Descendants of JOHN DOWNS A Revolutionary Soldier  from Virginia and Ross County, Ohio

1. John DOWNS was born about 1745 in Virginia ¹ and died in Jun 1805 in Ross Co., OH ¹.

John married CATHERINE about 1768 in Virginia. (CATHERINE was born on an unknown date and died on an unknown date.)

Notes for John Downs:
John Downs' military service in the Revolutionary War:
Feb. 3, 1776: Enlisted for two years as a private in Capt. Ralph Faulkner's Company in the 5th Virginia Regiment under the command of Colonel Josiah Parker.
July 19, 1777: Reported as being in sick camp after the Battle of Germantown.
Dec. 21, 1777: Enlisted for three years at Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania but was granted a furlough and returned to his home in Virigina.
Mar. 16, 1778: Returned to his regiment.
Mar. 1778: The 5th Regiment was combined with the 9th Virginia Regiment and commanded by Colonel Josiah Parker.
From July 1778 to March 1779 John Downs was reported sick six times: July 1778 at New Brunswick, New Jersey; Aug. 1778 at Morristown, New Jersey; Sept. 1778 at Trenton, New Jersey; Dec. 1778 and Jan. 1779 at  West Point, New York; March 1779 at Fish Kill, New York.
Mar. 1779: Transferred to the 3rd Virginia Regiment in Capt. John Anderson's Company, under the command of Colonel William Seth.
The exact date of John Downs' discharge is unknown.
Aug. 29, 1782: John Downs was issued Warrant #5, 100 acres of land in the Virginia Military District in Ohio, for three years service in the Virginia Continental Line.

Children from this marriage were:

+ 2 M    i. William DOWNS Sr. was born on 22 Apr 1769 in Virginia ¹, died on 29 Jul 1837 in Ross Co., OH ¹ and was buried in Hopetown Cem., Springfield, Ross Co., OH ¹.

+ 3 M    ii. John DOWNS was born on 2 Oct 1773 in Virginia ¹, died on 1 Apr 1847 in Eden, Seneca Co., OH ¹ and was buried in Shock Cemetery, Eden, Seneca Co., OH ¹.

+ 4 F    iii. Susanna DOWNS was born about 1775 in Virginia ¹, died on an unknown date in Adelphi, OH ¹ and was buried in Bethany Cemetery, Adelphi, OH ¹.

+ 5 M    iv. James DOWNS was born on 27 Jan 1778 in Chesterfield Co., VA ¹, died on 19 Apr 1848 in Ross Co., OH ¹ and was buried in Hopetown Cem., Springfield, Ross Co., OH ¹.

+ 6 F    v. Jane (Or Jean) DOWNS was born about 1779 in Virginia ¹, died in 1826 in Twin Township, Ross Co., OH ¹ and was buried in Moore's Cemetery, Ross Co., OH ¹.

+ 7 F    vi. Rebecca DOWNS was born on 29 Jun 1780 in Virginia ¹, died in Aug 1856 in Ross Co., OH ¹ and was buried in Hopetown Cem., Springfield, Ross Co., OH ¹.

+ 8 M    vii. David DOWNS was born on 3 Mar 1783 in Virginia, died on 28 Sep 1851 in Ross Co., OH and was buried in Hopetown Cem., Springfield, Ross Co., OH.

+ 9 M    viii. Thomas DOWNS was born in 1785 in Virginia ¹ and died on 23 Aug 1863 ¹.

2. William DOWNS Sr. (John¹) was born on 22 Apr 1769 in Virginia ¹, died on 29 Jul 1837 in Ross Co., OH ¹ and was buried in Hopetown Cem., Springfield, Ross Co., OH ¹.

William married Catherine LOWERY on an unknown date. (Catherine LOWERY was born in 1780 in Virginia and died on an unknown date in Ross Co., OH.)

Children from this marriage were:

+ 10 M    i. John DOWNS was born in 1799.

   11 M    ii. Thomas DOWNS was born in 1799.

+ 12 M    iii. David DOWNS was born in 1800.

+ 13 F    iv. Margaret DOWNS was born on 21 Apr 1801 ².

   14 F    v. Evaline DOWNS was born in 1802.

+ 15 M    vi. William DOWNS was born in 1804 in Ross Co., OH, died on 2 May 1872 in Tippecanoe Co., IN and was buried in Battle Ground Cemetery, Battle Ground, Tippecanoe Co., IN.

