| ![Show Contents]() Devonport History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Devonport is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Devonport family lived in the township of Davenport, in the parish of Astbury in East Cheshire. Early Origins of the Devonport familyThe surname Devonport was first found in Cheshire where they were descended from Ormus de Davenport of Davenport Hall Farm 1 in the parish of Astbury in East Cheshire. He is the first recorded ancestor of the family. "The Davenports claim precedence among the knightly families of Cheshire, - that 'seed-plot of gentry,' 'the mother and the nurse of the gentility of England,' and are traced directly to the Conquest." 2 "The manor [of Marton, Cheshire] was given to an ancestor of the Davenport family, as a dowry with the daughter of Venables, Baron of Kinderton, in the reign of Henry I." 3 Early History of the Devonport familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Devonport research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1477, 1566, 1597, 1598, 1623, 1631, 1645, 1670 and 1680 are included under the topic Early Devonport History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Devonport Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Davenport, Davenporte, Donarty and others. Early Notables of the Devonport familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was John Davenport (1597-1670), an English Puritan clergyman from Coventry, Warwickshire, co-founder of the American colony of New Haven, eponym of Davenport College, Yale University. 4Sir Humphrey Davenport of Davenport (1566-1645), was Chief...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Devonport Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Devonport family to Ireland
Some of the Devonport family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Devonport migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Devonport Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- George Devonport, aged 16, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tongariro" in 1888
- Levi Devonport, aged 16, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tongariro" in 1888
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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Devonport migration to New Zealand 
England
Ireland
