The Davenport Children

John, Elijah, and Nathaniel were children of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Davenport.

Nathaniel Davenport came to Shrewsbury, MA from Bridgewater, MA with his new wife Lucy in 1730. Lucy died in October that year a few weeks after the birth of their first and only child, a daughter named Lucy. I do not know what became of Lucy the younger, as she does not appear in any records other than that of her birth. She likely died soon after her mother.

By 1733 Nathaniel had married a woman named Elizabeth. They had at least nine children: John in 1733, Elizabeth in 1736, Elijah in 1741, Nathaniel in 1742, another Nathaniel in 1743, Matthew in 1745, Katharine in 1747, Mary in 1749, and Nathaniel in 1751.

Elijah was born on May 4, 1741. His brother Nathaniel was born on December 23, 1743. They died a few days apart, likely of one of the many illnesses common in Colonial Massachusetts. Nathaniel died on September 23, 1745, and Elijah on September 27.

The brother John was the oldest child in the family, and was born on December 9, 1733. He died on January 26, 1753 in his 20th year. His cause of death does not appear in the town records, which was not uncommon for the time period.

Their mother Elizabeth died in 1762. Their father remarried for a third time to Tamar Moore in January of 1764. With his third wife Nathaniel had at least four more children: Tamer in 1764, Dorcas in 1766, and John and a stillborn twin in 1773.

Nathaniel the father died in 1793 and is buried close to Elizabeth and his children in the Old Burying Ground in Boylston, MA. Boylston was the North Parish of Shrewsbury until 1786. Tamar joined them in the mid 1810s.

This beautifully ornate gravestone was carved by John New, likely in the mid-to-late 1750s.

In Memory of 3 children of Mr. Nathaniel

Davenport & Elizabeth his wife.

John Died

January the

15th, 1753 in

the 20th year

of his

Age.

Elijah Died

Sepber ye 29th

1745 in ye

5th Year

of his

Age.

Nathaniel

Died Sepber ye

25th, 1745 in

ye 2nd Year

of his

Age.