   16 F    vii. Rebecca DOWNS was born on 4 Mar 1805.

   17 M    viii. Samuel DOWNS was born on 13 Dec 1811.

   18 M    ix. Benjamin DOWNS was born in 1818.

   19 M    x. Isaac DOWNS was born in 1820.

   20 M    xi. Peter L. DOWNS was born in 1824.

   21 M    xii. James DOWNS was born in 1827.

   22 M    xiii. Henry DOWNS was born on an unknown date.

   23 F    xiv. Sarah DOWNS was born on an unknown date.

   24 F    xv. Elizabeth DOWNS was born on an unknown date.

John married Catherine HOLDER on 5 Sep 1805 in Ross Co., OH. (Catherine HOLDER was born on 27 Jun 1790 in Lexington, KY.)

Susanna married David AVIS about 1796.

James married Annie SNODGRASS in 1799 in Virginia.

Jane married Gideon COOVER on 14 Mar 1798 in Berkley Co., VA.

Rebecca married Jacob CRYDER on 4 Sep 1805 in Ross Co., OH.

David married Sarah MURPHY on 17 Oct 1805 in Ross Co., OH.

David next married Julia Weider (Or RYDER) on an unknown date.

Thomas married Susanna FIGHART on 12 Mar 1807 in Ross Co., OH.

Thomas next married Margaret BAGOON after 1825.

10. John DOWNS (William Sr.², John¹) was born in 1799.

General Notes:From the book: The Downs Family of Virginia, Ohio and Indiana by George Gilbert McCarthy:

John Downs was born 1799 on a flatboat enroute from Virginia to Chillicothe, Ohio.

John married Elizabeth SMITH on 3 Dec 1829 in Ross Co., OH. (Elizabeth SMITH was born in Jun 1809 in Virginia, died on 3 Sep 1868 in Ross Co., OH and was buried in Hopetown Cem., Springfield, Ross Co., OH.)

 
Children from this marriage were:

   25 F    i. Ellen DOWNS was born on 15 Sep 1830 in Ross Co., OH and died on 26 Aug 1858.

She never married.

+ 26 F    ii. Harriet DOWNS was born on 8 Apr 1833 in Ross Co., OH.

   27 F    iii. Mary DOWNS was born on 1 Aug 1835 and died on 24 Sep 1852.

+ 28 F    iv. Clarinda DOWNS was born on 5 May 1837 in Ross Co., OH and died in Jan 1921.

   29 F    v. Elizabeth DOWNS was born on 13 Feb 1839 in Ross Co. or Pickaway Co., OH and died on 13 Aug 1852.

She never married.

David married Mary MURPHY.

Margaret married Henry JAKES on 14 Aug 1828 in Ross Co. or Pickaway Co., OH. (Henry JAKES was born on 4 Jan 1800 in Maryland and died on 1 Jun 1872 in possibly Carroll Co., IN.)

Children from this marriage were:
+ 30 F    i. Ann DOWNS was born on 16 Feb 1831 in Ross Co., OH, died on 25 Jun 1910 in Tippecanoe Co., IN and was buried in Battle Ground Cemetery, Battle Ground, Tippecanoe Co., IN.

   31 F    ii. Catherine DOWNS was born on 10 Jun 1832 in Ross Co., OH and died on 30 Sep 1832 in Ross Co., OH.

+ 32 F    iii. Catherine DOWNS was born on 6 Jul 1833 in Ross Co., OH and died in May 1917.

+ 33 M    iv. Andrew James DOWNS was born on 2 Sep 1835 in Ross Co., OH and died on 29 Jan 1912 in Tippecanoe Co., IN.

   34 F    v. Sarah A. DOWNS was born on 2 Apr 1837.

   35 F    vi. Lucinda DOWNS was born on 16 Dec 1838.

   36 F    vii. Alcesta DOWNS was born on 23 Dec 1840.

   37 F    viii. Rebecca DOWNS was born on 16 Aug 1842.

   38 F    ix. Eliza J. DOWNS was born in 1844.

   39 M    x. Edwin Alonzo DOWNS was born in Apr 1848.

   40 M    xi. William DOWNS was born on 13 Oct 1849.

26. Harriet DOWNS (John¹⁰, William Sr.², John¹) was born on 8 Apr 1833 in Ross Co., OH.

Harriet married John CRYDER on an unknown date.

