At 10:09 PM 8/26/98 -0700, you wrote: >Yes, that would be fine. My problem is that I have no Idea who his parents >or siblings were. >Ruby > >---------- >> From: Marlene DiGiovanni <marlenedigi@prodigy.net> >> To: DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com >> Subject: Re: [DOWNING-L] Iowa Downings >> Date: Wednesday, August 26, 1998 7:07 PM >> >> Ruby Waugh: >> >> I descend from Joseph Downing b 1748 and am searching for his origins. >> Care to exchange? >> >> Marlene >> marlenedigi@prodigy.net >> >> Marlene DiGiovanni >> MarleneDiGi@prodigy.net >> >> >> ==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== >> > > >==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== >Do you know of Downing web pages? Post the URL here. > Ruby - Well I don't have anything on Joseph Downing b 1748's parents or sibs either. Certainly I do not have the 2 daughters Mary or Elizabeth listed as being among his children. Marlene Marlene DiGiovanni MarleneDiGi@prodigy.net

This is from Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy News. It looks promising and it's free. - Broderbund Software Signs Deal With Excite Broderbund Software, Inc. and Internet site Excite announced that they are joining forces to put genealogy resources at the fingertips of millions of people who visit Excite each month. The new Genealogy Section on the Lifestyle channel of Excite will include co-branded content created by Broderbund's developers for leading genealogy Web sites. The following are among the tools Excite users will have free access to: Internet FamilyFinder: the only internet search engine developed specifically for seeking genealogy information. It indexes over 130 million names from nearly 3 million web pages worldwide and is growing daily as its spiders seek out new genealogy sites. In addition, Internet FamilyFinder Agents(tm) can be commissioned to e-mail you when they find new online information about your specified relatives. Genealogy SiteFinder: an organized listing of more than 40,000 links to other Web sites focused on genealogically-relevant topics. Brief descriptions help you determine the value of a site before you click-through from the link. In addition, the listings are searchable and indexed by keyword. Genealogy "How-To" Guide: the equivalent to a 1,200-page book containing step-by-step advice, directories of court houses and genealogy libraries, form letters, and more. Biography Writing Assistant: contains thousands of questions to help you interview relatives to gain valuable information, as well as fun details, about events and people that shaped your family's history. Articles and advice: more than a hundred articles on research techniques written by well-known professional genealogists, with more added regularly. "Excite is one of the most popular sites for people to start looking for information on the Web, and genealogy is one of the most popular online activities. This partnership will provide Excite's users with an easy way to search the Web for their family history, as well as valuable advice on how to do genealogy," said Eric Holstege, Vice President of Broderbund's Family Tree Maker Online Business Unit. "Broderbund will be able to reach new users who are just beginning to think about doing their genealogy online by gaining visibility with millions of Excite users." Cheryl Rothwell clrothwell@mindspring.com Logan County, ILGenWeb, coordinator http://www.rootsweb.com/~illogan/loindex.htm Logan County mailing list> LOGAN-L@rootsweb.com Downing mailing list> DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com

I'm glad to hear that the Downing Family His. Soc. of Am. is still going. And that means I am late with my dues! Thanks for Gail's address, Lori. Suehodnett@aol.com Researching Francis Downing of Yorkshire England, born 1736, who came to Maryland aroune 1750, and settled in Harford county. Has anyone reserached a Francis Downing and wife Tomasin: in England around 1700.? Has anyone researched the Francis Downing born 26 Dec, 1736 in Cornwall, England? (210 years exactly before my birth.)

