DOWNING John and Elizabeth

[choc]

Looking for info on John and Elizabeth DOWNING born Flitton Bed. had son Bonner Downing in 1806.  Need more info on John and Elizabeth, dates and parents names if poss.  Also would like to find out what Elizabeths maiden name was.

[bedfordshire boy]

Hi Choc

Odd things seem to be showing up from the Downing entries on controlled extracts on the IGI

A John Downing married Sarah Adkins/Atkins on 9 Apr1798

John and Sarah baptised the following children
Bonner 14 May 1798 He was buried on 19 May 1798
Sarah 12 Feb 1704
Joseph 18 Dec 1814 Buried 2 Jan 1815
Mary Ann 23 May 1816
Elisabeth 15 Dec 1822

John and Elizabeth baptised the following children
Elizabeth Adkins Downing 12 Feb 1802 Buried 12 Jan 1818
Bonner 22 Dec 1805
William Adkins Downing 19 Sept 1810
Lucy 2 July 1812 Buried 7 Jul 1812

Thomas and Elizabeth baptised
John 22 Apr 1808

In addition a Lucy was buried on 17 Feb 1814, but I don’t know who her parents were

A Sarah Atkins was christened at Flitton on 9 Feb 1777, parents Bonner and Sarah, presumably the Sarah who married in 1798.

There are no marriages that fit on the IGI in Beds (and bear in mind that pre 1812 virtually all Beds parishes have been extracted onto the IGI) between a John Downing and Elizabeth, although there is a Thomas Downing and Elizabeth in 1805 in Dunstable although they had children in Dunstable in 1805 and 1811 so I doubt if they moved backwards and forwards to Flitton to have John in 1808.

I suspect that Elizabeth = Sarah

Why would John and Elizabeth have called a son Bonner when that was Sarah’s father’s Christian name?

Why would John and Elizabeth have given two of their daughters a middle of Adkins, the maiden name of Sarah?

There is no burial of an adult until Sarah Downing aged 59 on 10 Feb 1836 (which fits with Sarah Atkins’ birth), followed by a John, no age given, on 10 April 1836

Whilst this is all hypothetical, and it’s always difficult to prove that a parish register is wrong, it would be interesting to find out if there was any additional information on the burial entries in the parish register for the various children eg daughter of John and Sarah where the christening gives daughter of John and Elizabeth. That at least would show the parish register was inconsistent.

Hope this helps

David

[choc]

Hi David
Thanks very much for that. I know, very confusing, I have a relative that actually went to Flitton and copied the records from the Office there but then had to come home quickly, when she got home we realised all this business about Sarah Atkin, so we are totally confused.
I think she is going to send away for a death certificate for one of the children of John and Elizabeth and see what luck we have there.
Cheers
Lisa

[bedfordshire boy]

Hi Lisa

She can't get a death cert for that period - they only started in 1837. You need to look at the parish register for the burial entries, and even then it may not give the parents (although with childrens' burials it often does)

It cannot be that Sarah died and John remarried Elizabeth as there are later christenings for children of John and Sarah (and there is no burial of Sarah).

So there are three options:

There were two families - John/Sarah and John/Elizabeth. But there are no records for a marriage of John and Elizabeth and no burials for a second John or an Elizabeth

or the parish register is in error

or Sarah was also known as Elizabeth.

The timing of the births (these are shown on the IGI as well as the christenings) makes me think that there is just the one family.

Perhaps someone has access to the Flitton parish register for
 
a)  the transcription for the 1812 burial of Lucy

and b) the microfilm for the 1818 burial of Elizabeth

Regards

David

[choc]

Hi
Thanks very much for that, I'll pass on that info and see where she wants to go from there.
Cheers
Lisa

[Almeria54]

Hi  Just been reading the post on my paternal ancesters.  If its any help - Daniel Adkins married Mary Bonner c1720, they had a son Bonner Adkins c1744 who in turn married a Sarah - sorry dont have surname at the moment, who then had a daughter they named Sarah who married John Downing.  Regards Sue (nee Downing)