Horatio Townsend (130)
| Date of Birth: | 1699 |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | Feb 1764 |
| Generation: | 4th |
| Residence: | Bridgemount, Macroom |
| Father: | John FitzCornelius Townsend [122] |
| Mother: | Bowdler, Margaret |
| Spouse: |
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| Issue: | |
| See Also: | Table I ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for Horatio Townsend JP
Anne Richards was the daughter of John Richards of Cork.
Horatio inherited Bridgemount (Cahirkegan), Macroom from his father in 1736. When he died the estate passed to his only surviving son, Cornelius Townsend [139]. (1)
In 1896 Dorothea Townshend, the wife of Richard Baxter Townshend [5D15], wrote six articles entitled ‘Notes on the Council Book of Clonakilty’ for inclusion in the ‘Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society’ that year. (2) Thirteen members of the family were elected to serve on the council between 1686, when Colonel Richard Towensend [100] was elected Sovereign (Portreeve) and 1802 when the Rev Horatio Townsend [5D00] was the last Sovereign; of these, seven served as Sovereign. The Council met on average about four times each year with St James’ Day on 25 July and St Luke’s Day on 28 October as regular fixtures. There is a gap in the records between February 1730 and 1802 though it is recorded that Philip Townsend [500] was Sovereign in 1764 and 1765.
Horatio was elected a Freeman of the borough on 17 March 1725 and, as there is no further reference to him in the Council Book, he presumably took no part in the business of the Borough. His father John FitzCornelius Townsend [122], his brother Cornelius Townsend [128], his cousins Francis Townsend [125] & the Rev Butler Townsend [126] and uncles Richard Townsend [201], John Townsend [300], Samuel Townsend [400] & Philip Townsend [500] were all freemen of the Borough.
Appointed JP 1732. Page 310 of Francis G Tuckey's "Tuckey's Cork Remembrancer" records that 'Hor Townsend' was a Sheriff of the City of Cork in 1737, there is a reference to this on page 212 of 'An Officer of the Long Parliament'.
There are several references to Horatio in The Council Book of the Corporation of the City of Cork 1690-1800 by Richard Caulfield - Edited from the Original with Annals and Appendices compiled form Public and Private Records in 1876.
Page 491. 13 May 1730. "That Mr. James Atkins, Ebenezer Pike, and Horatio Townsend be admitted free (freemen), paying £5 each." See also "Freeman of the City of Cork". 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.
Pages 569 to 572 record that Horatio attended six Council meetings between 2 January and 22 November 1737.
Page 597. During a meeting on 6 March 1739 it was resolved “Whereas Christopher Carleton and Horatio Townsend, Esq., late Sheriffs of this City, complained to us that their accounts are stopped in some of the offices of the Exchequer in Dublin, on pretence that the City is not entitled to the fines estreated in the Tholsel Court, which we apprehend are by Charter granted to this City, and have been always allowed, ordered, that Mr. John Croker, the City Agent, do complain to the Court of Exchequer and take care of this affair, and that he have the Charter of this City, on his receipt to return same, to show the Citie's (sic) right to said fines."
Page 674. At a meeting on 17 Sep 1753. "Ordered, that Mr. Horatio Townsend and Mr. John Hughes have liberty, at their own expense, to add to the Coal quay near their houses, from the dock, for the benefit of carriages, to wit, any number of feet not exceeding ten at the North West end of said Townsend's holdings, and to end in a point at the front of the slip at the South West side of said Hughes' house.” This is also shown on page 39 of the McDonnell’s Cork City Directory (3).
The book “The Ancient and Present State of the County and City of Cork” was published in 1749 in Dublin and was dedicated to John, Earl of Orrery. The list of subscriber’s names on page xii includes ‘Horatio Townsend Esq’, ‘Samuel Townsend Esq’ and ‘Cornelius Townsend Esq’. These refer to Cornelius Townsend [128], Horatio Townsend [130] and Samuel Townsend [400]. The list of "Gentlemen now in the Commission of the Peace in this County" on page 69 includes 'Townshend Corn Esq', 'Townshend Horatio Esq' and 'Townshend Revd. Horatio' (Horatio Townsend [600]). The spelling of 'Townsend' varies even in the same book!
