Francis Downes Explained

Francis Downes (1606–1648) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1624 and 1625.

Downes was the second son of Roger Downes of Wardley Hall, and his second wife Anne Calvert, daughter of John Calvert of Cockeram. His mother was a Catholic and Downes also adopted the Catholic faith.^[1] He matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford on 5 December 1623, aged 17 and was a student of Gray's Inn in 1623.^[2] In 1624, he was elected member of parliament for Wigan. He was re-elected MP for Wigan in 1625.^[3]

Notes and References

1. http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/downes-roger-1638 History of Parliament Online – Roger Downes
2. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=117056 'Alumni Oxonienses, 1500–1714: Disbrowe-Dyve', Alumni Oxonienses 1500–1714 (1891), pp. 406–439. Date accessed: 8 May 2012
3. https://archive.org/stream/cu31924030494987#page/n233/mode/2up William Duncombe Pink, Alfred B. Beaven The parliamentary representation of Lancashire, (county and borough), 1258–1885, with biographical and genealogical notices of the members, &c. (1889)