Henry Townsend III

Citations

1. [S30] New York Historical Society, Collections of the New York Historical Society Abstract of Wills, Volume 26: page 43.
2. [S124] A Memorial of John, Henry, and Richard Townsend & their descendants., page 185 - HENRY 3d married Eliphal, daughter of his aunt, Mary Townsend, and John Wright. At the death of his uncle, Mill John, he was elected Surveyor. He appears to have been a young man of promise, prominent for his years, judicious and prudent in the management of his own affairs. He bought again several pieces of valuable property sold by his father. Had his life been prolonged, he would probably- have been among the most prosperous and influential of his family. Thompson says, he died in 1709.-Issue, Henry and Absalom.
3. [S410] Will: Another Transcription: In the name of God, Amen, the 30th of March, 1709. I, Henry Townsend, Jr., of Oyster Bay, in Queens County, being very sick. I leave to my eldest son, Henry Townsend, all my dwelling house and home lot lying and joining between Joseph Dickinson's land and the land of John Townsend, deceased. I leave to my son, Absalom Townsend all that lot of land which I bought of Anthony Wright, lying on the east side of Joseph Dickinson's lot; Also that share of salt meadow land joining to the bottom and rear of my home lot. I leave to my two sons, Henry and Absalom all my land lying and joining to the mill river swamp, And all my land at the Little Plain, which lyeth on the south side of the cartway that leads from town to Cedar swamp, And all my rights in the undivided lands, both in the Old and New Purchases of Oyster Bay. I also give to each of them a feather bed and a cow. My father is to have the right to take 100 bushels of good sound apples out of my orchard yearly during his life, provided my orchard will afford it; Also a load of hay yearly during his life. I leave to my wife Eliphal the rest of my movable estate, and the use of houses and lands, so long as she remains my widow. If she marry again the houses and lands are to be let out to the best advantage for the benefit of my sons, and to bring them up to such education as it will afford, I appoint my wife Eliphal sole executor, and my trusty and well-beloved friends, Samuel Underhill and George Townsend, overseers. Witnesses: Samuel Macom, John Townsend, Henry Townsend. [New York Wills: Liber 7, page 584]
4. [S450] Four Wills, Will of Henry Townsend, 1709. The third Townsend will in Queens County Liber A (page 176) is that of Henry3 Townsend (Henry2, Henry1), abstracted as follows:
   
   In the name of God Amen, the thirtieth day of March in the year of our Lord God one thousand seven hundred & nine. I Henry Townsend Junr of Oyster bay . . . being very sick & weak in body . . . first of all I give & recommend my soul unto the hands of Go d that gave it & for my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in a christian like & decent maner. . . .
   I give & bequeath unto my eldest son Henry Townsend my dwelling holuse & home lott of land lying and joining between Joseph Dicksons land & the land of John Townsend deceased. . . .
   . . . unto my son Absolom* Townsend all that lott of land which I bought of Anthony Wright lying on the east side of Joseph Dicksons lott together with the share of salt meadow ground lying joining to the bottom or rear of my home lott. . . .
   . . . unto my two sons Henry and Absolm all my land lying & joining to the Mill river swamp & all my land at the little plains which lyeth on the south side of the cart way that leads from Town to Cedar Swamp together with all my right in the undivided land both in the old & new purchase of Oyster bay equally to be divided. . . .
   . . . unto my two aforsaid sons a feather bed & a cow apiece.
   I do give unto my father the liberty to take one hundred bushels of good sound apples out of my orchard yearly & every year during his naturall life at the season of the year provided my orchard will afford it & also I do give him a load of hay yearly during his naturall life one half of the said hay out of my son Henrys part & the other half out of Absolms part.
   I do give & bequeath unto my well beloved wife Eliphal all the rest & remaining part of my movable estate both within doors & without together [with] all my land lying on the north side the highway that leads from town by the little plains joining to Joseph Dicksons land to sell & dispose of as she shall see cause for the paying of my debts & bringing up of my children. . . .
   . . . unto my well beloved wife the whole use benefitt & command of all my housin[g] lands & meadow ground which I have above given to my sons so long as she shall remain my widow but if she should happen to marry again at the day of marriage all the abovesaid houses lands & meadows to be lett out to the best advantage for the use & benefitt of my said sons to bring them up to such education as it will afford but my wife to have the use of it she paying or giving security to pay as much for it as another would do . . . until my children come of age . . . but if either of my two sons should happen to die before they come of age or after without lawful issue that then my sd wife shall have the whole use benefitt & command of his part or port ion during her naturall life.
   Lastly I do nominate constitute & appoint my well beloved wife Eliphal to be the sole executrix of this my will to receive all my debts & to pay all my debts and I do also nominate & appoint my trusty & well beloved friend Samuell Underhill & George Townsend to be my overseers of this my will to see it truly performed according to the contents thereof.
   [Signed] Henry Townsend
   [Witnessed by] Samuel Macoun, Morris Shadboldt, John Townsend
   
   Proved at the County Court of Common Pleas in Jamaica 22nd September 1709. Henry's family is described in the Townsend Memorial, page 185. His widow Eliphal (Wright) Townsend remarried; she was Henry's first cousin, the daughter of Mary2 Townsend (Henry1) (ibid., pages 206-7).
   
   The 19th century transcriber of Liber A read this name as Abraham, thus inadvertently giving this Henry a third son whose name has crept into various accounts of the family. In the original book the name is clearly Absolom.