01
Mar
2009

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. Continue reading →
Last updated on 17 June 2025 by JJ Morgan
10
Feb
2009

South Staffordshire Regiment in Jersey, 1915

Lieutenant Wilmot Evans was seriously wounded on 16 May 1915 and was sent with his fellow officers to convalesce and then to partake in forming the regiment in Jersey where the 4th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment was stationed for mobilisation since 1914. Continue reading →
Last updated on 6 December 2025 by JJ Morgan
09
Feb
2009

William Noel Downing

Noel Downing was born in Moorfields, Church Lane, Handsworth on 16 Dec 1888, the only son and youngest child of William Edmund Downing. The records relating to him on this site are divided into a number of separate pages with some examples of the range of archives and material that still exist. Continue reading →
Last updated on 4 February 2026 by JJ Morgan
03
Feb
2009

The Wodehouse, Wombourne

The Wodehouse is the house at the heart of an ancient estate in Wombourne, Staffordshire. It was acquired by Samuel Hellier in the early 18th century and as the favoured residence out of London was largely developed by the Hellier family. Continue reading →
Last updated on 3 September 2026 by JJ Morgan
02
Feb
2009

Daisy Downing

Daisy Downing was born in 11 May 1880 at 10.10am together with her older twin sister May, who was born at 9.50am. They were the two eldest children of William Edmund Downing and his wife Hannah Pitt Downing. Continue reading →
Last updated on 7 November 2021 by JJ Morgan
18
Jan
2009

Stourton Hall

Stourton Hall is a large mansion in Kinver, west of Stourbridge. It is given as the residence of Walter Showell, the brewer, in the 1901 census. He died at the property shortly afterwards on 31 Jul 1901. Continue reading →
Last updated on 9 September 2026 by JJ Morgan
16
Jan
2009

Ethel Mary Downing

Ethel Mary Downing was born on 13 Apr 1883 the third daughter of William Edmund Downing and his wife Hannah Pitt Showell. She was always known by her second name as Mary and spent all her life in the West Midlands in and around Hagley and Kidderminster.  Continue reading →
Last updated on 4 November 2021 by JJ Morgan
12
Jan
2009

Descendant Trees

There are a number of descendant trees of key individuals which are available on this site. These diagrams are stored as jpg files and can be expanded by clicking on them: Continue reading →
Last updated on 20 February 2026 by JJ Morgan
09
Jan
2009

Ida Mary Downing

Ida Mary Downing (nee Johnstone) was born in Harborne, Staffordshire on 8 Oct 1871. Her father Alfred Johnstone was a Manufacturer and Metal Refiner. She married Thomas Lee Downing on 27 July 1893. Continue reading →
Last updated on 6 July 2021 by JJ Morgan
20
Dec
2008

Thomas Lee Downing

Thomas Lee Downing was the third and youngest son of William Downing. His mother was William Downing’s second wife Susan Lee. Born in 1867, he was brought up in Holly Lodge, Smethwick and by 1890 joined the family malting business, by then bearing the names of his two elder half brothers “G and WE Downing” Continue reading →
Last updated on 10 January 2022 by JJ Morgan
16
Dec
2008

Emma Clifton

Emma Clifton was baptized in Oldbury on 24 Nov 1824. Her father was Edmund Clifton, a farmer, and her mother was Susannah Horton. She appears to have been the seventh of eight sisters. Continue reading →
Last updated on 17 September 2025 by JJ Morgan
15
Dec
2008

The Green House, Tettenhall

The Green House Tettenhall is the three storey building pictured on the right and still stands today in the centre of Tettenhall to the west of Wolverhampton. Continue reading →
Last updated on 4 April 2023 by JJ Morgan