John Downes may refer to: John Downes (regicide) (1609–c. 1666), English commissioner convicted of regicide of Charles I of England at the restoration of Charles II John Downes (prompter) (died c. 1712), English theatre prompter for most of the Restoration period, 1660–1700 John Downes (naval officer) (1786–1854), American commodore and ship captain in the United States Navy John Downes (admiral), rear admiral in the United States Navy during World War II John Downes (sailor) (1870–1943), British Olympic sailing gold medalist in 1908 John Downes (runner), Irish athlete at the 1996 IAAF World Cross Country Championships – Senior men's race John K. Downes (1879–1944), Canadian politician, member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, 1922–1927 John P. Downes, member of the Illinois House of Representatives Sean Downes (1962–1984), known as John, ex-PIRA member who died when he was shot in the chest with a plastic bullet during the Troubles