Clarinda married Thomas MULLINER on an unknown date.

Ann married John BUCK on 25 Feb 1847 in Tippecanoe Co., IN.

Children from this marriage were:

+ 41 M    i. Orson BUCK was born on 10 Oct 1848.

+ 42 M    ii. William BUCK was born on 6 Jul 1850.

+ 43 F    iii. Sarah Jane BUCK was born in 1852.

   44 F    iv. Margaret BUCK was born in 1853.

   45 F    v. Alice BUCK was born in 1854.

Ann next married Edward EDMONDS on 4 Dec 1856 in Tippecanoe Co., IN. (Edward EDMONDS was born in 1822 in Tippecanoe Co., IN.)

Children from this marriage were:

   46 M    i. John H. EDMONDS was born on 22 Jul 1858.

   47 F    ii. Rachel EDMONDS was born on 2 Aug 1861.

   48 F    iii. Katherine EDMONDS was born on 25 Dec 1862.

   49 M    iv. Elmer EDMONDS was born in 1863.

   50 F    v. Anna EDMONDS was born in 1869.

Catherine married John JAMIESON.

Children from this marriage were:

+ 51 M    i. Port Byron DOWNS was born on 4 Oct 1859 in Tippecanoe Co., IN and died on 25 Feb 1936.

+ 52 F    ii. Rachael DOWNS was born on 3 Mar 1861 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana and died on an unknown date.

+ 53 M    iii. William Ava DOWNS was born on 5 Feb 1862 and died on an unknown date.

+ 54 M    iv. Harry Morton DOWNS was born on 2 Sep 1865 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹, died on 27 May 1938 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹ and was buried in Battle Ground Cemetery, Battle Ground, IN.

+ 55 M    v. Edward Lee DOWNS was born on 7 Sep 1867 and died on an unknown date.

+ 56 M    vi. Clark Beeks DOWNS was born on 25 Sep 1870 in Tippecanoe Co., IN and died on 10 Oct 1946 in
Panhandle, TX.

41. Orson BUCK (Ann DOWNS³⁰, William¹⁵, William Sr.², John¹) was born on 10 Oct 1848.

Orson married JOSEPHINE on 22 Jan 1872. (JOSEPHINE was born on 8 Jul 1850.)

Children from this marriage were:

   57 F    i. Clara BUCK was born on 5 Jul 1873.

   58 M    ii. Fred BUCK was born on 6 Nov 1874.

   59 M    iii. Charles BUCK was born on 6 Sep 1876.

William married Alpheus DOWNING.

Children from this marriage were:

   60 F    i. Anna BUCK .

   61 M    ii. John BUCK .

Sarah married ? DOWNEY.

Children from this marriage were:

   62 M    i. Leroy DOWNEY was born on 16 May 1876.

   63 M    ii. William DOWNEY was born on 27 Jan 1882 and died on an unknown date.

   64 M    iii. Leslie DOWNEY was born on 4 Nov 1888.

Port married Josie JACKSON on 2 Aug 1881 in Tippecanoe Co., IN.

Rachael married Chris FUNK on an unknown date.

William married Lillie WOOD on 15 Feb 1883 in Tippecanoe Co., IN.

Children from this marriage were:

   65 M    i. Infant Son DOWNS was born before 1889.

   66 M    ii. Infant Son DOWNS was born before 1889.

+ 67 F    iii. Ethel John DOWNS was born on 17 Jul 1889 in Battle Ground, Tippecanoe Co., IN ⁴, died on 3 Jan 1962 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN ⁴ and was buried in Battle Ground Cemetery, Battle Ground, IN.

+ 68 M    iv. Clair Landis "Jake" DOWNS was born on 7 Jul 1893 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹ and died on 18 Dec 1960 in Mishawaka, IN ¹.

+ 69 M    v. Avy Tuttle DOWNS was born on 31 Oct 1895 in Warren Co., ? In ¹ and died on an unknown date.

+ 70 F    vi. Dora Agnes DOWNS was born on 5 Apr 1900 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ⁶ and died on 24 Mar 1969 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹.

+ 71 M    vii. Theodore Thomas DOWNS was born on 7 Aug 1902 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ⁶ and died in Jun 1969 in Florida ¹.

