INTRODUCTION

This INTRODUCTION was written in December 2012 when I started this blog.

It will take the place of the "Downes Bulletins" which I have issued from time to time. I think it is a more convenient format for making snippets of information available to family members. In due course I will add the information from past bulletins, so that it is complete, and of course add more items from time to time.

I hope all family members will add
      http://arthurdownesfamily.blogspot.co.uk/ 
to the "favourites" on their browser and have a look at the blog from time to time. (I have had to use the word arthurdownesfamily rather than just downes, because someone else already uses the latter) 

Please let me have your comments, either direct to me at
carden@one-name.org, or by clicking on the "Comments" tag.

Better still, please send me items for posting.

With best wishes to all of you, Arthur Carden

When you have reached the foot of the page, please click "Older posts" to see them as well!

DOWNES PICTURES FROM LALAGE CAMBELL

 Lalage Cambell writes:

I have a mystery and I am wondering whether anyone is able to shed any light.

I have two small pictures (below) that I inherited from my mother, and I was wondering whether anyone in the Downes family might know anything about either of them.  The one on the right appears to have a halo but the one on the left looks like a portrait and I wondered whether anyone can identify the sitter.  I think they are in their original frames which were made for my grandmother, Dorothy Downes, when the family lived in Chepstow Road, Croydon, before moving to Lee-on-the-Solent.  Unfortunately, the frames themselves and the backings are quite damaged.  

Please respond to Lalage if you know her ID.  Otherwise please write to me at carden@one-name.org.

PORTRAITS - ARTHUR DOWNES AND LUCY TODD

Many readers know about the portraits of ARTHUR DOWNES 1765-1838  and LUCY TODD 1810-1890  which hung a Canford, Lee-on-Solent, for many years and were apparently bequeathed by Leonard Downes to Southampton University where they are now in store.

Arthur and Michael Carden (great grand-sons of each of them) arranged to view them in June 2017. They are in excellent condition apart from the frames which can easily be repaired. Both the university and the National Trust view favourably our suggestion that they should be loaned to the NT and put on public view at Basildon Park, owned by James Morrison, related to both sitters by marriage, from 1838 to 1928.  But there are many small problems to be overcome before this is achieved.

(Added November 2017).  Little progress has been made with the above project so far despite my offer to defray any costs. Southampton University tell me that Sebastian Conway, the House and Collections Manager at Basildon House, said that he would need to discuss the possibility with Oonagh Kennedy, the Curator and that it is possible that the portraits would not fit in with their current hang as it portrays a later period but might fit in with a different display.

(Added September 2020).  This item was originally posted in July 2017.  At that time the sitters were not named by Southampton University or by ArtUk.  It has taken until now to correct this, as will be seen from https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/view_as/grid/search/makers:william-patten-d1843.  No progress has been made with the proposal to hang them at Basildon.

The Downes family 1904

 I expect most family members are familiar with the picture below, which appears in my book about Andrew which can be found at www.lulu.com/spotlight/carden, where it is incorrectly stated that Allen John Downes was in the Royal Navy.

 

 ANDREW    DOROTHY (LE GRICE)   ROBERT    LEONARD    ALLAN JOHN (JACK)   ROGER   CONSTANCE

The Downes family 1904

See Lalage's interesting comments on Allen John Downes in a post earlier this year.

Andrew Downes and the King James bible

Andrew Downes and the King James bible

My daughter Kirsten has drawn my attention to the book Power and Glory by Adam Nicolson about the making of the King James Bible.  Andrew Downes was one of the Translators.  He was Professor of Greek at St John’s College, Cambridge. He is mentioned many times in the book, which also gives a delightful description of Jacobean England, where the new king played a major part in trying to heal the rift between the Puritans and the traditional church.

Leonard Downes, in his Downes Pedigrees book, claims that this Andrew Downes was a member of our branch of the family.  He says on page 33, ‘A Bible has been handed down in our family as an heir-loom, which is now in my possession, that is supposed to have belonged to Andrew Downes, the translator.’  He traces its ownership by our ancestor Arthur Downes a cousin of Andrew (who died in 1628) to 1640.

