BIO:

Deering, New Hampshire, Farmer

Joshua was a son of Joshua Downing (1769-1858) and Patience Chase (1771-1844), natives of Hampton Falls, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire.

He was born at Henniker and moved to the family farm at nearby Deering after 1810.

Joshua married Sarah LOVERIN/G at Weare, New Hampshire on 9 March 1815 (N.H. VR).

Federal censuses show that Joshua, a farmer, was a lifelong resident of Deering.

There, in 1830, Joshua bought a share of a pew of the Deering East Meeting House [Evangeline Klee Poling, Welcome Home to Deering, New Hampshire, 1977, p. 51-52].

Following his mother's death in 1844, his father lived with his brother Stephen. Perhaps as a result, Stephen inherited his father's farm at Deering and the bulk of his father's estate [Hillsborough Co., N.H., Probate No. 02887, 1858]. Joshua and his siblings received $5 each from their father's estate.

Joshua died aged 74 years, 10 months, 15 days probably at Deering; was buried there at East Deering Cemetery [N.H. VR, Births; East Deering Cemetery, p. 4; 1850 U.S. Census].

Joshua and his wife Sarah share a headstone.

Children [born at Deering, New Hampshire [N. H. VR]); surname Downing:

1. Daughter, born between 1810 and 1815. Died young?
2. Celina (or Celind) F. (1815-1896). She married Daniel TOBIE.
3. Betsey L. (1817-1871). She married Winthrop DOW.
4. Son, born circa 1819; d. young?
5. Judith C. (1822-1895). She married James E. CLOUGH.
6. George. (1827-1891). He never married.

Biography by Tom Brocher; last updated on 30 December 2021.