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The Townsend surname: This interesting surname of English origin is a topographical name for
someone who lived at the extremity of a village, deriving from the
Middle English "tone", "tune" meaning a "village" or "settlement" plus
the Middle English "end" (Old English "ende"). The surname dates back to
the late 13th Century, (see below). Further recordings include one
Richard atte Tounende (1297), "Ministers' Accounts of the Earldom of
Cornwall", and William atte Townesend (1327), "The subsidy Rolls of
Worcestershire". Variations in the idiom of the spelling Townend,
Townen, Townsend, etc.. One, Jone Townsend married Edmond Bradley on
June 20th 1540, at St. Martin Orgae and St. Clement Eastcheap, London.
Henry Townshend married Margaret Bedlow on October 22nd 1542, at St.
Stephen, Coleman Street, London. Sir Roger Townshend (died 1413) was a
judge and also founder of the Townshend family. The first recorded
spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Geoffrey de le
Tuneshende, which was dated 1273, "The Subsidy Rolls of Norfolk". during
the reign of King Edward 1, "The Hammer of the Scots", 1273 - 1307
The
Townsend Family in Early America
by Martha Burke, Townsend Society of America : Three brothers, John,
Henry, and Richard Townsend came to New Amsterdam circa 1640. John
already had married Elizabeth Montgomery who had been born in Ireland
prior to emigrating.
The
brothers resided in New Amsterdam until the Indian War of 1643--there
were friendly Indians living among the settlers who, when threatened
by a hostile tribe, fled to the fort at New Amsterdam; however,
Willem Kieft, then governor of New Amsterdam, did not let the
friendly Indians into the fort, but instead had them fired upon.
This led to a senseless war that left little of the fledgling colony
standing. The survivors were forced to live within the confines of
the fort for safety. After they had lived in an overcrowded fort for
two years, Willem Kieft granted the English settlers a tract of land
to settle which we now know as Flushing.
Forever
at odds with the Dutch over many things such as not having English
officials--their own sheriff, magistrates, etc., and having to pay a
tithe to the Dutch Church, most of the English colonists left and
moved to Providence Plantation, Warwick, Rhode Island. One prickly
issue there, however, was the treatment of Quakers. Massachusetts
expelled them and so they moved to the Dutch Colony to be with other
English speaking peoples. The Dutch, at least in the person of their
governor, Pieter Stuyvesant, was vehemently anti-Quaker. The Townsend
brothers who were not then Quaker (some became Quaker later),
objected to the terrible treatment meted out to their countrymen.
Henry Townsend was jailed no fewer than three times and paid hefty
fines. The Townsends settled first in what we now know as Jamaica in Queens County.
Again, they were soon at odds with the Dutch. In 1661 they moved to
Oyster Bay on Long Island which was beyond Dutch administration. At that time,
Oyster Bay was in the territory under the jurisdiction of the
Connecticut Colony. The land that the brothers owned in Jamaica was
later sold by their children. What happened to their land in Flushing
is unknown since all the records were burned. The main body of the
New York Townsends belonged to the Anglican faith. Most of the
marriage records of the early Townsends come from St. George's Anglican Church in Hempstead, NY [NB: Two of the charter members of this church were Joseph and William Langdon].
The
following is taken from a Memorial
of the Townsend Brothers: [Chapter
1;
John, Henry, and Richard Townsend]: The Townsend brothers came form
Norwich, County of Norfolk, England. The time of their emigration
cannot be precisely fixed. It was, however, several years before
1645, as in that year Governor Kieft gave a patent for the Town of
Flushing to John Townsend and others; and from a petition by John
Townsend's widow to Governor Andros, we learn that he had previously
taken up land near New York, and "peaceably enjoyed the same
divers years," but that alarms from the Indians, and other
difficulties which she did not specify, induced him to leave his
improvements , and commence the settlement of Flushing, where he was
joined by Henry. These Townsends became Friends (Quakers) and were
soon at variance with the Dutch authorities: the differences between
them, however, seems to have had their origin quite as much in
politics as religion: John Townsend was named by Governor Stuyvesant
as among the principal persons of Flushing "who resist the Dutch
mode of choosing Sheriff, pretending against the adopted course in
the Fatherland, and who refuse to contribute their share to the
maintenance of Christian, pious, reformed ministers." John
Townsend, with the others named, was summoned to appear, 23 Jan 1648,
before the Director-General, Governor, and council, at Fort
Amsterdam. If they declined, they were to be apprehended and
prosecuted by the Attorney-General. Thompson, in his History
of Long Island,
says that on account of these difficulties, with the Government, the
Townsends left Flushing and moved to Warwick, R. I., where they were,
all three, members of the Provincial Assembly and all held various
municipal offices.
