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Doctor Richard Uniacke Townsend (517)

Notes for Doctor Richard Uniacke Townsend MD

Married 1st, 4 July 1826. Katherine Mackiness (1) was the daughter of J Mackiness of London. Married 2nd, 22 September 1829. Mary Newman (2) was the second daughter of Adam Newman (3) of Dromore House (4), Mallow, Co Cork, whose mother was Mary Townsend [605] and whose sister, Frances Newman, married Samuel Philip Townsend [6A03]. See Burke's Irish Landed Gentry 1912 - Bramston-Newman of Castlefield.

Richard studied at Trinity College, Dublin, and the TCD Graduation List records that he qualified BA in Spring 1822 and MA in Winter 1832. Richard Townsend [236], Chambre Corker Townsend [5D01], Richard Townsend [513], Horatio Townsend [5D02] and Horatio Townsend [623] were undergraduates at Trinity at the same time. Chambre Corker Townsend [5D01], Horatio Townsend [5D02] and Thomas Townsend [6B03] read for their MA in the same year as Richard.

In his family pedigree John FitzHenry Townshend [250] shows Richard as a doctor who practiced in Cobh (Queenstown) and died there of a fever. Richard's inclusion in the list of subscribers to 'Lewis' Topographical Dictionary 1837' - "Townsend, Richard, Esq., M.D., Merville, Cove, co. Cork" – reflects this. However, other sources contradict this as described below.

In his book 'A Scottish Whig in Ireland 1835-1838' Robert Graham of Redgorton describes his visit to Cobh where he stayed for a week in July 1835 with Horatio Townsend [6B01], who was then living at Belgrove on the north east corner of the Island. Whilst there he called on Richard on 19 July and wrote "Mr Townsend and I went to church.....and on our return paid a visit to Dr Townsend, who is a very clever and scientific man and in great practice at Cove.....Dr Townsend is very keenly engaged in preparations for the scientific meeting in Dublin, being one of the committee. He was in Scotland and Edinburgh several years ago and assisted Hooker (5) in discovering a new moss somewhere in the highlands."

In an undated letter to Dorothea, wife of Richard Baxter Townsend [5D15], the Reverend HJ Fleming, Dean of Cloyne, describes Richard as "a very famous man.....in his day one of the best authorities on diseases of the chest."(5a)

The entry on page 290 of ‘Historical and Topographical Notes, etc. on Buttevant, Castletownroche, Doneraile, Mallow, and places in their vicinity’ records that Richard moved to Betsborough, in the Parish of Kilshannig near Mallow, in 1839 and died there in 1843 – "Betsborough, now called Fern Hill by the present occupier, is a good dwelling-house, the residence of Dr. Townsend. There is some ornamental ground surrounding the house. Dr. Richard Townsend, eldest son of Thomas Townsend, of The Retreat, Mallow, lived here from 1839 to 1843, when he died.” The Directory for Mallow on page 300 of Aldwell's General Directory 1844-45 records "Townsend, Dr. Richard, Fern Hill".(6)

The Historical and Topographical Notes also show that Cornelius Townsend [128] lived at Betsborough House from 1733 to 1750 and that the Rev Philip Townsend [613], vicar of Kilcorney, lived here after he left Gurtmore Cottage and after Richard's death. Philip was well known in the neighbourhood of Mallow and was a first cousin of Dr Edward Richard Townsend [6C00]; he died in 1853 and was buried at Castlemagner.

Rather contrarily, the inscription on Richard’ headstone (7) in Killeens Cemetery, Mallow (8) reads – “Richard Townsend of the City of Dublin Esq M.D.”

Mary married 2nd, 26 April 1848, her cousin Rev Adam Newman Beamish.(9) He was born at Bandon in 1815 and was educated in Cork by Hamblin and Porter. Adam entered Trinity College, Dublin, on 22 October 1832 and graduated BA 1837. He was appointed Deacon in 1839 at Cork and Priest at Killaloe in 1840. His clerical appointments were, 1848, Curate of Odcombe, Somerset; 1856, Curate of Romsey, Hants; 1858, Incumbent of Studley, Wells; 1859, Rector of Kimble, Bucks. On 23 September, 1863, Adam was admitted to Templenecarrigy (Treasurership of Cloyne). Mary and Adam had a son, William Henry Beamish of Brooklodge House, Glanmire, Co Cork. Adam wrote The Christian Visitor’s Companion, Wertheim, 1858, London.

