| Notes |
There are two documents in the Library of Virginia:
# 24928a,b "William Downman of Plymouth England and Virginia, October
1608, and some of his descendants." 166 pages. author: Clarissa W.
Fleming
# 24928c "Downman Family genealogical chart"
Description: "Descendants of William Downman (d 1653) who emigrated in
1608 from Plymouth England and settled in Lancaster Co. VA."
(Courtesy of Ted Kaufman)
From: "English America, the Voyages, Vessels, People and Places"
Courtesy of Thomas Langford.
"The Mary & Margaret, 1608
Arrivals in the "Second Supply"
Voyages are listed at ship name on Ship List
Captain Christopher Newport, Commander
(Previously commander of the Susan Constant in 1607
and of the John & Francis in 1607-1608.)
Crew: about 153
Passengers listed in the Virginia Musters of 1624/5:
60 passengers listed by name out of total of about 70.
Namontack (Powhatan's "son" who went to England on
the John & Francis in April, returning home.)
Abbay, Thomas Gentleman
Beadle, Gabriel Gentleman
Beadle, John (listed as Iohn) Gentleman
Bell, Henry Tradesman*
Bradley, Thomas Tradesman*
Burras (Laydon), Anne Maid of Mrs. Forrest
Listed in Virginia Muster, February 7, 1624/5, (age 30) as on the
Mary Margett
in 1608. Married to John Laydon about 2 months after her arrival.
Burras, John (listed as Iohn) Tradesman*
Burton, George Gentleman
Clarke, John (listed as Iohn) Tradesman*
Collings, Henry Gentleman
Croshaw, Raleigh (or Crawshaw) Gentleman
Listed in Virginia Muster, February 16, 1623/4.
His wife arrived on the Bona Nova, 1620.
Received Virginia Patent4,5 as "Ancient Planter".
Cuderington, John (listed as Iohn) Gentleman
Dauxe, John (listed as Iohn) Gentleman
David ap Hugh (listed as Dauid) Tradesman*
Dawse, Thomas Laborer
Downman, William Gentleman
Ellis, David Tradesman*
Listed in Virginia Muster, January 20-30, 1624/5, as on the Mary
Margrett,
no date given. His wife, Margrett, arrived on the Margrett & John.
Floud Laborer
Forrest, Mistresse (Mrs. Forrest)
Forrest, Thomas Gentleman
Fox, Thomas Laborer
Gibson, Thomas Tradesman*
Graves, Thomas (listed as Graues) Gentleman
Listed as Capt. (Captain) in Virginia Muster, February 7, 1624/5,
as on
the Mary & Margrett in 1607, but correct date would have been
1608.
Hancock, Nicholas Laborer
Hardwyn Laborer
Harrison, Harmon Gentleman
Hilliard (boy)
Hoult, John (listed as Iohn) Gentleman
Hunt, Master Gentleman
Lavander, Thomas Tradesman*
Leigh, Henry Gentleman
Lowick, Michael Gentleman
Mallard, Thomas Laborer
Maxes, Thomas Gentleman
Milman (boy)
Morley Laborer
Norton, Thomas Gentleman
Oconor, Dionis Tradesman*
Phelps, Thomas Tradesman*
Philpot, Henry Gentleman
Powell, Master Tradesman*
Prat, John (listed as Iohn) Tradesman*
Rose Laborer
Russell, John (listed as Iohn) Gentleman
Russell, William Gentleman
Sambage, William Gentleman
Scot Laborer
Shortridge, Jeffrey (listed as Ieffrey) Tradesman*
Tayler, William Laborer
(Taylor, Richard, age 50, listed in Virginia Muster, January 24,
1624/5,
as on the Mary Margett, September, 1608. His wife, Dorothy,
arrived on the London Marchannt in May, 1620.)
Tucker, Daniel Gentleman
Waldo, Captaine Richard Appointed to be one of the
Councel
Walker Laborer
West, Master Francis (listed as VVest) Brother to the Lord Le VVarre
(De la Ware)
Listed in Virginia Muster, February 7, 1624/5, (age 36) as on the
Mary Ann Margett in 1610.
