Thomas Townsend I

Citations

1. [S448] Martha J. Burke, Two John Townsends & the Mayflower Connection, page 1 - Children of Thomas Townsend: Sylvanus, Thomas Jr., Christopher, John, Sarah, Rebecca & Mary. "The Dutchess County deeds were read and a property map drawn by William Joiner and printed in the Spring 1986 issue of this Newsletter. Abbe & Nichols, 1909 printed the descendants of John Townsend and Jemima (Travis). They had some clue that the name Christopher was related, as appears in the preface to their book. However, they never got the name rightly placed probably because of an error made by Wm. Pelletreau in his History of Putnam County, New York."
2. [S453] Martha Burke, Solomon Townsend of Rhode Island, As young adults, Thomas and John Townsend returned to Oyster Bay, where John died unmarried. At the time of John's estate settlement, in 1760, his brother Thomas was still living in Dutchess, Co., NY, where he had already lived some 20 years. It was this Thomas who named a son Christopher in honor of of his grandfather Christopher Almy.
3. [S458] Martha J. Burke, Townsends: Dutchess County, New York [Part II], Thomas Townsend mentioned in his grandfather's estate settlement and writer of the above document), was born in Rhode Island, 16 October, 1693, (OBTR 2:616); the family returned to Oyster Bay, Long Island by 1696, but Thomas spent other parts of his life in Rhode Island as well. He was of age in 1714, but because there were other contemporary Thomas Townsends we cannot positively identify him in Oyster Bay Town Records before 3 November, 1720, when as Thomas Townsend of Oyster Bay he sold land to John Weeks (OBTR 4:11). On 29 April, 1725, with his wife Sarah, he sold to Robert White (OBTR 4:327). He cannot again be found on the record until 1742, when on 30 March through 1 April he and Sarah sold considerable property, at least one parcel being described as "derived from my father, John Townsend, deceased." Thomas and Sarah were still in Oyster Day, but apparently were selling their lands in preparation for their move to "the oblong." (OBTR 5:198. 271,428). On the 10th day of June, 1746, Thomas Townsend "late of Oyster Bay" sold his earmark, which was his father's, to Henry Durling (OBTR 5:685). The next year, 1747, his name appears among the inhabitants of the South Precinct, Dutchess County, N.Y. (Blake) see also the Winter 1979-80 issue. On the 16th of December, 1749, Thomas Townsend of "the oblong" sold land in Oyster Bay to Benjamin Smith (OBTR 6:600); and three days later "Thomas Townsend, son of John Townsend, deceased, called Road Island John, now of the Oblong but formerly of Oyster Bay" sold more Oyster Buy property to Daniel Underhill (OBTR 6:18). REF.: OBTR . . OYSTER BAY TOWN RECORDS and all supplied to us by member #78, Harry Macy, Jr. We would not have known that Thomas Townsend was still living in the Oblong in 1760 had not the will of his brother John, been found. Thomas Townsend was about 67 years of age in 1760 though he describes himself as "the only surviving legatee of his brother John's will, the sale executor being also dead and in view of age and infirmity renounce the right, of administration to my nephew, Townsend Dickenson." Thomas Townsend was of age in 1714, named in his grandfather's administration papers in 1715; could have married as early as 1715 but the OBTR records do not show him as married before 1725. He probably had a large family. Several years ago our member #T-5, C. Blake Townsend, sent us a letter written by the Reverend Thomas R Townsend, dated 3 August, 1860, Ira, Cayuga County, New York. This letter outlined the ancestry and descent of the Reverend Thomas R. Townsend. "In about the year 1740, Sylvanus Townsend, then about 16 years of age, emigrated probably from Long Island into the Town of North Salem, Westchester County, New York. Sylvanus had at least two brothers, possibly more, viz: Christopher and John and their father's Christian name was Thomas." (See Winter 1979-80 issue . . . some south lots in Dutchess County ran into or on the Westchester County line.) From this and other evidence we can now state the issue of Thomas and Sarah Townsend as Sylvanus, b. ca 1724; Thomas Jr., b. ca 1730, Christopher, b. ca 1739; and John b. ca 1743. There may have been others as well.
   IV. THOMAS TOWNSEND and his wife Sarah had the following children:
   1. Sylvanus, b. 1724, married Abigail Bugbee; 2. Thomas, b. 1730, married Rachel Sunderland; 3. Christopher, b. 1739, married Bethia Rider; 4. John, b. 1743, married Jemima Travis; 5. Sarah; 6. Rebecca; 7. William; 8. Mary.
4. [S459] William S. Pelletreau, History of Putnam County, New York, page - Thomas Townsend.