Stanley Woodward Davenport (July 21, 1861 – September 26, 1921) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

for Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district from 1899 to 1901.

Biography

Stanley W. Davenport was born in Plymouth, Pennsylvania, the son of Edwin Davenport and his wife, Mary McAlarney.1880 US Census, Plymouth, PA Davenport was educated in the public schools of Plymouth, attended Wyoming Seminary and graduated in 1884 from Wesleyan University,

Middletown, Connecticut Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settler ...

, earning a Bachelor of Arts. After completing college, Davenport was associated in business for two years with his brother, Andrew L. Davenport, who owned a book store on Main Street in Plymouth, after which he studied law under the tutelage of the Honorable

George Washington Shonk George Washington Shonk (April 26, 1850 – August 14, 1900) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Formative years and family Born in Plymouth, Pennsylvania, on April 26, 1850, Shonk attended his comm ...

, a cousin. In 1890, Davenport was admitted to the Luzerne County Bar, and in 1891 he commenced the practice of law. In 1884, Davenport was elected Register of Wills of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, being the only Democrat on the ticket who was not defeated. In 1893, he was appointed a Director of the Poor for the central district of Luzerne County, serving for twenty-eight years as secretary and treasurer of the Central Poor Board. He served as the Register of Wills of Luzerne County again from 1894 to 1897. In 1898, Davenport was nominated by the Democratic party for Congress and was elected to the

56th United States Congress The 56th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1899, ...

, serving from March 4, 1899 to March 3, 1901, but was an unsuccessful candidate for re-nomination in 1900. Following this loss, Davenport resumed the practice of law in Plymouth until his death in 1921 at age 60 following a prolonged illness. He was buried in the

Shawnee Cemetery, Plymouth, Pennsylvania Shawnee Cemetery in Plymouth, Pennsylvania, located on 13.5 acres on a hillside overlooking Wyoming Valley, was established by the Shawnee Cemetery Association, and chartered on September 5, 1873. Interments began in the fall of 1873, many of which ...

. Davenport married Mary Weir on June 13, 1889, with whom he had two daughters: Marian Livingston Davenport, born May 1, 1890 (later Mrs. Bryce Wadhams Blair, of Charlestown, West Virginia); and Mary Isabel Davenport, born in February 1894 (later Mrs. James Edward James, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania).

References

Sources

Birth & Death Certificates, Burial Deed, Marriage Certificates, Newspaper articles
The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davenport, Stanley Woodward 1861 births 1921 deaths Pennsylvania lawyers Wesleyan University alumni People from the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania People from Plymouth, Pennsylvania 19th-century American lawyers