Namesake
John Davenport was born in 1597 to draper and Mayor of Coventry Henry Davenport and Winifred Barnaby. He attended Oxford University for a three year stint starting in 1613 before leaving without a degree. He returned to Oxford to finish his MA and BD after serving as the chaplain of Hilton Castle and vicar of St. Stephen's Church in London. In 1633 he resigned from the Church of England after several disputes with the senior clergy.
In 1638 he sailed to North America with his congregation and a patent for a colony in Massachusetts. One year later he co-founded the city of New Haven with Theophilus Eaton and served as its burgess until his departure to Boston 30 years later. He is also credited with co-founding the nearby Hopkins School.
In 1668, Davenport left New Haven to serve as the pastor of the First Church of Boston. His invitation to that position was not without opposition due to his strict Puritan values, especially regarding infant baptism. Davenport died of apoplexy less than two years later.
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