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The Reverend Pierce William Drew had a keen interest in his family history and contributed genealogy articles/family trees to various publications the 1850s.  “The Royal Families of England, Scotland, and Wales” Volume 1, by J B Burke published 1851 contains a pedigree of the Rev. Pierce William Drew (Pedigree 14).  I suspect that Rev. Drew submitted this pedigree to Burke.

The Rev Drew claimed that John Downing had married Catherine Browne and that she was the daughter of Sir Valentine Browne (1st Baronet of Mohaliffe and Ross) by his second wife Juliana McCarthy.  Drew claimed direct descent from Edward I through ancestor Sheely/Shelly/Sheila (otherwise known as Julia/Juliana/Julian) McCarthy. 

However, there is problem with Drew’s claim.  There are documentary sources that say that Catherine Browne was a daughter by Sir Valentine’s first wife Ellis/Ellice/Elizabeth Fitzgerald rather than his second wife.

Evidence of Ellis being Catherine’s mother can be found in:

a.   Sir Valentine Browne’s (1st Baronet) funeral certificate from 1633 held in the Pockocke Collection in the British Library (Add MS 4820, volume 10, folio 32 recto).  The funeral certificate says:

“Sr Valentine Browne of Mollahoff in the County of Kerry Baronett deceased 7th 7br 1633 he had to his first wife Elizabeth daughter of Gerratt Earle of Desmond (that was atainted) by whom he had issue, Sr Valentine Browne Baronett, James Browne, Nicholas Browne, Ellenor, Mary and Katherin Browne, his second wife was Shelly Daughr of the Right Honble Sr Charles McCarty Knt visc Carty of Muscree by whom he left issue Thomas Browne, Margarett and Mabel Browne he was buried in the Church of Killarny.”

b.   “The Kenmare Manuscripts” by MacLysaght published in 1942.  This publication contains several pedigree charts of the Browne family based on original documents held in the PRONI.  On page 474 are pedigree charts showing the 5 youngest of the 6 children of Sir Valentine Browne by his first wife and all his children by his second wife.  Catherine is shown as his third daughter and the youngest child by his first wife.

Rev. Drew further claims that this same Catherine Browne married John Downing.  However, there is also a problem with that claim.  The problem is that several publications state that Sir Valentine’s daughter Catherine married Sir Terence/Turlough Magrath 2nd Baronet of Allevollan, Co. Tipperary. Those publications are:

a.   Lodge’s “The Peerage of Ireland” volume 7 page 55 (as revised and enlarged by Archdall in 1789).

b.  “Complete Baronetage”, Volume 2 (1625-1649) by G. E Cockayne, published 1902 - pages 259-260.

c.   The Browne family pedigrees published in 1942 in “The Kenmare Manuscripts” on page 474.

I haven’t discovered anyone before Rev. Drew making the claim about the Catherine Browne/John Downing marriage or claiming that Catherine’s parents were Sir Valentine Browne (1st Bart) and Julia/Juliana/Julian McCarthy.  Circa 1905 Colonel James Grove White in his “Historical and Topographical Notes” Book 3 page 44 says his (Grove White’s) ancestor John Downing married ”Catherine, dau of --- Browne, Esq of Mollahiffe”.  Significantly, he does give a first name for Catherine’s father.

This begs a question.  If Sir Valentine Browne’s daughter Catherine married Sir T Magrath, Bart then Rev. Drew has incorrectly identified the person who became John Downing’s wife.  Is there another woman called Catherine Browne who could have become John’s wife?  I have not yet discovered any source earlier than the pedigree in “The Royal Families of England, Scotland, and Wales” that says John’s wife was called Catherine Browne.  It raises the possibility that John’s wife might not have even been called Catherine Browne.

In addition, the Rev. Drew’s claim that he himself had a direct link to Edward I via Julia/Juliana/Julian McCarthy would be erroneous if his ancestor was Ellis FitzGerald rather than Julia/Juliana/Julian McCarthy.

I have not been actively researching the Drew and Downing families since my posts in 2017 but I remembered from my prior searches that there was documentary evidence that contradicted Rev. Drew's identity of Catherine Browne.  The recent new posts caused me to dust off my notes to make sure that this new post of mine was an accurate summary of what I had discovered earlier.

In my previous post in 2017 (reply #50) I quoted as a reference the Lismore Papers , Series 1, Volume 4, page 256 when I was discussing Thomas Downing.  That reference should have been Series 2, Volume 4, page 256.  Sorry for the confusion caused.

