Contents [hide]

Downes History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Downes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestry of the name Downes dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in an area that was described by a downward slope. The surname was originally derived from the Anglo-Saxon word dun which means a hill.

Early Origins of the Downes family

The surname Downes was first found in Sussex. Another branch was located at Roosdown in Devon. "This place, which was formerly a parish, was anciently called Ralphdown, from its owner, Ralph de Downe, in the reign of Henry II." 1

Early History of the Downes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Downes research. Another 329 words (24 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1226, 1270, 1327, 1350, 1379, 1407, 1445, 1549, 1570, 1609, 1619, 1628, 1631, 1662, 1666, 1710, 1779, 1805, 1810 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Downes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Downes Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Downes have been found, including Down, Downe, Downer, Doune, Douner, Dounner, Downner and many more.

Early Notables of the Downes family

Distinguished members of the family include

Andrew Downes, also known as Dounaeus, (c. 1549-1628), English classical scholar, one of the seven translators of the Apocrypha for the King James Version of the Bible
Colonel John Downes (1609-c.1666), was the commissioner who signed the death warrant of King Charles I of England and John Downes (fl. 1662-1710), was an English writer and prompter at the Duke's Comp...

Downes World Ranking

In the United States, the name Downes is the 4,781^st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in Australia, the name Downes is ranked the 814^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,826 people with that name. 3 And in the United Kingdom, the name Downes is the 826^th popular surname with an estimated 8,207 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Downes family to Ireland

Some of the Downes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Downes migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Downes, or a variant listed above:

Downes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Eustice Downes, aged 25 who landed in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "Abigaile" 5
John Downes, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 5
William Downes, who landed in Virginia in 1622 5
Richard Downes, who landed in Virginia in 1623 5
Richard Downes, aged 34, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Plain Joan" 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Downes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Downes, who arrived in Virginia in 1712 5
Randall Downes, who landed in Virginia in 1719 5
Edward Downes, who landed in New England in 1724 5
Ann Downes, who settled in Maryland in 1730
James Downes, who landed in Maryland in 1740 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Downes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Daniel Downes, who settled in New London Conn. in 1820
G Downes, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
J Downes, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1856 5

Downes migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Downes Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Downes who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec but died on Grosse Isle in 1847 6
Mr. Owen Downes, aged 24 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Julius Caesar" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in September 1847 6
Mr. Patrick Downes, aged 25 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Triton" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 6
Mr. Patrick Downes, aged 24 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Jessie" departing from the port of Limerick but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 6
Mr. Thomas Downes, aged 1 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Argo" departing 4th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 12th June 1847 but he died on board 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Downes migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Downes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Downes, (b. 1775), aged 26, Irish convict who was convicted in Wexford, Ireland for life for being a Political prisoner and Captain of the Irish Rebels, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. Christopher Downes, (Downs), Irish convict who was convicted in Wicklow, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Boyd" on 10th March 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. James Downes, (b. 1806), aged 16, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 3rd September 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. John Downes, (b. 1804), aged 18, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 3rd September 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
William Downes, a baker, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Downes migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Downes Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Susan Downes, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tobago" in 1842 11
Mrs. Susan Downes, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Tobago" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 14th September 1842 11
Child Downes, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Tobago" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 14th September 1842 11
S. Downes, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 1st December 1852 11
Mr. Downes, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Stately" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 5th February 1854 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Downes migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12

Downes Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Henry Downes, who settled in Barbados in 1679 with servants

Contemporary Notables of the name Downes (post 1700) +

Edwin Olin Downes (1886-1955), American music critic
Commodore John Downes (1786-1854), United States Navy officer
Edward Olin Davenport Downes (1911-2001), American musicologist and music critic, best known as the host of Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts (1958 to 1996)
Doris Downes, American botanical artist and painter of natural history
L. G. Downes, American Republican politician, Mayor of Calais, Maine, 1876 13
Joseph B. Downes (1906-1955), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate 19th District, 1937-40; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 1944 13
John P. Downes, American politician, Member of Illinois State House of Representatives, 1957-65, 1965-67, 1967-73 13
J. M. N. Downes, American politician, Candidate for West Virginia State Senate 13th District, 1914 13
George Downes, American politician, Mayor of Calais, Maine, 1850-51, 1859; Resigned 1859 13
Gary W. Downes, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Delaware State Senate 18th District, 1998 13
... (Another 20 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Downes family +

HMS Royal Oak

Arthur Frederick Downes (d. 1939), British Stoker 2nd Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 14

Senghenydd colliery

Mr. George Henry Downes (b. 1893), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died
Mr. George Henry Downes (b. 1870), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died
Mr. Thomas Downes (b. 1894), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 26)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 73)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Boyd
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html