+ 72 F    viii. Shirley DOWNS was born on 19 Jul 1913 in Fulton Co., IN ⁶ and died in Apr 2000 in Griffith, IN.

Four children of Harry and Minnie Downs - l to r:
Tom, Ethel John, Dora Agnes and Claire "Jake" Landis.

Edward married Della COWGILL on 23 Mar 1882 in Tippecanoe Co., IN.

Clark married Margaret FLACK on 10 Jun 1894 in Tippecanoe Co., IN. (Margaret FLACK was born on 8 Feb 1874 and died on 1 Mar 1967 in Panhandle, TX.)

Children from this marriage were:

   73 M    i. Russell DOWNS was born on 1 Aug 1897.

   74 M    ii. Glenn DOWNS was born on 7 Feb 1904.

67. Ethel John DOWNS (Harry Morton⁵⁴, Andrew James³³, William¹⁵, William Sr.², John¹) was born on 17 Jul 1889 in Battle Ground, Tippecanoe Co., IN ⁴, died on 3 Jan 1962 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN ⁴ and was buried in Battle Ground Cemetery, Battle Ground, IN.

Ethel married Lewis Napoleon WATKINS, son of Henry Clay WATKINS and Jane GARRARD, on 24 Dec 1906 in Battle Ground, Tippecanoe Co., IN ⁵. (Lewis Napoleon WATKINS was born on 29 Apr 1877 in Green Hill, Warren Co., IN ⁷, died on 19 Jan 1968 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN ⁷ and was buried in Battle Ground Cemetery, Battle Ground, IN.)

Children from this marriage were:

   75 M    i. Homer Earl WATKINS was born on 28 Jun 1907 in Battle Ground, Tippecanoe Co., IN ⁸ and died on 11 Jul 2001 in Delphi, Carroll Co., IN.

Homer married Faye MULLENDORE on 3 Feb 1934 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ⁸. (Faye MULLENDORE was born on 8 Jan 1914 and died on 30 Apr 1998 in Delphi, Carroll Co., IN.)

   76 F    ii. Thelma Louise WATKINS was born on 18 Jun 1909 in Brookston, White Co., IN ⁹, died on 17 Apr 1961 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹⁰ and was buried on 20 Apr 1961 in Battle Ground Cemetery, Battle Ground, IN ⁹.

Thelma married Earl Wilson McNEELEY, son of James Milton McNEELEY and Clara Amelia WATKINS, in 1927. (Earl Wilson McNEELEY was born on 28 Jan 1908 and died on an unknown date.)

Thelma next married Forrest FUNK on 29 Nov 1947 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹¹. (Forrest FUNK was born on 7 Jun 1908 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN.)

   77 M    iii. Elwood Avy WATKINS was born on 11 May 1911 ¹² and died on 24 Feb 1915 in Jasper Co., IN.

   78 M    iv. Henry "Hank" Morton WATKINS was born on (private, living) in White Co., IN ¹³.

Henry married Martha NEIWOLD on 29 Sep 1935 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹⁴. (Martha NEIWOLD was born on 6 Oct 1916 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN and died on 8 Mar 1942 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN.)

Henry next married Emma Mae WILKINSON on 2 Oct 1952.

   79 M    v. Norwood "Norrie" Ray WATKINS was born on 7 Jan 1915 in Rensselaer, Jasper Co., IN ¹⁵ and died on 21 Jan 2002 in Dickinson, TX.

Norwood married Mary BRUNS on 21 Jun 1936 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹⁶.

   80 F    vi. Agnes Rachel WATKINS was born on 31 May 1917 in Jasper Co., IN ¹⁰, died on 24 Feb 1991 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹⁰ and was buried in Battle Ground Cemetery, Battle Ground, IN.

Agnes was UNMARRIED.

   81 F    vii. Marie Donna WATKINS was born on (private, living) in Mauldin, Bureau Co., IL ¹⁷.

Marie married Alva Ray MOURNING on 30 Jul 1938 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹⁷. (Alva Ray MOURNING was born on 24 Apr 1918 in Middleport, OH and died on 4 Apr 1996 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN.)

   82 F    viii. Glyda "Pied" Moore WATKINS was born on 23 Jul 1922 in Otterbein, Benton Co., IN ¹⁸, died on 3 Nov 1999 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN and was buried on 6 Nov 1999 in Tippecanoe Memory Gardens, Tippecanoe Co., IN.

