George Downing KB (1685 - 1749)

Born 24 Oct 1685 in Cambridgeshire, England

Ancestors

Died 10 Jun 1749 at age 63 in Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire, England

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Sir George Downing was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Biography

Possible wife: Mary FORESTER

• Fact: Christening (24 October 1685) Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire, England
• Fact: Burial (1749) Croydon All Saints Churchyard,Croydon, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England

Sources

• History of Parliament online 1715-1754: DOWNING, Sir George, 3rd Bt. (c.1685-1749), of East Hatley and Gamlingay, Cambs

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 10 May 2021, 22:07), entry for Sir George Thomas Downing 3rd Baronet (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:L8PL-XGV ); contributed by various users.
• Wikipedia: Sir George Downing, 3rd Baronet
• Sibley, John Langdon. Biographical Sketches of Graduates of Harvard University (Charles William Sever, Cambridge, 1873) Vol. 1: 1642-1658.

• Page 47-8: "The Worshipful & Honorable Sr George Downing, Baronet, Knight of the Bath, and Justice of the Peace for ye County of Cambridge," was member of Parliament in 1710, 1713, 1727, and, according to the London Magazine, a member "for Dunwich in Suffolk" in 1749. He was married early in life to Miss (Mary) Forester, daughter of Sir William Forester, knight, of Watling Street in Shropshire; but he "never cohabited with his wife; & for the later Part of his Life led a most miserable covetous & sordid Life." "He died at his fine seat at Gamlingay, June 9, Friday, 1749, where he had been confined with the Gout for a long Time, leaving only on natural Daughter, to whom he left about 20.000 pounds, and the mother of her 200 pounds per ann. His great Estate, the largest of any Gentleman or Nobleman in this county," he bequeathed successively to his first cousins, Jacob Garrard Downing and Serjeant Barnardiston, and, if they died without lawful issue, "for the eracting and bulding a College" at Cambridge. After a half-century's opposition and ligigation, "the great seal was affixed to the charter," 22 September, 1800; and the magnificent Downing College was erected, with funds said to amount to one hundred and fifty thousand pounds.

