DOWNING, George (1623-84), of Axe Yard, Westminster, and East Hatley, Cambs.

Family and Education

b. c. Aug. 1623, 2nd s. of Emmanuel Downing, attorney, of Peterborough Court, Fleet Street, London, and Salem, Mass. and 2nd w. Lucy (d. 19 Apr. 1679), da. of Adam Winthrop of Groton, Suff.Muskett, Suff. Manorial Fams. i. 99; Winthrop Pprs. (Mass. Hist. Soc. ser. 5, i), 116; J. Beresford, The Godfather of Downing Street, 24. educ. Maidstone sch. Kent 1636;Winthrop Pprs. (Mass. Hist. Soc. ser. 5, i), 14. Harvard Coll. Mass. 1639, BA 1642;J.L. Sibley, Biographical Sketches of Graduates of Harvard Univ. (Camb. Mass. 1873), i. 28-9. G. Inn 7 July 1655;G. Inn Admiss. 273. L. Inn 5 Aug. 1669.LI Admiss. i. 305. m. by 9 Aug. 1654,TSP ii. 533. Frances (d. 10 July 1683), da. of Sir William Howard of Naworth Castle, Cumb. 3s. 5da. (2 d.v.p.).CB; Muskett, Suff. Manorial Fams. i. 99; Beresford, Godfather, 59, 288. suc. fa. Dec. 1660.St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster par. reg. Kntd. 21 May 1660;Shaw, Knights of Eng. ii. 226. cr. bt. 1 July 1663.CB. bur. 24 July 1684.Beresford, Godfather, 287.

Offices Held

chaplain, New Model army by Aug. 1646-bef. Mar. 1648;T. Edwards, Gangraena (1646), iii. 81–2; Beresford, Godfather, 48, 49; A. Laurence, Parliamentary Army Chaplains (Woodbridge, 1990), 122. regt. of Sir Arthur Hesilrige*, c.Aug. 1648-c.Apr. 1650.SP28/125, pts. 1–3, unfol.; SP28/240, f. 70; Laurence, Parliamentary Army Chaplains, 122.

comptroller of customs, Londonderry 21 Mar. 1648–?CJ v. 503a; LJ x. 127a.

scoutmaster-gen. by Nov. 1649–57.SP28/114, f. 229; Beresford, Godfather, 52.

amb. extraordinary, Swiss Confederation 28 July-25 Oct. 1655;HMC 3rd Rep. 287; G.M. Bell, Handlist of British Diplomatic Representatives 1509–1688 (1990), 282. United Provinces 1 Dec. 1671–7 Feb. 1672.Bell, British Diplomatic Representatives, 203. Resident, 17 Dec. 1657–17 Jan. 1660. Envoy extraordinary, 17 Jan.-May 1660, May 1660-c.Sept. 1665.Downing Coll. Camb. DCPP/SHA/2/1; Bell, British Diplomatic Representatives, 201; CTB i. 308.

member, cttee. for trade, 27 Dec. 1655,CSP Dom. 1655–6, p. 73. 7 Nov. 1660, 20 Oct. 1668, 16 Apr. 1669.J.C. Sainty, Officials of the Boards of Trade 1660–1870 (1974), 18–19, 94. Teller of exch. 8 Sept. 1656–d.Sl. 3243; J.C. Sainty, Officers of the Exchequer (L. and I. spec. ser. xviii), 238. Commr. security of protector, England and Wales 27 Nov. 1656.A. and O. Member, cttee. for improving revenues of customs and excise, 26 June 1657.A. and O. Sec. to Treasury, May 1667-Sept. 1671.J.C. Sainty, Treasury Officials 1660–1870 (1972), 30, 123. Commr. customs, 26 Sept. 1671;CSP Dom. 1671, p. 505. marine treaty with Holland, 21 June 1674.CSP Dom. 1673–5, p. 287.

j.p. Mdx. Westminster 6 Nov. 1656-Mar. 1660;C231/6, p. 351. Cambs. 29 Oct. 1674–d.C231/7, p. 483. Visitor, Durham Univ. 15 May 1657.Burton’s Diary, ii. 536. Commr. assessment, Cumb., co. Dur., Westmld. 9 June 1657; Westminster 9 June 1657, 1672, 1677, 1679;A. and O.; SR. Cambs. 1664, 1672, 1677, 1679; Northumb. 1672, 1677, 1679; poll tax, 1660; subsidy, Cambs. 1663.SR.

freeman, E. I. Co. 28 June 1672–d.Cal. of the Ct. Mins. of the E. I. Co. 1671–3 ed. E.B. Sainsbury, 142.

Parlimentarian

DOWNING, Sir George (1623-84), of St. Stephen’s Court, Westminster and East Hatley, Cambs.

of Axe Yard, Westminster and Cambs., East Hatley.

Likenesses

Likenesses: oil on canvas, T. Smith, c.1675-90.Harvard Art Museum, Camb. Mass.

Volume

Commons 1640-1660

Web Title

DOWNING, George (1623-84), of Axe Yard, Westminster, and East Hatley, Cambs.

Will

24 Aug. 1683, cod. 7 July 1684, pr. 19 July 1684.PROB11/377, ff. 322, 324.

Estates

in 1650, purchased lands worth £300 p.a.Winthrop Pprs. (Mass. Hist. Soc. ser. 5, i), 373. In 1652, purchased fenlands at Sawtry, Cambs. in the Great Level.Jonas Moore’s Mapp of the Great Levell of the Fens 1658 ed. F. Wilmoth, E. Stazicker (Camb. ?2016), 53. In 1652, estate was valued at £500 p.a.Winthrop Pprs. (Mass. Hist. Soc.) vi. 225. In 1654 and 1664, purchased a messuage and lease of land in King Street and lease of Peacock Court, Westminster (site of Downing Street).C54/3812/20; Beresford, Godfather, 133. Betw. 1657 and 1683, purchased manors of Clopton, East Hatley and Tadlow; Gamlingay Park; lands in Bottisham, Croydon, Gamlingay, Gransden, Hatley St George, Little Wilbraham, Reach, Stow cum Quy, Swaffham Bulbeck, Swaffham Bulbeck, Swaffham Prior [sic] and Tadlow; rectory of Tadlow; advowson of East Hatley (all in Cambs.); two thirds of manor of Wrestlingworth, Beds.; and lands in Cowling, Suff.C10/118/16; C54/4118/18; C54/4119/38; C54/4131/5; E367/2519; PROB11/377, ff. 322-3; Downing Coll. Camb. DCAR/1/1/1/1/1; VCH Cambs. v. 74; vi. 143; viii. 33, 35, 44, 47, 129, 130, 131; VCH Beds. ii. 257; Beresford, Godfather, 125, 294-5. By 1663, owned a house in St Stephen’s Court, New Palace Yard, Westminster. By 1684, he owned lands and tenements in New England .Beresford, Godfather, 138, 299.

Oxford 1644

Addresses

Canonbury, Islington, Mdx. (1648);Winthrop Pprs. (Mass. Hist. Soc.) v. 207. Axe Yard, Westminster (1654-5).Eg. 2618, f. 46; G. Inn Admiss. i. 273.

Religion

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