Editing Downing College, Cambridge (section)

== History ==

Upon the death of [[Sir George Downing, 3rd Baronet]] in 1749, the wealth left by his grandfather, [[Sir George Downing, 1st Baronet]], who served both [[Oliver Cromwell|Cromwell]] and [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] and built [[10 Downing Street]] (a door formerly from Number 10 is in use in the college), was applied by his will. Under this will, as he had no direct issue (he was legally separated from his wife), the family fortune was left to his cousin, [[Sir Jacob Downing, 4th Baronet]], and if he died without heir, to three cousins in succession. If they all died without issue, the estates were to be used to found a college at Cambridge called Downing.

Sir Jacob died in 1764, and as the other named heirs had also died, the college should have come into existence then, but [[Sir Jacob Downing, 4th Baronet|Sir Jacob's]] widow, Margaret, refused to give up the estates and the various relatives who were Sir George's legal heirs had to take costly and prolonged action in the [[Court of Chancery]] to compel her to do so. She died in 1778 but her second husband and the son of her sister continued to resist the heirs-at-law's action until 1800 when the court decided in favour of Sir George's will and [[George III]] granted Downing a royal charter, marking the official foundation of the college.