Glyda married Dewey N. BURKHARDT on 21 May 1938 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹⁸.

Glyda next married Richard Allen SNYDER on 28 Feb 1976. (Richard Allen SNYDER was born on 29 Jun 1922 in Bluffton, IN and died on 22 Jul 1999 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN.)

Glyda next married CORWIN on an unknown date.

   83 F    ix. Neva Laverne WATKINS was born on 9 Sep 1925 ¹² and died on 16 Apr 1930 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹⁰.

   84 M    x. Joseph Lewis WATKINS was born on (private, living) in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹⁹.

Joseph married Betty Lorene DAVIS, daughter of Elvah Carter DAVIS and Thelma Evelyn HAWKINS, on 23 Jun 1944 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ²⁰. (Betty Lorene DAVIS was born on 3 Aug 1922 in Odell, Tippecanoe Co., IN ²¹, died on 28 Mar 1986 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN ²² and was buried on 31 Mar 1986 in Battle Ground Cemetery, Battle Ground, IN ²³.)

   85 F    xi. Minnie Jane WATKINS was born on (private, living) in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹⁵.

Minnie married Charles SPURGEON on 15 Dec 1950 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ²⁴. The marriage ended in divorce. (Charles SPURGEON was born on 27 May 1931 and died on 16 Apr 1998.)

   86 F    xii. Myrtle Eileen WATKINS was born on (private, living) in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹⁵.

Myrtle married Kenneth GARRISON, son of Harry GARRISON and Maybelle DUDLESTON, on 23 Feb 1951 in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹⁵. (Kenneth GARRISON was born on 28 Jun 1931 in Lafayette, IN, died on 3 Mar 1995 in Danville, IL and was buried on 6 Mar 1995 in Battle Ground Cemetery, Tippecanoe Co., IN.)

   87 U    xiii. Infant WATKINS was born on an unknown date and died on an unknown date.

General Notes: This child was one of a set of twins that died shortly after birth.  No one seems to know exactly when or where these children were born.

   88 U    xiv. Infant WATKINS was born on an unknown date and died on an unknown date.

General Notes:  This child was one of a set of twins that died shortly after birth. No one seems to know exactly when or where these children were born.

Clair married Alice McKAY on an unknown date.

Avy married Birdie KENNEDY on 10 Nov 1916 in Warren Co., IN.

Dora married Stewart FLACK on 26 Feb 1919 in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹.

Theodore married Mildred KENNEDY on an unknown date in Tippecanoe Co., IN ¹.

Shirley married Leonard PUENT on 30 Aug 1930 in Gary, IN ¹.

1. The Downs Family of Virginia, Ohio and Ind.

2. George Gilbert McCarthy, The Downs Family of Virginia, Ohio and Indiana, (Gateway Press, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 1982). page 19.

3. Tippecanoe Co., IN Marriage Bk 7, pg 319.

4. Tombstone Inscription, Battle Ground Cem.

5. Tippecanoe Co., IN Marriage Rec 27 pg 190.

6. Information from Ethel John Downs Watkins.

7. Tombstone Inscription Battle Ground Cem.

8. Tippecanoe Co., IN Marriage Rec 47 pg 225.

9. Bradshaw Funeral Home Records, Lafayette.

10. Obituary, Lafayette Journal and Courier.

11. Tippecanoe Co. Mrg. Rec. 62, pg. 420.

12. Information given by Ethel Downs Watkins.

13. Tippecanoe Co., IN Marriage Application.

14. Tippecanoe Co., IN Marriage Rec 48 pg 521.

15. Tippecanoe Co., IN Marriage Records.

16. Tippecanoe Co. Marriage Records.

17. Tippecanoe Co., IN Marriage Rec 51 pg 564.

18. Tippecanoe Co., IN Marriage Rec 51 pg 462.

19. Lafayette, IN Birth Records Bk CH-10 Pg 4.

20. Carroll Co., IN Marriage Rec 22 pg 483.

21. Carroll Co., IN Marriage Records.

22. Tippecanoe Co., IN Death Records.

23. Hippensteel Funeral Hm. Records, Lafayette.

24. Tippecanoe Co., IN Mrg. Record Bk.