Williams Laborer
Winne, Captaine Peter Appointed to be one of the
Councel
Winne, Hugh Tradesman*
Wolleston, Hugh Gentleman
Yarington, George Gentleman
8 Dutch (actually German) men and Poles, names not listed, and 2
others not listed.
* Artisons, as noted in source
Cargo: "Elizabethan-style bed as a gift for Powhatan"
From "Virginia Genealogies", by Rev. Horace Edwin Hayden, pg. 75-76,
under the line of Margaret Ball and Rawleigh Downman:
"The following is from a very old paper found among the Ball records
in the possession of Miss J. R. D. It may be mere tradition:
'When the Saxtons and the Danes invaded England, there was three
families joined themselves together and spent a great part of their
fortunes in raising what force they could to defend their country and
they eventually gained the victory when their battle was over ye King
gave Each family A Coat of arms the first had three bleeding hearts ye
second had three sheaves of wheat ye third had hart stuck with two
darts.
My father's great grandfather gave Great assistance to the
building up of a Catherdral Church in plemoth his name was set in the
wall. William Downman a Great rememberer of the poor. But I beleave
that may be down by this time. My Grand father went to perbadus
(Barbadoes) and lived at a place called Spikeres (?) my father was
left his Estate a youth having more money than he had wit to keep. At
that time there was some that had run themselves in debt and persuaded
him to be their security which he readily agreed to and for a large
sum of money not considering the ill Consequences that attended it. So
many had done that.'
To this paper another hand has added: 'Rawleigh Downman, the young
son, not being so provided as his father, ran through the large part
of his estate, and moved to Bermuda thence to Lanc'r Co., VA, 1653 He
m. _____ Travers, and having somewhat repaired his fortune, died 1682,
leaving a son, Rawleigh , who married Margaret Ball, and a daughter,
Mrs. Pinchard'.
Mr. Rawleigh Downman's part of Mr. Pinckhard's estate was two negroes
and articles valued at 103 pounds.16.8. I find nothing to confirm
this tradition as to the arms, or the church at Plymouth. Later
research may discover the correctness of the tradition.
The name Downman early appears in VA. Among 'the living', Feb 16,
1623 at Elizabeth City were John Douneman and Elizabeth Douneman.
(Col. Rec. #52). This John was Burgess from E(lizabeth) City, Oct 16,
1629. 'When a boy he came to VA, 1611, married a maid sent out in
1621 in the Warwich' ( VA Car. 74). William Downman, Gent, was among
the second supply to VA 1608 (Arber's Smith 129). William Downman,
Nov 15, 1652, bought of Ben Powell a patent of 100 a(cres) in
Corotoman, called 'Harwood' (L. 216). The estate of William Downman
and Dorothy Downman was appraised by Thomas Hacket and Edwin Conniway
(Conway) 165-.
The name Rawleigh is so frequent in this line that in the absence of
dates it is impossible to locate those who bear it. 'I have heard my
father say that there were three Rawleigh Ds. living at one time in
the same neighborhood in what is now Richmond Co. They were all
cousins and cousins of my Grandfather Rawleigh (J.R.D.)'. It is
probable that I, Rawleigh D., of Lancaster Co., VA of 1653, who
married _____ Travers had ii. Margaret, who married c. 1675 Capt.
William Ball, and iii. Rawleigh who had iv. Rawleigh m. c. 1715
Margaret Ball, his cousin, supra, v. Eliza,, who married Thomas
Pinchard, below, and vi. William, executor of his brother Rawleigh, of
whom the above paper makes no mention. This William may have been
father of Travers Downman (I.) Dec 23, 1747, Grace Ball (pg. 67), and
II, Dec. 30, 1764, Ann Heath Conway (Conway 14); also of William who
married Agnes, dau. of Major Field Archer, of Chesterfield (Critic
ii.34). Robert Downman, M.D., grad. Univ. Edinburgh 1798; thesis,
'De Puerperam peritonitide,' 2 plates, p. 48, 1798.
A Downman whose name does not appear had ----.
I. William, who had the following children:
i. Eliza, m ____Smyth of Auston, TX.;
ii. Sallie C. who m. _____ Brown and had 12 children. Of these, F.
R. Brown of Littleton, VA wrote me May 13, 1889, 'My mother has been
dead 18 months. I do not know anything of the family beyond my
grandfather';
iii. Lucy.
