Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W 17711, John Davenport, Conn.

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(3-1776)

Service||Number
Conn. | Davenport, John|W17711
|Mary S.

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2.602
Connecticut
__________

Mary S. Davenport
widow of John Davenport Con
who died on the 28th November 1830
of Fairfield in the State of Ct
who was a Major in the Company [crossed out] commanded by Captain Conn of the Regt commanded by Col. Enos in the Ct line for 14 mos & 2 days
_________
Inscribed on the Roll of Connt
at the rate of 351 Dollars 67 Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831
_________
Certificate of Pension issued the 15th day of Apl 1839 and sent Chs Hawley, Stamford Ct.
_________
Arrears to the 4th of Mar 39 $1055.01
Semi-annual allowance ending 4 Sept. $175.83
_____________
$1.230.84
{Revolutionary Claim,}
{Act July 4, 1836}
{Section the 3rd}

Recorded by D.D. Addison Clerk Book A Vol. 1st Page 67

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1607 
Mary S. Davenport
Wid of John
Conn
Act 4 July 1836
Married 1780
Died 1830
14 mos 12 days as
Major is $357
[illegible]

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State of Connecticut
County of Fairfield

Probate District of Stamford

on the 20th day of august A.D. 1838 personally appeared before the Court of Probate in the district aforesaid Mary S. Davenport a resident of the Town of Stamford in said County of Fairfield of State of Connecticut aged eighty three years who being first duly sworn according to law doth under oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 4 1836 if by the facts hereinafter set forth & substantiated she shall be found entitled to the same, but if not then in order to obtain the provisions made by the act of Congress passed July 7th 1838 entitled "an act granting half pay of pensions to certain widows"--that she is the widow of John Davenport deceased late of said Stamford who was during all the revolution was & until a few years before his decease John Davenport Junior of said Stamford. that said John Davenport was a major in a corps of troops raised by said State of Connecticut in the year 1777 to serve against the public enemy. that said corps consisted of two battalions raised by the General Assembly of Connecticut in May 1777 to serve until the 1st of January 1778. That said John was at the same time appointed a major in said Corps & from the 1st day of June following viz in Jun 1777 the public service in said corps of [illegible] until the 1st day of January 1778 being the full span of seven months. that Col. Roger Enos was a colonel of said corps & said John served under him. And his services were rendered in [illegible] Peekskill, Fishkill, Kingsbridge, & Mamaroneck in New York & terminated around Horseneck which is in Connecticut where the term ended & he was discharged--she well recollects the fact of his long continuous absence, tho before their marriage, as she then lived near him, but derives these particulars from the public record of the testimony of John Dibble which she hereby forwards--[illegible] all this was steady Drill or garrison service of such [illegible] John did not & could not during said time follow any civil pursuit--[illegible] afterwards said John Davenport served against the enemy for seven months as major of the Connecticut militia--the term even included some time in April 1779 and seven months thereafter some time in November of the same year this tour of duty she is unable now to prove by any living witness not knowing any one who has knowledge of the fact--but she derives her knowledge of these services from the records which she herewith forwards --the services were rendered in Stamford, Horseneck & elsewhere on the lines as she supposes, as those places were [illegible] for many years--

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no further particulars of these services but has a general recollection from living in his immediate neighbourhood that he was much & often out on duty during the time--
These were all services rendered after the marriage of the applicant to said John. After that event in the year 1781 said John was one in service against the enemy at [illegible] neck in (then Stamford/now Darien where was a skirmish with the enemy in which we had a man killed. 2 the same year when Norwalk was burned he was again out in service against the enemy--in the same year again (she thinks in July when the enemy assails & captured the Congregation in the meeting house in Darien on the Sabbath--in the same year (the time she cannot tell) he was again out in service at [illegible] in said Stamford & once on another occasion out in service in Greenwich where the enemy came [illegible] not knowing that he was out on either of these occasions more than one day, but was one day at least on each of [illegible] --she well recollects herself his being out on these 3 occasions which she can not specify & for his services rendered after her marriage the [illegible] a pension under the law of July 4th 1836.
She further declares that she was married to the said John Davenport then John Davenport Junior on the 7th day of May in the year one Thousand seven hundred & eighty by Col. Abraham Davenport then of said Stamford long since deceased then a justice of the peace & a [illegible]--that her maiden name was Mary S. Welles--that she believed the aforesaid John Davenport died on the [illegible] day of November AD 1830--that she was married to him prior to his service above stated [illegible] in 1781 but was not married to him prior to his leaving the services rendered in 1777 & 1779 but the marriage took place previous to the first of January seventeen hundred & ninety four viz at the time above stated--that she has never married since the death of said John Davenport but has ever been & still is his widow--and she asks such pension as the facts above set forth entitle her to. --the [illegible] her name at length, before her marriage was Mary Sylvester Welles--she has no [illegible] evidence of the above [illegible] services other than that which this [illegible]--
Mary S Davenport
Sworn to & subscribed
the day of year first above [illegible] I certify that 4th next after July on the other page was written in an ink bleu [illegible] now of force before signature or oath & "28th" & "1830" on this page were partially blotted as they were [illegible] before signature or oath--New words "a resident" were also interlined before signature or oath
Joshua B Ferris Judge

