THE DOWNES-MORRISON CONNECTION

I wrote the following for those attending the visit to Fonthill.

THE DOWNES – MORRISON CONNECTION

It may be useful to remind those coming on 28^th May of the Downes-Morrison connection.  One has to go back to Arthur Downes and Joseph Todd, who by coincidence both came to London in about 1780 (on the same day it is believed) as young men in their late teens.  They had not met before that, but soon met in London and became firm friends.

Arthur had an important East India trade in Old Change, owning a fleet of ships. But his most remunerative venture was when in conjunction with Sir Robert Peel he improved and developed the manufacture of roller-printed calico, worn by all women of the nineteenth century as ‘print dresses.’

Joseph (“Old Sunshine”) Todd set up a small business in Fore Street which developed into a huge affair, the nucleus of a trade with all parts of the world.  He adopted the maxim of “small profits and quick returns” and after taking his son-in-law, James Morrison, into partnership prospered even more.  James had joined the firm as an apprentice and was soon to become the richest commoner in the country, his wealth even exceeding that of the Rothschilds.

The friendship between Arthur and Joseph led to two Todd-Downes marriages as will be seen from the diagram below.

The Todd, Downes and Morrison families remained close for several generations – My mother  remembered dining at Fonthill with the Morrisons as a child in about 1899 (presumably in the Pavillion before it was demolished) and Andrew Downes, the ill-starred naval officer, grandson of Arthur Downes, often went shooting at Malham Tarn with Walter Morrison, grandson of Joseph Todd.

Today is an opportunity to renew that friendship.

ARTHUR DOWNES

Portrait at Southampton University

JOSEPH TODD

Portrait in the possession of Owain Phillips

       ARTHUR DOWNES                                                      JOSEPH TODD

                   │                                                                                      │

              ┌──────┴──────┐                          ┌──────────┬───┴────────┐

              │                                    │                           │                           │                                  │

Rev. JOHN DOWNES   JANE DOWNES = JOHN TODD  MARY ANN TODD         LUCY TODD

      (1810-1890)               (1806-1898)       │                            m. JAMES               m. (see left column)

              │                                                       │                           MORRISON                    Rev. JOHN

              │                                                       │                                  │                                DOWNES

        Downes                                                 │                                  │

 Badcock, Hichens                                  Todd                          Morrison

  Carden, Cambell                          Pownall, Aldous               Margadale

                                              

AEC.  28 May 2012

A POSSIBLE MINIATURE OF LUCY TODD

Miniature (in box) at Fonthill archive, photographed by Antony Hichens, May 2012.  The following is written on a slip of paper in the box, in Richard Gatty’s handwriting, according to the archivist, John D’Arcy. –

Neither wife nor daughter of James Morrison. Very possibly of LUCY TODD, a half-sister of Mrs. James Morrison who married the Rev. John DOWNES