Richard Alfred Davenport

Richard Alfred Davenport, born at Lambeth, began writing sonnets early in life. He acquired some reputation as editor of the Poetical Register, but seems to have made his living by writing biographers for the popular press. In addition to writing the lives for the Chiswick edition of the British Poets (1822), Davenport wrote biographies and histories for the Family Library and other commercial ventures. He spent his later years addicted to opium and living in seclusion. Some of his letters are reprinted in Richard Polwhele's Traditions and Recollections (1826) signed "D."

TEXT RECORDS:

1796Sonnet, written near an old Mansion at Midnight.
1797Ode to Amicus.
1797Sonnet. Farewell to the Country.
1797Sonnet. To Two Friends.
1800Sonnet to Ianthe.
1800[Stanzas inserted in The Pleasures of Solitude.]
1801Sonnet. The Timid Lover.
1802Song, from Florian.
1822The British Poets: Life of Edmund Spenser.

PUBLICATIONS:

The British poets [lives by Davenport]. 100 vols, 1822.
Works of William Robertson [ed. Davenport]. 1824.
The common-place book of epigrams [ed. Davenport]. 1825.
New elegant extracts. 1827.
A dictionary of biography. 1831.
The history of Greece [Mitford, continued by Davenport]. 1835.
The life of Ali Pasha. 1837.
Sketches of imposture, deception, and credulity. 1837.
A history of the Bastille. 1838.
Narratives of peril and suffering. 2 vols, 1840.
Lives of individuals who raised themselves from poverty to eminence or fortune. 1841.
A general dictionary of painters [Pilkington, revised by Davenport]. 1852.

PROFILE AND
ASSOCIATES:

English

education not known

editor
poet
historian

Annual Register
Poetical Register
Pocket Magazine
Lady's Pocket Magazine

Dr. Robert Anderson
Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges
Peter L. Courtier
Mary Russell Mitford
Thomas Park
Rev. Richard Polwhele

REFERENCE:

DNB; not NCBEL.

Poetical Register for 1801 (1802), 1802 (1803), 1803 (1804), 1804 (1805), 1805 (1807), 1806-07 (1811) 1808-09 (1812); Peter L. Courtier, ed., Lyre of Love (1806); John Britton, in Autobiography (1850); obituary in Gentleman's Magazine NS 37 (May 1852) 525; Allibone, Critical Dictionary of English Literature (1858-71; 1882); correspondence in A. G. L'Estrange, Friendships of Mary Russell Mitford (1882); Frederic Boase, Modern English Biography (1892-1921).

COMMENTARY RECORDS
for Richard Alfred Davenport:

1.	1802  Anna Seward to Thomas Park, 27 September 1802; Letters, ed. Scott (1811) 6:42-44.
2.	1811  Mary Russell Mitford to Dr. Mitford, 22 March 1811; L'Estrange, Life of Mary Russell Mitford (1870) 1:101.
3.	1814  Richard Polwhele to D. [Richard Alfred Davenport?] 1 March 1814; Polwhele, Traditions and Recollections (1826) 2:659-60.
4.	1850  John Britton, in Autobiography (1850) 1:75n.
5.	1882  A. G. L'Estrange, in Friendships of Mary Russell Mitford (1882) 39-40.

BIOGRAPHY RECORDS
for Richard Alfred Davenport:

1.	1806  Peter L. Courtier, in Lyre of Love (1806) 2:103.
2.	1852  Anonymous, Obituary in Gentleman's Magazine (May 1852) 525.
3.	1892  Frederic Boase, Modern English Biography (1892-1921) 1:821-22.

AUTHOR AS CRITIC:
(commentary records)

1.	1803  Sir Philip Sidney:   Richard Alfred Davenport, "Sonnet. To the Memory of Sir Philip Sidney" Poetical Register and Repository of Fugitive Poetry for 1803 (1805) 341.
2.	1809  Rev. Richard Polwhele:   Richard Alfred Davenport to Richard Polwhele, 5 January 1809; Polwhele, Traditions and Recollections (1826) 2:621-22.
3.	1813  Mary Russell Mitford:   Richard Alfred Davenport to Mary Russell Mitford, 8 January 1813; L'Estrange, Friendships of Mary Russell Mitford (1882) 46-47.
4.	1815  James Hogg:   Richard Alfred Davenport to Mary Russell Mitford, 29 January 1815; L'Estrange, Friendships of Mary Russell Mitford (1882) 79-80.
5.	1815  Mary Russell Mitford:   Richard Alfred Davenport, "Sonnet to Mary Russell Mitford," 1815; L'Estrange, Friendships of Mary Russell Mitford (1882) 78-79.
6.	1815  Rev. Richard Polwhele:   Richard Alfred Davenport to Richard Polwhele, 10 February 1815; Polwhele, Traditions and Recollections (1826) 2:669-70.
7.	1822  Rev. William Thompson:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in The British Poets (1822) 14.

AUTHOR AS CRITIC:
(biography records)

1.	1822  Dr. John Armstrong:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 67:7-20.
2.	1822  John Bampfylde:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 73:183-84.
3.	1822  Samuel Boyse:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 59:149-60.
4.	1822  Michael Bruce:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 60:233-39.
5.	1822  Rev. Charles Churchill:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 61:5-29.
6.	1822  John Gilbert Cooper:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 72:7-16.
7.	1822  Dr. Nathaniel Cotton:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 72:139-43.
8.	1822  William Hamilton of Bangour:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 57:5-16.
9.	1822  Henry Headley:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 73:85-88.
10.	1822  Aaron Hill:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 60:7-28.
11.	1822  Rev. Francis Hoyland:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 73:7-8.
12.	1822  Rev. John Langhorne:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 65:5-22.
13.	1822  Robert Lovell:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 73:199.
14.	1822  William Julius Mickle:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 66:7-26.
15.	1822  Edward Moore:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 56:107-14.
16.	1822  Samuel Marsh Oram:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 73:165.
17.	1822  Bp. Beilby Porteus:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 58:261-77.
18.	1822  Rev. Thomas Russell:   Richard Alfred Davenport, in Chiswick British Poets (1822) 73:129-30.