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