BIO:

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

Stephen was born at Deering on 13 January 1804 (N. H. VR), and was raised there on the family farm.

Stephen married the young widow Mrs. Eliza P. (GOVE) WHITTLE at Deering on 25 November 1846 in a wedding conducted by the Rev. Henry NUTTER (N. H. VR).

Stephen and Elisa lived on their farm at Deering where they were enumerated in U.S. Censuses between 1850 and 1880.

There, Stephen bought a pew of the Deering East Meeting House, on 19 April 1830 [Evangeline Klee Poling, Welcome Home to Deering, New Hampshire, p. 51-52, 1977].

Following his mother's death, his father lived with Stephen and his family. Perhaps for this reason, Stephen inherited his father's farm at Deering and the vast majority of his father's estate in 1858 [Hillsborough Co., N.H., Probate No. 02887, 1858]. Stephen was also instructed to provide for his sister Mary in the event that she had not married. His siblings received $5 each from their father's estate.

Stephen died on 25 October 1881, aged 77, possibly at Deering and was buried there at East Deering Cemetery [East Deering Cemetery, p. 4].

His own will, dated at Deering on 27 August 1881, mentions only his daughter Martha J. MITCHELL, and wife Eliza P. DOWNING. It was probated at Petersborough, New Hampshire on 25 November 1881 [Hillsborough Co., N.H., Probate No. 7731, 1881].

Stephen is buried next to his wife, Eliza, and daughter, Abigail "Abby".

Children; surname Downing:

1. Abigail "Abby" A. (1850-1855).
2. Martha Jane (1856-1935). She married Frank W. MITCHELL

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