Allan and Dorothy Downes

Lalage writes “here is a photo of my grandmother Dorothy Frances Downes (nee Long) and one of my grandfather – whom I never met.”

Lalage’s mother (Dorothy Cambell) was the elder sister of the twins pictured below, daughter of Allan John Downes and Dorothy Long. Andrew, who wrote the journals, was best man at their wedding and wrote plenty about them in his journals.

Portsmouth, July 16 2014

  Several of the journals written by Andrew Downes (see December 2012 below) were in their own display cabinet at an exhibition called “Racing to War” at the museum in Portsmouth Dockyard. It seemed a good idea to try to arrange for interested Downes relatives to get together to meet each other and visit the exhibition.

As far as I am concerned it was worth the considerable effort involved. At one time it seemed there might be 25 of us, but in the end the following fifteen came:

Descendant of Jane Todd, elder sister of Rev John Downes

Kate and Ian Aldous

Descendants of Edith Downes (dau of Rev John Downes)

Cynthia Strickland (dau of Œnone)

Robert Houseman

Fiona Bennett (sister of the above)

Cherry Conway-Hughes

Descendants of Theodosia Downes (dau of Rev John Downes)

Arthur Carden

Shane James

Michael Carden

Descendants of Constance Sawbridge Downes* (g-dau of Rev John Downes)

Robert & Mariquita Hichens

Antony Hichens

Descendants of Allan John Downes* (g-son of Rev John Downes)

Lamorna Lee (née Cambell),

Lalage Cambell

Descendants of Dorothy Isobel Downes* (g-dau of Rev John Downes)

Tim & Liz Le Grice

The picture shows Matthew Sheldon, responsible for the exhibition, telling Tim, Lamorna, Robert, Kate and others that the journals are of great interest to naval historians. Two of the 24 volumes are in front of him.

(This posting will be improved when more photographs and comments are received.)

Alan Sawbridge Downes 1914-1963

In Portsmouth someone mentioned the Swordfish aircraft. This led to my discovery of the website http://www.dnw.co.uk/auction-archive/catalogue-archive/lot.php?auction_id=28&lot_id=23494 where a good deal of information appears about Alan Sawbridge Downes 1914-1963, Commander, DSO, RN. He was a son of Allan John Downes (who was an elder brother of Andrew Downes, author of the journals), twin of Humphrey.

He lived an amazing life, shot down in Holland in 1940, escaping, then surviving the sinking of HMS Courageous and becoming one of the famous Swordfish pilots who were based in Malta.

The website gives details of the sale of his medals in 2000. When I told Roy about it he wrote:

I learnt more about my father’s wartime exploits from the auctioneer’s description than I ever heard firsthand. Like many servicemen he was very reticent to speak about his experiences.

A couple of details have always stuck in my memory – he always said he owed his life to the fact that Swordfish (stringbags) were so incredibly slow, flying at between 95 knots and 110 knots depending on headwind, that the Luftwaffe pilots in Messerschmitts never realised just how slow the Swordfish were and invariably fired well ahead (and therefore missed) and then rapidly and unexpectedly overtook the Swordfish…which then had a very good chance to shoot down the German planes.

The other was an incomplete story about an adventure in Holland (presumably after his plane came down at Overflakke) when he ended up “liberating” industrial diamonds with the Dutch resistance – possibly in Rotterdam. He said that the Germans were only “one block away”. Somewhere I may have a handwritten account of this event.

We have a photo of my father accompanying a very young Princess Elizabeth on the steps of the control tower at RNAS Hal Far. The Captain of the station at the time was “Streamline” Robertson (so called because of the shape of his nose). Streamline was a stickler for detail and he objected to the amount of putty in the window glazing of “my father’s” control tower. So before the next Sunday's Captain’s Rounds some putty was removed. Not enough for Streamline’s eye however. My father was duly reprimanded for this shortcoming. More putty was removed. The following Sunday the same indignation….orders not being followed etc. Having noted which window Streamline habitually tapped my father arranged for ALL the putty from that particular pane to be removed. Streamline duly complained again and tapped the pane forcefully in his rage….and of course the glass fell out and smashed on the tarmac 20 feet below. Father always said that was what scuppered his chances of promotion to Captain!