Sir George III, 24 Oct 1685-10 June 1749, 3rd baronet. The one who lived in Gamlingay, was a nonentity who seemed to be dogged by bad luck and ended up reverting to type, described by a contemporary as leading 'a most miserable, sordid and covetous life'. Even the founding of Downing College in Cambridge came about by accident. His mother died in 1688, when he was just three, and, with his father considered an unsuitable and unstable parent, he was brought up in the family of his maternal aunt, Mary nee Cecil, the wife of Sir Willam Forester of Dothill Park. In 1700, aged 15, 'by procurement and persuasion of those in whose keeping he was', he married his 13 year old cousin, Sir William's daughter, Mary, who ultimately died childless in 1734. They never lived together and Mary went in 1703 age 16 to become Maid of Honour to Queen Anne. Between his marriage and 1704 he travelled in Europe, mainly Holland, Germany, Denmark and Italy 1733. Death of Lady Downing, wife of Sir George: ‘they never cohabited together’ [Stamford Mercury 4 Oct 1733] [Villagers, by James Brown] When his father George Downing II died in 1711 his son George was about 27 and inheriting an estate of about 8,000 acres in Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire as well as property in London and overseas, George was a very wealthy man. It included 6,243 acres of arable and pastureland, 235 acres of woodland, 500 acres of furze and heath, 40 acres of marsh, 20 orchards, 95 gardens, 82 dwelling houses, two watermills and a brewhouse around Gamlingay, East Hatley, Tadlow, Croydon, Clopton, and Bottisham. In Cockayne Hatley and Wrestlingworth he owned 870 acres of arable land and pasture, 17 orchards, 14 gardens, 6 houses and 3 dovecotes. At Cowlinge and Dunwich in Suffolk he owned 877 acres of agricultural and pasture land, 235 acres of woods, 500 acres of furze and heath, 50 acres of salt marsh, 5 orchards, 24 gardens, 14 cottages and a half-share in seven others. He was also entitled to half the farm rent of manors in Bourn, Denny Abbey, Fen Ditton, Girton, Histon, Horningsea and Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire and had right of common or pasture for “all manner of cattle, view of frankpledge and Courts Leet with appurtenances thereof” in Gamlingay, the Hatleys, Croydon, Tadlow, Wrestlingworth, the Swaffhams, Bottisham, Reach, Stow-cum-Quy and Little Wilbraham. He built a most elegant house at Gamlingay Park after he inherited his father’s estate in 1711. He arrived in Dunwich in 1708 and began buying property in the town as a means of acquiring political influence in the borough. In May 1710 by devious means not yet understood he puchased properties totalling a thousand acres. He contested Dunwich as a Tory ( having previously fought an election in Cambridge as a Whig) and swamped the meeting with outsetters winnng 88 votes to 12. He was the village’s Tory Member of Parliament between 1710 and 1715, the year the Lords turned down his request for a divorce. He failed to turn up for the vote on the Tory Ministry’s Bill of Commerce on June 18th 1713 where he was referred to as “the well-known Hanoverian rebel”. French suggests Downing was angry that his wife had joined Queen Anne’s Court and served a Stuart, the loved sister of Mary of Orange. On 27th February 1715 they signed a financial settlement. George gave up any claim to her fortune, her estates and £10,750 capital she had including £2,700 from the Crown. They agreed not to “molest one another or intermeddle with each other’s personal or private assets. As soon as the King gave his assent to the Act of Parliament which sanctioned him living apart from his wife but without being divorced he called his advisers to help him make his will. Will of Sir George Downing of Gamlingay Park dated 20 December 1717, left everything to trustees for his cousin Jacob Garret Downing son and heir apparent of uncle Charles Downing of St Andrews Holborn, or failing him his sons, or failing them other sons of Charles Downing. but very specifically only legitimate sons, he goes on to list other heirs in turn until he reaches the building of Downings College in Cambridge University. codicil 23 Dec 1720 giving a large annuity to to housekeeper Mrs Mary Townsend and her daughter, and he further wrote confirming this and to satisfy his executors on 16 January 1740 witnessed by John Paine David Lewis and Richrd Lett. Garret Downing of Gamlingay Park appeared personally on 13 June 1749 to swear that he was named in the will of Sir George Downing and that it was correct and dated 4 George I. He was only 32, surprisingly young to have given up hope of a legitimate heir. He had a mistress Mary Townsend from about 1718 and they had a daughter Elizabeth in 1722. The daughter Elizabeth went on to marry John Bagnall on 23 Fen 1750 and they lived in Downing Street. George was unpopular in the borough, but so confident of reelection in 1715 he brought no outsetters, and suffered an humiliating defeat. He attempted revenge by taking a 99-year lease to collect taxes for the Crown in Dunwich and then having many of the freemen incarcerated for non-payment of these taxes. The case was dismissed in court, so he gave them notice to quit their houses. By bribery, corruption, threats and purchase of almost all the land surrounding Dunwich his ruthless determination regained him the election and Dunwich as his pocket borough. His seat here was situated amid the ruins of Greyfriars Priory and called The Place. He transferred his allegiance to the Whigs who were in power at Westminster. In 1743 there was an attempted murder of Sir George Downing at Gamlingay Park. [Newcastle Courant 12 Mar 1743] [Derby Mercury 17 Mar 1743] [Newcastle Courant 30 July 1743] He died in 1749 and “On death of Sir George Downing title descends to Jacob Garrard Downing.” Founding of Downing College unlikely according to will. [Derby Mercury 16 June 1749] [Ipswich Journal 15 July 1749] In 1752 the man who attempted to murder Sir George Downing was discharged from custody. [Derby Mercury 24 Jan 1752]