In
1658, they determined once more to attempt a settlement on Long
Island, and in that year obtained, with others, the patent of
Jamaica, then called Rusdorp.
Very
soon, however, the old religious difficulties beset them. Henry seems
to have made himself particularly obnoxious, although, as already
shown, John neither concealed nor compromised his opinions. In 1657,
Henry was sentenced to pay Ð8 Flanders, or to leave the Province in
six weeks, for having "called together coventicles." The
people of Flushing held a meeting and addressed a remonstrance [known
as the “Flushing Remonstrance”] to the Governor, written by the
Town-Clerk, and signed by, among others, Tobias Feake, Sheriff, and
Messrs. Noble and Farrington, two of the magistrates, and presented
by the Sheriff. The clerk, and magistrates were arrested, and John
Townsend also, upon a charge of having induced the magistrates to
sign, and Townsend was ordered to pay bail of Ð12 pounds and to
appear when summoned. Henry was brought before the Council, January
15, 1658, and condemned to pay Ð100 Flanders, and ordered to remain
arrested until it be paid. We are not told how this was settled, but
he was in Oyster Bay during this year, as his signature as witness to
an Indian deed proves.
In
January, 1681, two of the magistrates furnished the names of twelve
persons, including John and Henry Townsend and their wives, "who
countenanced the Quakers." Henry was again imprisoned, but there
is no indication that John was molested. This account of the
Townsends, before they came to Oyster Bay, is taken entirely from
Thompson's History
of Long Island.
He probably received it from Dr. Peter Townsend, whose Note-Book
shows conclusively the reason why Henry was so much more involved in
these difficulties than John, who was also a Friend, who attended
"conventicles," and "countenanced Quakers," but
Henry went from door to door, urging people to attend their meetings,
which gave great umbrage, especially as regarded young people and
children.
From
the date of the Mill Grant, September 16, 1681, the history of the
brothers and their descendants has been taken from the Town Records,
and from family papers. [Chapter 2] John Townsend settled in Oyster
Bay between the middle of January and the16 September 1661. As he was
living in Jamaica at the first date, and his name being upon the Mill
Grant, he must have been admitted as a Townsman in Oyster Bay before
the latter. There is an entry in the Records that he bought his house
in South Street in February, 1661, but the deed, in the possession of
J. C. Townsend, is dated October. It reads as follows: "Oyster
Bay, this 5th day of the 10th month, 1661. Be it known unto all by
these presents, that I, Jonas Halstead, of Oyster Bay, on Long
Island, in America, do hereby acknowledge that I have sold and
delivered all my right, title, and interest of all the housing and
land that is here named, as follows: Richard Holbrook's house or
houses, built by him or me, and house, lot, and the shares of meadow
on the north side of the Town, and a share of meadow at Matinecock,
and one right of meadow at the south, and twenty shares of the Great
Plains, that is on the east side of the footpath, near the wood edge,
and also all the rights, appurtenances, and privileges that do fall
to, or anyway belong to the aforesaid house lot, within the Town
bounds. I say, I have sold and delivered it all in quiet possession,
for full satisfaction already received, unto John Townsend, of the
said Town and place, and do also hereby engage to make good the sale
of the aforesaid house and lands, against any person or persons that
may any wise lay claim thereto, and I do hereby further acknowledge
that I have fully sold all the said houses and lands from me, my
heirs and assigns, unto him, his heirs and assigns forever, to enjoy
without molestation by me, or any from me, as witness my hand, this
day and year first above written. Jonas Halstead."
