I found this in my files, hope it will help someone. >From “Genealogies of Kentucky Families” by George Crutcher Downing. Published in 1981. In America there were several distinct Downing families located in the various colonies previous to the Revolution. The first immigrant recorded was one Francis Downing, who settled in Virginia in 1624. Probably those are his descendants, bearing his name, long located in the Northern Neck of Virginia and in the adjacent portion of Maryland. The Downings so largely represented and connected in and around Fayette Co., KY are descendants of Francis Downing, an emigrant, in early life, from Yorkshire England, first to Baltimore Co., MD, and thence, after the Revolution, to the settlements of Kentucky, dying in Fayette Co. in the first decade of the ninteenth century. Here many of his descendants to the seventh generation still live and these are often distinguished by marked English traits of appearance and character, bequeathed doubtless by their far-removed ancestor. This perhaps, became the Blue Grass region is said to resemble those haunts of Robin Hood in Merrie England, from whence Francis Downing came. Details of his life are meager, for no careful record seems to have been preserved. Although an Englishman by birth, he was true to the country of his adoption during the Revolution, and there is some evidence that he served in the Patriot army during that struggle. It is certain that his older sons did, a fact attested by both the National records and the archives of Maryland. The exact date of the coming of Francis Downing to kentucky is not certainly known, but it is probable that, with his younger children, he immigrated as early as 1783, being followed some years later by his older children who had married in Maryland. Children of Francis Downing: 1. William Downing, served for a short time in the Revolution, married in Hartford Co., MD., Rebecca Cromewll. After her death, with their five children, he left Hartford Co MD. Oct. 23, 1791, and arrived at Limestone, (Maysville) Kentucky, Dec. 1, 1791, thence overland to Fayette Co., KY. settling on Todds, Road, about 5 miles from Lexington where he died March 5, 1835. He m. 2nd Nov. 21, 1793, Margaret Shrock. They had 10 children. 2. Francis Downing, b. 1-6-1778 m. 1st Jennie Dunlap, 2nd m. in 1813 her sister, Rebecca Dunlap 3. Venetia Downing (1780-1849) m. Joseph Wingate. 4. Sarah Downing (1782-1833) m John Stong. 5. Mary Downing (1784-1863) m. in Lexington (1802) to John Adams 6. William Downing, b. 9-5-1794, m. 1821 to Charlotte Wymore. 7. Joseph Downing , b. 11-4-1795 m. Sarah Taylor 8. Ruth Downing b. 10-9-1797, m. Theophilus Sachwall 9. Richard Downing b. 5-9-1799, m. Mary Peel 10. Samuel Downing, b. 8-27-1800. died single 11. Maria Downing b. 1802, died single 12. Eliza Downing, b. 1803, m. Samuel Wymore 13. Elizabeth Downing, b. 10-15-1805, died single 14. Ann Downing, b. 1807, m. Charles Rice 15. Priscilla Downing, b. 11-29-1809, m. -----Peel Ruby Waugh, Iowa