Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

DOWNS.
Respecting this family I have little information. In 1725
there were three of the name in Yarmouth, William, Edward and
Samuel, and they married a trio of sisters named Baxter, daughters
of Temperance, the wife of Hon. Shubael Baxter. Of the
paternity of Mrs. Baxter, and how it happened that she had three
daughters of the name of Baxter, before her last marriage, I am
unable to explain.
William Downs, of Yarmouth, married, June, 1726, Elizabeth
Baxter, and had Elizabeth Aug. 1, 1727; Desire, Dec. 10,
1728 ; Barnabas, Aug. 8, 1730 ; Thankful, Sept. 22, 1732-; Mary,
April 12, 1734; Jabez, March 23, 1735-6; A daughter, Oct. 29,
1737, died 7 days after; Sarah, Dec. 15, 1738 ; William, Dec. 5,
1740 ; Isaac, April 5, 1742 ; Lydia, Jan. 20, 1743-4 ; and Benjamin,
Nov. 20, 1749.
Edward Downs, of Yarmouth, married in 1728, Mary Baxter,
and had Jerusha, 4th Aug. 1729 ; Bethia, 8th June, 1734
Thomas, 27th
Nov. 1739.
Oct. 1735 ; Robert, 6th March, 1736-7 ; Betty, 3d
Samuel Downs married, Feb. 25, 1730-1, Temperance Baxter.
He removed to Barnstable owned and kept the public house known
in subsequent times as Lydia Sturgis' tavern.* He died in 1748,
and his wife Temperance administered on his estate July 6, 1748,
* In the notice of Cornelius Crocker, Senr, 1 state that the Sturgis Tavern was built by
Samuel Downs in 1686. [This statement was omitted by the Editor in this reprint, it being
obviously iueon'ect.] This information I obtained from the late Cornelius Crocker, who
said he had deeds and papers to substantiate his statement. These papers cannot now be
found. lie was mistaken. If the house was built in 1686, it was not built by Samuel
Downs, because he had not then seen liis first birthday. If built by him, it was probably
built in 1731. Its architecture does not indicate that it was built so early as 1684. The
tradition is, that it was built the same year that the Court House was. The first County
Court in Barnstable was held on the third I'uesday of June, 1686. It was a meeting to
organize—no actions were tried. Neither the Court House nor the Sturgis tavern had been
constructed April 1686. The Court House was probably built in the latter part of the year
1686.
In the same article I 0ve a wrong .location of Otis Loring's blacksmith's shop. It
stood on the south side of the road, about half way ft'om the Sturgis to the Loriug tavern,
on the spot where the shop recently occupied by Isaac Chipman now stands. The blacksmith's
shop opposite the Lorin^ tavern, was built by Isaac Lothrop about the year 1788.