II. Mildred m. Thomas Ball, whom I cannot place;
III. Elizabeth m. Maj. Stokley Towles.
Note - (Martha Cross Mordecai - 2004):
After giving thought to the notes of J. R. D., in Rev. Hayden's book,
and thinking she was talking about Plymouth, MA, and seeing the
information from the Library of VA, I came to realize that she was
really talking about Plymouth, England. So I ran a search on
Plymouth, England. Very interesting.
Plymouth is in the County of Devon, which is a maritime county in
southwest England, and is bounded on the north by the Bristol Channel,
on the east by Dorset and Somerset, on the south by the English
Channel and the west by Cornwall.
Exeter is the county town. Plymouth is an English Channel port and has
been an important seaport for over 500 years. Plymouth is located
at the confluence of the Plym (Plymouth = Mouth of Plym) and Tamar Rivers at Plymouth Sound.
Since its establishment during the early 1400s, Plymouth has been an important military institution. The Citadel, a stone fortress built in the late 1600s by Charles II, is still used by the military.
There is a Mayflower Monument at Plymouth, England, as well as one at Plymouth, Mass. There is also a plaque in Plymouth, England placed there in 1984, on the 400th anniversary of Sir Walter Raleigh's Colonies, which says:
"The Roanoke Colonies from Plymouth on 27th April 1584, Walter Raleigh
sent Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlow to North America to Explore &
Prepare for English Colonisation on 13th July. They Claimed Land in
the Name of Queen Elizabeth Called Virginia in Her Honor. This Area
is Now Known as North Carolina. In 1585 A Colony Under Gov. Ralph
Lane Settled There On Roanoke Island Remaining a Year. In 1587 A
Second Colony Under Gov. John White Established The 'Cittie of Ralegh'
At the Same Site. This Settlement Known As Raleigh's 'Lost Colony'
Disappeared Between 1587 & 1590."
I know I learned all of this while in school MANY years ago, but have forgotten it, and now I have reason to remember it.
Sir Walter Raleigh was a hero about the time the Downman's came here and that is probably why Rawleigh became a repeated family given name. Also, the Downman's grew tobacco traditionally. They accumulated their wealth on tobacco. This particular tobacco came from Barbadoes. One of the first Downman's lived in "Elizabeth Citte, VA. ... ". Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, was the financial backer and primary supporter of Sir Walter Raleigh.
I re-read the notes, carefully. This time it said something different to me. "My father's great grandfather gave Great assistance to the building up of a Cathedral Church in plemoth his name was set in the wall, 'William Downman a Great rememberer of the poor'." He either helped restore it, or, following Henry VIII's direction, helped change it over to Anglican, by removing all Roman Catholic icons and decor in order to make it an Anglican Cathedral. If the later is the case, he would have had to have been born before 1539.
On research, I found that there is presently one major Cathedral in Plymouth. It is Roman Catholic and was built in 1848. Too young, and not the right flavor. The only Anglican Cathedral in Devon is Exeter Cathedral, which is the seat of the Bishop of Exeter whose diocese includes Plymouth. It could easily be the right one as it is old enough, and it is the right order. It existed during the time of Henry VIII and the Reformation. Plymouth has a very old mother church which is called St. Andrews. It is a 1200 year old, what's left of, Cathedral.
The sad thing is that during the blitz, in World War II, the whole inside of this Cathedral was burned out. Basics are still there but if this is the Cathedral spoken of in the notes, then there is nothing left of the memorializing of William Downman. It is now Roman Catholic and, though it has never been restored, it has been patched together enough to still be a place of practice.
Another thing is, I worked with the message to figure who she (the writer) was speaking of: "my father's great-grandfather" (would have been her great-great-grandfather). She gives her explanation, in essence, of who she is:
1) my Grand father went to perbadus (Barbadoes) and lived at a place called Spikeres (?) ..
2) my father was left his Estate a youth having more money than he had wit to keep at that time there was some that had run themselves in debt and persuaded him to be their security which he readily agreed to and for a large sum of money not considering the ill Consequences that attended it so many had done that.'
