By By Lydia Grimes
I want to get back to some of the family files that I have collected over the years. I have gotten away from the files in the past few weeks.
I think I may have told about this family in the past, but if you did not see it, here it is again.
Wiley C. Downing was born in 1789 in Cook County, N.C. He migrated to Alabama in the early 1820s and married Sarah Mason, daughter of Peter Mason.
Wiley C. Downing (1789-1866) married about 1825 to Sarah Mason (abt. 1806-1858). They were the parents of at least 11 children, Aaron T. Downing, George W. Downing (abt. 1826) who married Barbara Brewton, John R. Downing (1828-1871) who married Parker Pringle Brewton, William T. Downing (1830-1914) who married Louise K. Stanton, Amelia Mildred Downing (1831-1909) who married Edward Milstead, Feagin Downing (1834) who married Katherine Smith, Elizabeth Downing, abt. 1835), Robert Elijah Downing (1837-1918) who married Esther M. Ellis, Barbara Downing (abt. 1839), Bryant Downing (1840) who married Caroline Coleman and Wiley C. Downing Jr. who married Elizabeth Bozeman.
John R. Downing and Parker Pringle Brewton (1834-1883) were the parents of at least four children, Margaret Downing (1855) who married Emanuel Fillmore Brewton, Laura Downing (1858-1916) who married F.P. Archelaus, Kizzie Downing (1861-1945) who married R.T. Ghent and Frances Downing (1864-1883) who died in the yellow fever epidemic, along with her mother, Parker Pringle Brewton Downing.
William T. Downing and Louisa Stanton (1838-1892) were the parents of eight children, Samuel J. Downing (1861) who married Elizabeth Smith, Travis W. Downing (1864-1955) who married Alice M. Graham, Caroline Downing (1867), Emma H. Downing (1869-1890) who married Jasper W. Hale, John T. Downing (1871) who married Lunettie Chavers, Henry C. Downing (1874-1961) who married Mary J. Knowles, Lee R. Downing (1878) and Wiley C. Downing (1884).
Feagin Downing and Katherine Smith were the parents of at least one son, Bryant Elisha Downing.
Robert Elijah Downing and Esther M. Ellis (1844-1926) were the parents of at least nine children, Ethel Downing who married Charles Harold, Wiley William Downing, 1860-1918) who married Anna Ferrara, Julia K. Downing (1868) who married Thomas Mortimer McCall, Alice D. Downing (1869-1939) who married W. A. Hill, Minnie B. Downing (1872-1962) who married Harry Henderson, Elijah Downing (1875-1947) who married Lenna D. Harold, Esther M. Downing (1880-1958) who married Daniel Burch McKenzie, Ella P. Downing (1882-1960) who married Dr. Mason Foshee and John R. Downing (1883-1883).
Bryant Downing and Caroline Coleman (1843) were the parents of at least seven children, John Downing, Elisha Downing, Charlie Downing, William Downing, Alice Downing, Martha Downing and Henry Downing.
Robert Elijah Downing and his wife Esther M. Ellis Downing helped to finance the Downing-Shofner Institute which used to stand on the hill where the East Brewton Baptist Church is now located.