To Ken Murphy from Sherry: Our Downings, we THINK, begin with James Downing who was born ca. 1735-1740 in Western VA/Wales/PA, depending on the unproved sources, and was married, we THINK, to Nancy Gardner, who was born ca. 1740-42 on the MD-PA-VA border region. This part is all unproved, family tradition as far as I know. John Downing, their assumed son, is real, documented! Source: Hist of Logan Co IL and Hist of Madison Co OH, and vital records. He was born ca. 1762, perhaps in what is now Washington Co PA, VA or PA-VA Territory. He married Hannah Frakes ca 1786-87 in the VA-PA region, perhaps Huntingdon Co PA, perhaps at Woodbridge in that county. They lived at Woodbridge, Huntingdon Co PA where some children were born, then went to Madison-Ross Co OH ca 1800 [Hist of Logan Co IL], lived in Jefferson Township 1808-09, went to Logan Co IL, Mt. Pulaski Tp 1822 [Hist of Madison Co OH]. One family member years and years ago thought they lived first along the Monongahela River. John Died 18 December 1838 age 76 in Logan County, IL Rev War veteran and is buried with his wife at Bowers-Templeman Cemetery there. Hannah died 20 August 1842 same place. Their children are well documented: John, Josiah, Sarah, Robert, James, Hannah, Mary Jane. So, because of your 1819 date, I suppose a connection might exist, but not in the above immediate family. The Biographical Memoirs of Greene Co IN 1908 include Michael Downing and family...Michael born 1760 in City of Cork, Ireland, died Jackson County, City of Mt. Sydney, Indiana 1852 and buried Downing Cemetery there. Came to VA during Rev War, then to W. VA. then Louisville, KY, then Washington Co IN until 1832, then to IN. Some descendants claimed DAR status on his war service. Mabel May Tally of Wichita KS was doing research on this line in 1969. Michael's children: Elizabeth, Alexander, John, Gallatin, Albert, Andrew, Paul and Peggy. Another Cork Ireland family is that of Ednumd Barry Downing, born in Cork 1801 to George Michael and Mary Downing...see query in Nov-Dec 1978 The Gen Helper, page 55. According to Edward MacLysaght's Irish Families, Their Names and Origins, Downing is a Gaelic Irish surname which has an English appearance but is rarely found indigenous in Britain...early Irish spellings were O'Duinnin, which became O'Dinneen or just Dinneen, or O'Dunadhaigh which became O'Downey or just Downey. Both have sometimes been anglicized to Downing. The great majority of today's Dinneens belong to County Cork families. County Kerry has the variant O'Duinin, anglicized Downing. Most of the O'Dunadhaigh families in Counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick have anglicized their names as Downey, some as Downing. >Sherry > >I am a Downing descendant of a Timothy Downing b abt 1819 in Ireland, we >assume County Cork since his children where born there. He had a son James >that we dont know much about. My Downings' came to PA. They most likely came >into Phili but ended up in Braddock near Pittsburgh. Where are your Downings' >from. > >Ken Murphy > > >==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== >Do you know of Downing web pages? Post the URL here. >