clotworthy

[Accra]

Hello Rick,

Sir Hugh Clotworthy's 2 brothers named Simon and Lewis was an excellant find as were his 3 daughters, just out of interest did you comes across who the daughters married? Also finding the name of Simon's wife - Mary Rashley.
I had found Mary daughter of Sir Hugh and Mary Langford but as she was their only daughter I knew this was not the correct path as Adam Downing's will dated 4th Jan. 1716 named his mother as Jane, and this has been verified by the National Archives of Ireland.

The wording on the Downing vault in Bellaghy is confusing -
"In this place are deposited the remains of Adam Downing Esq., Descended from an ancient family in Devonshire and honourably allied in this kingdom. Being married to Anne the daughter of John Jackson of Coleraine Esq,."
After hunting for Downing's in Devon, of which there are many, I began to wonder if the 'ancient family' could be Clotworthy. I believe you are on the right track.

There is one thing I must point out from your 2nd paragraph in your message dated Friday 17th Feb. 12 - Daniel Downing was named in the will of his uncle Nicholas Downing dated 18th Feb. 1698, not Adam Downing's will.
The townland was Moyagall, Maghera, Barony Loughinsholin. Co. Londonderry.

Tia will be able to help with my branch. I hope you are able to find what is needed re. Alexander Downing and his brother at the National Archives, Philadelphia.
Good hunting,
Jill

[dukewm]

Hello Jill,

I am still researching the Clotworthy line and will get back to you on anything discovered.

I do have the complete transcription of the Downing vault at St. Tida's which has been of great value in piecing together some of this section of the tree.
Yes I am aware and meant to say Daniel was named in Nicholas's Will.

What I seem to need at this point is a giant wall where I can place name tags and shuffle them around as this mystery unfolds like some kind of Police Detective - haha

have a good day (or evening),
Rick T

[Accra]

Hello Rick,

Thank you for your email and I look forward to hearing from you with new discoveries, and the same my end.

The giant wall sounds a good idea, I just wish I had the space.

Bye for now,
Jill

[dukewm]

Hi Jill,

(as a brief follow-up) the Clotworthy info I came across is from the website:
http://www.antonymaitland.com/pakham03.htm

This is apparently someone's posting of the ancestry he has gathered with references at top of page and may not be proven other than the (I think these are LDS) Reference Numbers given next to each name.

On abt Page 10 the posting lists THOMAS CLOTWORTHY b. 1536 Devon, Eng
and m. abt 1566, his wife Dorothy Parker b. abt 1545 ; d. 30 Aug 1630 with their children
1. Simon b. abt 1567 m. Mary Rashley
2. Sir Hugh b. abt 1569 m . Mary Langford
3. Lewis b. abt 1571 m. Dorcas Traver
4. Grace b. abt 1575 m. Robert Collynes
5. Sarah b. abt 1577 m. Jasper Horasey
6. Joan b. abt 1579 m. George Luxton

regards,
Rick T

ps: yes therein lies the rub - finding that available giant wall

[dukewm]

Hello Jill,

I am working on possible connections between various DOWNING branches headed by
1. (Capt.) Adam, b.1666
2. Alexander, b. 1858
3. Stafford, b. 1734 ?

The Stafford mentioned above (supposedly) had a son named Stafford who married
Rose Mulholland (all dates unknown). They had four (4) daughters
1. Mary, b. abt 1785 ; m. John Downing (possibly a relative)
2. Ester, b. abt 1789 ; m. James O'Neill
3. Elizabeth, b. ? ; m. Michael Dinnen
4. Elinor, b. ? ; d. unmarried

The four daughters above were all baptised by Alexander Clotworthy Downing, rector of St. Lurach's Church of Ireland until 1793, when he transferred to Leckpatrick. It is JOHN DOWNING, husband of Mary, who captures my attention as the possible link between the Stafford and Adam branches.
Could this John be the same John, son of Dawson & Anne Boyd, b. 1 Aug 1790, your great-great-great grandfather ?

The Stafford Downing branch is from the Dreenan area of Co Derry and this info was provided by a living descendant with whom I am working on these possible connections.

Your input on your G3 grandfather, his spouse and children would be most helpful.

Thanks and have a good day,
Rick

[Accra]

Hello Rick,

I hope the following goes some way to help sorting out the Downing puzzle, but my 3x great-grandfather was not married to a Mary.

My 3x great- grandfather was John Downing b.1790 d.1870 the 1st son and 4th child of Dawson Downing of Rowesgift b.1739 d.1807 and his 2nd wife Anne Boyd b.? d.1816.

John Downing told his grandson John George Dowing that shortly after Dawson Downing's death in 1807 he left home [Rowesgift] aged 17/18 and did not return until 1830. [Ref:- Letter from John's grandson Lt. Col. John George Downing to his cousin Mrs Marie Savage Armstrong dated 3rd Dec. 1911].

