John Downes the regicide

Those who have a copy of the book Downes Pedigrees mentioned in the next post will be familiar with the chapter about John Downes the regicide. He was one of the 59 signatories of the warrant condemning Charles I to death in 1649.

A book Killers of the King by Charles Spencer, published last year, tells how most of the regicides were brutally executed when the monarchy was restored in 1660. John Downes escaped execution. He claimed at his own trial that he had only signed the King's death warrant under duress, during a time of military dominance. His actual words are quoted in the book.  He was committed to the Tower and was still there in 1662, but when he died is not recorded.
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