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and sworn this 13th day of September AD 1831 before said Court personally appears Theodore Davenport Esq. of town Stamford aged forty six years who being duly sworn doth on his oath say that he is the son of said John Davenport and and of said Mary S. Davenport --that his father the said John died on the 28th day of November AD 1830--he was at the [illegible] of his said father when he died & attended his funeral--that Mary has never remarried 
[illegible]
Sworn to & subscribed the day given and aforesaid before me & I certify that the deponent is a credible person
Theodore Davenport
Joshua B Ferris Judge

and the said court doth after due investigation of this matter & on the foregoing testimony find that the said Mary S. Davenport is the widow of John Davenport formerly John Davenport Junior--that they were married by Abraham Davenport Esq. now decd then justice of the peace [illegible] being by virtue of his office a Justice of the peace on the 7th day of May 1780 that this John Davenport died on the 28th day of November AD 1830--that he served as in her application & in the war of the Revolution as a [illegible]--that she has never married since his decease but is still his widow.

Joshua B. Ferris Judge

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I Sands Seely clerk of the Court of Probate for the District of Stamford in Connecticut do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of said Court in the matter of the application of Mary S. Davenport for a pension. In testimony whereof I have herunto set my hand & seal of office this 14th day of September AD 1838
Sands Seely Clerk
[Seal]

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John Davenport Junr & Mary Silvester Welles were married by Abrm Davenport Esq. Assit. . .  on May seventh one thousand seven hundred & eighty--

I certify that the above is a true copy of the record with the exception of the date which is expressed on the record in fair legible figures as follows-- "May 7th 1780--"

Seymour Jarvis, ,Town Clerk of Stamford in the County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut

I Seymour Jarvis above named depose & say that I hold the office of Town Clerk, in the County, Town, and State aforesaid, & that the above is a true extract from the records of said town of Stamford, with the exception above named, as certified by me.
Seymore Jarvis, Clerk
of the Town of Stamford

State of Connecticut
County of Fairfield  
fr. Probate District of Stamford
on this 14th day of September AD 1838 before said Court personally appeared Seymour Jarvis above named known personally by me to be a credible person & under solemn oath that the foregoing certificate affidavit by him subscribed are true--I further certify that said Seymour Jarvis is Town Clerk of said town of Stamford
Joshua B Ferris Judge

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Revy WIDOW, &c.

File No. 17711
Mary S. Davenport
Widow of 
John Davenport
Major Rev War
Act: July 4th 36
Index:--Vol. A, Page 171
[Arrangement of 1870.]

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Comptrollers Office
Hartford Connecticut
November 2d 1836

I certify that it appears from the state records of this state that the General Assembly at its May session in 1777 passed a Resolution to raise two Battalions of 728 men each for the defense of the State, said Battalions to serve till the first of January 1778, and that they appointed Roger Enos & John Ely to be Colonels James Arnold & Seth Smith to be Lieutenant Colonels & Elias Buell & John Davenport to be Majors of said Battalions on the Pay table Books in this Office Jany 17th 1773 "By account rendered by Col. Arnold for wages of Field & Staff Officers of his Regiment £665_15_6_" 
I further certify that Col. Roger Enos is credited on the same Books Jany 22d 1778 By account rendered for his Field & Staff £689_10_11.
Wm Field Comptroller
I further certify that Major John Davenport is credited on Haskells Receipts under the head of "Militia services from April to November 1779" £ 968_8_ Nominal money
Wm Field Comptroller

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At a General Assembly of the Governor and company of the State of Connecticut in New England in America holden at Hartford on the second Thursday of May (being the eighth day of said month and continued by several adjournments until the seventh day of June next following) Anno Dom 1777--