Sir Edmund Andros
John
Townsend must have been fairly advanced in years when he settled in
Oyster Bay. Since his emigration, he had made three different homes
in the wilderness, if not four, before he found a permanent abode.
His widow in the petition to Governor Andros mentioned above
declared: "Your Honor's petitioner's husband, many years last
past, was seized of a certain parcel of land, containing eight acres
by estimation, lying and being at the Fresh Water (Collect), New
York, then called New Amsterdam, where your Honor's petitioner's
husband did build, and make large improvements, and peaceable enjoyed
the same divers years in the time of great calamity, being daily
alerted by the Indians, and other difficulties attending upon your
Honor's petitioner's husband, and afterwards got no better reward
than such discouragement's as caused your Honor's petitioner's
husband to leave his good improvements. However, your Honor's
petitioner is well contented at present, hoping her husband and
others, by their adventures, and running through many fiery trials of
affliction, has been in some measure instrumental to bring a chaos
into goodly fields, buildings, and gardens, and instead of your
Honor's petitioner's husband reaping the fruits of their labors, but
on the contrary, was forced to hew a small fortune out of the thick
wood, with his own hands, for himself, wife and children." Her
object in this petition was to reclaim the eight acres taken up by
her husband, but as it had been thirty years since he left it, never
having had any title but only possession, it is not surprising that
her petition was not granted. Perhaps she might have fared better if
it had been written in the clear, condensed style of her son Thomas,
instead of the clumsy, involved, tedious, and inelegant document
elaborated by George Cooke. As we have seen, after leaving this home,
he, with others, settled Flushing in 1645, and Jamaica in 1656. At
his age, and after such toils and privations as he had undergone, it
is not surprising that he should have retired from all public
concerns, and left the burden of organizing and managing the new
settlement to younger men, especially as he had two sons of an age to
take his place. The office of Overseer is the only one he is known to
have held here.
In
1663, John Towsned bought from Thomas Armitage the homestead next
south of his own and his name frequently appears on the Records as a
purchaser of property. His wife was the former Elizabeth Montgomery.
He died in 1668, and was buried on his own property, probably thefirst person laid in the graveyard on Fort Hill. As he died
intestate, his widow, according to a custom prevailing there, divided
his estate, with the advice and consent of her older sons, and her
husband's brothers.
The
solicitude which she shows for the comfort and welfare of "the
lads,” as she called her two younger sons, is very touching.
"These presents declare unto whom it may any wise concern, that
I, Elizabeth Townsend, widow of the late deceased John Townsend, in
Oyster Bay, in the north riding, on Long Island, because my said
husband deceased without any will, I herein, with the advice of my
husband's two brothers, Henry and Richard Townsend, and with the
advice and consent of my two oldest sons, John and Thomas Townsend,
all of Oyster Bay, above said, have together parted my said husband's
estate amongst his six younger children, for their portions, instead
of a will, by which will, each of the children, namely, James, Rose,
Anne, Sarah, George, and Daniel may know what shall be, and what to
claim for their portion of their father's estate, and this to stand
firm and unalterable by me, or any through, or by me, but to remain
for a settlement of peace between me and my Children, which is as
followeth . . . 1st. Unto my son James, I give for his portion out of
the estate, in present possession, in lands, beside cattle and horses
he have in hand already, first three acres of land and
three-quarters, lying on the south side of that was old Armitage's
lot, in Oyster Bay, lying or adjoining to the highway on the eastward
and western sides, with commoning and common privileges to it, of
wood, land, timber, as other such lots have; and he is to have the
land upon part of his common right, that his father did improve, on
the east side of Matinecock Creek, joining on the south of his uncle
Henry's land, and two shares of meadow lying on the westside of the
Creek, or Beaver Swamp, and one share of meadow on the east of the
said Creek; and he is to have six acres of Plains, and a quarter of a
