CAPESTHORNE HALL

Grid Ref. SJ 843 728
Dates: 6 May 2001, 15 Feb 2003, 13 April 2013 &13 June 2020

Capesthorne Hall, 13 June 2020

Capesthorne Hall		Chapel Interior
Capesthorne over icy lake, 15 February 2003		Bridge over the ice

The house was originally of seven bays, and built for John Ward by Francis Smith in 1732/3. The house was remodelled for Edward Davies Davenport by Edward Blore 1839-42 but in 1861 the centre block was destroyed by fire. The hall was restored by Anthony Salvin with later work by him in 1879. (Note from de Figueiredo & Treuhertz)

The Davenport Family

The Davenport family developed branches at Davenport, Calveley, Wheltrough, Woodford, Capesthorne and Bramall.

The Davenports of Davenport in Astbury, which was the original seat, traced its origins to Ormus de Davenport, alive at the time of the Norman Conquest. He received the manor of Davenport from the Venables of Kinderton, the original Norman feudal Lords. Ormus had a son Richard who in 1166 became the chief forester of the forests of Leek and Macclesfield. At a later date the family acquired the hereditary role of Magistrate Sergeants of the Forest of Macclesfield with local legal powers to prosecute and punish criminals. This led to the felon's head becoming part of the family arms as shown below. The photograph is a detail on a building in Marton.

The Davenports of Davenport became extinct in the male line when John Davenport died in 1677. However, a John Davenport who lived in the reign of Elizabeth I had eleven younger sons, some of whom were probably ancestors of Davenport families in other parts of the country. In 1677, Davenport passed with the marriage of Elizabeth, the co-heiress of John Davenport, to Robert Davies of Manley. His heiress took Davenport to Sir Matthew Deane who left no issue. Elizabeth's sister, Anne, married John Davenport of Woodford but had no issue.

The Davenports of Calveley, who became extinct in the male line in 1771, were descended from Arthur, a younger son of Sir Ralph Davenport of Davenport who, in the reign of Edward III, married the Calveley heiress. (See below)

The Davenports of Weltrough descended from Thomas, a younger son of Sir Thomas Davenport of Davenport, who lived in the reign of Edward III. Sir Thomas gave this son an estate in Lower Withington called Tunsted, afterwards Wheltrough. John and Jenkin were the younger sons of Thomas Davenport of Wheltrough. John, the second son, married the Bramall heiress. Jenkin, the third son, had the manor of Woodford and his eldest son gave rise to the Davenports of Henbury who became extinct in the male line in the 17th century. Jenkin's third son, Nicholas was the ancestor of Davies Davenport of Capesthorne as described below. The Davenports of Woodford were connected by marriage with several Cheshire families including the Maseys of Timperley, the Ardernes of Stockport, the Savages of Rocksavage and the Venables of Kinderton.

In the 18th and early 19th centuries the principal figures giving rise to the Davenports of Capesthorne are shown below.

Sources:

Burke's Landed Gentry, 1879
Old Cheshire Families and Their Seats, by Lionel M. Angus-Butterworth, 1932
Magna Britannia, D. and S. Lysons, 1810

• 1.  Mark Davenport of Woodford
  + Elizabeth the daughter of John Davies, Esq. of Manley, Cheshire.
  • 2.   Davies Davenport I, Esq., of Woodford and Marton, was born in 1696 and became a barrister of the Inner Temple, London. On 19 Oct. 1721 he married Penelope* (according to Angus-Butterworth, but Mary according to Burke) the daughter and sole heiress of John Ward, Esq. of Capesthorne. Her family had held Capesthorne since 1386. He had two sons, Davies, his heir and Charles, born 1735 who became Rector of Brereton.
    • 3.   Davies Davenport II, Esq. of Woodford, Marton and Capesthorne, was born 20 October 1723 and became a barrister of the Inner Temple, London.  Buried Capesthorne, 16 February 1758.
    • + Phoebe, second daughter and co-heir of Richard Davenport, Esq. of Calveley (who was descended from Arthur, younger son of Sir Ralph Davenport of Davenport and his wife who was the heiress of Calveley.) Phoebe was baptised at Bunbury 6 Sept. 1735 and buried at Capesthorne on 27 Kept 1757. They had a son and heir, Davies.
      • 4.  Davies Davenport III, Esq. of Woodford, Marton, Calveley and Capesthorne, born 29 August 1758. He became High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1783 and MP for Cheshire from 1806 to 1830. He died on 5 April 1837. His heir was Edward Davies Davenport.
        + Charlotte, the daughter of Ralph Sneyd, Esq., of Keele, Staffordshire.
        • 5. Edward Davies Davenport, Esq. of Capesthorne, and Court Garden, Bucks, born 27 April 1778. He was an MP, died 1853.
          + Caroline Anne, daughter of Richard Hunt, Esq. of Wirksworth, Derbyshire on 30 November 1830.
          • 6.   Arthur Henry Davenport, Esq. of Capesthorne, born 9 June 1832, joined the 1st Life Guards, died a bachelor in 1868 and was succeeded by his cousin, William Bromley Davenport.
        • 5.   Henry Davenport, Lieu Col. in the 87th Regiment, died 1833.
        • 5.   Reverend Walter Davenport of Wooton Hall, Derbyshire and Baginton, who assumed the additional surname of Bromley in 1822 after inheriting the Baginton estate in Warwickshire from his grandmother's sister Bridget.
        • + 1st, Caroline Barbara, daughter of the Ven. James Gooch, Archdeacon of Sudbury, 28 July 1818. (He married second, 22 February 1829, Lady Louisa Dawson, daughter of John 1st Earl of Portarlington.) By the first marriage he had a son and heir William. He died in 1862.
          • 6. William Bromley Davenport, Esq. of Capesthorne, Calveley and Baginton, born 1821 (but see plaque below) and assumed the name of Bromley Davenport in 1868. Became an MP.
        • 5. Harriet Katherine Davenport, married Hon. Sir John Williams, Knt. Judge of Queen's Bench.

