Captain William Davenport & His Company 1759 Newbury MA

William Davenport son of James Davenport and Grace (Tileston) Davenport moved to Newbury 1738 from Boston. He married Sarah Gerrish, daughter of Moses Gerrish and Mary (Noyes) Gerrish. In 1741, he purchased of Samuel Greenleaf land on Fish, now State, street, with a dwelling house thereon, which he owned and occupied until his death, in 1773. William command a company in the expedition that sailed from Louisbourg, in June, 1759, for the reduction of Quebec. He was in the battle on the plains of Abraham on the thirteenth day of September, when General Wolfe was killed. (History of Newburyport Currier) See The Wolfe Tavern: The place where our ancestors tarried

 General James Wolfe

     

                                                      
According to History of Essex County Volume 2 before Davenport departed he tossed Sarah a guinea and "told her she must make that answer while he was gone."  Sarah would have to manage the household along with their five children, but when William returned seven months later and asked her how “she had got along,” she replied by tossing the guinea back to him. More on General Wolfe
After a few months from returning from the fight William opened the Wolfe Tavern, AKA Davenport's Inn on the corner of Threadneedle Avenue and State Street. The tavern sign was a portrait of Gen. Wolfe, 'painted by Moses Cole, a French refugee" hung over the door. After the fire in 1811 the sign was kept by Major Ben: Perley Poore, at Indian Hill. (Old Newbury Historical and Biographical Sketches John James Currier)

Dec. 2, 1772, voted that the Marine Society shall meet at Capt. William Davenport's. History of the Marine Society of Newburyport, Massachusetts, from Its Incorporation in 1772 to the Year 1906: Together with a Complete Roster and Narrative of Important Events in the Lives of Its Members
Nathaniel Knapp diary, written at the second siege of Louisburg:
Wednesday, 13 June, 1759----there is 8 or 10 Sail of Ships; one frigate Came in from Boston. Capt. Davenport is in one of them, and this afternoon I went on Board ye Ship to see Brother John Moody and he was well and all acquaintance.
Two days later he wrote as follows : — Friday 15. this Day fair Weather, I was to work on ye Scooner of Dixons. 6 Ships Came in to Day. I was on Board Davenports Ship, and Brought John Moody ashore with me and Let him have six dollars.
Sunday, June 17 1759 —Capt Davenport sailed for Canada to day.

The company, under the command of Captain Davenport, consisted of the following officers and men listed below as

Jonathan Merrill  was an ensign in Davenport's company at the the taking of Quebec, in Jun 1759. From Massachusetts Archives, Muster Rolls, volume 97, pages 416 and 417
In the list will be found the name of John Moody, sergeant, who was evidently the "brother John Moody " to whom reference is made by Nathaniel Knapp in his diary. The accidental meeting of these two Newbury men in the harbor of Louisburg is a noteworthy incident that serves to establish the historical fact that Captain Davenport went by the way of Boston and the river St. Lawrence to Canada.

Captain Davenport was with his company on the Plains of Abraham Sept. 13, 1759, when General Wolfe was killed, and was present at the surrender of Quebec a few days later. At the expiration of his term of service he returned home, and filed with the proper authorities in Boston a pay-roll for wages due the men under his command, to which he made oath Jan. 31, 1760. Among the items included in a separate bill, rendered at the same time for expenses incurred by him during the campaign, is a charge of £2 4s. for "transporting my baggage from Newbury to Boston," and i2s. for "transporting self, men, & baggage to Nantasket."

In the spring of 1760, the French forces in Canada were evidently making preparations to recapture Quebec, and New England was again called upon to furnish men to resist the attack. In March, Captain Davenport enlisted eighteen men "for the total reduction of Canada," and in April four more for the same service. The names of the enlisted men on the first list are as follows :—

John Carr, born in Newbury, resident of Newburv, age 21, son of John Carr.

Jeremiah Morse, born in Newbury, resident of Newbury, age 17. servant to Nathaniel Bartlett.

William Hills, born in Newbury, resident of Newbury, age 17, servant to Joshua Baley.

Samuel Huse, born in Newbury, resident of Newbury, age 17. grandson to Charles Chase.

John Davis, born in Andover. resident of Newbury, age 19, son to Mark Davis.

Isaac Mason, born in New Market, resident of Newbury, age 26.
John Owens, born in Wales, resident of Newbury, age 30.
James Martain. born in Newbury, resident of Newbury, age 18, servant to Daniel Chute.

Simeon George, born in Newbury, resident of Newbury, age 17, servant

to Abraham Gallisham. 

Daniel Lowell, born in Almsbury. resident of Newbury, age 18. 

Stephen Coleby, born in Almsbury, resident of Newbury, age 19,servant to Moses Todd. 

Enoch Chase, born in Newbury, resident of Newbury, age 17. servant

to Stephen England 

Henry Dow born in Salisbury, resident of Newbury, age 19, servant to Nathan Allen.

Robert Matthews, born in Canso, resident of Newbury, age 18, servant to Mark Haskell

John Leatherland, born in Ipswich, resident of Ipswich, age 17, son to Sarah Leatherland. 

Leonard Harrison, born in Rowley, resident of Newbury, age 21. 

Isaac Stickney. born in Rowley, resident of Newbury, age 19, son to Samuel Stickney.

David Haskell, born in Cape Ann, resident of Newbury, age 19. servant to Caleb Haskell.

Isaac Baley, born in N.ewbury. resident of Newbury, age 17. servant to Daniel Clarke.

Richard Tucker, born in Newbury, resident of Newbury, age 18. servant to Dimond Currier. 

Moses Pike, born in Newbury, resident of Newbury, age 17. son to Thomas Pike.

Stephen Danford born in Bradford, resident of Bradford, age 21.

Isaac Bailey appeared before Joseph Gerrish, Jr., Richard Tucker and Moses Pike before Joseph Coffin, and Stephen Danford before John Osgood, and were duly accepted for his Majesty's service

Excerpt from "McCall-Tidwell and Allies Families": Daniel Hale lived at Newbury until 1720; then Rowley, 1729, then settled again at Newbury, Massachusetts. He was a farmer and Captain of Militia. He was on many important committees in Newbury and Rowley. He was Captain of a Company in the Second Masachusetts Regiment, commanded by Colonel Samuel Waldo in the Expedition against Louisburg, under General William Pepperill in 1745 and was killed before Louisburg, May 21, 1745...
From Hall's History of Eastern Vermont: "The Expedition against Louisburg, all things considered, is one of the most remarkable campaigns in modern history. The plan was organized by civilians and successfully carried out by men of little military experience. The army was made up largely of raw recruits but what they lacked in discipline and technical knowledge was offset by their will and determination It was to a great extent a religious crusade against a foe who believed in a different creed. Louisburg was the strongest fortified position on the continent and was defended by a strong force, yet circumstances so conspired that it fell before an army of undisciplined militia."
"Louisbourg Ships" Editor and Coordinator: Carroll Knox
 An Index of Ancestors and Roll of Members of the Society of Colonial Wars General Society of Colonial Wars (U.S.)