a Scott from Delaware), but I was named, >according to my late Mother, for a best friend of my father, who was Chief of >Police of Decatur, Illinois, when I was born, and had an assistant chief >named Scott Guiliford. > > Great things are happening in Newberry Davenport research. A missing >link is being worked on--which, if and when made, will connect the Newberry >Davenports back to 1066 or thereabouts, and include a number of English >nobles in the descent. > > Thank you for your kind comments. > >John Scott Davenport, Ph.D. >Holmdel, NJ > > >==== DAVENPORT Mailing List ==== >Concerned about computer viruses, cookies, copyright, spam? >See Internet Stuff You Need To Know at >http://www.cyndislist.com/internet.htm > >============================== >Free Web space. ANY amount. ANY subject. >RootsWeb's Freepages put you in touch with millions. >http://cgi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/acctform.cgi