Donald Lines Jacobus letter to Zora Parks

Date: 1698 to 1732
Location: Westchester, New York Colony
Surnames/tags: Davenport Leggett

The attached letter was written by Donald Lines Jacobus to Zora Parks of Miami, Florida, who was working with Giles and Franklin on Thomas Davenport, Pioneer. It includes several references related to William Davenport of Long Island, his wives, and children.

Transcription:

Stamped "Copy"

Stamped: Zora C. Parks 5600 NE 2nd Court Miami Florida

July 17, 1956

Donald Lines Jacobus Genealogist PO Box 3032 Westville Station, New Haven, Connecticut

Publisher of The American Genealogist Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists

Dear Mrs. Parks,

Various Westchester records were published in extract a number of years ago in the New York Gen. and Biog. Record, and in these I find important Davenport deeds.

Vol. 51, p. 40. William Davenport, Sr., of Westchester conveyed 18 June 1698 to my son William Davenport, Jr, of Westchester, the latter to pay L 10 to my daughter Rachell Davenport at marriage.

Vol 52. p. 71. William Davenport, Sr., of the Manor of Fordham, yeoman, conveyed 24 Jan. 1708/9, to my son Thomas Davenport, land in Fordham, retaining life use to myself and my "new wife" Mary.

Vol. 52, p. 77. William Davenport, Jr. of West Farms and wife Martha, and Thomas Davenport, sons of William, deeded in 1718.

Vol. 53, p. 24. Thomas Davenport of Dutchess County sold undivided rights to William Leggett of Westchester, gent., 22 June 1732. William Davenport of Perth Amboy, Middlesex County, N.J., and wife, Bridget, sold undivided rights in West Farms to William Leggett of West Farms, 30 Sept. 1723. (These deeds were evidently placed in record at the time, some years after the 1723 deed was made, as it was recorded with the 1732 deed.)

The above deeds prove that William Davenport Sr. was of Westchester earlier than 1698, when he was a man in middle life with grown children; that besides a daughter Rachel, he had two sons, William, Jr. and Thomas; that Willliam Jr. was still of Westchester in 1718 when he had a wife, Martha, but by 1723 was of Perth Amboy, N.J., and then he had a second wife, Bridget; and, most important, that Thomas, son of William, Sr. was of Dutchess County in 1732.

I think this makes it clear that we are on the right track, and that Thomas of Dutchess County was a son of William of Westchester.

Sincerely yours signed Donald Lines Jacobus