Our Townsend line

The Townsend Society of America has lost track of this line after Johanna Hawxhurst Birdsall (see Hawxhurst page).


I'd like to make sure that our line is both recognized and preserved.  Preserved?? not the quite the word I'm looking for ... known for future generations:

Henry Townsend (1619 - 1695) is my 11th great grandfather.  From all accounts a truly wonderful, kind, gentle and fair man.  Henry will have his own page at some point, but for now, this is to prove our line.

John Townsend (1653 - 1705), the son of Henry Townsend and Ann Cole, was born in 1653 in Warwick, Rhode Island.  A kind, gentle Friend (Quaker), John married Johanna Forman.  They had, amongst others, a daughter:

Hannah Townsend (1680 - 1757) daughter of John Townsend and Johanna Forman.  Hannah was born February 11, 1680 in Oyster Bay, Long Island.  Hannah married Samson Hawxhurst in January of 1698.  Hannah and Samson had a child:

Johanna Hawxhurst (1702 - 1758). Johanna married Daniel Birdsall on March 29, 1727

HAWXHURST, SAMSON. On page 253 the date of marriage of Johannah Hawxhurst and Daniel Birdsall is given as January 23, 1726/7. That is the date their intention to marry was published. They were married March 29, 1727. (Friends' Records, Westbury, Long Island.)" source: The Macdonough-Hackstaff ancestry,By Rodney Macdonough,1901,pg.470

from "Genealogies of Long Island Families", Vol I, Chapter: Hawxhurst Family, page 481.

 

This is where we pick up the trail for Townsend Society of America:

 Amy Birdsall (1732 - 1812), daughter of Johanna Hawxhurst and Daniel Birdsall. Amy did in fact marry, she married Richard Washburn in 1748. 

SOURCE: Excerpt from Ada C Haight, The Richard Washburn Family Genealogy, Ossing, NY, 1937 p. 9-12

"The son of Sarah Cornell and John Washburn, named John also, married October 14, 1704, Hannah Hallett. This couple crossed Long Island South and took up their residence in what was known in those days as Norht Castle, Westchester County. It is their son, Richard, born June 27, 1730; died ____ who married Amy Birdsell, born March 4, 1723; died October 16, 1812, and is buried at Chappaqua in the old Burying Ground, that this book has stressed the genealogy of.

"John, son of Sarah Cornell and John Washburn, born in ___, 1683; married October 14, 1704, Hannah Hallett, the daughter of Samuel Hallett who died in 1724 at 73 years of age. He was the son of William Hallett who was born in Dorsetshire, England, 1616. He came from England to Greenwich, Connecticut, then to Long Island, in 1652. Here he purchased land at Hallett's Grove (Astoria). In the fall of 1655, Indians destroyed his house and plantation at the Grove. He was fined and imprisoned by Governor Stuyvesant for entertaining Quakers and a Church of England minister. He died at the advanced age of 90 years. Samuel Hallett made is will in 1716 and it was proved in 1727. In it he mentions his granddaughters, Mary Cornell, Hannah Washburn, and Sarah Hazard and his son, Samuel. It is this John Washburn who came to Westchester County and settled in North Castle, NY"\

Note that many genealogies have Amy Birdsall’s birth date transposed as 1723 when it is actually 1732. As you see in the paragraph above, our ancestors "crossed Long Island South" - which I believe should have been "crossed Long Island Sound" - on the map below, directly north of Oyster Bay is Westchester County:

panned out a bit:



In 1752 Amy Birdsall and Richard Washburn had Joseph Washburn b. May 29, 1752 in New Castle, Westchester County. 

On February 1, 1775 Joseph married Freelove Matthews.  From her first name you can probably guess that she is Quaker.   

 Joseph served in the Revolutionary War.

The Washburn family in America,, Volume 2

Brenton Pomeroy Washburne, Robin P. Washburne

On June 22, 1788 Freelove and Joseph had Stephen Washburn (1788 - 1860)

Stephen married Phebe Whitson in August of 1808 and together they had Whitson Washburn (1809 - 1868) on November 1, 1809.

 

Poor Stephen (and some other Washburns) had to confirm his father's service in the Revolution by serving in our "second war of Independence" - the War of 1812. He stood at nearly 5'11" with a sallow complexion, dark hair and grey eyes.  He reported under Lt. Gerow at Sandy Hook, was accused of desertion at the rendezvous - later acquitted of the charge. 

Whitson Washburn was born November 1, 1809 and lived in Ossining with his parents. 

In 1834 Whitson and Stephen (brother? father?) leased the "State Farm" from Mt. Pleasant State Prison (now known as Sing-Sing). In 1837 they assigned the lease to James W. Robinson.

Whitson married Rachel Curtis

Here in 1850 are the Washburns in  Ossining, Westchester, New York. Note that Whitson and Rachel have a daughter Emma, age 5.  Next door is Whitson's parents: Stephen & Phebe

By 1860 Whitson and Rachel have "jumped the river" and are farming in Ramapo, Rockland County, New York.  Emma is now 15 years old.

 In 1865, Whitson and family are found in  Monsey, New York and taxed on a "carriage" and "PianoForte"

In 1880 Whitson has a 66 acre farm in Ramapo - worth $6,000.00 - along with livestock and crops:

Emma is mentioned in Rachel's Will as the wife of  Edward Crum

 By 1870 Emma Washburn and Edward Crum have married and have a farm of their own in Monsey, Town of Ramapo, with a daughter, Mary Evelyn Crum - referred to here as Eva:

 
In 1880 Emma is nowhere to be found!  Edward is in Ramapo with his children: Mary Evelyn, now married  Ida (married to Charles Haring), Annie and Harry.  Also residing with the them is Edwards brother, John Crum:

In 1881 Mary Evelyn married William N. Secor.  By 1900 they had relocated to Fishkill Landing, Dutchess County.  Fishkill Landing is now known as the City of Beacon.  Mary Evelyn is referred to as "Evvie"  William and Evvie have three children: Sarah ( my great grandmother), Ethel and William:

 Sarah Elizabeth Secor, known as Sadie, married Charles Younger Gifford.  One of the children was Charlotte Gifford (1921 - 1996).   

Charlotte maried Francis James Pavlovic, my grandfather.
Charlotte and Frank had a daughter,Charlene Pavlovic (1942 - )

Charlene Pavlovic married Robert A. Tully; they are my parents.