Richard Townsend (6A00)
| Date of Birth: | ca 1750 |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | 8 Apr 1805? |
| Generation: | 4th |
| Residence: | Pallastown, Kinsale, Co Cork |
| Father: | Reverend Horatio Townsend [600] |
| Mother: | Hungerford, Mary |
| Spouse: |
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| Issue: | |
| See Also: | Table VIA ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for Richard Townsend
Married 29 September 1772. Mildred Daunt (1) was the daughter and co-heiress of Achilles Daunt (2) of Gortigrenane House] (3), Co Cork and Owlpen Manor, Gloucs (4). See Burke's Irish Landed Gentry 1912 - Daunt and 'Pooles of Mayfield' p.156. See also ‘A Guide to Irish Houses’ by M. Bence-Jones, London, 1988 - “MINANE BRIDGE cor Gortigrenane. Daunt - Stoughton 1780+. Passed by marriage to the Stoughton’s early 19 cent. Derelict.”
Richard studied at Trinity College, Dublin, and the TCD Graduation List records that he qualified BA in Spring 1778. This reference to Richard Townsend in the graduation lists could also apply to Richard Townsend [310] or Richard Townsend [315].
In her autobiography, 'Anything Once' Richard’s great granddaughter, Dorothy Petrie Townsend (Carew) [6A29] recalls her father telling her of his many happy childhood days playing at Pallastown. “My father remembered his childhood as a very happy time and one of great freedom. Summer holidays were spent at Pallastown, a property belonging to my great grandfather Richard Townsend, where my grandfather lived before he bought Garrycloyne as well. It is near Kinsale, a rocky coast with steep cliffs, and my father remembered the pack of children dashing about these cliffs, falling into the sea, boating in makeshift craft and often wondered why they were not all killed.”
In his book the ‘Statistical Survey of the County of Cork’, Horatio Townsend [5D00] notes that Richard was a fine agriculturalist.
In Protestant Militia and Volunteers 1778 there is an entry "KINNELEA AND KIRRECH UNION. Enrolled 1779. Force: 3 companies.Uniform: blue, edged white, white buttons. Officers in 1 782 - Colonel, Thomas Roberts; Lieut.-Col., Thomas Herrick; Major, John Roberts; Captains, Richard Townsend, Thomas Daunt and Michael B. Westrop; Lieutenants, George Daunt William Daunt and - Carey; Ensign, - Peed." This most probably refers to Richard; the three named Daunt officers are probably cousins of Richard's wife.
Richard was admitted a Freeman of the City of Cork on 16 September 1794. Between 1710 and 1841, when the power of admitting Freemen only by birth or right ceased, a total of thirty three members of the Townsend family were admitted as Freemen. Page 318 of Francis G Tuckey's "Tuckey's Cork Remembrancer" records that 'Richard Townsend' was High Sheriff of County Cork in 1807; there is no supporting evidence to show that this refers to Richard - it could equally apply to four others named Richard [221], [315], [501] and [508] or to someone from another family. On balance of probability it is most likely Richard Townsend [221].
In 1772 Mildred sold to John Townsend [?] and John Hungerford the townland of Ballinahullah (1772 Deed Glanminane).
(1) Mildred was born in 1747 and died in 1805.
(2) The entry for Daunt (Kinsale) in the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway Connacht and Munster Landed Estates Database records "Originally a Gloucestershire family, the Daunt family appear in county Cork in the early seventeenth century, notably Thomas of Owlpen Manor in Gloucestershire and Tracton Abbey, county Cork. Several members of the family owned property in the Kinsale area in the 1870s. These included the representatives of Achilles, who owned over 2000 acres and George A. who owned over 1000 acres. George A. Achilles and Arthur Daunt were among the principal lessors in the parishes of Ballyfeard, Ringcurran and Tracton, barony of Kinalea, at the time of Griffith's Valuation. Thomas and George held townlands in the parish of Cullen at the same time while Thomas was also a lessor in the parish of Carrigaline, barony of Kerrycurrihy. William Henry Daunt of Fahalin, Carrigaline owned 1,372 acres in county Cork in the 1870s."
(3) The entry for Gortigrenane House in the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway Connacht and Munster Landed Estates Database records "At the time of Griffith's Valuation, this house was being leased by Anthony Savage from the Staughton estate, when it was valued at £40. Lewis refers to it as the seat of Luke Shea in 1837. Thomas A. Staughton owned a second property in this townland [W777575], valued at £10 and leased to David Drinan. Gortigrenane had originally been a Daunt property, which came to Staughton through marriage with Mary Daunt, of Owlpen, Gloucestershire. It is believed to have been remodeled in 1817. See www.owlpen.com. The house was destroyed during the War of Independence and is now a ruin."
(4) The de Olepenne family settled at Owlpen (pronounced locally "Ole-pen") around 1174. In1464 the male line failed after twelve generations and the manor and lands passed to the Daunt family on the marriage of Margery de Olepenne to John Daunt of Wotton-under-Edge. The Daunts were clothiers who settled in Wotton in the 14th century. They later acquired land in Munster, Ireland, where by 1595 they had their principal estate at Gortigrenane Castle*, near Carrigaline in County Cork. The Daunt family in the male line died out in 1803 on the death of Thomas Daunt VI.
'An Officer of the Long Parliament' Ch XII p. 268.
For other Daunt Connections see Penelope Townsend [119], Maria Margaretta Townsend [212], Helena Townsend [218], John Sealy Townsend [333], Helena Herbert Townsend [619].