DAVENPORT, JonN (1597-1670). An emi nent Puritan clergyman, one of the founders of the New Haven Colony in Connecticut. He was born in Coventry, England; studied at Oxford University from 1013 to 1015; acted for about a year as chaplain at Hilton Castle, near Durham; and from 1616 to 1633 was a preacher in London, "where," says Cotton Mather, "his notable ac complishments for a minister and his courageous residence with and visiting, of his flock, in a dreadful plague-time (16251. caused much no tice to be quickly taken of him." In 1025 he passed the examinations at Oxford for the de grees of B.D. and M.A. He came into conflict with the ecclesiastical officers, especially with Archbishop Laud on account of his non-eonform ing tendencies, and in 1633 withdrew from the Established Church and removed to Amsterdam, Holland, whence he returned, however, in 1636. after engaging in a controversy with the Dutch classis on the subject of indiscriminate or pro miscuous baptism of infants. In 1637, eluding time authorities, he embarked for Massachusetts, whose charter he had assisted in obtaining in 1629, and in June arrived at Boston, where he remained for nine months, during which time he took a prominent part in the famous Ecclesias tical Synod at Cambridge. He cooperated with Theophilus Eaton (q.v.) in founding the colony of New Haven in April, 1638, and here, as min ister and as one of the 'seven pillars' of the civil government, he exercised a powerful influence over both civil and ecclesiastical affairs. In 1661
he concealed the regicides Goffe and Whalley (qq.v.) for more than a month in his own house. Ile strongly opposed the union of the New Haven and Connecticut colonies, which was effected in 1665, and three years later accepted a call to succeed John Wilson, the original pastor, as pastor of the First Church in Boston, his election to the position causing the secession of part of the congregation, who opposed his views on the 'half-way covenant,' and who, after withdrawing, organized the famous Old South Church. He was one of the editors of the works of the celebrated Dr. John Preston, the leader for some time of the Puritan party in England, and published a number of volumes dealing for the most part Nvith theological subjects, and including: Dis course About Civil Government in a New Plan tation, Whose Design is Religion (1663) ; The Knowledge of Christ Indispensably Required of .111 Men that Would Bc Saved (1653) ; The Power of Congregational Churches Asserted and Vindicated (1672) ; The Saints' Anchor-Hold (1661) ; and (with William Hooke) A Gate ehisme Containing the Chief Heads of Christian Religion (1659). Consult: "A Sketch of the Life and Writings of John Davenport," by Dexter, in the Papers of the New Haven Colony Historical Society, vol. ii. (New Haven, 1877) ; and a chap ter in Mather, Magnalia (London, 1702).