Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 279, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 November 1910 — A Comer in Ancestors [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A Comer in Ancestors

By ELEANOR LEXINGTON

Downing Family ■■■ m „ (Copyright by McClure Syndicate,

The Downing family is one of ancient and honorable “knightly lineage.” The derivation of name is Anglo-Saxon, from the word dune, a hill. Dune, de Doune, le Downe are ancient forms. Downynge is early English, also Downyng. In that oldest and most valued rocord in all England—Dowesday Book—we find that a Ralph de Doune was the king’s thane, and he had two manors in Devon. Whether de Doune was a Norman, and the founder of the Downing family in Great Britain, we are not prepared to say—in haste, lest upon later Information we must repent. Devonshire has always been one stronghold of the family, and Axmlnster, a town where they have lived from time commonly called immemo-

rial. We also find the Downings in Sussex, Essex, Cornwall and Norfolk. Groffrey Downing, born 1524, in Essex, married a lineal descendant of Henry 111., Elizabeth Wingfield. There is a connection with the noble house of Howard, and If the Downings do not claim descent from a hundred earls, it is simply an oversight, not an impossibility. Famous’ Downing street, London, where ministers of the crown have their official residence, is thus named because bf a grant of the land from Charles 11. to Sir George Downing. At the time Downing street was a “pretty, open place.” Downing college, Cambridge, was founded by another Sir George Down-

tag, who gave a munificent sum for the purpose. He was the third baronet and grandson of the first baronet. H One immigrant came from Devon shire. He was Thomas Downing and d member of the Society of Friend? Pennsylvania was naturally the place he chose for a home. Downingtown is the name of the town he helped to settle, and the old homestead still stands. In New England, we find Emanuel Downing at Salem, Mass., in the sev enteenth century. He was born in London. Benjamin Downing and wife Sarah Hunter, were living at Hatfield’ 1679. Emanuel of Salem married Lucv’ sister of Governor Winthrop, and their daughter Ann married,, for her second husband, Simon Bradstreet the last colonial governor of Massachu setts. Francis Downing was in Virginia in 1624, and it is supposed that it is his descendants who settled in Maryland and later, also in Kentucky. ’ Among marriage connections of the Downings of the south are the Hickmans, Lewises, Madisons, Jacksons Taylors, Hunleys, Crutchers, Muirs and Russells. Delilah, Ruth,’ Rebecca Venetia, Isabella and Juliet are favorite Christian names of early generations~_L __ The Downings have always responded promptly to any call to arms in defense of their country. Heitman records Lieutenants Thomas of Massachusetts and William of Pennsylvania. Captain Daniel—probably of Massachusetts—was captain in the Revolution. He, too, lived to a ripe old age dying in 1827. His wife was Betsy William Downing of Maryland served for a short time in the Revolution, afterwards removing to Kentucky. Richard Downing of Maryland was literally a boy of ’76, and served through the war. There is a connection with the Cromwells of England, through the marriage of William of Maryland, soldier, with Rebecca Cromwell. Her father was a Maryland settler and direct descendant of the Cromwells. The Downings of New York state were probably of the New England family. The coat-of-arms reproduced is: harry of ten, argent and vert, a griffin segreantj vert. Crest: An arm embowed, habited in mail, prcfper, tied around the wrist with a rlbboiu or, and holding an nrrow, barbed and flighted with gold. The coat-of-arms upon the walls of Downing college is blazoned; barry bf eight, argent and vert, a griffin sogreant, or, within a bordure, azure, charged with eight roses, of the first, seeded and barbed, proper. Motto: Quaerere Verum—seek the truth.