Background
Selina Granville Wheler was born in London, England, on 27 July 1779, to Captain Charles Granville Wheler.
Selina Granville Wheler was born in London, England, on 27 July 1779, to Captain Charles Granville Wheler.
Her eleven published novels have been described recently as "effective if stereotyped". At an early age, Selina met and later befriended Anna Maria and Jane Porter, who "both later to become successful writers in the early 1800s." Of the two sisters, Selina was closer to Jane, and the two women remained friends until Porter died in 1850. On 6 September 1800, at the age of 21, Selina Wheler married Richard Alfred Davenport, a scholar and writer
They had two daughters, Mary, born in 1803 in Chelsea, and Theodora, born in 1806 in Putney. but they separated acrimoniously around 1810 for what Selina called "sufficient reasons".
In addition to the eleven novels, Davenport supported her family financially in various business ventures, including running both a coffee house and a dance school. She also received some financial help from Jane Porter and some moral support (a letter to the Royal Literary Fund) from Elizabeth Gaskell.
Her husband, on the other hand, sought to prevent her receiving payments from the fund. Selina Davenport died aged 80 on 14 July 1859.
She was buried at Street John the Baptist"s Church, Knutsford.