Henry Townsend I

     Henry was born circa 1620 probably at England.
Henry married Anne Coles, daughter of Robert Coles and Mary (?), in 1648 in Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island.
Henry immigrated to America and was definitely in Flushing but not listed on the patent but on other public records in the 1640's. Sometime around 1647-48 Henry removed from Flushing and took up residence in Rhode Island. He was the first of the brothers to appear on a document confirming his residency, but there is no date on the document. His brother Richard however appears on a document 23 January 1648 which confirms him as the second of the brothers to be residing in Rhode Island. Sometime in the mid 1650's, Henry, as well as his brothers, decide to move back to Long Island. On deeds dated the 2nd February 1655, the 19th of April 1656 & the 3rd of May 1657, Henry had sold much of his holding in Warwick, Rhode Island. The last deed indicates Henry is an inhabitant of "Geomeca" [Jamaica] in the New Netherlands. On the 10th of 6th month 1663, Henry & his brother John, sign over their remaining holding in Warwick to their brother Richard & his two daughters Dinah & Leah. On the 18th of February 1656, Henry & his brothers each received a home lot containing six acres in Jamaica and are definitely inhabitants there on 26th of November as they signed a public record of the town stating they and the other inhabitents were true owners of the land known as Jamaica. At the same time, the inhabitants each reserved ten acres of planting land & twenty acres of meadow. Trouble soon arose as on 15th September 1657 & 8th January 1658, Henry was arrested for housing the Englishmen who had been banded from the Puritan communities. Henry was publicly persecuted for aiding the Quakers and he spent time in prison because of his aid to them. He gained his release, as on the 27th of February 1658, Henry & his brothers were among those laying out more land in Jamaica. The brothers however apparently tired of dealing with the Dutch rule & began associating with the original settlers of Oyster Bay. Henry & his brother, John already had their names affixed to deeds in the early part of 1658. In November 1658, John and Henry were still involved with farming at Jamaica. Henry though, was already a freeholder & clerk at Oyster Bay. On the 23rd of December 1660, Henry was still residing in Jamaica as he hosted a meeting of the Quakers in his home amongst those gathered were his brother John & his wife. As a result, Henry was again imprisoned there in 1661. During that time, his daughter Rose, who was eight or nine years of age, went to the prison, with her mother, to feed her father through the bars. On the 1st of March 1661, he escaped from the prison & moved himself & family from the Dutch authority to Oyster Bay. There, he with his brother John, obtained a Mill Grant on the 16th of September 1661. He last appears on the Oyster Bay Town Records on the 25th of July 1694. Henry departed this life on Friday, 9 March 1695/96 in the Town of Oyster Bay, Queens County, Long Island, New York. On the 18th of March, he was noted as deceased in the town records. On after 9 March 1696, Henry was buried at Jericho in the Town of Oyster Bay, Queens County, Long Island, New York, on Mill Hill, where a rough stone marked "H.T" marks his grave.