*History of Cheshire by J. H. Hanshall, Chester, 1823 (Macclesfield Library) gives her name as Mary the eldest daughter of John Ward whereas Cheshire Country Houses by de Figueiredo & Treuhertz gives it as Penelope. A search of the International Genealogical Index found the marriage record with the correct date at Kensington, London, showing that the name was Penelope.

Plaque in Lichfield Cathedral		Davenport Arms on a building in Marton

The inscription on the plaque above reads:

The Statue of Richard 1st on the West Front and This Tablet are placed in memory of Colonel William Bromley Davenport QORY, MP, DL, ADC to the Queen By the Officers, NC Officers and Yeomen of the QORY As a token of the sincere affection & esteem with which he was regarded as Colonel Commanding the regiment Born 20 Aug 1822. Died at Lichfield 15 June 1884. My Times are in Thy Hand

Davenport of Calveley

Hugh de Calveley, was Lord of Calveley in the reign of King John. Hugh's great great granddaughter, Katherine, was the daughter and heiress of Robert de Calveley. She married, sometime prior to 1369, Arthur de Davenport the 6th son of John Davenport of Davenport, Knight, by Margery the daughter of Sir W. Brereton, Knight. In this way Calveley came into this branch of the Davenport family. There is an article on the two families in Cheshire Sheaf, 3rd series, 15, 1920, 15-16.

The generations of interest to the situation in the late 18th century are shown below showing the two heiresses, Bridget, who married John Bromley of Baginton and Phoebe who married Davies Davenport. William Davenport Bromley died without issue in 1810 and subsequently the Calveley and Baginton estates went to the descendants of Bridget's sister Phoebe. With the demise of the line from Phoebe's first two sons, all the estates were united in William Bromley Davenport of Capesthorne, Calveley and Baginton.

• 1.  Richard Davenport of Davenport and Calveley Esq., died 1771.
  +   Phoebe, daughter of Joseph Bagnall of Roehampton. This couple had two daughters.
  • 2. Bridget Davenport, eldest daughter and co-heiress, baptised 18 October 1732.
  • + John Bromley of Baginton, Warwickshire. They had three daughters who died without issue and one son.
    • 3. William Davenport Bromley of Calveley who died without issue in 1810.
  • 2. Phoebe Davenport, second daughter and co-heiress, baptised 6 September 1735, buried Capesthorne, 27 Sept. 1757
  • + Davies Davenport II of Capesthorne, born 2 October 1723, buried Capesthorne, 16 Feb. 1758. See the tree above for this couple.

The gravestone shown below is in the North aisle of the church of Bunbury which lies near Calveley. It reads: HERE LYETH THE BODY OF MRS SARAH DAVENPORT THE WIFE OF GEORGE DAVENPORT OF CALVELY ESQR WHO DYED JANUARY 29 1695. In the same church you can see an effigy of Sir Hugh de Calveley who lived 1315-1394.

Stuart Raymond in Cheshire: A Genealogical Bibliography, Vol. 2, gives the following additional references to Davenport genealogy.

A History of the Davenport family in England and America from 1086 to 1850 by Benedict Amzi, published in New York by S. W. Benedict in 1851 which covers mainly the American branch from the 16th century.
The Early History of the Davenports of Davenport, ed. by T. P. Highet, Chetham Society, 3rd series, 9, 1960.
The Tudor Davenports of Cheshire, by Margaret Silke in North West Catholic History, 1972-3, pp. 52-95.

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