ANCESTRY AND DESCENDANTS OF EMANUEL DOWNING
The Downings of Suffolk, later of Gamlingay, County Cambridge, England.
From the time of George Downing, 1525-1564, to the time of Sir George Downing
1624-1684, last of the direct line.
GEORGE DOWNING of Beccles, County Suffolk, born circa 1525, died 1564: married
CICELY , who survived him. He gave to his wife his two houses in Beccles
for life and then entailed them to his son Barnaby and his male heirs. To his
daughter Margaret, 20 lb, to son John, 20 lb; John and George to be educated at the
Grammar School and at the University of Cambridge; to son Barnaby, 80lb. He
mentions his cousin, Robert Downing of All Saints in South Elmham. The will,
dated 15 December 1561 was proved 26 June 1564. The children were apparently
all minors.
Children:
i. Barnaby
ii. John
iii. Margaret
iv. GEORGE
v. William
GEORGE DOWNING, born circa 1556, died at Ipswich, County Suffolk, in 1611;
married Bellamy, who was buried at St. Lawrence, Ipswich, 1610. He
entered Queen's College, Cambridge, 1569; B.A., 1573-74; M.A., 1577. He
was Master of the Grammar School, Ipswich, 1589-1610. He gave all of his
estate to his daughters, including a house of his own and the lease of the
house he lived in called the White Friars. He gave his books to his son
Joseph. His sons had been well educated and well provided for.
Children:
i. Susanna, m. Francis Kirby of London
ii. EMANUEL, baptized,, at St. Lawrence, Ipswich, 12 August 1585
iii. Nathaniel, baptized at St. Mary-at-Tower, Ipswich, 1587;
d. May 1616; married 6 May 1613, Margaret Selyne
(or Cellyn), daughter of Dr. Daniel Selyne,
a French physician.
iv. Nahomie, m. Richard Hill of London
v. Benjamin, bapt. 1593
vi. Anne, bapt. March 1595
vii. Abigail, m. John Goade of London
viii. Joseph, Rector of St. Stephens, Ipswich
ix. Joshua, of Chatham, Kent; one of the Commissioners of the
Navy and Justice of the Peace for Kent. Died
1629
x. Elnathan, died 1609
EMANUEL DOWNING, baptized at St. Lawrence, Ipswicb, 12 August 1585; died after
November 1660, when he was living in Edinburgh, Scotland; married (1st) ANNE
WARE, daughter of Sir James and Mary (Brydon) Ware of Dublin, Ireland; married
(2nd) at Groton, Suffolk, 10 April 1622, Lucy Winthrop, born at Groton, 9
January 1599/1600, died 19 April 1679, daughter of Adam and Anne (Browne)
Winthrop, sister of John Winthrop 1st Governor of Masschusetts Colony.
He was educated at Cambridge University, entering in December 1602 and be-
came a lawyer of the Inner Temple, London, Attorney in the Court of Wards
and seems to have lived in the parishes of St. Bridget and of St. Michael,
Cornhill. His first wife was the sister of the noted Irish antiquarian,
Sir James Ware. His second wife was the sister of John Winthrop, who emigrated
in 1630 to establish the Colony of Massachusetts Bay.
Through the latter connection he became much interested in the New England
settlement, making a substantial investment and taking an interest in the
trading possibilities of the venture. Letters to members of the Winthrop
family show that emigration was considered by the Downings but as late as
1637 his objection was the lack of educational facilities for the sons.
His first wife's children had already emigrated, James with the Winthrop Fleet
in 1630, and Susan and Mary in the "Mary Jane" in May 1633 in the care of
Governor William Coddington. Emanuel and Lucy with their children finally
sailed in 1638 in the "Thomas and Frances" arriving before September 7th.
The family settled in Salem, Mass., Emanuel being admitted to the church
there 4 November 1638. Essex County records pay tribute to his superior
social standing by referring to him as "Mr.," or "Esq.," or sometimes as
"The Worshipful Emanuel Downing." He returned permanently to England in
1652 and died sometime after November 1660.