This Assembly do appoint John Davenport Jnr to be major in the two Battalions now to be raised in this State

State of Connecticut office of the Secretary of State October 20th, 1836
I hereby certify that the above is a true copy of Record in this office 
In testimony whereof I have affixed the seal of this State and signed the same-
[seal]
Royal R. Hinman Secretary

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and now on this 1st day of September AD 1838 before said Court of Probate personally appeared John Dibble of Darien in said District who being duly sworn doth testify that in the Revolutionary War in the year 1777 he enlisted in a corps of troops raised by this State of Connecticut to serve against the enemy & thence forth steadily served for the term of seven months which ended January 1 1778--that his enlistment was in or about June 1 1777--[illegible] Scofield now decd was his Captain. Roger Enos was his Colonel & John Davenport Jr late of Stamford now decd his major--said John Davenport served steadily as Major during the whole term of seven months--one Smith according to deponents recollection was Lt. Col. --we first went to Horseneck then to Peekskill in New York--then ordered down to Kingsbridge where we had a light scratch with the enemy then went back to Peekskill--thence to said [illegible] then after a while to Fishkill in New York where we staid till Burgoyne was taken --thence down to Mamaroneck then down toward New York City--then back to Mamaroneck thence to Horseneck where we staid till our term ended and we were discharged--during all this time said Davenport was out with us in steady service as a major & was constantly engaged in the public service & followed no civil pursuit.
Deponent also saw him out in service in said Darien, then a part of Stamford the day Norwalk was burned which was in 1781 according to deponents recollection. Also on one other occasion in the same year when the congregation were taken from the meeting house in said Darien by the enemy--but he does not know that he was out more than one day on either of those occasions--Deponents age is seventy nine years since Dec last
(The word "[illegible]" was intended before signature or [illegible])
John Dibble
Sworn & subscribed on the day & year above written before me & I certify that I know the deponent & that he is a credible person
Joshua B Ferris Judge

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and on the same day of September 1838 here [illegible] appeared before the Court Thaddeus Bell of said Darien aged seventy nine hears who being duly sworn doth testify that he [illegible] knew said John Davenport & knows that he was a major in the public service during the Revolutionary War--he has knowledge of his services only by reputation of the [illegible] except that he knows that in June 1781 said John was out in serve against the enemy at [illegible] Neck in P. Darien then a part of said Stamford, deponent was there & saw said John there we had a man killed there and John had command of all of our troops [illegible] Deponent also once saw him out in service at Horseneck against the enemy this was he thinks in 1779--
Deponent does not know that he was our more than one day on either of those occasions. He was for several years Major with the H Regiment (9th) of Connecticut Militia to which Deponent belonged--

Thaddeus Bell
Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid before me & I certify that the deponent is a credible person
Joshua B. Ferris Judge

and on the same day of September 1838 before said Court personally appeared Benjamin Weed of said Darien aged seventy nine years who being first duly sworn deposes & says that he well knows said John Davenport & knows by [illegible] that he was a major in the public service in the Revolutionary War. Deponent saw him out against the enemy at P. Darien when the Congregation were taken by the enemy from the meeting house & on another occasion in the warm weather in 1781 again at Shippan in said Stamford when there was a very hot fight between some whale boats on the Town near our shore defense does not know that he was out more than one day on each of these occasions
Benjamin Weed
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid & I certify that the deponent is a credible person
Joshua B. Ferris Judge

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Jon Davenport
May 1777 to Jan 1 1778 Major 7 mo. Col Enos
[illegible] to Nov 79 7"
Mar 1780 decd 1830
7 mo [illegible]

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Stamford Sept 16, 1838
Hon. J. L. Edwards

Sir
I forward the application of Mary S. Davenport for a pension. You will perceive it is drawn for a pension under the law of 1836 if the services rendered after the marriage are of such a character as to entitle under that law if not, under the law of 1838.
The marriage was performed by Col Abm. Davenport "Assistant." These assistants before the formalities of our Constitution in 1818 constituted what has been since our Senate. they were [illegible] office justices of the peace throughout the State as you will see by reference to any edition of our Statutes earlier in Date to the Revision of 182 --see for instance the Edition of 1808 p[age 423 dec. 6--
Please communicate to me the result. If the services after the marriage are of such a character as warrant by your practice an allowance, other testimony can probably be found, if that testimony should not be [illegible] to suffice; tho as the deponents are among our most reputable citizens it is presumed this testimony will be satisfactory.
With much respect
Your [illegible] service
Chs. Hawley