The family of David Downing and Dorothy Bourot settled on L'lle St. Jean, known today as Prince Edward Island. It is believed that David Downing was a Valet for Doctor George Berduleau at Port LaJoie ( Now Charlottetown). Doctor Berduleau was marr

ied to Francoise Vigneau. Accompanied by a few hundred Acadians, The Downing Family eluded the ‘Expulsion of the Acadians' by leaving Prince Edward Island for Miramichi. In 1760, the Downing Family ended in Restigouche. They formed the “1500 perso

ns living in 200 houses, lacking necessities and dying from hunger.” The were subsisting from wild cows, old skeletal horses, and Oxen skins. They were refuged under the protection of Lieutenant Boise-Hebert a French Commander in Miramichi. Genera

l Montcalm accused The Lieutenent of hoarding supplies and disgracefully exploiting the Acadians. From 1756 to 1761, hundreds of Acadians died from hunger while the Commanders wealth was accumilating.In Oct 1761, Captain Roderick MacKenzie of For

t Cumberland proceeded to Miramichi where 787 Acadians were raided of which 335 were brought as prisoners at the Fort Beausejour, the others followed in the Spring of 1762. From these, David Downing and family were captured and em-prisoned at th

e fort. After the war,the family re-united in Nappan, N.S. In 1764, the Family worked at Franklin Manor for very little money, until David died at the age of 73, In 1803. His son Thomas Downing,was the only survivor of a ship-wreck near Caissie Ca

pe in 1840. He was 64 years old.