John Townsend (300)
| Date of Birth: | 26 May 1691 |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | 17 Feb 1756 |
| Generation: | 3rd |
| Residence: | Skirtagh, Clonakilty, Co Cork |
| Father: | Colonel Bryan Townsend [200] |
| Mother: | Synge, Mary |
| Spouse: |
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| Issue: | |
| See Also: | Table III ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for John Townsend JP
John's date of birth is taken from an entry, in contemporary writing, on the fly leaf of a copy of 'The Christian Pattern or Imitation of Jesus Christ' - London 1707.
Katherine Barry (1) was the only daughter and eventual heiress of Colonel James Barry (the M'Adam Barry) of Lisnagar, (1a) Rathcormac by his first wife Susannah Townsend [114]. See ‘A Guide to Irish Houses’ by M. Bence-Jones, London, 1988 – “RATHCORMACK cor Lisnegar. Barry - Tonson 1720+. Enlarged ca. 1820 by William Tonson, Lord Riversdale.”
Compared with his four surviving brothers very little is known of John. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and the TCD Graduation List records that he qualified BA in Spring 1712 and MA in Summer 1715. It is known that he trained as a barrister though it would appear he did not practice for long (2). In his will John's eldest brother, Richard Townsend [201], laid down that if he died before his son Richard [213] had come of age, his wife Elizabeth was to be the sole legatee and guardian of the children. If she were to die before young Richard came of age then his brothers Samuel Townsend [400], Philip Townsend [500] and Horatio Townsend [600] were appointed guardians. We will never know why John was not included as a guardian, but it could indicate that there was some ill feeling between the two brothers.
John and his brother Richard were appointed Freemen of Clonakilty on 17 September 1715. The entry in the Council Book of the borough reads - "At a court held for said borrough on Monday, the 17th of October, 1715, Mr. Percy Freke, Mr William Snowe, John Young junr, John Townesend, Richard Townesend, Henry Rice, Robt Spiller, and Ralph Fuller, were sworne freemen of this corporation before Joseph Jervois, esqr Sovereign.
Signed by order, Saml Birde." (3)
John's kinsmen Cornelius Townsend [128], John Townsend [129], Francis Townsend [125], Butler Townsend [126] and brothers Samuel Townsend [400] and Philip Townsend [500] were also all elected Freemen to the Borough of Clonakilty. A year after he was appointed a Freeman John was appointed a Burgess to the Corporation and was appointed Sovereign of Clonakilty in 1719 and again in 1728, vice Sir Percy Freke who died in office. John's grandson, Commander John Townsend [316], was appointed Recorder of Clonakilty in about 1800 having been forced to retire from the Royal Navy on account of failing eyesight. Commander John's distant cousin , Rev Horatio Townsend [5D00], was Sovereign at the time.
John was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1721.
‘An Officer of the Long Parliament’ refers to John as being of ‘Skirtagh House’ (modern spelling is Scartagh or Scurtagh). No such place has ever been found and this most probably refers to ‘Scartagh Cottage’, (4) which was located just to the east of Clonakilty. It is not known how or when John bought Skirtagh, nor is it known which of his sons inherited the property. The eldest, Richard Townsend [301], was presumably resident in his various parishes thus leaving the property to either John Townsend [303] or Philip Townsend [304]. Either way, 'Scartagh Cottage' was leased in 1783 to Dr. William Callanan a well known doctor, prosperous merchant and noted United Irish leader of the time (see below). The Convent of Mercy was built on the site of the cottage in 1856.
Correspondence in the Derry Papers (5) between Chambre Corker Townsend [5D01], John Sealy Townsend [507] and Dr Callanan of Cork in 1823 about the recovery of debt is of interest; is this the same Dr Callanan who rented Skirtagh Cottage or a relative? Dr Callanan was arrested in 1803 for his association with the United Irishmen movement after Robert Emmet's ill-fated rising in Thomas Street, Dublin, on 23 July 1803.
'The Post Chaise Companion or Traveller's Directory through Ireland 3rd Edition 1804' page 332 records "Within half a mile of Clonakilty on the L. is Mount Shannon, the seat of Dr Calnan".
Judge John FitzHenry Townsend [250] shows John's death as ante February 1750.
(1) Katherine died on 20 December 1754.
(1a) The entry for Lisnagar in the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway Connacht and Munster Landed Estates Database records "Originally a home of the MacAdam branch of the Barry family, sold to the Lawless brothers in the 1770s and soon afterwards bought by William Tonson. The house was occupied by the Reverend John Bolster in the early 1850s and valued at £39.15 shillings. Inherited by the Stawell family in 1861 and sold by them in the early 20th century. This house is still a residence."
(2) In the author's copy of 'An Officer of the Long Parliament' (now owned by John Townsend [5A26]) there is a note written by the author that reads "JST (John Sealy Townsend [333]) saw a law book printed in London 1646 that had belonged to Councillor John Townsend, son of Brian Townsend."
(3) See page 80 of the Cork Historical and Archaeology Society Journal 1896.
(4) The entry for Scartagh Cottage in the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway Connacht and Munster Landed Estates Database records "Tradition locally suggests Scartagh Cottage was originally the property of the Townsend family. By the time of Griffith's Valuation, it was being leased by Henry Galway to Matthew O'Hea. Various members of the Galway family held small amounts of land in the area while Matthew O'Hea, of the War Office, London, is recorded as the owner of 70 acres in county Cork in the 1870s. Scartagh Cottage has been replaced by a convent on the 25-inch Ordnance Map towards the end of the nineteenth century and that building is still extant." There are connections with the Galwey family through Rev Philip Townsend [106] who married Helen Galwey in 1708 and Janet Mary Townshend [5B11] who married Charles Galwey in 1870.
(5) Derry Papers 5D01/1, 5D01/2 and 5D01/3.
'An Officer of the Long Parliament' Ch IX p. 216 and 'Pooles of Mayfield' p. 71 refer.