LETTER I.
Wherein is contained some account of Mr. Downing's
ancestors.
From the New York Daily Advertiser.
The Downings.—The celebrity of Major Jack Downing
has created an intense and very natural curiosity in
the public mind to know something of his origin and
ancestry. Hoping that some of the down-east antiquaries
and genealogists will favour the world with the information
desired, I submit to your disposal the following
imperfect notice of Sir George Downing, one of the
Major's ancestors, which I have drawn from an interesting
and learned work now in a course of publication, in
numbers, entitled `Memorial of the Graduates of Harvard
University, in Cambridge, Mass. Commencing
with the first class, 1642. By John Farmer, Cor. Sec.
of the N. H. Hist. Society.'
George Downing was born in London in 1624, and
accompanied his parents to this country when about
thirteen years of age. His father, Emanual Downing, a
great friend of New England, was brother-in-law to
John Winthrop, one of the principal founders and first
governor of Massachusetts. George received his education
at Harvard College. About 1646 he returned to
England, when he was soon brought into notice, being,
as Gov. Winthrop says, `a very able scholar, and of
ready wit and fluent utterance.' He was appointed
chaplain in the regiment of Col. John Okey, in the army
of Lord Fairfax, who had command of the Parliament
forces in the north. In 1653 he was commissary general,
and about the same time scout-master-general of
the English army in Scotland. In the same year he
was employed in negotiations with the Duke of Savoy.
He seems to have been fitted by nature for scenes of
political manœuvering; and his principles were of such
flexible character, that he could easily accommodate
them to any service which the times required.
In 1655 he visited the French king on public business,
and communicated his instructions in Latin. In 1657
he was appointed minister to Holland. In March,
1662, while in that country, in order to show his zeal
and love for his majesty, he procured the arrest of John
Okey, Miles Corbet, and John Barkstead, three of the
Judges who had condemned to death Charles I, and sent
them to England for trial. Okey had been the friend of
Downing, who served in his regiment as chaplain.
With the other two, he had co-operated in the cause of
the Parliament. His conduct, therefore, in this transaction
was justly reprobated.
He also spake of Cromwell as a traitor and rebel.
In 1663, he was created a baronet. He informed Pepys
that, when in Holland, `he had so good spys, that
he hath had the keys taken out of De Witt's (the Dutch
minister) pocket when he was abed, and his closet
opened and papers brought to him and left in his hands
for an hour, and carried back and laid in the place
again, and the keys put into his pocket. He says he
hath had their most private debates, that have been
between but two or three of them, brought to him, and
in an hour after that hath sent word thereof to the king.'
In 1671, he was again sent to Holland, but returning
before he had executed the business of his mission to the
satisfaction of the king, was imprisoned in the tower.
He was afterwards restored to royal favour. In the
difficulties which the New England colonies had with
Charles II, from 1669, Mr. Downing was represented
as having been very friendly to Massachusetts. He
died in 1684 at the age of 60.
Major Jack Downing, of Downingville, seems to have
inherited his distinguished ancestor's talents for war,
business, and diplomacy, and, like him, to possess ready
wit and fluent utterance, and to bask in the sunshine of
royal favour. Whether he resembles him in other respects,
time must disclose.