I'm not sure what took him to Ceylon/Sri Lanka but he ended up as Judicial Commissioner, Kandy after 22 years with the Ceylon Civil Service.

In 1821 'John Downing Esquire Bachalor and Elizabeth Gristock , widow both of Trincomalee were married by licence this ninth day of December......'

Trincomalee was within the Archdeaconry and Diocese of Colombo.
Elizabeth's maiden name was Walwyn. [Ref: marriage cert. copy]

The children of John Downing and Elizabeth nee Walwyn -
They had 3 sons and 6 daughters.
George Thomas Downing b.1823 d.1847.
In June 1840 he was appointed an Ensign in the 3rd Foot. A letter to his brother dated April 19th 1842 shows he was stationed in India. He died unmarried.

Charles Downing b.1824 d.1914.
He married Annabella daughter of Richard Martin of Castlebar they had 2 sons -
Geoffrey George David and Percy Claud and 1 daughter.

John David Downing b.1831 d.1903.
He married Sarah Dickin of Loppington, nr. Wem. and they had 1 son John George Downing who in turn had 5 daughters.

I will also add information on the brothers of my 3xgreat-grandfather John Downing b.1790 d.1870.
He had 2 older 1/2 brothers George Alexander Fullerton (born Downing) and David Fullerton Fullerton (born Downing).
Then 3 'full' brothers.
Ezekiel Hugh Downing b.1796 d.1817.
To date all that is known about him is that his father Dawson left him £1,500 in his will and that Ezekiel died in Jamaica, his 1/2 brother George inherited land in Jamaica from his Fullerton gt-uncle.

William Downing b.1798 d.1825.
He was a 2nd Lt. in the 2nd Ceylon Regiment, possibly joining up on the 6th June 1816 [Ref: List of Officers of the Army..... By Great Britain. War Office].
He is buried in the Downing vault St. Tida's Church, Bellaghy, Co. Londonderry. Note the date of his death on the vault is incorrect - it is inscribed as 1845 which means he was born after his father Dawson had died in 1807. I believe the 2 was mistaken for a 4 by the stone mason, and a copy of a page out of Dawson Downing's bible confirms the 1825 death date.

David Downing b.1802 d.1888.
His 2nd wife was Frances Anna Hamilton Shuldham nee Parkyn. They had 5 sons and  daughter, but their births are far to late, the 1st being 1840.
     
I hope the above helps. Jill

[dukewm]

Hi Jill,

Yes, your info was very helpful, as always. The name of John,s wife (Elizabeth) eliminates one of the possible connections between the Stafford Downing and Adam Downing "branches".
There are many other possibilities that include male descendants of Adam and his male siblings, so I'll keep "plugging away".

Thanks for the quick reply and have a good day,

Rick T

[Accra]

Hello again Rick,

I should have added that I think the Downing link between the Bellaghy Downings and the Dreenan Downings may be found as far back as the brothers of Adam Downing b.1666 d. 1719. He had Samuel, George and John, and may be a Daniel.

Adam Downing's uncle Nicholas Downing whose will was dated 18th Feb 1698 named his Downing nephews as - Capt. Adam - John - George - Samuel - Daniel - Abraham - Bernard. As Nicholas named a brother called William Downing some of the Downing nephews listed could be William's sons. Nicholas  also had a nephew named Tobias Mulhollen and incase you come across the name Major John Dobbin, this was Nicholas's cousin who was one of the overseers of Nicholas's will.
In Adam Downing's will dated 4th Jan. 1716 his brothers are named as George and Samuel. Brother Samuel because he was the father of Adam, Adam Downing's god-son who was left £5.00 and brother George because he was a joint executor of Adam's will, and he was given the duty of looking after Adam's sons until they were 21, and putting Adam's sons out to "apprenticeshipps".

Or may be the Dreenan Downings link to the Bellaghy Downings through the brothers of John Downing b.1700 d.1785, who were Henry - Jackson - William - Adam. Very, very little is known about them.

Or even the brothers of Dawson Downing -
You know Alexander Clotworthy Downing's information.

Rowe Downing - there is no family information on him apart from the fact he was a Lt. in the local militia in 1756 with Capt. John Downing father/brother? and Lt. Alexander Clotworthy Downing, brother.

John Downing - he stared his military life in the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1759 and he retired on full pay in 1797. We know he had 2 sons a John and a James, but his wife's name is not known. From the wording on a Rowesgift Deed dated 10th Oct. 1788 he seems to have had more than one wife because the words are 'his present wife'.

I know there are an awful number of Downing's listed above to follow re the Downings of Dreenan but put them on the 'back-boiler' until you are ready for each one of them.

Good luck, Jill

[Accra]

Rick, Ive just thought the subject is still Re: Clotworthy do you think this should be changed?
Bye,
Jill