Arthur Lionel Downing 1879 - 1938
Arthur in 1894
Arthur was my grandfather. The father of my mother, Margaret Winchurch (nee Downing). She was born in December 1916 in the middle of the First World War and died in March 1993.
Arthur was born in Kidderminster in Worcestershire on 22 February 1879.
He was the fourth of eight children born to James and Mary Ann (née Pugh) Downing between 1873 and 1886.
In the 1881 UK census, two year old Arthur is living with his family at St George's
Terrace in Kidderminster. James's occupation is described as a 'clicker' in carpet
manufacture, a trade which employed a large proportion of the population of
Kidderminster for many years
Ten years later, James and Mary Ann have only three children with them at Oxford
Street in Kidderminster and Arthur at twelve has already left school and is working as an 'errand boy - cart'.
Somewhere around this time, Arthur became a chorister at St Mary the Virgin church at Stone in Worcestershire, a village within walking distance of Kidderminster. The choirmaster and organist was Albert Dovey Chambers and as a child I was shown a treasured family possession.
It was a photo album with the inscription:
'Arthur L Downing from ADC, Christmas 1894'
The humorous photo of Albert's dog 'Pug' sitting at a table with pipe and glasses appealed to me as a toddler and my mother clearly felt that her father had benefitted from his time in the choir.
Pug
(Click on images for a larger version)
Several of the photos are general shots of places visited on a choir outing, by train, presumably some time in 1894,
Locations include , Tintern Abbey, the Wye Valley and Monmouth.
I am reasonably confident that I have identified my grandfather and Albert Chambers in some of the photos.
To this end, I have been greatly assisted by Tony Brett whose website featuring the photos from glass plate negatives by A D Chambers I discovered online at
Arthur in 1884
Choir Party in Saloon
Monmouth
Arthur Downing with stick in the centre
Choir party on a station platform,
including Albert Chambers and Arthur Downing
The photo album might have been a farewell, present from ADC when Arthur left the choir.
In any event, it would seem that Albert held his pupil in high regard and that is the impression I got from my mother, Margaret.
In the 1901 Census, Arthur is single, living with his widowed mother in Clarence St Kidderminster, employed as a Carpet colour finder.
Mary Ann Downing with her children, about 1900. Standing L-R Walter,Alfred, Arthur. Seated, Harold, Beatrice, Mary Ann, Albert
In August 1906, Arthur was present at the marriage of his brother Albert Downing to Eleanor Slater. Also present at the wedding was my Gt Grandmother, Lizzie Smith, whose mother was born Downing. Her husband and twenty two year old daughter Annie accompanied her. My grandparents, Annie Elizabeth Smith and Arthur Lionel Downing met for the first time at that wedding and subsequently married. They were first cousins once removed.
Arthur about 1910
I have yet to find Arthur in the 1911 Census. I know that by then he was working for the GWR as a signalman at several boxes around the Welsh border.
He and Annie married in 1914 and my mother, Margaret Downing was born in 1916.
Arthur, Annie and Margaret in Weymouth, 1929
Margaret and Arthur
In addition to Arthur's musical talents, he was also a skilled wood carver.
These are images of some of his work and the certificate he was awarded in 1927.
Sadly, Arthur died at home in fairly traumatic circumstances for my mother, grandmother and himself. He had suffered with heart problems for some time, but could not seek medical attention because it would have cost him his job as a signalman.
He died from coronary thrombosis on 24 March 1938 at the age of fifty nine
John Winchurch
Pembrokeshire
July 2020
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