share of meadow at the south, and so much of the south side of the
swamp at the rear of my house as proves to be mine, of which swamp
Josias Latting hath a part. To my daughters I do engage to give to
each of them thirty pounds apiece, for their portion, and to my
eldest daughter Elizabeth, although not above mentioned, yet she is
to have, with what she hath already received, thirty pounds, all at
such pay as passes between man and man, after the rate of Indian corn
at three shillings a bushel, and wheat at five. 2d.To the said
Elizabeth, or her husband, Gideon Wright, towards her portion, I give
with what her father had before given her already, first two cows,
ten pounds; a young horse, five pounds; a bed and furniture, ten
pounds; two sheep, one pound; one kettle, one pound; in all
twenty-seven pounds; and Gideon, her husband, is to have three pounds
more; and that will be thirty pounds in all. 3d. To my daughter Rose
I give half a share of meadow at the south, with two cows and two
calves she hath already received, and commoning in Oyster Bay, with
twenty-six acres of land, and three pounds in Richard Townsend's
hands, and a yearling mare colt, it all being called by us at thirty
pounds. 4th. To my two youngest daughters, Anne and Sarah, their
portions are to be thirty pounds apiece, out of the stock or in
lands, as they may desire, if their mother decease before their
portions are paid; but if they be disposed of in marriage while I
remain a widow; I have liberty to pay to each of them their portion
in cattle or land, as I see they have most need and I able to do it,
or part one, part of the other. 5th. It is my will, and I do fully
agree that my two youngest sons, George and Daniel, shall have these
two homesteads I now possess, privileges belonging to them, after my
decease, but they are to be mine and for my use, to possess and enjoy
for my use and comfort, during my life, and at my decease to be
theirs as above said, with privileges as follows: to each part is
nominated his particular interest. 6thly. To my son George I give for
his portion as above said, being the eldest, the house and house lot
that I now possess, and orchard which then shall be on it, and two
shares of meadow that lie in the Town of Oyster Bay, which was bought
with the lot, and six acres of Plains, with commoning and common
privileges, in the First Purchase of the Town. 7th. To my youngest
son, Daniel, above mentioned, after my decease above said, is to have
the other lot, or that part of land lying between his brother James's
lot and his brother George's lot. It was bought of old Armitage. I
say, he is to have it, with the privileges belonging to it; namely,
two shares of meadow lying on the north side of the town, which was
bought with the lot of the said Thomas Armitage, and six acres of
Plains, and twelve acres of land, and common privileges. And I do by
this will and appoint, that if I decease before these my two youngest
sons be of age, that two of their eldest brothers take them and bring
them up, and to have the use of the boys' land and what other goods
and chattels fall to them. The goods and chattels are to priced when
they receive it, and delivered back to the said boys the same price
or value again, when they go from their brothers, whether they be of
age or not; for I do appoint my brother, Henry Townsend, their uncle,
to have the oversight of them if he outlive me, and to remove one or
both to the rest of their brothers or sisters, with the lands and
estates to make use of toward the bringing up of the said lads; but
when they go away to have their whole principal returned to or with
them, but not to remove them without their complaint to him on good
grounds, for the said removal, of hard usage. And I do by this will
and appoint that, at my decease, unalterable by me, or any through or
by me, all my estate undisposed of, as goods, household stuff, and
cattle, are all to be equally divided amongst all my living children;
and I further order and appoint that, if any one or more of my said
sons or daughters die under age, undisposed of in marriage, the
deceased's lands and estates are all to be divided equally amongst
all my living sons and daughters, but it is still to be understood
that whoever have the bringing up of the two young lads, and the use
of their estate towards their maintenance, their lands and houses is
with fences to be delivered up in good repair as when they received
it, and the property of lands and houses, and orchard, is not to be
altered to or from either of the said lads, although the property of
other goods or chattels may be altered upon just and honest terms.
