Davenport, John, 1597-1670

John Davenport (1597-1669/70) was reared in Coventry, Warwickshire, England. He was curate of St. Lawrence Jewry in London from 1619 to 1624, and graduated from Oxford in 1625. Davenport served as vicar of St. Stephen's parish in London from 1625 to 1633. In that year he fled to Amsterdam, Holland, when his increasingly Puritan views incurred the disfavor of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud (1573-1645). In 1637, Davenport arrived in Boston, Mass., and became first minister of the New Haven Colony in 1638. He became actively involved in opposing the views of the Synod of 1662 (which resulted in the Half-Way Covenant), as well as apposing the consolidation of New Haven with the Connecticut colony. In 1667, amidst much scandal concerning the manner of his dismissal from the New Haven parish, Davenport became pastor of the First Church in Boston, Mass., where he died two years later.

From the description of Papers, c. 1633-1665. (American Antiquarian Society). WorldCat record id: 191259287

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