Hi, Russell DOWNING was born about 1796 in New York, and died after 10 April 1878 in Ohio. His first wife died about 1825 probably in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Of that union came at least one child, a daughter, Sally, who was born 1822 in New York. When Russell's first wife died, he married Joanna Hinckley in 1840 in Portage County, Ohio. They had several children. I'm trying to find out who Russell's first wife was and where in New York Russell was from. Two letters to Ross Downing of the Downing Family Historical Association went unanswered. Can anyone on the list help? Colleen Pustola audris@oberpfalznetz.de

Yes, that would be fine. My problem is that I have no Idea who his parents or siblings were. Ruby ---------- > From: Marlene DiGiovanni <marlenedigi@prodigy.net> > To: DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [DOWNING-L] Iowa Downings > Date: Wednesday, August 26, 1998 7:07 PM > > Ruby Waugh: > > I descend from Joseph Downing b 1748 and am searching for his origins. > Care to exchange? > > Marlene > marlenedigi@prodigy.net > > Marlene DiGiovanni > MarleneDiGi@prodigy.net > > > ==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== >

Mary Downing b. 1783 VA or IR. Children: Preston b. 1802 , James Madison b. 1804, Joseph b. 1808, Elizabeth b. 1808 (must have been twin of Joseph). Descendents of eather Preston or James Madison are living in Guthrie Center, Iowa, Guthrie Co. I corresponded with one a few years back and she told me that their family was distant cousins of Downings that lived at Casey, Iowa, Guthrie Co. The family at Casey were descended from Joseph (b. 1748) and Jemima Woodwards son William (b, 1772) and migrated to Adams Co., Ohio. Elizabeth Downing b. 1783, Va or IR was twin to the above Mary. Elizabeth married James McClelland. Don't know who Elizabeths children were. I was told by a lady in Colorado that Mary's children were named Downing and Elizabeths children were McClellands. Mary lived on the same farm with Elizabeth and James McClelland. She said they went to Indiana but didn't know the county as her mother-in-law had worked on the family and decided that Mary was evidently a disgrace to the family so she burned all the information she had on the family. She called Mary (Shanty Irish Mary). A James McClelland was listed on Indiana land grants 1838 in Washington Co. Also listed in that county was Charles, William, John J and Benjamin. Would like to know how Mary and Elizabeth are related to Joseph, 1748. They are not listed as his daughters. ---------- > From: Mary Lou <mlc@tlexpress.com> > To: DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [DOWNING-L] Mary & Elizabeth....... > Date: Tuesday, August 25, 1998 10:43 PM > > Ruby, > On August 24, you wrote that you had info on two Downing sisters, Mary > and her twin sister Elizabeth who married James McClelland. I have been > interested in finding a connection between my ancestor Timothy 1744 and > Joseph Downing b. 1748. I wonder where these sisters would fit into the > puzzle. Would you please share info regarding places, dates and children > for the sisters Mary and Elizabeth. > Thanks, Mary Lou in > Ohio > > > ==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== > Space for this list is provided by Rootsweb.com, working to keep online genealogy free for everyone.

Thank you Ruby for the great information. I loved all the details that you included. That's what makes genealogy facinating. Mary Lou

Ruby Waugh: I descend from Joseph Downing b 1748 and am searching for his origins. Care to exchange? Marlene marlenedigi@prodigy.net Marlene DiGiovanni MarleneDiGi@prodigy.net

The Downing Family Historical Socety of America is still operating. Ross Downing of Lansing, MI is no longer Membership Chairman. He had to retire due to health reasons. He is still the State Historian for Michigan. I wrote to him last month. He was still very excited about the Downing family history. The new Membership Chairwoman is Gail Skinner ,RD #2, Lafayette, NY 13084 (315) 677-3026 Dues are $10 from July1 to June 30 each year. the Newsletter comes out 4 times per year. Lori Fox researching John Downing of Chester Co., SC > KY > OH > MI John came from Ireland in early 1700's.

