John Downing and Aly

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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: Elizabeth (1794-1828) 1 3

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Wife Aly

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           Born: Abt 1808 - Georgia
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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Children

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1 M John G. Downing

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           Born: Abt 1834 - Tennessee
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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2 F Eliza C. Downing

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           Born: Abt 1842 - Tennessee
     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.'

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.