Paul   

His son - Robert Downing

His eldest son Robert was mortally wounded on 18 or 19 February 1641/42 near Lismore serving as a Cornet in Lord Broghill’s troop of horse.  Broghill was a son of the 1st Earl of Cork.  Writing to the Earl on 26 January 1641/42 Broghill stated “I have made my choice of Robinge downinge for my Coronet,…..” (Lismore Papers, Series 1, Vol 4 page 255).  Robert’s wife Elizabeth of Ballysaggard, Co. Waterford made a deposition in August 1642 recording the death of her husband and enumerating her property that had been lost, stolen or ruined due to the rebellion.  Elizabeth’s deposition is held in Trinity College Dublin.  Robert had leases of land at Ballyduff and Ballysagard, Co. Waterford.  On 1 May 1627, the 1st Earl of Cork had granted “my servant Robert Downing an estate in so much of Ballyduff as lyes on the northside of Awmore for his own lyfe, his wives and his sons” for an annual rent of £25 sterling (Lismore Papers Series 1, Vol 2 , p216-17).  Robert was buried in the Cathedral Church, Lismore by Urban Vigors, Chaplain to Lord Broghill.

In the Civil Survey of County Waterford 1654-1656 a man named Richard Downing gent (a protestant) is noted to be in possession of land owned by the Earl of Cork at Ballysaggart-more.  In the 1659 Census of Ireland Richard is recorded as one of only three English residents out of the 74 residents of the townland of Ballsaggard.  Richard could have been the son of Robert Downing killed in 1641/42 but that is conjecture.

His son - Thomas Downing

His son Thomas made two depositions on 24 November 1652.  In both he is referred to as Major Thomas Downing of Lismore, Co. Waterford.  One deposition records that rebels came and pillaged the house belonging to his mother Catherine.  He recounts that this incident occurred at the time of the siege of Lismore in 1645 when Catherine was living in Ballysaggard, Co. Waterford.  She left to complain about her treatment but was overtaken at Ballygarran (now called Glencairn) and set upon and killed.  His second deposition states that his brother-in-law Edward Croker was murdered by rebels at Ballyanker (Ballyanchor).  In addition, Thomas related that during the rebellion his own wife Anne and his three young children had been murdered in a house at Miltowne, Co.Limerick.  Both of Thomas’s depositions are held in Trinity College Dublin.  Lord Broghill writing to the 1st Earl of Cork from Lismore on 26 January 1641/42 states “Here is Tom Downinge whos wife has bin most barbarously killed and whos children he fears are so, continues here without {any} of money and clothes, that it pities me to see him.” (Lismore Papers , Series 1, Volume 4, page 256).  Thomas also served at Lismore, in 1645. 

His daughter - Catherine Downing

His daughter Catherine married Edward Croker.  They lived at Ballyanker (Ballyanchor), near Lismore, Co. Waterford.  In February 1641/42 her husband was taken from his home by rebels and killed in a field nearby.  At the time she made her deposition on 27 November 1652 she was living at Ballynyroone and had not remarried.  Catherine’s deposition is held in Trinity College Dublin.  She is thought to have died in 1654.

His son - John Downing (the 2nd)

His son John married Catherine Browne.  During the Irish Rebellion of 1641 this John Downing (the 2nd) was a Lieutenant tasked by the President of Munster (Sir William St Leger) to defend Doneraille Castle (Co. Cork) against the Irish Catholic forces.  John made a deposition on 30 June 1642.  In his deposition he is styled John Downing, Lieutenant of Lissown, Co. Tipperary.  He describes his losses since the start of the rebellion in 1641 in particular becoming dispossessed of his farm in Lissown.  He estimated his losses to be one thousand pounds sterling which included unrecoverable debts owed by Edward Spring and Walter Travers “disabled protestants”.  He names several persons who he knew to have been killed by the rebels and they included an Ann Downing, Robert Downing and Richard Downing.  One of John and Catherine’s children was also named John (the 3rd)

His grandson - John Downing (the 3rd)

John Downing (the 3rd) married Aphra Maunsell.  John died at Broomfield, Midleton, Co. Cork on 1 Oct 1691 aged 57 and is buried in Midleton Church of Ireland churchyard.  Aphra died in 1708 aged 68.  They had at least 10 children.

Continued in next post.