George Downing

George Downing was the youngest son of John Downing of Blakeley Hall Farm in Harborne, Staffordshire. He was born on 14 Sep 1789 and baptized on 29 Sep 1789 at Oldbury by Halesowen Presbyterian Church. His mother’s name was Sarah, probably with the maiden name Sarah Smith.

We know a little bit about the Downing family because of John Downing’s will of 1810 that identifies all his surviving siblings and indicates that between him and his four brothers they owned a fair amount of farming land around the Harborne and Oldbury area. George’s oldest brother was called John Downing and he continued to farm his father’s land.

George married Elizabeth Shaw on 15 Dec 1818 in St Thomas, Dudley and they had six children. In the 1841 census he is described as a farmer and maltster. The full time trade of maltster was to be taken up by his eldest surviving son William and enabled his descendants to accumulate substantial wealth in and around Smethwick.

His sister Nancy Thompson was also a significant figure in the life of the young family – referred to as Aunt Thompson in the one letter we have dated 1845. Her husband John Thompson, a grocer, was probably the brother of Samuel Thompson, who founded the rival firm of maltsters Samuel Thompson and Sons in 1805.

Shortly before his death in 1848, George bought out his elder brother Thomas’s land in Smethwick. Thomas moved out to Walsall and continued to farm there.

George died on 20 Jun 1848 at the age of 58. His will was proved on 7 Oct 1848 and mentions five houses and other buildings he owned in the Holly Lane area.

One of the keys to the future wealth of the George Downing’s descendants was this considerable accumulation of farm land and buildings around Holly Lane and Oldbury Road in the 1840’s. This included land eventually sold to the Great Western Railway that cut across part of the farmland completed in 1854. As more and more of this was developed for housing and urban development it culminated in 43 lots being listed for sale in auction in April 1859 after the death of George’s widow Elizabeth on 16 Mar 1858.

Monumental Inscription at Holy Trinity Church, Smethwick (Courtesy Paul Thomas and Ros Ditchfield, Holly Lodge School)

Family of George DOWNING and Elizabeth SHAW

Husband: George DOWNING

Wife: Elizabeth SHAW

Child 1: John DOWNING

Child 2: William DOWNING

Child 3: George DOWNING

Child 4: Thomas DOWNING

Child 5: Sarah DOWNING

Child 6: Eliza DOWNING

Sources