Who has it now?

Downes and the Antipodes

Lalage Cambell writes - 

I have recently been doing some digging about my paternal grandfather Allan John ‘Jack’ Downes as he was missing from the 1901 census.  I have discovered that he sailed to Wellington, New Zealand on the Kaikoura on 22 July 1896 arriving there on 10^th September.  He returned to the UK on the Weimar sailing this time from Sydney and arriving in Southampton on 3 June 1901.  On the passenger lists on the way out he is described as a ‘Farm pupil’ on the return as a ‘Labourer.’ My mother always described him as a ‘man of independent means’ and I have never got to the bottom of that! 

A son of Colonel Leonard Downes, he was born in 1875, so he made this four-year trip in his early 20s..

I would love to know more about this unexpected discovery.  If anyone can help me to discover more please add a comment to this blog or write to me at lsanders@cardiffmet.ac.uk. 

In the 1911 census he was a ‘ Works Manager’ in an ‘Electric Lamp’ Manufacturer’. He lived in an eleven roomed house in Croydon with his wife and children and his father Leonard who was a retired lieutenant colonel in the Royal artillery.  Family legend tells me that they moved to Lee on the Solent buying Canford out right in 1917. 

Robert Enys Hichens (‘Bob’) RIP. 1932-2020

There were about 200 of us at the funeral in Flushing, Cornwall of Bob Hichens on 24 January 2020

and afterwards at Enys House.

Bob was the elder son of Lieutenant Commander Robert Peverell Hichens RNVR, DSO and bar, DSC and two bars, the famous motor gunboat ace who was killed in action in 1943 and Catherine Enys, and grandson of Constance (‘Connie’) Downes.

After obtaining a first in chemistry at Oxford, Bob joined Shell where he had an illustrious career, remaining with the company until he retired in about 1990 and he and his wife Mariquita soon went to live at his father’s house Bodrennick at Flushing.  He was well known locally, and became a cabinet member of Cornwall County Council.

He and I became very good sailing friends, cruising almost every year from 1992 until 2011 in his 35ft yacht Panacea, visiting Brittany many times and also Ireland and Spain.  These were wonderful trips, all including hilarious and sometimes challenging incidents. He always displayed remarkable self-confidence, courage, tolerance, ingenuity and mechanical ability.

Rear-Admiral Dennis Royle Farquharson Cambell CB, DSC

Most readers of this blog will know that Dennis Cambell, Captain of HMS Ark Royal in 1955/6 and inventor of the Angled Flight Deck, married Dorothy Downes. I was a pageboy at their wedding in 1933 – the picture shows I rather disapproved of the outfit I was asked to wear!

Their daughter Lalage Cambell writes: I have launched a new website commemorating my father, replacing the old, very tired website, and I am circulating the link to those cousins for whom I have email addresses in case of interest. It is very much under development and there are several pages that I would like to expand in time.  https://www.denniscambell.org.uk/

She would, I am sure, welcome your comments.

If you scroll down to the entry for October 2017 you will find a picture of their house and the blue plaque fixed over the door.

Cherry Conway-Hughes

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On July 9^th Cherry and I (Arthur Carden) much enjoyed meeting each other for the first time in five years when we went to the Globe Theatre together.  See picture on right.

We are both descended from Rev John Downes 1810-90, as follows:

    John Downes m Lucy Todd → Edith Downes m Rev John Houseman → Lucy Houseman m Percy Horton → Cyril Ivan Horton m Helen Dorothy Willink → Rosemary Horton m Rodney Rowley → Cherry Rowley m Christopher Conway-Hughes.

    John Downes m Lucy Todd → Theodosia Downes m Rev Thomas Badcock → Lucy Theodosia Downes m Eustace Carden → Arthur Carden

Five generations for Cherry, only three for me, partly because Edith was Thomas’ eldest daughter and Theodosia his youngest.  Is that “fifth cousins twice removed”?

