The Downes of Belchamp Walter
When researching something else I came across the website "Downs of Belchamp Walter".
I am a little confused by the spelling, Downs and Downes, but in geneological reseach this is par for the course. The "Downs of Belchamp Walter" website is truely and example of how not to put a website together.
I have yet to come across this name in my research before, but then I wasn't looking for it. Unlike the Downs website I am not interested in building family trees, there are others that do this far better (or worse, depending on your point of view!). AR Downes has obviously done a lot of work on the site and there are those that sing praises in his/her guest book.
The dates are from the 19th Century before the 1st World War. Names would be in the 1891 Census and the sons would be prime candidates for "canon fodder". Strangly there is no mention in the census for Downes.
Names and dates to look for:
- Charlotte Downs (nee ??? - but from BW) b. 1813 - married to James Downs b. 1799 (from Gestingthorpe)
- Samuel Downs b. 1834
- James Downs b. 1840
- Mary Ann Downs b. 1843
- Alfred Downs b. 1843
- Emma Downs b. 1854 - An Emma Downs is in the Burial Register, aged 80 (no "e" in the spelling")
- Alfred Downs b. 1855
- Maurice Downs b. 1855 - Moved to London (Son A. P. Downs)
The 1891 census has a Charlotte Scrivener aged 63 (widowed at that time) living at a dwelling near Croft cottages,
with her son Arthur. This Charlotte Scrivener would have been born in 1828.
Another Charlotte, lived at 18 Chapel Hill, and she was named Ives married to Edward.
She was 59, which would
make her dob 1824, the census says she was from Bulmer.
The Downs/Downes in general
The family seems to have originated in Bradwell-on-sea, Essex (1200) and migrated around the region. See AR's website if you are interested.
In short, a George Downes of Pebmarsh emigarated to Sydney, Australia in 1883. This was after the deportation of convicts, but having lived in Aus for a few years this is a badge of honour!
Son of Maurice Downs
"The Downes" website
I have removed the link to it as I didn't really think that it helped my website and added no real consistant information.
It did however, spark my own interest in the family name and I looked closer in the 1891 census. Some of the dates and names were taken from the "Downs of Belchamp Walter" site and I made my own look-ups. In short I thought that the website was not easy to navigate and the animated pointing fingers were particularly annoying.