John Downing and Elizabeth

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Husband John Downing ^{1 2 3}

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           Born: 31 Dec 1796 - Chester Co., SC 2
     Christened: 
           Died: 24 Sep 1863 - Houston, Texas Co., Missouri
         Buried: 

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         Father: Andrew Downing (1771-1844) 1 2
         Mother: Elizabeth Jones (1772-1847) 1 2

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       Marriage: 

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   Other Spouse: Aly (Abt 1808-      )

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Wife Elizabeth ^{1 3}

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           Born: 9 Jan 1794
     Christened: 
           Died: 17 Sep 1828 - Wayne Co., Tn 4
         Buried:  - Mt. Hebron Cem., Houston, Wayne Co., Tn

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Children

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1 M Andrew P. Downing ¹

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           Born: 13 Mar 1820 - Madison Co., Alabama
     Christened: 
           Died: 3 Mar 1898 5
         Buried:  - Lavinia Cem., Lavinia, Carroll Co., Tennessee

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2 F Frances Downing ¹

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           Born: 26 Dec 1821 - Madison Co., Alabama
     Christened: 
           Died: 5 Aug 1872 6
         Buried:  - Furgerson Cem., Cedar Grove, Carroll Co., Tennessee

         Spouse: James J. Porter (1818-1886)
           Marr: 10 Oct 1844 3

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3 M Jesse Downing ¹

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           Born: 4 Apr 1824 - Madison Co., Alabama
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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4 F Elizabeth Downing ¹

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           Born: 24 Jan 1826 - Clifton, Wayne Co, , Tn
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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5 M Jonathan J. Downing ¹

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           Born: 4 Feb 1828 - Clifton, Wayne Co, , Tn
     Christened: 
           Died: Jul 1828
         Buried: 

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6 M William Alexander Downing ¹

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           Born: 4 Feb 1828 - Clifton, Wayne Co, , Tn
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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General Notes: Husband - John Downing

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CENSUS:

<pre>1830 Wayne Co., Tennessee; sheet 289
John Downing 111001 -- 1101; no slaves
male female
1 < 5 1
1 5-10 1
1 10-15
15-20 1
20-30
1 30-40 </pre>

<pre>1840 Wayne Co., Tennessee
Jno Downing 0111101 -- 00111; 4 in agriculture; no slaves
male female
< 5
1 5-10
1 10-15 1
1 15-20 1
1 20-30 1
30-40
1 40-50 </pre>

He lives 6 entries away from his father Andrew Downing.

<pre>1850 Wayne Co., Tennessee, 7 Civil Dist.; Oct 18
719/727
John Downing 54 MW SC $1000 Farmer
Aly " 42 FW Ga
John G. " 16 MW Tn Farmer
Eliza C. " 8 FW Tn
Wm. C. Thompson 22 MW Tn S Teacher </pre>

He is not in the Slave Schedule. His younger brother Jonathan Downing lives at 718/726, and his son Andrew Downing lives at 711/718.

<pre>1860 Texas Co., Missouri, Cass Township, p.o. Houston; June 7; pg 33
216/199
John Downing 63 MW SC $800/$490 Farmer
Aly " 52 FW Ga
Eliza C. " 18 FW Tn
William Boors 22 MW Tn ---/$125 Farmer </pre>

He is not in the Slave Schedule.

NOTE:

The following note about John Downing is from the database 'jdamewood' in http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com.

Ronald G. Downing, writing in Wayne County, Tennessee 1817-1995: History and Families, page 198, says that John and his young wife, Elizabeth, established their family in Madison County near Hazel Green, Alabama, where his parents had settled. John Downing is listed in the 1830 and 1840 federal censuses for Wayne County, Tennessee. According to Misha Stegall Stanford writing in Wayne County, Tennessee 1917-1995: History and Families, page 199, John settled with his parents in Wayne County in 1827. His first wife, Elizabeth, died the following year, leaving him with five children, the eldest of whom was 8 years old. John is listed in the 1850 Wayne County Tennessee census at age 54 as a farmer born in South Carolina with a real estate value of $1000. In addition to wife Aly, son John G. and daughter Eliza C., William C. Thompson, school teacher, was in the household. The 1860 Texas County Missouri census lists John as 63, a farmer born in South Carolina with real estate valued at $800 and personal property at $490. Besides wife Aly and daughter Eliza C., a 22 year old farmer, William Boors, was also in the household. John's grandson, Otto Orrice Forehand, wrote an account of the family in the 1960s. Otto was descended from John and Ally through Elizabeth (or Eliza) C., and appeared to be unaware that his grandfather had been married prior to his marriage to Ally. His account describes the Downing's move from Tennessee and subsequent events: 'My grandfather sold the farm, loaded all his goods and his family on a flat boat, and floated down the Tennessee River to the Ohio, and down the Ohio to Cairo, Illinois, and there obtained a tug boat to push their boat up the river to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. They landed and traveled by covered wagon overland to southwest Missouri, and bought a farm in the Hutton Valley, not far from West Plains. This was in the year 1853. Mother was 19 years of age when the Civil War between the States broke out. Her two brothers John and William enlisted in the Confederate army and served throughout the entire war. Uncle John was captured by the Northern Army and spent nearly a year in a prisoner of war camp on Johnson's Island in Lake Erie, not far from Sandusky, Ohio. He and several other prisoners escaped by digging under the walls of the stockade, and made their way back South to join their regular units. Grandfather Downing died in 1863, and grandmother and mother lived alone on the farm until the end of the war in 1865. They had two slaves, who stayed with them until the President's proclamation ending slavery in 1863 and they left. Mother said that she never saw nor heard from them again. The war ended in 1865 and the boys came home.'

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General Notes: Wife - Elizabeth

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There is clear documentary evidence about John Downing and his wife Elizabeth, including her birth and death dates in the family Bible of James J. Porter, whose wife, Frances Downing, was their daughter. Some researchers think that Elizabeth was a daughter of Jesse Hinkle, 1763, but I know of no evidence for that belief beyond the fact that one of their sons was named Jesse, a common name in the Hinkle family, and the fact that over a period of several decades Hinkles and Downings lived close to each other and migrated together. William Hinkle married Sally Downing, and Baltis Hinkle married Ann Downing.

In a biographical sketch of Jesse's grandson William Hinkle (son of Baltis) published in 1896, the author says that Jesse had 4 children: William, Jonathan, Baltis, and Zuly.

A photograph at Find-a-Grave Memorial # 71180119 shows an old lichen-covered tombstone at the base of a tree and a newer granite marker in front of it. The old tombstone is unreadable. The new marker reads

MRS. ELIZABETH DOWNING
JAN. 9, 1794 -- SEPT. 17, 1828
WIFE OF JOHN DOWNING
DAU.-IN-LAW OF ANDREW &
ELIZABETH JONES DOWNING

1 http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com db: jdamewood.

2 "Downing Bible," http://www.biblerecords.com/downing.html.

3 Faye and William Leigon, Porters of Fishing Creek, 1987, Appendix B. Repository: Clayton Library, Houston, Texas.

4 "Find-a-Grave," Memorial # 71180119.

5 "Find-a-Grave," Memorial # 39896867.

6 "Find-a-Grave," Memorial # 32250084.