I am astonished to find that that I have not previously mentioned Cherry’s book in this blog.  The front cover appears on the left.  This book, of at least fifty pages, contains hundreds of photographs (many in colour), family trees and delightful descriptions written by her grandmother Dorothy Horton and many others.  I have taken the above descents from her book. I am sure she will be glad to lend or give a copy to any readers of this blog.  Just apply to cherryconwayhughes@gmail.com.  She, and I, would love to hear from any of you in any case.

Badcocks at Fleckney

Theodosia Downes married Rev Thomas Badcock in 1890 when he was Rector of Walgrave. In 1856 he had married Emily Ford Smith when he was Vicar of Fleckney near Leicester but she died in 1880.  In 1878 Henry Badcock, a son by his first marriage, emigrated to Florida and in 1904 founded the Badcock Corporation, now a multi-million dollar furniture retailer. Following a visit by Arthur and his niece Shane in February 2019, several USA Badcocks decided to visit England for Arthur's 90th birthday.

On 27th June they and a number of English cousins visited Fleckney, where the current Vicar celebrated a special Eucharist service for them. They then attended a luncheon given by Arthur, and visited the Library and the old vicarage built for Thomas. The Badcock Corporation gave £1,000 each to Fleckney Church, Fleckney Library and Walgrave church.

(caption to be added to picture)

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ARTHUR’S NINETIETH BIRTHDAY

ARTHUR’S NINETIETH BIRTHDAY

I will be 90 on 28th June 2019.  Apologies for not inviting you to a party.    I will be having tea 3pm – 5pm in the Great Court Restaurant on the third floor at the British Museum on Sunday June 30th.  If anyone decides to join me I would be delighted, but please do not feel any pressure to come.

Please let me know if you are likely to come, to help with planning, but you are welcome just to turn up!                

                     Arthur Carden (carden@one-name.org)

Digital copy of Downes Pedigrees

Family members will be glad to hear that a digitised copy of Downes Pedigrees by Colonel Leonard Downes, dated 1909, is available from me or from Lalage Cambell. It will also soon be available for study or download by Society of Genealogists members at www.sog.org.uk. The digital copy was kindly created by Lalage Cambell, who writes: I have not done a very good job, I fear, as some of the pages are a little wonky but the great thing is that, unlike a scan, it is actually searchable – which  I think will be really useful. 

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New book about Fonthill

By, clicking ‘2012’ under ‘Archive’ on the right and then scrolling down, you will reach a post about a visit to Fonthill to attend a lecture by Professor Caroline Dakers, have luncheon with  Alistair Morrison (Lord Margadale) , and then visit the current mansion, Fonthill House. As you will recall, Rev John Downes (1810-1890), from whom most of us are descended, had a sister Jane who married John Todd.  John Todd’s father was ‘Sunshine Todd’ (picture on right) whose business passed to James Morrison, who married Mary Ann Todd and became the richest commoner of that era.

     Caroline Dakers has compiled a new book called Fonthill Recovered of which Ian Aldous has loaned me a copy, full of information about all the mansions at Fonthill and their owners. My mother dined as a child with the Morrisons at Fonthill, and remembered that the plates were made of gold!                                                                          

     Ian and I had visited the recent wonderful exhibition at Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill, where many pictures were on loan from the Morrison archive at Sudeley Castle.

     I would be very happy to correspond about all this with anyone reading this post.

Robert Houseman afloat

Robert Houseman writes:

We’ve been retired for two years now, and are enjoying life on our boat. We bought her two years ago after we sold the house, and now spend the winters in a marina in Newbury, and the summers cruising around the waterways of the UK - "living the life" as it’s now common to say !! Photo of the boat attached

Please could you note our current postal address of 29 Greenacre Place, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 7GY (07887 535872) - we use our son’s address as our postal address, and then collect any mail from him.

