John Down - Soldier of the 12th Regiment of Foot East Suffolk
John Down had a hard lesson to learn from rigorous military life, for just 32 days after he enlisted in the Army he found himself tried and imprisoned for 2 days desertion and was branded with the letter 'D' which stood for a deserter, he wore this for the rest of his life.
We can calculate that John Down sailed for Australia with his regiment on the 'HMSS CURACOA' a wooden Screw Frigate of 1854 on the 13 Sep 1863 - arrived Sydney; embarked 250 men of the 12th Regiment of Foot, 2 field guns and 6 horses.
We can calculate that John Down sailed for Australia with his regiment on the 'HMSS CURACOA' a wooden Screw Frigate of 1854 on the 13 Sep 1863 - arrived Sydney; embarked 250 men of the 12th Regiment of Foot, 2 field guns and 6 horses.
Not 12 months later we have a marriage for John Down and Mary Ann Desmond on the 13th July 1864 solemnised in the Primitive Methodist Church in Surry Hills, Sydney and just a few months later on the 14th October 1864 we find a desertion notice and arrest in the Police Gazette for John Down. The article on the right gives a good description of him.
Whether John Down had a good reason for being absent, we will never know, but we do know he rejoined the army and served out his time and forfeited his good conduct pay for those few short days of 1 week desertion. Lessons die hard.
Baby Frank is born 1 year later on the 15th July 1865. No other records have been found for baby Frank other than a male deceased on Mary Ann's death certificate in 1877.
Whether John Down had a good reason for being absent, we will never know, but we do know he rejoined the army and served out his time and forfeited his good conduct pay for those few short days of 1 week desertion. Lessons die hard.
Baby Frank is born 1 year later on the 15th July 1865. No other records have been found for baby Frank other than a male deceased on Mary Ann's death certificate in 1877.
Walter's birth was registered in the British Army Register Book on the 6th July 1865 and baptised at St. Michael's in Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia, on the 30th July 1865. These recorded dates don't add up because we can't have 2 baby boys born only 9 days apart, unless of course they were twins. The other option is that they fudged the dates, to have the births within the marriage bond. We can rule out an adoption as I have DNA positive matches with cousins through Walter's Mother - Mary Ann Desmond's sister - Ellen.
On John Down's discharge papers on the 23rd March 1870 it is recorded he spent 3 years and 4 months in Australian Colonies and 10 months in New Zealand. His conduct was fair and in possession of one Good Conduct Badge.
John, Mary Ann and Walter are recorded in the 1871 Census living in 2 Collingwood Street, Woolwich, London. England.
No shipping records could be found to contain their return to Australia, but Walter's Mother - Mary Ann dies in Australia, from Consumption complications on the 20th November 1877, address - 156 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Walter is only 12 or 13 years old. Mary Ann's death certificate records a daughter still living, named Annie. Our mystery lassie. The only other record we uncovered was an illegitimate daughter to Mary Ann Desmond in 1862 whom she named Mary Ann Desmond, naming the father - William Simpson a soldier of the 12th Regiment. Could this be our mystery lassie Annie?
What became of John Down after his wife's death? He stayed hidden for a long time, until I was contacted through Ancestry by a Grandson of John Down. How thrilling! Too good to be true! I thought............
Mary Elizabeth Flynn, maiden name Manderson, had given birth to 6 babies before John Down married her in 1888 under the name of George Downs. First baby was born in 1880 - Ernest John..............died 1942
Second baby .............1883 - Susanna A................died at age 3
Twin.........................1883 - Stilborn
Fourth.......................1885 - Frederick..................died in same year
Fifth..........................1886 - Alfred William...........died 1935
Sixth.........................1888 - George.....................died 1935
A dark horse he turned out to be.....fancy him having another family in his old age not long before his son Walter was starting to have his own family. Mary Elizabeth had a daughter from a previous marriage called Mary who was about 10 years younger than Walter. There's a family story handed down that Walter kept contact with a sister on the North Shore of Sydney and this step-sister Mary, is the only possibility. Mary Flynn married Henry Kluver and ran a laundry business on the North Shore.
John Down is recorded as being a Green Grocer and a Dealer, so it seems he didn't continue in his trade as a shoemaker. He lived in quite a few different places in Sydney - Randwick, Petersham, Woolloomooloo, but returned to Surry Hills before he died in 1895 age 63. Stated on his death certificate are 2 children deceased from his 1st marriage to Mary Ann Desmond, with Walter still living.
Click on this link to Faversham history
Click on this link to Ospringe village
The pin below shows the birth place of John Down.
John, Mary Ann and Walter are recorded in the 1871 Census living in 2 Collingwood Street, Woolwich, London. England.
No shipping records could be found to contain their return to Australia, but Walter's Mother - Mary Ann dies in Australia, from Consumption complications on the 20th November 1877, address - 156 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Walter is only 12 or 13 years old. Mary Ann's death certificate records a daughter still living, named Annie. Our mystery lassie. The only other record we uncovered was an illegitimate daughter to Mary Ann Desmond in 1862 whom she named Mary Ann Desmond, naming the father - William Simpson a soldier of the 12th Regiment. Could this be our mystery lassie Annie?
What became of John Down after his wife's death? He stayed hidden for a long time, until I was contacted through Ancestry by a Grandson of John Down. How thrilling! Too good to be true! I thought............
Mary Elizabeth Flynn, maiden name Manderson, had given birth to 6 babies before John Down married her in 1888 under the name of George Downs. First baby was born in 1880 - Ernest John..............died 1942
Second baby .............1883 - Susanna A................died at age 3
Twin.........................1883 - Stilborn
Fourth.......................1885 - Frederick..................died in same year
Fifth..........................1886 - Alfred William...........died 1935
Sixth.........................1888 - George.....................died 1935
A dark horse he turned out to be.....fancy him having another family in his old age not long before his son Walter was starting to have his own family. Mary Elizabeth had a daughter from a previous marriage called Mary who was about 10 years younger than Walter. There's a family story handed down that Walter kept contact with a sister on the North Shore of Sydney and this step-sister Mary, is the only possibility. Mary Flynn married Henry Kluver and ran a laundry business on the North Shore.
John Down is recorded as being a Green Grocer and a Dealer, so it seems he didn't continue in his trade as a shoemaker. He lived in quite a few different places in Sydney - Randwick, Petersham, Woolloomooloo, but returned to Surry Hills before he died in 1895 age 63. Stated on his death certificate are 2 children deceased from his 1st marriage to Mary Ann Desmond, with Walter still living.
Click on this link to Faversham history
Click on this link to Ospringe village
The pin below shows the birth place of John Down.