Major DOWNING of the Guards [137]
 General Notes:
Major Downing of the Guards is now not placed in a Downing family on this website.
Robert Stedall writes 2017
Thank you very much for your e-mail. I am personally focusing on three separate Downing families that came from East Anglia, one member of which seems to be the ancestor of the Irish branch of the family, including John Downing who joined the Horseguards of Charles II in 1660, but returned to Cork before 1663. . . . . . Nevertheless the St. Clement Danes family were London merchants, and fit more logically with your lot, who also started in London.
Accordingly the webmaster has at this point adopted this view see John Downing of St Clement Danes Westminster [26266].
Liveing Family Archive IMG 3856 - 3857
Copy of a letter by E.H.T. Liveing.
Dear Miss Downing,
I received your letter today with much pleasure and interest, and I shall be delighted to meet you when next you are in England - if you will come and look us up here.
With regard to our line of Downings the pedigree is quite simple and certain back to Major Downing of the Guards in Charles II reign he is mentioned as Captain Downing by Pepys, see diary 9 November 1666 and 19 November 1667 he was my 5 times great grandfather but whether he was related to his contemporary Sir G D Downing of Downing St family or not we do not know - if he was we have to go further back to seek them.
My brother the Rev H.G.D. Liveing has of late been examining old Downing Wills but so far has not cleared up the matter and if he has any success I will let you know
I am sending you a photo reconstruction of a combined pedigree I drew up in 1925 to explain the large number of family relics miniatures and rings letters and so on now in my position I also enclose a photo of a very beautiful miniature name of Katherine Downing sister of George Downing my 9th grandfather her sister Marie Downing was great grandmother of my cousins the Knottesford Fortescues of Stratford on Avon who you know.
Yours very sincerely.
Edward H Liveing.
Was Downing from the Downings of Bradninch in Devon, England?
'Kings Own Guards' is The First Regiment of Foot Guards raised in 1656 now called The Grenadier Guards. Henry Downing said to have held an officer's commission in the Kings Own Guards is not on their lists. There are 2 John Downings - joining dates 1660 and 1675 and a Robert Downing - joining date 1667. 'Nominal Roll of Officers of Royal Regiment of Guards, raised in England, 1660 by Colonel John Russell.'
Ref: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/DOWNING/2010-02/1265556692
Jill Thorn of the Devon family writes 2013
My grandmother was a Downing before her marriage. Her father started our Downing family history back in the mid 1800's while stationed in India for 22 years, he hired 2 genealogists while he was out there and researched himself when home on long leave which could be about a year, and his findings ended up with me. He took the family back to 1666 and the birth of my 6 x great-grandfather but finding my 7 x great-grandfather is my stumbling block.
My great-grandfather believed my 7 x great-grandfather was in the Royal Regiment of Guards and his name was John Downing, but he also believed the family was closely related to Sir George Downing of Downing Street - this I have disproved. As I don't know who my 7 x great-grandfather was I'm always on the look out for information that could be useful at a later date so I was very interested to note there was a Captain Downing named in Pepys's Diary.
I also found the following today -
Diary of Samuel Pepys - Complete 1667 N.S.
'He should hang both my Lord Bruncker and Pett.'
"…….. But here Sir Thomas Crew and W. Hewer, who was there also, did tell me that they did hear Captain Downing give a cruel testimony against my Lord Bruncker, for his neglect, and doing nothing, in the time of straits at Chatham, when he was spoke to , and did tell the Committee that he, Downing, did presently after, in Lord Bruncker's hearing, tell the Duke of Albemarle, that if he might advise the King, he should hang both my Lord Bruncker and Pett. This is very hard. ……."
Another snippet I found today from the Journal of the Cork History & Archaeological Society -
Note no. 24 at the bottom of page 44.- (From Family Pedigree, J.C.W., Col.) This was Colonel James Grove White.
"…….. John Downing, who rode with his brother in the Horse Guards of Charles II., when in exile. He married and had issue."
I don't know if he is the Captain Downing mentioned in Pepys's Diary.
Research Notes:
Mentioned by Pepys as Capt Downing 9 Nov 1666.
Note: Probably John Downing of the 1st. Foot Guards; commissioned ensign in 1661 and captain in 1668.
Pepys Diary 9th November 1666.