MARK FLETCHER

The photograph alongside was received at Christmas 2018 from Mark Fletcher, great grandson of Peverell Hichens and Constance ‘Connie’ Downes, who lives in Australia. He says: My father Robin turned 90 on 3 December and I've attached a photo of 3 generations of Fletcher blokes, Ben is now 14, grown up a lot since we were in the UK in 2010. I’m hoping to get the UK soon.

Admiral Dennis Cambell

DENNIS CAMBELL 1907 - 2000

Many readers of this blog will remember Dennis Cambell, his wife Dorothy Downes, and daughters Lamorna and Lalage.  

Lalage produced an excellent document on her father, to be found at http://www.denniscambell.org.uk. The two sisters organised a 50th wedding anniversary party for their parents in 1983. I have a photograph somewhere of myself as a page at their wedding in 1933.

Lalage has recently sent me the two pictures below of the plaque placed at her parents’ home in Petersfield in 2011.

Lamorna’s 80th birthday party is mentioned in an earlier blog.  

Lalage is 17 years younger than her sister. She reverted from her married name back to Lalage Cambell in 2005.

JUSTIN DOWNES

Justin Downes of 26 Hans Place, London SW1X 0JY, 07894337140 recently wrote to me as below, and has given me his permission to quote him.  When next I have a copy of the book Downes Pedigrees by Col Leonard Downes available I look forward very much to trying to relate Justin’s remarks to the book, especially as regards the regicide.

I came across your very interesting work relating to the Downes family.

I have taken my Downes back to 16th c Nuneaton, Warks. 

For successive generations, they remained in Coventry and Nuneaton.

They certainly seemed to have led humble lives until the 1890's when they inherited the equivalent of £30 million via a cousin at law. The story is rather sad.

One Richard Downes, my ggggfather was transported to Tasmania in 1842 and never returned to the UK or ever saw his family again. He only had the clothes he stood up in!

Just before he died in Hobart he was told that he was one of six cousins who shared in the estate of a cousin, Francis Sumner, a staunch Catholic, High Sherriff of Derbyshire and a major mill owner. There were some 1500 claimants as he died intestate!

Poor old Richard never lived long enough to enjoy his money, dying soon after.

Anyway, the point of all this is that John Downes, the regicide, directly descends from the Rev. George Downes of Nuneaton ('descended from Cheshire') and that is where we think we connect.

Kind regards

Justin Downes

Georgie Le Grice

Ian Aldous has kindly sent me this copy of a page from the May issue of Country Life.

The caption includes -  Miss Georgina Wilmay Le Grice .. only daughter of Mr and Mrs Timothy Le Grice of Trereife House, Penzance ... is engaged to be married to William Chapman.  Apparently there is more about Trereife in the magazine.

In September 2019 Sarita Perkins wrote: Georgie had a boy last week to be called Ralph Valentine which is rather nice.

Updates - Atty Carden; Jutland

The "Tea Party for Atty" mentioned below will take place at BMA House in London on May 7th. Please ask for particulars if you have not received an invitation.
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A few days later on Monday May 9th, my son Mark and I will be going to a debate about Jutland to be held in Portsmouth.  See http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/
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Battle of Jutland

The National Museum of the Royal Navy will be holding an exhibition about the Battle of Jutland opening in May 2016.  I am sure they will make use of material from the journals of Andrew Downes.  See http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/site-attractions/attractions/36-hours-jutland-1916
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I have now heard as follows from Nick Hewitt who is in charge of the exhibition: " The Downes journal for Jutland will remain on display in  our permanent galleries, as one of the central tenets of this exhibition was that we set out to ensure that we did not strip out the permanent galleries either here or at IWM. Despite this we have still secured well over 300 artefacts! However, we will definitely be linking it across to the new gallery, and if you would like to organise a family visit I’d be happy to show you around again.

So I will not organise a family visit unless asked to do so - though I will definitely visit the Jutland exhibition myself.  Anyone like to join me?

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