3) To this paper another hand has added: 'Rawleigh Downman, the young son, not being so provided as his father, ran through the large part of his estate, and moved to Bermuda thence to Lanc'r Co., VA, 1653 He m. _____ Travers, and having somewhat repaired his fortune, died 1682, leaving a son, Rawleigh , who married Margaret Ball, and a daughter, Mrs. Pinchard'."
Here is my, not totally concluded, conclusion:
...my Father = William Raleigh Downman Jr., b. bef 1657 (m. Million Travers),
...my Grandfather = William Downman Sr., prob. b. 1630, (m. Dorothy Nichols)
...my Great-Grandfather = William Sr's father, prob b. 1610,
...my Great-Great-Grandfather, (my father's Great-Grandfather) = "William Downman, a Great Rememberer of the Poor".
William Sr's Grandfather prob. b. 1590. This would be the one who came over on the Mary -Margaret in 1608. If I allowed for variance of years between generations, the G.G.Grandfather would or might have been born about the time Henry VIII changed England's alliance to the Anglican Church.
Possibly the William Downman, in the notes of J. R. D., who helped
raise the Cathedral in Plemoth (Plymouth), and whose name is in the
wall of the Cathedral:
"...my father's great grandfather gave Great assistance to the
building up of a Catherdral Church in plemoth his name was set in the
wall. William Downman a Great rememberer of the poor. But I beleave
that may be down by this time. My Grand father went to perbadus
(Barbadoes) and lived at a place called Spikeres (?) my father was
left his Estate a youth having more money than he had wit to keep at
that time there was some that had run themselves in debt and persuaded
him to be their security which he readily agreed to and for a large
sum of money not considering the ill Consequences that attended it so
many had done that.'
To this paper another hand has added: 'Rawleigh Downman, the young
son, not being so provided as his father, ran through the large part
of his estate, and moved to Bermuda thence to Lanc'r Co., VA, 1653 He
m. _____ Travers, and having somewhat repaired his fortune, died 1682,
leaving a son, Rawleigh , who married Margaret Ball, and a daughter,
Mrs. Pinchard'.
Mr. Rawleigh Downman's part of Mr. Pinckhard's estate was two negroes
and articles valued at 103 pounds.16.8. I find nothing to confirm
this tradition as to the arms, or the church at Plymouth. Later
research may discover the correctness of the tradition.
The name Downman early appears in VA. Among 'the living', Feb 16,
1623 at Elizabeth City were John Douneman and Elizabeth Douneman.
(Col. Rec. #52). This John was Burgess from E(lizabeth) City, Oct 16,
1629. 'When a boy he came to VA, 1611, married a maid sent out in
1621 in the Warwich' ( VA Car. 74). William Downman, Gent, was among
the second supply to VA 1608 (Arber's Smith 129). William Downman,
Nov 15, 1652, bought of Ben Powell a patent of 100 a(cres) in
Corotoman, called 'Harwood' (L. 216). The estate of William Downman
and Dorothy Downman was appraised by Thomas Hacket and Edwin Conniway
(Conway) 165-.
The name Rawleigh is so frequent in this line that in the absence of
dates it is impossible to locate those who bear it. 'I have heard my
father say that there were three Rawleigh Ds. living at one time in
the same neighborhood in what is now Richmond Co. They were all
cousins and cousins of my Grandfather Rawleigh (J.R.D.)'. It is
probable that I, Rawleigh D., of Lancaster Co., VA of 1653, who
married _____ Travers had ii. Margaret, who married c. 1675 Capt.
William Ball, and iii. Rawleigh who had iv. Rawleigh m. c. 1715
Margaret Ball, his cousin, supra, v. Eliza,, who married Thomas
Pinchard, below, and vi. William, executor of his brother Rawleigh, of
whom the above paper makes no mention. This William may have been
father of Travers Downman (I.) Dec 23, 1747, Grace Ball (pg. 67), and
II, Dec. 30, 1764, Ann Heath Conway (Conway 14); also of William who
married Agnes, dau. of Major Field Archer, of Chesterfield (Critic
ii.34). Robert Downman, M.D., grad. Univ. Edinburgh 1798; thesis,
'De Puerperam peritonitide,' 2 plates, p. 48, 1798.
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Abt 1590 - Yes, date unknown