Ruby, On August 24, you wrote that you had info on two Downing sisters, Mary and her twin sister Elizabeth who married James McClelland. I have been interested in finding a connection between my ancestor Timothy 1744 and Joseph Downing b. 1748. I wonder where these sisters would fit into the puzzle. Would you please share info regarding places, dates and children for the sisters Mary and Elizabeth. Thanks, Mary Lou in Ohio

Hi all, For those of you with Downing books, could you please check for this branch? I've been stuck for over a year & cannot take them back further: IMMIGRANT: Samuel Downing Jr. (16mar1824 Ireland - 07jul1904 SeaCliff, NY) married (1851? Ireland?) Letitia Sullivan (apr1827 Ireland - 17sep1908 Brooklyn, NY). 1. Sam & Letitia were born in Ireland and probably married there. Sam's father was Samuel Downing Sr. Sam Jr. claimed to be of Scotch-Irish descent. Letitia's parents were Daniel Sullivan from Ireland and Mary Dyer who was born in England and later lived with her husband in Ireland. Sam & Letitia emmigrated to New York City around 1852. By 1867 Sam Jr. had opened his store: S. Downing & Son Dry Goods in downtown Brooklyn, NY. They had a total of about 13 children (more than half died early) and lived in Brooklyn. Thanks for any help! -- Kami =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Gathering Leaves Genealogy TM Re-uniting lost family branches. Come see if we have information on *your* family! http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6325 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

At 07:23 PM 8/24/1998 -0400, you wrote: >yes i agree completely. the James Downing material was copied verbatim from >the submittor. I have seen the originals in the files. Genealogy without >documentation is mythology. We all make assumptions and try and prove them, >but until we do the information should be presented as an assumption. joe Dalen Shellhammer never said that John Downing was a Revolutionary War vet though. And he never said James Downing and Nancy Gardener were married because he still is unable to find any evidence of that. So she expanded upon the submitter's stuff in that case. Actually, she waltzed through town and got everyone to give her information, visiting fellow genealogist and all that. But that's why the information on John Downing is pretty accurate. Mt. Pulaski is the home place of that line [and where they connected to the Timothy Downing line through Samuel]. Cheryl Rothwell clrothwell@mindspring.com Logan County, ILGenWeb, coordinator http://www.rootsweb.com/~illogan/loindex.htm Logan County mailing list> LOGAN-L@rootsweb.com Downing mailing list> DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com

yes i agree completely. the James Downing material was copied verbatim from the submittor. I have seen the originals in the files. Genealogy without documentation is mythology. We all make assumptions and try and prove them, but until we do the information should be presented as an assumption. joe >I've discussed this book before. I only have volume one. The book should be >considered a collection of information on people named Downing. The >collection is totally undocumented. It begins with an error. I'll use it as >an example. > >It begins with John Downing who married Hannah Frakes. He went, she says, >from PA to OH to IL. He served, she says, in the Revolutionary War. It is >true the John Downing married Hannah Frakes. He probably came from PA but >we don't know that. He died in Illinois -- we have the body so I know that >is true. He is NOT the Revolutionary War veteran whose service record she >gives. That man is from another line of Downings and is buried, I believe, >in Mason County, KY. She did manage to convince the DAR, briefly, that he >was the same but they know better now. > >MOST of the book revolves around descendants of John Downing of which I am >one. Most of this information she got from J. Dalen Shellhammer who has >been doing genealogy for 50 years and whose wife is also a professional >genealogist. There are the usual errors but if you are a descendant of John >the line is pretty good. The rest of the book is a collection of Downing >lineages that she obtained from various [unnamed] sources. There is no >documentation for anything in the book. I don't think it is any more >reliable that anything else where a person can write down any ancestors >they want and submit it as fact. It may be accurate and then again it may >not be. Some may be and others definitely aren't. > >Joe -- would you say that is a fair assessment of the book? > > >Cheryl Rothwell >clrothwell@mindspring.com >Logan County, ILGenWeb, coordinator >http://www.rootsweb.com/~illogan/loindex.htm >Logan County mailing list> LOGAN-L@rootsweb.com >Downing mailing list> DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com > > >==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== > > >

<< I do not have Gregath Publishing Company e-mail address. She & her mother has 2 books on DOWNINGS and I think Oklahoma Downings. >> URL is http://www.gregathcompany.com/ The Downing books are in two volumes, priced at $95 the set. Ray in LV Hi, Does anyone have any comments about these books. Are they any good? Do they have Tennessee and Missouri Dowings listed. Best regards, Don Landers

