William Bromley Davenport ⁵⁴

  General Notes:

From The Times, June 17, 1884

Great regret was caused among members of both political parties at the
House of Commons yesterday by the news that Mr. William Bromley
Davenport, M.P., had died suddenly at Lichfield. It appears that late
on Saturday night serious disturbances occured in that city among
members of the Queen's Own Royal Staffordshire Yeomanry, who were out
for their annual week's training under his command. One of the number
was arrested by the police, but was rescued by his companions. The
disturbance was quelled by the appearance of Captain and Adjutant
Graves, and several officers. On Sunday evening about 11 o'clock a
mob assembled, and Bird street was in a state of uproar for a
considerable time. The Yeomanry fell in in Market-street, and were in
the act of charging some opponents, when Colonel Bromley Davenport
appeared on the scene. He persuaded them to disperse, but they
assembled again in the market place. The Colonel proceeded towards
the Yeomanry-house by himself, and near the Robin Hood Inn was seen to
fall. A trooper went to his assistance, and finding him unconscious,
fetched Dr. Welchman. When the latter arrived Mr. Bromley Davenport
was dead. An inquest was held on the deceased yesterday afternoon.
It was stated that several times last week he complained of pain, and
on Friday said that if it did not get better he would have to ask the
Marquis of Anglesey to take over the command of the regiment. Death
was due to heart disease, and a verdict of Death from natural causes
was returned. Yesterday morning the officers of the regiment decided
to order their troops home, but during the day an order was received
by telegraph from Lord Kerr, the inspecting officer, that the men were
to remain in training.
Mr. Bromley Davenport was the eldest son of the late Rev. Walter
Davenport Bromley, of Wootton-hill, Staffordshire (who assumed in 1822
the additional name of Bromley), by his marriage with Caroline
Barbara, daughter of the Ven. Archdeacon Gooch. He was born in the
year 1821, and was educated at Harrow and Christ Church, Oxford. He
was a magistrate and deputy-lieutenant for Staffordshire and
Warwickshire, and for some years has been Lieutenant-Colonel of the
Staffordshire Yeomanry Cavalry and a Militia Aide-de-Camp to her
Majesty.
Mr. Bromley Davenport first entered Parliament in 1864, as M.P. for
the Northern Division of Warwickshire, which he had since represented,
in the Conservatives interest as the colleague of Mr. Newdigate. He
owned the estate of Baginton-hall, near Coventry, and a few years ago
succeeded to that of Caperthorne, Cheshire. He married, in 1858,
Augusta daughter of the late Mr. William Francis Campbell, M.P., of
Islay, N.B. Mr. Bromley Davenport had paired for last week on account
of his Yeomanry engagements at Lichfield, and also, owing to his
delicate health, arranged to pair off his Parliamentary duties for a
month or six weeks from the 1st of July with Mr. Wiggin.
A Lichfield correspondent, telegraphing last night, says:- "Much
ill-feeling exists between military and civil authorities. It seems
that on Friday evening the yeomanry officers and a number of men went
to St. James's-hall to witness the performance of Princess Ida by Mr.
D'Oyley Carte's Company. Most of them behaved in an unseemly manner,
and at the conclusion of the performance some of them stormed the
stage. On Saturday night the riotous conduct assumed a more serious
character. At half-past 11 several officers started from their hotels
with the evident object of having a frolic. Some of them proceeded to
the market-place, where the monument to the memory of Dr. Johnson is
situated, and, placing against the rails a ladder they had brought
with them, daubed the face of the statue with blacking. Leaving the
monument, the yeomanry were met by police, who took the ladder from
them, but whom they overcame. The Adjutant (Major Graves) and some of
the principle officers appeared on the scene, and the men were
prevailed upon to disperse. This conduct on the part of the yeomanry
aroused considerable feeling among the inhabitants, and on Sunday
night, when the public houses closed, there were large assemblies in
the main streets in anticipation of a renewal of the disturbance.
Colonel Bromley Davenport walked from the Swan Hotel towards
Yeomanry-house, but had not proceeded more than a few hundred yards
when he fell to the ground. At 7 o'clock to-night measures were taken
to prevent further rioting. The excitement in the city is
increasing". Another telegram says that the reports of the
disturbances were much exaggerated.

William married Augusta Campbell, daughter of William Francis Campbell and Unknown.