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