Up and to the office , where did a good deale of business
, and then at noon to the Exchange and to my little goldsmith's , whose wife is very pretty and modest, that ever I saw any. Upon the 'Change, where I seldom have of late been, I find all people mightily at a losse what to expect, but confusion and fears in every man's head and heart. Whether war or peace, all fear the event will be bad. Thence home and with my brother to dinner, my wife being dressing herself against night; after dinner I to my closett all the afternoon, till the porter brought my vest back from the taylor's, and then to dress myself very fine, about 4 or 5 o'clock, and by that time comes Mr. Batelier and Mercer , and away by coach to Mrs. Pierces , by appointment, where we find good company: a fair lady, my Lady Prettyman , Mrs. Corbet , Knipp ; and for men, Captain Downing , Mr. Lloyd , Sir W. Coventry's clerk, and one Mr. Tripp , who dances well. After some trifling discourse, we to dancing, and very good sport, and mightily pleased I was with the company. After our first bout of dancing, Knipp and I to sing, and Mercer and Captain Downing (who loves and understands musique) would by all means have my song of "Beauty, retire." which Knipp had spread abroad; and he extols it above any thing he ever heard, and, without flattery, I know it is good in its kind. This being done and going to dance again, comes news that White Hall was on fire; and presently more particulars, that the Horse-guard was on fire;1 and so we run up to the garret, and find it so; a horrid great fire; and by and by we saw and heard part of it blown up with powder. The ladies begun presently to be afeard: one fell into fits. The whole town in an alarme. Drums beat and trumpets, and the guards every where spread, running up and down in the street. And I begun to have mighty apprehensions how things might be at home, and so was in mighty pain to get home, and that that encreased all is that we are in expectation, from common fame, this night, or to-morrow, to have a massacre, by the having so many fires one after another, as that in the City , and at same time begun in Westminster, by the Palace, but put out; and since in Southwarke , to the burning down some houses; and now this do make all people conclude there is something extraordinary in it; but nobody knows what. By and by comes news that the fire has slackened; so then we were a little cheered up again, and to supper, and pretty merry. But, above all, there comes in the dumb boy that I knew in Oliver's time, who is mightily acquainted here, and with Downing; and he made strange signs of the fire, and how the King was abroad, and many things they understood, but I could not, which I wondering at, and discoursing with Downing about it, "Why," says he, "it is only a little use, and you will understand him, and make him understand you with as much ease as may be." So I prayed him to tell him that I was afeard that my coach would be gone, and that he should go down and steal one of the seats out of the coach and keep it, and that would make the coachman to stay. He did this, so that the dumb boy did go down, and, like a cunning rogue, went into the coach, pretending to sleep; and, by and by, fell to his work, but finds the seats nailed to the coach. So he did all he could, but could not do it; however, stayed there, and stayed the coach till the coachman's patience was quite spent, and beat the dumb boy by force, and so went away. So the dumb boy come up and told him all the story, which they below did see all that passed, and knew it to be true. After supper, another dance or two, and then newes that the fire is as great as ever, which put us all to our wit's-end; and I mightily [anxious] to go home, but the coach being gone, and it being about ten at night, and rainy dirty weather, I knew not what to do; but to walk out with Mr. Batelier, myself resolving to go home on foot, and leave the women there. And so did; but at the Savoy got a coach, and come back and took up the women; and so, having, by people come from the fire, understood that the fire was overcome, and all well, we merrily parted, and home. Stopped by several guards and constables quite through the town, round the wall, as we went, all being in armes. We got well home … Being come home, we to cards , till two in the morning, and drinking lamb's-wool . So to bed.
"Nov. 9th. Between seven and eight at night, there happened a fire in the Horse Guard House, in the Tilt Yard, over against Whitehall, which at first arising, it is supposed, from some snuff of a candle falling amongst the straw, broke out with so sudden a flame, that at once it seized the north-west part of that building; but being so close under His Majesty's own eye, it was, by the timely help His Majesty and His Royal Highness caused to be applied, immediately stopped, and by ten o'clock wholly mastered, with the loss only of that part of the building it had at first seized." - The London Gazette, No. 103. - B.
Ref: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1666/11/09/
Pepys Diary 19 Nov 1667.
. . . . . But here Sir Thomas Crew and W. Hewer, who was there also, did tell me that they did hear Captain Downing give a cruel testimony against my Lord Bruncker, for his neglect, and doing nothing, in the time of straits at Chatham, when he was spoke to, and did tell the Committee that he, Downing, did presently after, in Lord Bruncker's hearing, tell the Duke of Albemarle, that if he might advise the King, he should hang both my Lord Bruncker and Pett. This is very hard. Thence with W. Hewer and our messenger. . . . .
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1667/11/19/
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