John Downing was for many years ‘Clerk’ at the Cradley and later Hales Forge. He is known as the Grandfather of Rev John Downing, Rector of Enville (1690-1737), who in turn was the grandfather of Rev Harry Downing, the husband of Jemima Shaw. It is clear that he is not the ancestor of the Downings of Smethwick, who became wealthy Victorian Maltsters some 150 years later. It is likely though the families are related a little further back.
John Downing was baptized in All Saints Sedgley in 1624 probably the son of Adam Downing. He was literate and came to the Cradley Forge where he became a key figure in the developments there. He was probably apprenticed to Henry Glover (son-in-law to Richard Foley (Jun)) and both names appear in the surviving ledgers. He became fairly wealthy in later life as demonstrated by the wills of his sons John and James, both of whom predeceased him. But it was his son Zachary who took up the mantle of the forge business apparently being in charge until his bankruptcy in 1713. John Downing died in 1699 and Zachary in 1717, neither seemingly left wills.
Extract from Foley Ironworks documents, Hales forge, 1667
The forge works had originally been part of the set of Foley enterprises founded by descendants of Richard Foley. But these were sold and leased on to a number of operators and entrepreneurs after 1650 including the Jennens family. At some time John Downing and his son Zachary had entered into a lease for the Hales forge and by 1696 the Downings had apparently innovated with a water powered slitting mill. The competitive nature of the manufacture of nails in these forges is the subject of a number of academic journals. Yet it was a poor contract for charcoal which was basically the undoing of Zachary. His death in 1717, four years after his bankruptcy, marked the end of the industrial careers of the Downings.
Zachary’s youngest brother James, however, had married Bridget Bowles in Hagley on 17 Jan 1688 and this opened up another career avenue. Both Bridget’s brothers were educated at Kings College, Cambridge and both came in turn to be Rectors of Enville. The only surviving Downing grandchild of John Downing (Sen) was thus his namesake John Downing, son of James, born in about 1690 and mentioned in both the wills of his father and his uncle John. In future generations the Downings thus became vicars and rectors.
The Parish records of All Saints Sedgley and St John’s Halesowen are confusing on several matters but the wills define a number of key parameters. It would appear that John Downing (Sen) married Mary Jukes on 21 Oct 1649. There is a baptism for a son John Downing 21 Jul 1650 and Zachary 6 Jan 1654. John Downing (Jun) is buried on 31 Aug 1696 and John Downing (Sen) on 3 Jul 1699, both in Halesowen. There is no baptism for James Downing but a will of 1692 makes it clear that he has a brother Zachary and both his mother and father, named as John and Mary Downing are still alive. James does not mention his brother John. However, when John dies in 1696 he leaves a will mentioning his brother James and his young nephew John Downing, the future Rector, but says nothing about his brother Zachary.
The younger brother James is interesting in that he died in Trescott and clearly was engaged with the forge there. This gives an idea of the intended dynastic ambition of John Downing the father, an ambition which was clearly cut short by the early deaths of two sons and the eventual bankruptcy of his oldest son. James had married Elizabeth Greene on 9 Jun 1694 (St Peter’s Wolverhampton) and she was evidently the daughter of Edward Green of Trescott mentioned in his will. Further research shows that Edward Greene was the son and heir of John Greene of Bilston. It can be no coincidence that John Greene is also named as the executor of Edward Weston, a key figure in the Trescott forge.
One final point should be made about the religious affiliation of these groups of early industrial pioneers. Although someone like Dud Dudley, an aristocrat by birth, was a staunch Royalist there are strong hints of non-conformity in the Downings, Bradley and Jennens families. The only daughter of John Downing (Sen) that we know of was married to a Nicholas Paston (as stated in the will of John Downing (Jun)) The Pastons were a family of clergymen from Kingswinford. One relative, possibly an uncle, was Edward Paston, the Commonwealth minister of Halesowen who was ejected from the living in 1660.
Sources and Notes
- One of Rev John Downing’s children was called ‘Adam’ perhaps a hint that we can pick the entry in the Sedgley register of 30 Nov 1624 as the correct one. There is another John Downing son of John Downing baptised in 30 Jun 1623.
- Will of James Downing, PCC Probate 18 Feb 1692/93 (Youngest son)
- Will of John Downing, Worcester Probate 17 Oct 1696 (Middle son)
- Will of John Greene of Bilston, PCC Probate 29 Jun 1659 (Son’s grandfather-in-law)
- Will of Edward Weston, PCC Probate 27 Apr 1654
- Mary Jukes the wife of John Downing was probably the daughter of John Jukes and Mary Bradley. She would therefore be a cousin to Elizabeth Bradley the first wife of Edward Parkshouse of Nether Gornal. This gives impeccable family links between the Downings, the Bradleys. the Parkshouses and ultimately Dud Dudley. Dud Dudley, the pioneering metallurgist, was both the mentor and uncle to Edward Parkshouse. Edward Parkshouse’s sister in law Jane Jevon mentions Elinor Jukes, Mary’s putative sister in her will (PCC Probate 1663). Jane Jevon’s first husband had been John Jennens, half brother to Humphrey Jennens of Erdington Hall. Mary Jukes’s uncle would therefore be Thomas Bradley of the Wood.
- It would appear that although there is a baptism of a first child called John Downing in 1650 there is also a burial (John son of John Downing) on 28 Apr 1654 in the same Sedgley register. This could explain why Zachary is described as the oldest son and therefore the true baptism of John Downing (Jun) is after 1654 and like his brother James is missing.
- P W King: Management, Finance and cost control in the Midlands Charcoal Iron Industry; Accounting, Business and Finance History Vol 20, No3, Nov 2010, pp385-412
- P W King: Development of the Iron Industry in South Staffordshire in the 17th Century