Horatio's niece Catherine, daughter of Anne Townsend [135] who married Thomas Murphy (4), eloped with his butler, Thomas Bennet of Bridgetown, in 1737.
The death of Horatio was reported in Freeman’s Journal, Dublin, on Tuesday 28 February 1764. "At his Seat at Bridgemount, near Macroom, Horatio Townshend, Esq; one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace; a Gentleman Loss."
‘Gleanings from Old Cork Newspapers’ in the Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society (5) contains the following item from ‘The Corke Journal’ of 18 October 1756 - - “ To let for two lives or 21 years, lands within a mile of Bantry, Keelnaskarty, Caherogillane, Direen, Guenarigh, all part of lands of Skart. Also lands near Macroom called Glaunanarig, part of Gortnalicky, part of Kilgobinet, part of Bawnatanacknock, part of Bridgemount and Cahircagin, all part of estate of Horatio Townsend, Esq. Proposals to said Townsend at his house at Bridgemount (Clondrohid) or at Clogheen near Clonakilty. Will give good encouragement to improving tenants and particularly Protestants, to whom he will grant long leases or make them freeholders.” (6)
Just 17 months later, an advertisement in 'The Corke Journal' (7) of 6 February 1758 reads "To let demesne of Clogheen, near Clonakilty. Mansion house, Brew house, Malt house, kiln and pigeon house. All beautifully situated overlooking an arm of Clonakilty Bay. Apply Horatio Townsend, Bridgemount, Clondrohid, Francis Price or Edward Howell, Clogheen."
Baptisms in the Parish of Macroom, Co Cork, [Vol 8, page 1067-8 of the Casey Index] shows: Francis, son of Horatio & Ann TOWNSEND baptised 15 Nov 1746. Richard, son of Horatio & Ann TOWNSEND baptised 24 June 1749. They most probably died young and were never included in the first pedigree drawn up in 1880 by John FitzHenry Townshend [250].
An entry in the Church of Ireland Parish Records Ross Cathedral 1690–1823 records on page 29 under the heading 'Christenings' - "1751 June 17th Mary and Jane daughters of Mr Jonas Morris (husband of Mary Townsend [308]). Mr Thomas Hungerford and Reverend Mr John Beamish, Mrs Sarah Morris, Jane Jones, Mrs Butler Townsend ([126]), Mrs Horatio Townsend ([130]) and Richard Townsend ([131]) minor sponsors."
'An Officer of the Long Parliament' Ch VIII p. 210-11 refers.
(1) Bridgemount (Cahirkegan) is situated some 7km north-west of Macroom, Co Cork. Irish Ordnance Survey 'Discovery Series' Sheet 79 grid reference W293762. 'Townsend's Cross Roads' is situated close by and to the east the properties of Mullenroe, Ballymacorcoran and Mount Cross form part of the Bridgemount estate. The estate later passed into the Donoughmore branch of the family and last features in family correspondence in 1884. (See the entry for John Townsend [622])
(2) They can be read in the Journal at pages 79-84, 129-135, 172-177, 22-224, 270-273 and 320-322. Dorothea’s interpretation of the election of individuals differs from that in these records, particularly in references to “John Townsend”. Since 1896 evidence has come to light that makes identification of him more plausible and this is explained in the records for John FitzCornelius Townsend [122] and John Townsend [300].
(3) Re-published 2013 By Paschal McDonnell. Copyright © 2013 Cork City Libraries.
(4) Anne was abducted by Thomas Murphy and kept hidden in a lonely cave until she consented to marry him. Her brother, Philip Townsend [133] searched for her and during the course of this he came upon some of the Murphy kinsmen. Philip drew his pistol and threatened to shoot if they did not disclose where Anne was hidden. One of the women present seized Philip's arm, the pistol went off and one of the Murphy brothers fell to the ground. Fearing he was a murderer Philip fled to Barbados to join his uncle Kingston Townsend [123] and the wounded kinsman recovered.
(5) Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, 1964, Vol. 69, No. 210, page 133.
(6) The Clogheen estate originally belonged to Cornelius Townsend [128] who left it, when he died in 1756, to his nephew, Horatio’s son Cornelius Townsend [139]. As the young Cornelius was only about ten years, old running the estate was left to his father.
(7) Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, 1965, Vol. 70, No. 211 page 66.