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Note: From Rootsweb forum: On Dec 8, 2005, at 6:39 PM, L Fenimore wrote:
> If Kim's lineage is from Joseph Townsend, d. 1772, of Bucks co., PA
> and his wife Ruth Parsons, then she can't be descended from John
> Townsend b 1665 Kent county, DE.
>
> Per the research of David Greene, co-editor of The American
> Genealogist, which was published in the PA Genealogical Magazine, and
> who is a descendant of Joseph Townsend:
>
> Joseph Townsend, above, was b. 1 Dec 1698 to John and Elizabeth
> (Pococke) Townsend in Bucklebury, Berkshire, England. This is a BIRTH
> entry in the parish register not a christening (John was a Quaker).
> Joseph's wife was the d/o Robert Parsons of Northampton in Bucks
> county and she is mentioned in his will as Ruth Townsend. Joseph also
> owned land adjacent to his brother-in-law John Kennard, married to
> sister Mary Townsend. All of John and Elizabeth (Pococke) Townsend's
> children are identified in a 1743 deed, the sons-in-law are also
> named. These families lived in either Bucks county, PA or in the
> vicinity.
>
> Joseph's son John Townsend declared his intentions (a 2nd time) on 3
> Oct 1749 at the Buckingham MM to marry Elizabeth Pearson. By 1 Dec
> 1766 Elizabeth Townsend of Plumstead and her children James,
> Elizabeth, William, Ruth, John and Sarah receive a certificate to the
> Bush River MM in Carolina. This implies that John had died. (He does
> not appear in any further records)
>
> Birth records have not been found for any of Joseph's 4 sons but three
> are known to be his sons (from a deed) and John, Robert and William
> appear on Bethlehem township, Bucks county tax lists with their
> father. All appear in the Buckingham Monthly Meeting records.
>
> It seems fairly clear that this descent is correct but the interesting
> question is why did the widow of John Townsend take her children and
> go to the Bush River area of Carolina? Why not stay in PA? Who went
> with her and who was already living there?
>
> Many families followed that PA to the Carolinas route (including
> Andrew Jackson's mother's family).
>
> Is the John Townsend supposedly bca 1665 in Kent county somehow
> connected to these PA families who originated in Bucklebury, England?
> Does anyone have both a paper descent and a DNA group going on this
> fellow?
>
> The PA family is descended through a series of Richards. One Richard
> had a brother John Townsend bp 1617/8, bd 1662 who md twice. David
> Greene's article does not give any children. This Richard also had a
> younger brother Thomas for whom Greene has no information beyond a
> baptismal date. Possibilities there.
>
***************
From: "Fenimore"
There is a family tree on the internet that takes some of the dates
associated with the Phila area family and attributes them to a John Townsend
b 1665 in Kent, DE.
It includes Joseph Townsend who was born to John Townsend and Elizabeth
Pococke in England not DE, who md Ruth Parsons, lived in Bucks county just
north of Phila where they are recorded in the Buckingham MM and later in
Northampton county which is adjacent. He is buried in Bucks county. There
is a fairly constant listing of land he bought and sold until his death in
1772. This Joseph lived near his sons, sisters, father-in-law and various
other family members. Their rest of their cousins, the Welcome Townsends,
were not far away and attended the Abington MM.
So, a defined family group living just north of Philadelphia.
Also on the internet family tree are Joseph's parents John Townsend and
Elizabeth Pococke. Again, a fairly steady listing of property purchases and
other transactions places them in Phila from 1715 until John's death. He
died 17 Jun 1727. This death date has been ascribed (it says 1728) to the
John Townsend of Kent, DE found on the internet.
The PA John Townsend was described as a carpenter in the Bucklebury, Eng parish registers when he md Elizabeth Pococke and then again as a carpenter in the 1727 inventory of his estate in Phila. Only the first two of his children were baptized, the third had her birth recorded in English Quaker records and son Joseph had his birth recorded in 1698 in the parish
register, the rest are not in the parish register but may have been in a MM record that has been lost or not yet searched.
Whoever linked this John Townsend, his wife Elizabeth Pococke and their son
Joseph to a John Townsend b 1665 in DE was simply unaware of the research
and records in England pertaining to the PA family. It looks like a 'best
guess'.
This is not to say there wasn't a John Townsend in DE.
And perhaps he was somehow connected to the PA family.
Certainly there must be a reason why Elizabeth (Pearson) Townsend took her
children to the Carolinas in 1766 after her husband has seemingly died.
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