Jean Burchett writes in a letter of 3 Oct 1991 "Dennis Downing raised on farm in Montgomery Co., KY, received common school education. In 1821 married Miss Mary McCormick b. in 1802, dau. of Wm McCormick a native of Virginia, but of Irish descent. Dennis moved to Indiana when the children were quite small. Two younger children b. in Ind. Will probated Feb 10, 1838 in New Castle, Henry Co., Ind. His brother Francis & Richard Haynes administrator. His debts exceeded his property."

I went to New Castle, Ind. in Sep 1993 and found the above cited probate records. There was not actually a will. On page 131 of the Henry Co. Probate Administration Book 1835-1839 is recorded a bond filed 11 May 1837 naming Richard Haynes and Francis Downing as administrators of the estate of Denis Downing deceased, who died intestate. On page 192 of the same book is a petition filed 10 Feb 1838: "Richard Haynes & Francis Downing Adms vs Dennis Downings Heirs : Petition to sell real estate : The said administrators by counsel came and file their petition in this behalf, setting forth total personal estate of said deceased is wholly insufficient for the payment of his debts as in said petition described in these words here inset and it appearing by disinterested affidavit filed that Mary Downing widow of the said deceased, William, James, Eliza, John, Elizabeth, Susan, Nancy, Mary, & Synthia Ann Downing, heirs"... At this point the petition continues on the the next page, which I neglected to photocopy. But the list of heirs is complete.

Dates of birth for all children of this family other than Susan from chart compiled by Hal Phillips.

1830 census of Henry Co., IN, lists on page 57, 4th line from bottom:
Dennis Downing, males 1 < 5, 2 5-9, 1 20-29; females 1 < 5, 1 20-29 The three boys fit for William 7, James 5, and John 2, but if the family group is right, I would expect to see Eliza 3 and Elisabeth 1. Considering that the 1840 census also has only 1 girl 10-14 (see notes for Mary McCormick), perhaps one of the girls did not live with the family?

1840 census of Warren Co., IN (which is adjacent to Henry Co.) lists a Dennis Downing; from index only, I don't have details. Probably a nephew or maybe an uncle of this Dennis Downing.

1840 census of Montgomery Co., Ky, lists family headed by Mary Downing, males 1 10-14, 2 15-19, females 1 under 5, 3 5-9, 1 10-14, 1 30-39. (There seems to be one dau. missing. Eliza Jane should have been 13 and Elizabeth 11.)

See the notes for Mary’s second marriage, to Abraham Ellington, for the 1850 and 1860 census readings.

In the 1870 census she was listed in Morgan Co., Ky, as Mary Ellington, age 67, with her daughter Cynthia and husband James Easterling.

In the 1880 census she was listed in Menifee Co., Ky as Marry Alington, age 76, with her daughter Elizabeth and husband Oliver P. Wells.

All three of their sons moved to Missouri to raise their families, so I have no close Downing relatives in Kentucky. But their daughters stayed in Kentucky, so my Kentucky relatives through this branch are mostly Easterlings and Wells.