Seven members of the family practiced medicine in Cork and Queenstown during the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries. Richard Townsend [517] 1800-1843; Edward Richard Townsend [6C00] 1800-1878; Richard Newman Townsend [530] 1835-1877; Edward Richard Townsend [6C04] 1838-1897; Richard Hungerford Townsend [5A02] 1845-1922; Normnan Ian Townsend [6C18] 1869-1921 and Thomas Henry Denny Townsend [5A10] 1876-1952. In addition 'Townsends' from another family practiced at roughly the same time; notably Dr William C Townsend and Dr Horace R Townsend.

(1) Katherine was born in 1796 and died without issue on 9 August 1828.

(2) Mary was born in 1808. See BMD records in Mallow Heritage Centre.

(3) The entry for Newman (Dromore) in the National University of Ireland (NUI) Connacht and Munster Landed Estates Database records "This family came from Wincanton, Somerset to county Cork in the mid 17th century and Richard Newman was granted the castle and lands of Drumneen and other lands in the locality, as the manor of Newbury/Newberry, by patent of James II. These lands were formerly in the possession of Sir Richard Kyrle. Richard's grandson Adam Newman purchased the nearby Dromore estate and left this estate to his nephew also named Adam. This second Adam eventually succeeded to both estates. Brady writes that the Dromore estate was purchased by Mr Newman of Newbury from his brother in law Peter Graham. At the time of Griffith's Valuation a descendant, another Adam Newman, held at least 16 townlands in the parish of Kilshannig, barony of Duhallow. John A. R. Newman of Dromore owned 6,146 acres in the 1870s while his cousins Adam Newman of Monkstown Castle owned 3,527 acres and Henry Newman of Betsborough owned 877 acres, all in county Cork."

(4) 'Landowners of Ireland, Co Cork 1876' shows John Newman owning 6146 acres at Dromore valued at £3,375. The ‘1834 Tithe Applotment' for the Parish of Kilshannig, Co. Cork’ shows “Dromore House, Adam Newman Esq. 277 acres”.

(5) Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865) Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow and later Director at Kew Gardens.

(5a) RBT Papers 509/1

(6) The entry for Fern Hill (Betsborough) in the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway Connacht and Munster Landed Estates Database records "Smith records Cornelius Townshend as resident at Betsborough circa 1750. Hajba writes that it was a Townsend property from the early 18th century and birthplace of the United Irishman, Thomas Russell, executed in 1803. The house, on the outskirts of the village of Drommahane, was originally known as Bettesborough (or Besborough) and a Magner occupied a house of this name in 1837. The Reverend Philip Townsend held the house valued at £21+ from William Magner in the early 1850s. In June 1881 the house and demesne of Fernhill were advertised for sale. Barclay Corrie was the owner, holding on a lease dated 1863 from Richard John Perry to Michael Joseph Magnier. The house was demolished in the early 20th century and a new house built on the site." The link between Betsborough/Fernhill, Cornelius Townsend [128], Dr Richard Townsend [517] and Rev Philip Townsend [613] can be explained as follows. Cornelius died without issue in about 1750 and he could have left Betsborough/Fernhill to one of his two nieces who married into the family. Margaret Townsend [141] married Dr Richard Townsend [501] grandfather of Dr Richard Townsend [517] and Elizabeth Townsend [144] married Rev Edward Synge Townsend [601] father of Rev Philip Townsend [613].

(7) The full inscription on his headstone reads - "Underneath are deposited the remains of Catherine Townsend, Beloved wife of Richard Townsend of the City of Dublin Esq MD. She departed this life Aug 9th 1828 aged 32 years. Also the remains of the said Richard Townsend Esq MD who entered into the rest that remaineth for the people of God Decr 6th 1843 aged 43 years." 'Behold I will allure thee & bring thee into the wilderness, speak comfortably unto thee'. Hosea 2.14. 'I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me though he were dead shall he live.' John 11.25.

(8) There is a strong 'Mallow' connection here. Richard's father lived in Mallow until he moved to Dublin as Examiner to his brother, John Sealy Townsend [507]. Richard's brother Thomas Uniacke Townsend [5A00] was ordained Deacon at Dromore, Mallow, in 1837. Richard's son, Dr Richard Newman Townsend [530] was living at Glountane Cottage, near Mallow in 1863 and appears to have practiced there before he moved to Cobh.

(9) Adam’s biographical details can be seen in Reverend John Harding Cole's Church and Parish Records of the United Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross 1863-1903 on page 251.