{"id":109483,"date":"2026-07-15T08:40:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T12:40:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/?p=109483"},"modified":"2026-07-15T08:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T12:40:57","slug":"tracing-my-davenport-family-line-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/tracing-my-davenport-family-line-part-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Tracing My Davenport Family Line (part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> Melissa Davenport Berry writes more about her Davenport family history, going back to the Colonial era. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today I continue my \u201cTracing My Davenport Family Line\u201d series with a look at my ancestors in Newburyport, Massachusetts, from the mid-18th through the late 19th century, and GenealogyBank\u2019s archives proved to be a valuable tool.<\/p>\n

My great-grandmother Melissa Cross (Davenport) Phelps (1874-1910) was the last of my line to live in Newburyport.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Melissa Cross (Davenport) Phelps. Credit: Melissa Davenport Berry. (AI enhanced)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I found Melissa listed in the 1880 census with her family, living on Parsons Street, through a GenealogyBank search.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: 1880 census record for the Davenport family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1875 a party was held to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of my 3rd grandparents Anthony Davenport Jr. and Sarah Jackson (Little) Davenport, who lived on Beck Street.<\/p>\n

A fellow history buff Jack Rybicki helped me find the house as the street and numbered houses changed over time.<\/p>\n

I found Anthony and Sarah in the 1880 census through another GenealogyBank search.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: 1880 census record for Anthony and Sarah Davenport and their daughter Katharine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I found the original deed<\/a> revealing that John Beck, housewright, sold the building to Anthony Davenport Sr. and his brother Moses Davenport, both born to Captain William Davenport and Sarah (Gerrish) Davenport.<\/p>\n

Next, I found several advertisements placed by Anthony Davenport Sr., such as this one from 1812 to lease out one half of a three-story house \u201cconvenient for one family\u201d on Beck Street.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Newburyport Herald (Newburyport, Massachusetts), 10 November 1812, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An 1842 deed<\/a> lists the property as part of Anthony Davenport Sr.\u2019s estate, from which his daughter Mary (Davenport) Coffin (1783-1857) inherited a portion. Mary Davenport, daughter of Anthony Davenport Sr. and his first wife Elizabeth (Woodburn) Davenport, married Charles Coffin, Esq., son of Paul Coffin and Mary (Gorham) Coffin.<\/p>\n

\"Illustrations:
Illustrations: Mary and Charles Coffin, by John Brewster Jr., 1808. Credit: Sotheby\u2019s Auction House. (AI enhanced)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mary relinquished her inherited part of the property, described as an undivided house on Beck Street \u201cbounded southwesterly on Nathan S. Plumer\u2019s land, northeasterly on Thomas Pritchard and others, northwesterly on land of Mrs. Mycall through the centre of the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

The house is shown in these arial photos of 19 Beck Street. It has been restored and renovated. You can also take a video tour<\/a> of this stunning house.<\/p>\n

\"Photos:
Photos: 19 Beck Street house, Newburyport, Massachusetts. (AI enhanced)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now, back to that 1875 anniversary party for Anthony and Sarah\u2019s 50th wedding anniversary, held at the Beck Street house. I found a newspaper clip entitled \u201cGolden Anniversary,\u201d which covered the celebratory party.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Newburyport Morning Herald (Newburyport, Massachusetts), 11 May 1875, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reports:<\/p>\n

Golden Wedding. The principal social event of the season was the golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Davenport, which came off Monday evening at their residence on Beck Street. Over two hundred invitations were issued, which were generally responded to; and of all good times we may safely say there was never a better one. The rooms were finely decorated with flowers and vines, an arch of evergreens in the reception room bearing the motto in gold letters \u201cOur Golden Wedding,\u201d which was flanked by two wreaths bearing the dates 1825 and 1875. Among the pictures on the walls was a photograph of an old wood cut of the Wolfe Tavern<\/a>, which Capt. William Davenport, grandfather of our host, opened after his return from the taking of Quebec, where he fought under Gen. Wolfe [in 1759 during the French and Indian War]. The first sign was a wolf\u2019s head, which was the arms of the General, though when Anthony Davenport the first, his son, inherited the inn, he changed the wolf\u2019s head for the general\u2019s portrait, which swung to the breeze till within less than ten years.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[Below is a reproduction of the Wolfe Tavern sign as it appeared in 1762.]<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Wolfe Tavern sign, 1762. Credit: the late James Zafris.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anthony Davenport, father of our friend, entertained at the Wolfe Tavern, a hundred years ago, the soldiers who were going to and coming from Lexington and Bunker Hill \u2013 alas, a sudden falling off from the loyalty of his father, who fought under good King George on the Heights of Abraham. Mr. Davenport is the youngest of thirteen children, eleven of whom lived to adult age. This is the second golden wedding in the family, Mrs. DeFord, wife of Samuel T. DeFord<\/a>, who celebrated recently her fiftieth anniversary, being his sister [Catherine Greenleaf Davenport]. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport were married by the celebrated Dr. Payson, of Portland, and they are the parents of nine children, three of whom were in the Union Army during the recent war [Albert Wood Davenport killed in Virginia in 1863; George Davenport; and Edward Little Davenport]. Mr. Edward Davenport, who edited the Newbern Progress<\/em> while our army occupied that city, is at present the editor and publisher of the Ipswich<\/em> Chronicle<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: \u201cIpswich Chronicle,\u201d 1873. Credit: Melissa Davenport Berry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mr. Davenport has at present but seven grandchildren, but his father left thirty-eight, and we trust he will remain with us till he has doubled that number.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[Below is a photo of four of Anthony Davenport Jr. and Sarah Davenport\u2019s grandchildren, born to their son Edward Little Davenport and his wife, Sophronia Angelina (Cross) Davenport, including my grandmother, Melissa Cross Davenport. In this photo we see (left to right): John Greenleaf Davenport; Melissa Cross (Davenport) Phelps and her husband Frederick Winsor Phelps; Sally\/Sallie Harris Davenport; and Edward Little Davenport Jr.]<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Davenport family. Credit: Melissa Davenport Berry. (AI enhanced)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We believe the relatives and friends present and the letters of congratulation represented half the states in the Union, and among the latter was one specially worthy of note. It was from Joseph Harrod<\/a>, of New York State, who received the invitation to the wedding while he was celebrating his ninetieth birthday, and he immediately wrote a reply, without glasses, in an elegant antique correct hand, almost equal to copper plate, which was on the table among the presents contributed by the many friends of the bride and bridegroom.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Illustration:
Illustration: Joseph Harrod. Credit: American Aristocracy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To be continued\u2026<\/p>\n

Create a free account<\/a> at GenealogyBank for 7 days to start your journey and discover the stories your ancestors left behind.<\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> Davenport-Greeley House, 78 State Street, Newburyport, Massachusetts. Credit: Tate and Foss.<\/p>\n

Related Article:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n