But a lot on Hog Island, of the third division, number ten, my
husband gave my son Thomas. Unto all the promises and engagements
above mentioned, I do hereby engage to perform, under my hand and
seal, the twenty-third year of the reign of Charles the Second, King
of England, and the tenth day of the fifth month, 1671. Before
signing was entered in the fifth and eighth lines, that I now as
witness my hand and seal,"Elizabeth Townsend." In the
presence of us," Moses Furman,"Benjamin Hubbard." I do
own my brother Richard did consent to the substance of which is above
mentioned, and with my advice also, as witness my hand."Henry
Townsend." And we consent to the above said."John Townsend,
James Townsend" Thomas Townsend Gideon Wright." Richard
Townsend must have died after this settlement was agreed upon, but
before its execution. The thirty pounds allotted to each of the
daughters seems to our ideas, a very small fortune, while the Fort
Neck estate, given by Thomas Townsend to his daughter Freelove, we
regard as a munificent portion; but we must remember that thirty
pounds would have bought two such estates. John's daughters, however,
received nearer one hundred pounds than thirty, for Rose sold her
land for thirty pounds, the cattle and money allotted to her were
worth at least twenty, and her dividend, at her mother's death, must
have been very considerable; for the widow Townsend appears very
often on the Records, buying land and receiving allotments, and was
evidently a woman of great energy and ability. So that, no doubt, her
daughters' were among the greatest fortunes of their day, as it was
not expected that any girls should share equally with their brothers.
Relationship:
Edward David ROCKSTEIN to John TOWNSEND
John
TOWNSEND is the 9th great grandfather of Edward David ROCKSTEIN
9th
great grandfather
John
TOWNSEND
|
E
MONTGOMERY
(MONTGOMERIE
|
b:
|
1620
|
b:
|
1621
|
||||
Raynham
Hall, Norwick, Norfolk,
|
Ballyleck,
Monaghan, Ireland
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||||||
d:
|
05
Oct 1688
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d:
|
1684
|
||||
Oyster
Bay, LI, Queens, NY
|
Oyster
Bay, LI, Queens, NY
|
||||||
8th
great grandfather
|
|||||||
Thomas
TOWNSEND
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|||||||
b:
|
14
Dec 1642
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||||||
Livingston,
NY
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|||||||
d:
|
1715
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||||||
Portsmouth,
Rhode Island
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|||||||
7th
great grandmother
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|||||||
Freelove
TOWNSEND
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|||||||
b:
|
29
Dec 1674
|
||||||
Long
Island, Nassau, New York,
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|||||||
d:
|
Jul
1726
|
||||||
Fort
Neck, New York, United Stat
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|||||||
6th
great grandmother
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|||||||
Sarah
JONES
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|||||||
b:
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11
May 1703
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||||||
Hempstead,
Nassau, New York,
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|||||||
d:
|
Aft.
1727
|
||||||
Newport,
Newport, Rhode Island,
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|||||||
5th
great grandmother
|
|||||||
Catherine
(Katherine) CLOWES
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|||||||
b:
|
1720
|
||||||
Hempstead,
Nassau, NY
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|||||||
d:
|
13
Aug 1779
|
||||||
Jamaica,
Queens, New York, US
|
|||||||
4th
great grandfather
|
|||||||
John
Langdon
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|||||||
b:
|
30
Sep 1754
|
||||||
Hempstead,
Nassau, New York,
|
|||||||
d:
|
26
Nov 1848
|
||||||
Boston,
Suffolk, MA
|
|||||||
3rd
great grandfather
Benjamin
Seaman LANGDON
- 15 Apr 1784
Long
Island City, Queens, New Y
- 18 Sep 1862 NY
2nd
great grandfather
John
Abyathis LANGDON
- 23 Mar 1828 New York, NY
- 12 Mar 1896
Stony
Point, Rockland, New York
Great
grandfather
Charles
David LANGDON
- 09 Nov 1848
Brooklyn,
Kings, New York
- 10 Jul 1908
Brooklyn,
Kings, New York
Maternal
grandfather
Edward
Joseph P LANGDON
- 19 Aug 1877
Brooklyn,
Kings, New York
- 07 Jun 1961 New York
Mother
Teresa
Margaret Langdon
- 20 Aug 1910
Brooklyn,
Kings, New York
- 25 Jul 1988 Columbia, Howard, MD
Self
Edward
David ROCKSTEIN
b:
14 Oct 1941
Riverside,
Burlington, New Jersey
d:
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