John Davenport (Puritan)

John Davenport (Puritan) was a prominent English Puritan clergyman and a key figure in the early settlement of New England. He is best known for co-founding the New Haven Colony in 1638 as a strict Puritan theocracy, distinct from the neighboring Massachusetts Bay Colony. His later years were marked by significant controversy within the Congregational churches over church membership and baptism, culminating in his removal from his New Haven pulpit.

Early life and education

John Davenport was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, to a prosperous merchant family. He was educated at Merton College, Oxford, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1615 and was ordained in the Church of England. His early theological development was heavily influenced by the growing Puritan movement within the Church of England, which emphasized Calvinist doctrine and simpler forms of worship. During this period, he came into contact with influential Puritan leaders who shaped his future path.

Ministry in England

Davenport began his ministry as the vicar of St. Stephen's Church, Coleman Street, in London, a position he held from 1624 until his departure for the New World. At Coleman Street, he became a noted nonconformist preacher, associating with prominent Puritans like John Cotton and Thomas Hooker. The increasing persecution of Puritans by William Laud, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the enforcement of religious conformity under King Charles I ultimately convinced Davenport to emigrate. He left England in 1633, first traveling to the Dutch Republic before setting sail for New England.

Founding of New Haven Colony

Arriving in Boston in 1637, Davenport, along with merchant Theophilus Eaton and a company of wealthy London Puritans, sought to establish a new settlement based on strict biblical law. In 1638, they founded the New Haven Colony on the shores of Long Island Sound, purchasing land from local Native American tribes. Davenport was the colony's spiritual leader, while Eaton served as its first governor. The colony's Fundamental Agreement established a theocracy where church membership was a prerequisite for full citizenship and voting rights, creating a society even more exclusive than that of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Role in the New England church

Davenport was a staunch defender of Congregational polity and initially a supporter of the Cambridge Platform of 1648, which standardized church practice across New England. However, he became a leading opponent of the Half-Way Covenant, a synod-approved innovation of 1662 that loosened requirements for baptism. Davenport argued vehemently for maintaining strict standards for church membership and the sacraments, fearing the covenant would corrupt the purity of the churches. This stance led to a major rift with ministers in Massachusetts, particularly those in Boston like John Norton and Increase Mather.

Later years and death

The controversy over the Half-Way Covenant followed Davenport to New Haven. In 1667, after a bitter dispute, a majority of his congregation voted to dismiss him from the First Church of Christ in New Haven. He subsequently accepted a call to the First Church in Boston in 1668, succeeding the late John Wilson. His tenure in Boston was brief and tumultuous, as he continued to oppose the Half-Way Covenant amidst a divided congregation. John Davenport died in Boston on March 11, 1670, and was interred in the King's Chapel Burying Ground. His legacy is that of a principled but rigid Puritan whose ideals of a pure church commonwealth ultimately gave way to the more pragmatic developments of later New England society. Category:1597 births Category:1670 deaths Category:People from Coventry Category:Alumni of Merton College, Oxford Category:American Puritans Category:Founders of New Haven Colony Category:17th-century English clergy