Edward Davies Davenport

Edward Davies Davenport of Capesthorne Hall (27 April 1778 – 9 September 1847) was a British landowner, High Sheriff of Cheshire and Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury. Early life Davenport was born the son of Davies Davenport of Capesthorne Hall and Court Garden, Marlow and his wife, Charlotte, daughter of Ralph Sneyd of Keele Hall and Barbara Bagot, daughter of Sir Walter Bagot, 5th Baronet. He was educated at Dr. Gretton’s School in Hitcham, Buckinghamshire, which he completed in 1789 followed by Rugby School which he left in 1794 and finally Christ Church, Oxford which he matriculated from in 1797. Military career Davenport entered the 16th The Queen's Lancers as a cornet in 1799 following graduation from Oxford at 21. Due to gambling debts he then transferred to the Grenadier Guards as a lieutenant, serving in Southern Italy and was promoted to captain in 1804, following which in 1807 he resigned his commission, giving poor health and lack of intellectual conversation as his reasons for leaving to his father. Although his resignation from the Army was on the condition that he promised not to accrue any further gambling debts, he was soon in debt again and complained to his father of his lack of ability to pay them off, however, this was eased when his father transferred to him the family Calvely estates on the advice of his mother, Charlotte Sneyd.