Here are a number of matters about the Downes family
which will interest you, I am sure.
The journals of Andrew Downes
Many of you have already purchased a copy of one or
both of the two books I have recently issued -
The First War
Journals of Commander Andrew Downes, RN.
Germany in
1913, seen by Lieut Andrew Downes, RN.
For the former the blurb at Lulu reads:
Andrew Downes
(1887-1945) had an outstanding career in the Royal Navy, reaching the rank of
Commander in 1920, but in 1922 he was dismissed from
the Service and sentenced to imprisonment for indecent assault on a male
person. On release he exiled himself to California where he ran a mountain
lodge until being frozen to death in a snowstorm. Most of the book consists of
summaries of his fascinating journals, including a gripping description of his
ship's part in the Battle of Jutland in 1916.
The latter book is a facsimile of one of his journals.
These books are available from www.lulu.com (enter Andrew Downes in the
search box), for £10 each plus shipping, or you can send me a cheque for £11
each and I will send copies to you.
The John Downes Herbarium
The John Downes Herbarium was transferred in about
1999 from Northampton Museum to the Northampton Natural History Society, The
Humfrey Rooms, 10 Castilian Terrace, Northampton NN1 ILD. It became the
responsibility of Seán Karley,
the Secretary of the Botany Section. The Society’s web site states -
Within the Herbarium one of the
most interesting parts is the John Downes Herbarium; Downes was a county
clergyman for 50 years at Hackleton and Hannington. He started his
collection when he was at Cambridge University, botanising with a young fellow
called Charles Darwin, both studying under Professor John Henslow. Henslow
was the man who, amongst many other things, arranged for Darwin to travel on
the Beagle, with all that that led to. The Downes Herbarium includes 346
sheets given to him by Henslow.
My sister Audrey engaged in a
spirited email discussion with Seán
Karley and others as to whether there is anything to confirm the following
statement by his daughter Theodosia -
He was a Fellow of the Linnean
Society, and when the "Beagle" was about to sail for South America he
was offered the post of naturalist on board of her. But a stronger motive
power than his love for natural science was now asserting its over-mastering
claim upon him - and his eagerness to be ordained, and begin his ministerial
work as soon as possible, was not to be denied. So the appointment, tempting as
it was, was declined - with regret and with the suggestion that his friend,
Charles Darwin, was the very man for the post. The offer of which was
accordingly transferred to, and accepted by, him, resulting in the publication
of his "Journal of Researches" - and perhaps in more far-reaching
consequences.
The John Downes Family Day.
Several of us joined the visit to Northamptonshire
organised by Audrey which took place in 1998. It included a visit to the
John Downes Herbarium mentioned below. Robert Houseman wrote an excellent
report on the visit, which includes, for instance, a number of family trees and
Theodosia Downes’ biography of her father, Rev. John Downes. Robert is
willing to produce more copies on request.
James Morrison
As most of you know, the above
John Downes married Lucy Todd and Lucy's sister Mary Ann married James
Morrison. James and his son Walter gave substantial sums of money to many of
our ancestors.
A new book by Caroline
Dakers is about to be published -
A Genius for Money: Business, Art and the Morrisons
Some of us have been invited to the launch party on December 6th.
The Yale University blurb says:-
This is the spectacular rags-to-riches story of James
Morrison (1789-1857), who began life humbly but through hard work and
entrepreneurial brilliance acquired a fortune unequalled in nineteenth-century
England. Using the extensive Morrison archive, Caroline Dakers presents the
first substantial biography of the richest commoner in England, recounting the
details of Morrison's personal life while also placing him in the Victorian age
of enterprise that made his success possible. An affectionate husband and
father of ten, Morrison made his first fortune in textiles, then a second in
international finance. He invested in North American railways, was involved in
global trade from Canton to Valparaiso, created hundreds of jobs, and relished
the challenges of 'the science of business'. His success enabled him to acquire
land, houses, and works of art on a scale to rival the grandest of aristocrats.
Audrey and I would like everyone
to know that we have passed our considerable accumulation of Downes papers to
Audrey's daughter Shane, in my case to relieve my heirs of the responsibility
of deciding what to do with them. Most of them are in a vast folder, a
copy of which we have given to Tim Le Grice at Trereife. At my 80th
birthday party in Cornwall a couple of years ago Tim expressed a positive
interest in receiving the papers, but ultimately we chose to pass the originals
to Shane.
Audrey still has all her
paintings of family members at her house in Cornwall.
