Cornelius Townsend (108)
| Date of Birth: | 1650? |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | 1696 |
| Generation: | 2nd |
| Residence: | Kilcrohane, Co Cork |
| Father: | Colonel Richard Townsend [100] |
| Mother: | Hyde, Hildegardis |
| Spouse: |
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| Issue: | |
| See Also: | Table I ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for Cornelius Townsend
Jane Swete was the daughter of Captain John Swete of Cork (d. 1676) (1).
According to John Sealy Townsend [507], Cornelius was born in the house of an Irish chieftain called Cornelius O'Driscol who had sheltered Cornelius' mother during the disturbances of 1666 - hence the name. John FitzHenry Townsend [250] also heard this account of the origin of Cornelius' name from his aunt, Katherine Helena Townsend [226], in 1828.
Table VIII on page 208 of 'An Officer of the Long Parliament' also shows the birth of Cornelius as 'about 1666'. This is clearly wrong as a 'Cornelius Townsend' is entered in the council book of Clonakilty as attending a meeting in 1675 when he would have been nine! His grandson John Townsend [130] was born in 1698 and this would put Cornelius' date of birth as about 1650.
When Cornelius married, his father settled on him the lands of Kilcrane (Kilcrohane?), mortgaged to him by the Earl of Barrymore. After his death, during the minority of his son, there was a lawsuit instituted concerning this land against the O'Sheas and Daniel McCarthie Reagh.(2) There might be a connection here with the Matthew O'Shea shown in Memorial Number 64377 dated 17 July 1738 in the Registry of Deeds Index Project Ireland - a complicated lease of forfeited land to the Earl of Barrymore by 'Samuel Townsend of Kincoolisky,Cork'. (3)
John Sealy Townsend claimed that Cornelius died 40 years before the birth of John Sealy's father, Richard Townsend [501], who was born 12 January 1736. This would put Cornelius' death as 1696.
(1) The Swete family probably came from Devonshire, but several members of it were settled in the County of Cork before the Commonwealth. According to the Timoleague Historical Society Timoleague Castle was captured in 1642 and granted to Capt. Swete who was in charge of a garrison of foot there until 1658. During the early part of the 18th century, the Swete family used the Castle as a linen mill as tenants of Lord Barrymore.
(2) 'An Officer of the Long Parliament' Ch VIII p. 207-209 and ''Pooles of Mayfield'' p. 237 refer.
(3) Abstract of the deed - In 1717 Francis Bernard and his son leased land to James O'Shea (died 16 May 1717) of Kilkerane (Kilcrohane? Kilcrane?) who willed the land to his son, Matthew O'Shea of Kilkerane. John English of Castletownshend presented a bill in the court complaining that the Bernards had leased these lands to "a papist" contrary to the statute to prevent the growth of popery. John English claimed the lands leased to Matthew O'Shea for Samuel Townsend of Kincoolisky (Rincolisky) who leased them to James, 4th Earl of Barrymore and his son, David. See the entry for Samuel Townsend [400] of Whitehall.