Joseph Downes _{^(c1759-1822)} & Ann Spencer _{^(c1762-1839)}

Joseph Downes of Lamarsh, Essex married Ann Spencer of Sible Hedingham on 7 July 1785.

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Joseph was a gentleman farmer in the parish of Lamarsh, Essex. His will indicated he held a large amount of land, some of it copyhold.

There was a record of an arson attack, possibly an incident of agrarian dissatisfaction, on the farm of Mr Downs of Lamarsh in 1775, for which a man called Thomas Clamping was convicted and hanged.

Joseph and Ann had a large family, all baptised at Lamarsh Church. The patronage of the living appeared to have been partly in the gift of the Downes family, who held the lordship of the manor in the early C19th.

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Joseph died in 1822 aged 63 and was buried on 1 March. His will left most of his property to his wife, Ann, for her lifetime and then to his son Charles. His sons Charles, William and Edward were executors.

Ann died in April 1839, aged 77, at Colchester.

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Joseph and Ann’s children:

• Charles Downes, baptised 19 January 1787, worked as an Army Agent employed by the banking firm Greenwood & Cox (which also acted as Army Agents and as such were involved with the financial aspects of military matters – commissions, pay and regimental transfers). Their office was based in Charing Cross, where he lived at Warwick Street. He retired to 44 Camden Road Villas, Camden Town, where he died on 18 July 1859.
• Henry Downes, baptised on 5 January 1791, joined the Navy in 1805 and served as midshipman on HMS Fisgard (whose name was given to his younger sister). In 1814 he attained the rank of Lieutenant, and served on HMS Sybille.  In 1828 Henry was appointed to the command of HM Tender Black Joke, a clipper and itself a former slave ship, and with the Sybille in the West Africa Squadron patrolling the Slave Coast. Under the command of Lt Downes, the Black Joke captured the much larger and more heavily armed (and notorious) Spanish brig, El Almirante of Havannah, carrying 466 slaves (known to have illegally transported thousands of slaves). Henry Downes was shortly afterwards invalided home (probably due to fever), and promoted to rank of Commander in 1829. He was an Hon. Director of the United Service Institution. Henry died in 1852. This notable achievement gained much contemporary attention (and is described in “The Black Joke: the True Story of One Ship’s Battle Against the Slave Trade” by A E Roots).
• William Downes, baptised 17 January 1793, remained in the Colchester area, finally settling in Dedham where he worked as a land agent and was a notable landowner and resident. William married Ann Davey whose grandmother, Katherine Hurlock, was the sister of the Rev Brook Hurlock who rector of Lamarsh from 1761 to 1803 and whose house at Lamarsh was the subject of an early landscape painting by John Constable.
• Edward Downes, baptised on 9 July 1795, lived at 30 Hyde Park Square, London. He died on 9 February 1863 and was buried at All Souls Cemetery, Kensal Green.
• Eliza Ann Downes, baptised 13 March 1800, married the Rev. Robert Lee Bridge, Rector of St Mary’s, Maldon. She died on 7 December 1870.
• Ezra Thomas Downes, baptised on 21 April 1802, trained as a surgeon (MRCS 1826) and joined the Bengal Medical Service, rising to become Surgeon-Major. He was also Assay Master of Calcutta Mint. He died on 2 July 1876.
• Caroline Fisgard Downes, their youngest daughter, married Thomas Tayspill of Colchester in October 1833. After his death, she married the Rev Henry Gamble, Rector of Clifton, Ashbourne. She died on 30 October 1861.
• Mary Ann died July 1811.
• Joseph born in 1786, died 1810.
• Frederick was born and died in 1798.

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