Henry Edward Downer
Henry Edward Downer (22 March 1836 – 4 August 1905) was a South Ausralian politician. He was a brother of Sir John Downer and George Downer, a noted lawyer and businessman.
Henry Edward Downer was born in Portsmouth England and emigrated to Australia in 1838 with his parents, arriving in Adelaide in June 1838. He received an education at Francis Haire's academy and was articled to the legal firm of Wigley & Richman, working for a time as law clerk. He was called to the Bar in 1859.[1]
He was appointed Commissioner for Insolvency in 1865 and filled that position until 1881 when he resigned in order to contest the South Australian House of Assembly for the seat of Encounter Bay. He entered Parliament in 1881 and held the seat until 1896, for two of those terms in conjunction with Simpson Newland.
He was appointed Attorney General in May 1890 in the Cockburn ministry, succeeding F. F. Turner (solicitor to the Lands Titles Office; a temporary appointment of April that year following the defeat at the polls of B. A. Moulden),[2] and lost the post with the swearing-in of the Playford government the following year. His political achievments included:
- conversion of the Strathalbyn to Victor Harbor horse tramway to steam locomotive.
- amendments to Insolvency laws
- amendments to Rent laws in 1883 to protect tenants
He was an active Freemason and office-holder of the Anglican Church. He was a keen horseman and twice appointed master of the Adelaide Hunt Club.
Family
H E Downer married Maria Martin Haggar ( – 11 January 1912) on 13 August 1859. They had a home "Lyndhurst" on South Terrace, Adelaide. Their children included:
- Ada Louisa (23 November 1860 – 1941) married Otto Heinrich Schomburgk (1857 – 1938)[3] on 17 September 1892
- Alice Maria (12 June 1862 – ) married Charles Herbert Warren on 7 February 1891. Constance Jean Bonython (1891 – 1977) was a daughter.[4]
- Frank Hagger Downer (18 October 1863 – 19 March 1938) married Charlotte Mary Murray (died 15 September 1920), youngest daughter of A. B. Murray on 8 August 1900
- (Harold) Charles (24 August 1865 – 27 December 1921) married Bertha Law Smith ( – 11 July 1947) on 17 February 1909. He was manager of Melton station.
He died at the home of his son-in-law Otto Schomburgk.
Other Downers (delete later)
mother Jane downer (ca.1808 – 4 Jan 1861) father Henry died at St Bernards 25 September 1870 grandmother Mrs M.A. Downer (ca.1793 – 27 July 1868) their eldest son Charles (ca.1834 – 17 April 1903) married Marion Frame Hamilton
- George Henry (23 July 1862 – March 1933) Examiner of Titles in Victoria
- daughter 19 May 1865
- son 2 January 1867
- daughter 3 October 1869
- son 20 August 1871
- youngest son John Hamilton Downer died 2 July 1937 was WA manager SA Steamship married Mary
Harriet Downer (who?) married Joshua Wicker on 31 May 1864
5th daughter of Henry Edith Alice Downer married Sidney Phillips on 27 July 1901
James Frederick Downer married Florence Way Campbell on 3 September 1902
John William Downer married Eliza? Elizabeth? Henderson (ca.1853 died 3 May 1896) on 28 September 1871
- son John Henry (17 July 1872 – 29 June 1911)
- son 5 September 1874
- son 18 December 1875 died a year later
Harold Field Downer (who?) (ca.1848 – 23 May 1887)
C. J. Downer (who?) had prem. son 28 July 1892
References
- ^ "Death of Mr. H. E. Downer". The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931). Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 5 August 1905. p. 8. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ "A Political Retrospect". South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900). Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 28 April 1890. p. 4. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ^ No clear relationship to Moritz Richard Schomburgk
- ^ Joyce Gibberd, 'Bonython, Constance Jean (1891–1977)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bonython-constance-jean-9539/text16799, accessed 14 November 2012.