In a message dated 98-08-24 10:51:38 EDT, you write: << Ray, Could you please tell me who was Thomas Ellsworth Downing? Like, who was his father? >> Thomas Ellsworth Downing was the 11th of the 12 children of John B. Downing (b. 21 Jun 1817, Chester co PA, d. 11 Jul 1879, Freeport, Harper co., KS) and Mary Couch Downing (b. 7 Mar 1826, Lionville, Chester co, PA, d. 8 Nov 1905, Freeport, Harper co., KS). Mary Couch Downing's maiden name WAS Downing, John and Mary were 1st cousins. Her middle name comes from her grandmother's maiden name. John and Mary and their entire brood appear to have removed from Chester county to Freeport, Kansas, about 1877. Eleven of their children remained in Kansas to raise their families, but Thomas E. made the "Cherokee Strip" OK land run in 1893. For what it's worth, they were married on 2 Sep 1841. Their first-born, Benjamin Henry Downing (my gt grandfather) was born six weeks after their marriage. I suppose it was the scandal of Chester county about that time <g> . Ray

I've discussed this book before. I only have volume one. The book should be considered a collection of information on people named Downing. The collection is totally undocumented. It begins with an error. I'll use it as an example. It begins with John Downing who married Hannah Frakes. He went, she says, from PA to OH to IL. He served, she says, in the Revolutionary War. It is true the John Downing married Hannah Frakes. He probably came from PA but we don't know that. He died in Illinois -- we have the body so I know that is true. He is NOT the Revolutionary War veteran whose service record she gives. That man is from another line of Downings and is buried, I believe, in Mason County, KY. She did manage to convince the DAR, briefly, that he was the same but they know better now. MOST of the book revolves around descendants of John Downing of which I am one. Most of this information she got from J. Dalen Shellhammer who has been doing genealogy for 50 years and whose wife is also a professional genealogist. There are the usual errors but if you are a descendant of John the line is pretty good. The rest of the book is a collection of Downing lineages that she obtained from various [unnamed] sources. There is no documentation for anything in the book. I don't think it is any more reliable that anything else where a person can write down any ancestors they want and submit it as fact. It may be accurate and then again it may not be. Some may be and others definitely aren't. Joe -- would you say that is a fair assessment of the book? Cheryl Rothwell clrothwell@mindspring.com Logan County, ILGenWeb, coordinator http://www.rootsweb.com/~illogan/loindex.htm Logan County mailing list> LOGAN-L@rootsweb.com Downing mailing list> DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com

Cheryl, The volume on Downings by Greggath you mentioned having bought--I wonder if it is a volume I have seen in a Boise library? The Downings of Europe and America. I was considering buying her book, but not that one, since I've already seen it. But you wouldn't buy another one: why? Is there a lot of errors, or not enough documentation? Suehodnett@aol.com

I found the e-mail address for the author's daughter of Downings of Europe and America. It is Gregath Publishing Company (Mid West Division) Box 505 Wayandotte, OK 74370, www.gregathcompany.com e-mail gregath@galstar.com They have 2 Vols and I understand they are working on 3rd. Donald J. Smith 1321 Lawrence St. Emporia, KS 66801-5629 dandydon@carrollsweb.com

Ray, Could you please tell me who was Thomas Ellsworth Downing? Like, who was his father? Suehodnett@aol.com

Does any Oklahoma Downings out there tie in with William Austin Downing , born 1859 in MO, married Sebrina Hutton, came down into the Indian Territory early 1880's, and passed on several years later to what is now Deleware County, OK? He has brothers James, born sometime in 1850's, Morean, Sanford, John, Samuel, and a sister Ellen. John, samuel and Ellen born before 1850, or ellen was born in 1850. Most were probably born in OK. Suehodnett@aol.com