Regarding the medals: I remember my mother telling me that she was going to sell them and that was probably in the late 1980’s or early 1990. It was while she was living at Castle Marina in Lee and before she moved to a nursing home. Pip died in 1994. However she did not sell the miniature set (mess dress medals) and I still have these.

This copy of a photograph of the twins contained in the file held by Shane was made by Lalage in Portsmouth.

The Journals of Andrew Downes

Tim le Grice told me recently that he has loaned all the 23 volumes previously at Trereife to the National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth.  They were collected in December 2012 from Trereife by Dr Duncan Redford of the Museum and will form part of the exhibition "The Grand Fleet" to take place in 2014, the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.  The Museum will make digitised copies of all of the journals, and the latter will be available in due course to family members and others.

Copies of my book with extracts from the journals and a biography of Andrew Downes are available from me.

OENONE and JAN VIRET

Two items worth recording, I think.

Jan Viret wrote as follows about a year ago in response to my query as to when Elizabeth Downes died.

After the Wrens, in time she became a nannie and remained a very good friend of the family and the two boys she looked after in Little Bardfield.  I don't know exactly the time scale, but she could have been with them for twenty years or so, but remained close to them until she died.  I think it was after this she tested her vocation at East Grinstead, which probably only lasted a couple of months (so quite inappropriate to define her by this - a bit different from dropping out of uni , but maybe similar)  I am sure there were gaps and she probably did other things that I don't know about.

After this she returned to Essex, lived in the almshouse, did nurse training and nursed until she retired.  She was a wonderful cook and gardener. and had many friends.  Ben and I used to visit often from Purley - she was so much a part of Canford, and both Ben and Hermione were very fond of her.

She died in 2008.

-

I have just received a Christmas Card from Oenone Cox, in which she says:

             I wonder if you met up again with Enid's daughter Noel (?) Mary in your early researches into Downes family connections, tho' I think she and Bob and possibly Judy all joined your family in a camping holiday organised by your mother in Cornwall in your extreme youth - she died very recently, after suffering from Parkinsons for some years, so has really jumped the queue for our lot.


(I will comment on the above items when I have got my Downes stuff out of store)

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FONTHILL, 28 May 2012

I organised a visit to Fonthill on May 28th 2012 which followed a lecture by Professor Caroline Dakers based on her recent book, “A Genius for Money, Business, Art and the Morrisons, ” given at the Summerlease Gallery at East Knoyle, nearby.

Lord Margadale

After the lecture we all met at The Beckford Arms at Fonthill Gifford, where we were joined by Alistair Morrison (Lord Margadale), who had been kind enough to invite us all to visit his home, Fonthill House, after lunch. Later several of us were taken by John D'Arcy to visit the Morrison archives.

The following participated (exactly 16, the maximum table capacity at the Beckford Arms!)

        Alistair Morrison (Lord Margadale)

     * John D’Arcy (Fonthill archivist)

     * Caroline Dakers (speaker at Summerleaze)

        Arthur Carden

        Atty Carden

        Michael Carden

        Antony Hichens

        Sczerina Hichens

        Lamorna Lee

        Lalage Cambell

     * Mary Shand (Lady Stirling)

        Mark Carden

        Ian Aldous

        Danny Aldous
     * Gary Winslip

All except those maked with an asterisk are family members.

The original Fonthill House was replaced by John Morrison, the first Lord Margadale,
in 1972, with this smaller house in classical style. Photo: Mary Stirling.

Atty (Arthur's wife) and Michael (his brother),
chatting on the entrace drive to Fonthill House.  Photo: Mary Stirling.

Alastair Morrison speaking to Danny Aldous and Arthur Carden. Photo: Mary Stirling.

Can anyone supply some more photographs?

All those interested are strongly advised to visit

http://www.fonthill.co.uk/the-estate/fonthill-history

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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

2011 BULLETIN

Having come across this old bulletin today (29 July 2017), I thought I should add it to the blog.  Please forgive duplication with later posts.

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.

Downes archive

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.