When in 1525 Edward Davenport of Coventry was taxed for subsidy on goods valued at £5 he was described as a pewterer. He was then living in Bishop Street ward in Trinity parish, with or near his father-in-law John Harford, and seven years later he was one of the parishioners who administered the property bequeathed for the upkeep of the church. Despite several changes of address he remained within the parish and is mentioned in its records until his death: he sold the church its pewter, bought the ornaments discarded in Edward VI’s reign, helped provide new ones on Mary’s accession and arranged for repairs to be carried out.3E179/192/130; Coventry, Trinity Deeds, T/S ed. Dormer Harris, nos. 69, 71, 75; B. Poole, Coventry, 204-6; VCH Warws. viii. 71.
Davenport probably never became rich; in the reduced scales of subsidy assessment obtaining in Edward VI’s reign his subsidy ratings of £25 and £20 were considerably lower than those of several other citizens. This did not prevent him from rising in the city’s service to the mayoralty and to membership of the small, regular mayor’s council which consisted largely of ex-mayors. His election for Coventry to the Parliament of April 1554 was in its tradition of choosing senior aldermen as its representatives; he was paid by the mayor for 41 days, six more than the Parliament lasted, at 2s. a day. He continued to attend the council and was regularly appointed a commissioner for subsidies and musters in the city until his death.4E179/193/188; Coventry Leet Bk. ii. 766-831 passim; Coventry Recs. C.219; Coventry council bk. 1561-1623, unpaginated gathering, 44 seq.; mayors’ accts. 1542-61, p. 71.
His will was proved at Lichfield in 1587 but is now lost. His eldest son succeeded to his position in Coventry.5Coventry council bk. 1561-1623, p. 150; Lichfield Wills (Brit. Rec. Soc. vii), 56.