John Davenport sailed for Barbados from London in 1635

Some people maintain that this John Davenport is the father of Humphrey Davenport (who married Ann Collison and Rachel Holmes) because they somehow believe that Humphrey was born in Barbados after John arrived. Since Humphrey was an adult in Barbados by 1643, he was born before 1622. John was born about 1605, therefore it is highly unlikely that he is the father of Humphrey.
 

Other claims made for the John Davenport who arrived in Barbados in 1635:

bullet He supposedly married Mary Hunt in Barbados in 1636 and had children there. I would welcome the opportunity to see any record written before the 1950s that gives this information.
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John was supposedly born in Barking, Essex Apr 11, 1605. There is a John Davenport in the Barking church records born on that day. His age and location not far from London where John Davenport sailed from in 1635 look promising, but is there anything else to show this is the John Davenport who went to Barbados or married Mary Hunt?

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John supposedly moved to Westchester, NY with his family in 1670. Miles Davenport points out that an error in a transcript of a 1682/83 West Chester deed in the New York Genealogical & Biographical Record probably led to some of the confusion regarding John Davenport of Barbados and the Westchester Davenports.
      NYG&BR, Vol 60, p 112 incorrectly reads "John Danford (sic) and Mary his wife deed to John Haden of the Younghers Plantation...."
     The deed actually reads "William Danford (sic) and Mary his wife deed to John Haden of the Younghers Plantation...." (Records of the town of Westchester, New York, 1665-1827, Vol 53, page 121. LDS # 484030.) This William is the father of Thomas, the Pioneer and William, Jr. discussed below.
 

John Davenport is sometimes identified as the father of Thomas Davenport, Merchant, who died in 1715. New York probate records* state that officials there thought that Thomas left no will and so administrators of his estate were appointed, including a Daniel Leggett. The NY probate records also state that Thomas had no relatives nearby. But a will did turn up, written in London in 1698, which named his siblings: Alice (wife of Matthew Measures), Richard, William, Elizabeth (wife of John Cartwright), and Annie (wife of Thomas Hunt).

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John Davenport and Mary Hunt had supposedly come to NY with Thomas and his siblings in 1670 yet the 1715 probate record states that Thomas had no relatives in the area.

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At least two of the siblings named in the will were in Oadly, Leicester, England in the 1680s. Elizabeth married there in 1685 and Ann in 1687. The dates of marriage make it highly unlikely that they were the children of John Davenport (born about 1605) and Mary Hunt, who supposedly married in 1636. There are several other Davenports of Oadby including a William and a Richard who both married in 1688.
As can be seen, there is nothing to tie Thomas Davenport, Merchant, to John Davenport. An examination of Leicester parish records may reveal the names of the parents of Thomas and his siblings.
 

While we’re on the topic of Thomas Davenport, Merchant, how did he come to be identified as the uncle of Thomas Davenport, the Philipse Pioneer (b. 1682) and William Davenport, Jr. (b. 1673)? Here is the support for that claim:

bullet Thomas and William are the sons of William Davenport of Westchester, NY. Thomas the merchant had a brother named William. William of Westchester may have named a son after his brother Thomas. The names William and Thomas are much too common to be used as evidence of a relationship. Also, consider that none of William of Westchester’s other children were named after the other siblings named in Thomas the merchant’s will.
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Thomas the Pioneer and William, Jr. married sisters named Leggett. One of the administrators originally assigned to handle Thomas the Merchant’s estate was named Leggett. There is no known relationship between Daniel Leggett, administrator, and the Leggett sisters who married the Davenport brothers.

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We have already seen that much, if not all, of the family of Thomas Davenport, Merchant was in England in the 1680s and that Thomas the merchant had no relatives in New York.

The relationship between Thomas the Merchant and the brothers Thomas, the Pioneer and William, Jr. has been questioned by other researchers including Eleanor Brewster Davenport Grant (1960: The Ancestry and descendants of John and Jane Ann (Lounsbery) Davenport of Ulster County, New York and Meadville, Pennsylvania), but the link still appears in several pedigrees. The connection appears to be without merit.
 
*Abstracts of Wills on File in the Surrogate’s Office, City of New York, Vol. 2, 1708-1728. Collections of the New York Historical Society, Vol. 26. New York: New York Historical Society, 1894.
Page 131.--Peter Schuyler, Esq., President, etc. Whereas, THOMAS DAVENPORT, of New York, merchant, died intestate, as was supposed, in the year 1716. And there being no relations of his in these parts, His Excellency Robert Hunter, on October 12, 1716, granted letters of administration to David Jamieson and Daniel Leggett. And whereas, it now appears that the said Thomas Davenport was formerly a merchant and resident in London, and made his will, dated February 22, 1698, and did appoint William Horspool, of London, merchant, his executor. And he having proved the same in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, obtained letters testamentary thereon. And whereas the said William Horspool, on August 16, in the second year of King George, made Mr. Thomas Bayeux, of New York, his attorney, And the said Thomas Bayeux, by writing dated December 9, 1719, made Walter Thong, of New York, his attorney, And the said Walter Thong, having made petition, letters of administration are granted to him December 31, 1719.
Page 137.--THOMAS DAVENPORT. In the name of God, Amen. I, Thomas Davenport of London, merchant, being in good health. I leave to my sister Alice, wife of Mr. Matthew Measures, of London, laborer, all my household goods. I leave all the rest of my estate to my brothers and sisters Richard and William Davenport, Elizabeth, wife of John Cortwright, Annie, wife of Thomas Hunt, and Alice, wife of Matthew Measures, equally. I appoint Mr. William Horspool of London, merchant, executor.
Dated February 22, 1698. Witnesses, G. Belin, Thomas Morton, John Stillex.
(Certificate in Latin.) William, by Divine Permission, Archbishop of Canterbury, to all, etc. On August 8, 1716, the will of Thomas Davenport, formerly of New York, was proved in London before John Andrews and John Bestworthy and Letters Testamentary were granted to William Horspool, August 16, 1716.