Children of Emanuel and.Mary Ware Downing:
i. James, although he came as a youth in 1630, he has left
little record. He testified at Salem, Sept. 1639
and in Jan. 1639/40 was admonished to avoid bad
company,and manifested great remorse. It is to be
feared that his remorse swallowed him up, for we
hear no more about him. Perhaps he returned to
England or Ireland.
ii. Susan, living in 1638
iii. MARY, b. about 1620; d. at Boston, Mass., 16 June 1647.
m. about 1639, ANTHONY STODDARD, b. about 1614,
d. Boston, Mass. 16 March 1686/87.(See Stoddard file)
Children of Emanuel.Downing and Lucy Winthrop:
i. George, Sir George Downing, 1st Baronet, b. Dublin, Ireland
about 1624, died July 1684; m. 1654 Frances Howard who
d. 10 July 1683, daughter of Sir William and Mary
(Eure) Howard.
ii. Lucy, b. about 1625; d. at Ipswich, Mass, 5 Feb. 1697; m.
about 1649 William Norton, b. England, d. Ipswich,
Mass., 30 April 1694.
iii. Joshua, b. 1627 England; m. about 1657.
iv. Robert, born England March 1628/9
v. Adam, d. young
vi. Anne; b. England April 1633; d. 19 April 1713; m. (1) Aug.
1656 Capt. Joseph Gardner who was killed in King
Philip's War 1675. m.(2) Gov. Simon Bradstreet.
vii. Martha, b. about 1636; m. about 1659 Capt. Spicer.
viii. John, b. Salem, Mass. 1 March 1639/40; d. at Boston 29 April 1694
ix. Dorcas, b. Salem, 7 Feb. 1640. Probably died young.
REFERENCES:
"Hale, House and Related Families", 1978, pp. 514-521.
"Suffolk Manorial Families", 1900, pp 96-99
"Genealogical Gleanings in England" 1901, pp 35-39
"Records of Massachusetts Bay"
Nancy L. Underwood
1989
COAT OF ARMS USED BY THE DOWNING FAMILY
Barry of 10 argent and vert; over all a griffon segreant volant or.
Crest: An arm, embowed, habited in mail proper, tied round the wrist with a
riband or, and holding in the hand an arrow argent, barbed and flighted gold.
Heraldic terms:
Barry: barred or striped
Argent: silver
Vert: green
Or: gold
Over all: superimposed
Griffon (griffin, gryphon): mythological creature with head wings and
forelegs of an eagle; body, hind legs and tail of a lion.
Volant: winged or flying
Segreant (sejant, sejeant): an animal sitting with forelegs upright
Embowed: bent
Proper: in natural color
Riband: ribbon
Flighted: feathered
SHIELD
Divided into 10 silver and green bars or stripes on which is superimposed
a sitting, winged griffin, in gold, with forelegs upright.
CREST
A bent arm covered in mail in natural color; a gold ribbon tied around the
wrist and the hand holding a silver arrow with gold barbs and feathers.
This Coat of Arms was attributed to Godfrey Downing of Norwich, England
and used in the amorial bearings of Emanuel Downing and his wife Lucy and
their son Sir George Downing. The Norfolk Downings used a shield with 8
bars and added the crest described above. The connection with Downings of
Norfolk has not been ascertained. But Suffolk is the neighboring county
of Norfolk so there was no doubt some relationship which entitled them
to use the same Coat of Arms.
Source: "Hale, House and Related Families" 1978
In the chart below, the connection from Emanuel Downing to Henry III is very much in doubt. The confusion is at the ancestry of George Downing, father of Emanuel. An error appeared in the mid 1600's in a book by Anthony Wood. The error continued when Burke published his books on heraldry and genealogy and the error continues in modern sources. Many thanks to Karen Repko for sending this information.We get to the same royal families through our Pierrepont pedigree, which as far as I know, is not in dispute. Our first known connection to royalty through the Pierreponts is to Hamelin Plantagenet.
