Knowledge of American History Helps to Understand Ancestors' Decisions
While working on my husband’s genealogy, I found myself at another brick wall. Emily Danforth Rhoads was born June 10, 1815. She married Benjamin Talbert Rhoads on April 28, 1838 in Warrick County, IN. She died January 10, 1869 in Warrick County, IN. Emily and Benjamin are buried in Bethany Cemetery in Warrick County. This information was supported with tombstone inscriptions and marriage index records from the county. My research goal was to first confirm the location of birth for Emily. Despite many searches, I wasn’t having any luck. When I’m needing inspiration and ideas, I turn to other researcher’s family trees (only to look for ideas, not to use as ‘facts’). While doing this, I found a post from a man who (I’ll call him John) was struggling with the same problem I was. He was a descendant of the Danforth family, and he just could not find any records before Emily’s marriage to Benjamin. This man submitted his DNA, hoping for some answers. Boy, was he in for a shock….
Emily Danforth Rhoads' Tombstone
John’s test results did not show any familial matches to the surname of Danforth. It did, however, show familial matches to the surname of Davenport. John had done extensive research on his tree, and the name Davenport was unfamiliar to him. I cannot remember the specifics of the next steps of John’s research, but what he discovered was that the ‘Danforth’ family of Warrick County was actually the ‘Davenport’ family of Long Island, NY.
After coming to this realization, John found Emily’s birth record from Long Island, Nassau County, NY. She was born to Walter Newberry Davenport and Frances Davenport. Walter was born April 8, 1785 in Long Island, NY. He married Frances (his first cousin) in 1806. They had four children: Janetta, Henrietta, Leander, and Emily. Walter appears on records in 1810 in Westchester County, NY. We know the family was in Long Island at Emily’s birth in 1815. By 1827, the family appeared in today’s Spencer County, IN for their daughter Janetta’s wedding. They appeared as William and Frances Danforth. The family cannot be found on any records under either name from 1815 to 1827. It is suspected that the family fled from New York to escape the aftermath of the War of 1812. Possibly William had been drafted and he refused to fight? Maybe the family was facing severe hardships after the war. We may never know the answer, but whatever the case, it was severe enough that the family changed their name while moving west.
While trying to ponder what could make a family uproot and take on a new identity, it’s important to look at the Davenport family as a whole to better understand their decisions. William’s grandfather was Francis Davenport. Francis was still living at the time of William’s birth in 1785. He lived until William was about 12 years old. Francis had many stories to tell his grandchildren.
Francis Davenport III (1715-1797) lived in Long Island, NY for the majority of his life. Francis and his wife Mary Hewlett had at least four children: Newberry, Samuel H. (William’s father), Lewis, and Martha. On July 25, 1776, a draft was created for one-fourth of the able-bodied men of Long Island to be ready at a minute's notice. Samuel was on this list of ‘minute-men’ for Captain Philip Valentine’s Company. Part of the draft restricted the livestock allowed for each family. Part of the soldiers’ instructions also included ‘kill them, if necessary, to prevent their falling into the enemies’ hands’. On August 22, 1776, the British advanced on the Americans. The five day Battle of Long Island began. Ultimately, the Continental Army lost this battle. After this, the British troops managed all law enforcement activities. From stories of the time period, the soldiers frequented taverns, saloons, the red light district, and looted patriots’ property. With each Continental Army victory, more loyalists fled behind British lines for safety. Rebels and patriots escaped to neighboring areas when they could. The British occupied New York City until the end of the Revolutionary War.
Transcript of Draft from July 1776
On October 21, 1776, Francis is listed as signing an Oath of Allegiance to King George III. It is unknown if Francis was truly a loyalist or if he felt pressured to sign because he was in British territory. Francis and his sons (Samuel, and Lewis) are found on a list of refugees from Long Island to Connecticut, meaning they eventually left their home behind to move to a state that was not under British rule. Therefore, it is not a stretch to assume that the Davenport family only signed allegiance to England in order to protect the family from harm at the time. Francis and his sons eventually made their way back to Nassau County, NY. Upon Francis’ death in 1797, he was buried at Christ Church Cemetery in Manhasset, Nassau County, NY alongside his wife. Samuel died in 1827 in Hampstead, Nassau County, NY. He was buried alongside his wife, Esther Oakley, in Manhassett Episcopal Churchyard in Long Island, NY. On September 12, 1912, the church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground.
Refugee List of 1776 from Long Island to Connecticut
Cemetery Inscriptions from Episcopal and Dutch Reformed Churchyards at Manhasset, Long Island, NY
After piecing together the history of Francis, Samuel, and William, it is easier to understand why William was so desperate to avoid any more possible hardships for his family due to wars. He probably grew up hearing the traumatic stories from his father and grandfather. Unfortunately, William drowned in the Ohio River on June 26, 1832 in Newburgh, Warrick County, IN, dying at the young age of 47.
Francis Davenport's Tombstone
Samuel H. Davenport's Tombstone
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