Pike Co. Missouri marriage records list the marriage of William C. Downing of Lincoln Co. and Margaret Ann Reading of Pike Co. both of lawful age on 8 April 1835 by Rev. James W. Campbell, minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

So far as I know, this Downing family is no relation to my own. I am entering them into my database because their son William R. and his son James L. ended up in Lafayette Co., Missouri, and since I do have Downing relatives there, I want to keep track of the ancestry of all the Downings in that county.

1850 census of Pike Co., Missouri, Peno township, enumerated 12 Oct, lists on p. 28 as family #117:
William C. Downing, 37, farmer, b. Ky; Margaret A., 34, b. Ky; Lucetta, 14; William W., 12; John J., 11; Joseph C., 9; Rebecca A., 6; George W., 3; Samuel C., 1; Manuel Fisher, free black, 65; Polly, 50, free black. All children born in Missouri; birthplace for the Fisher couple unknown.

1860 census of Pike Co., Missouri, Cuivre township, Bowling Green P.O., enumerated 5 June, lists on pp. 7-8 as family #49:
Downing, Wm C., 48, farmer; Margaret, 44; James J., 21; Joseph C., 19; Rebecca A., 17; Georg W., 14; Samuel B., 12; Thos J., 10; Margaret, 6; Andrew J., 4; Martha, 2. William born in Kentucky, all others born in Missouri

The next household is their son William R. with his wife Sarah.

1870 census of Pike Co., Missouri, Cuivre township, Bowling Green P.O., enumerated 20 June, lists on p. 37 as family #250:
Downing, William C., 57, farmer; Margaret, 53; George W., 22; Thomas J., 19; Rebecca, 26; Margaret A., 15; Andrew J., 14; Martha S., 12; Nancy W., 8; Blesh, Lawrence, 34, laborer, b. Hunning Austria; Downing, Charles, 18. William and Margaret born in Kentucky, all other family members born in Missouri. Charles was listed as white, although he is probably the same Charles Downing listed as age 28, black, with the family in 1880.

1880 census of Pike Co., Missouri, Cuivre township, enumerated 16 June, lists on p. 21 as family #188/190:
Downing, William, 67, farmer, b. Ky Ky Ky; Elizabeth, 45, wife, b. Ky Va Ky; Rebecca, 35, dau; Samuel, 31, son; Andrew J., 22, son; Susan, 21, dau; Mintie, 18, dau; Charles, 28 (black), laborer, b. Mo Ky Mo; Gilbert, Robert, 12, b. Missouri Ireland Ireland. Rebecca through Mintie all single, all born Mo Ky Ky.

The next household is a farm occupied by two single men, William’s son Joseph Columbus Downing, age 29, and a James M. Offat, age 24. This suggests a possible relationship between William and Samuel Downing b. ca 1818 in Fayette Co. Ky who married Amanda Offutt and moved to Lafayette Co., Missouri.