Grace Townsend (142)

Date of Birth: Unknown
Date of Death: dspm
Generation: 5th
Residence: Youghal, Co Cork
Father: Horatio Townsend [130]
Mother: Richards, Anne
Spouse:
  1. Meade, Samuel
Issue:
  1. Sarah Abigail
See Also: Table I ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree

Notes for Grace Townsend

Page 92 of Green's 'Index to the Marriage Licence Bonds of the Diocese of Cloyne' 1630-1800 records a Marriage Bond dated 1769. Grace was the second wife of the Venerable Samuel Meade (1 & 2) of Ballintober, Archdeacon of Kilmacdonough, Youghal, Co Cork. In the marriage bond Grace is shown as coming from Clondrohid. See page 305 of Brady's Parochial and Clerical Records Volume 1 for a summary of Samuel's ministry.

The daughter by Samuel's first marriage, Sarah Abigail Meade, married Nicholas Archdale of Castle Archdale, Co Fermanagh (who assumed the name Cope) in 1782 and had issue.

(1) There is no reference to Samuel in the 'Meade' entry in Burke's Irish Family Records but he is shown in both the 'Townsend' and the "Cope' entries. He is also shown in the book 'Pooles of Mayfield' on page 143 and in Brady's Clerical & Parochial Records, Cork, Cloyne and Ross. Born in Cork in 1711, Samuel entered Trinity College Dublin as a Pensioner on 7 December 1739. From 1761 to 1768 he was Curate of St. Peter's, Cork. In 1769 he became Rector St. Paul's, Cork; in 1777 Sacrist of Clonfert and Archdeacon of Kilmacduagh; and in 1784 Rector at Kilnemartery, Cloyne. He held all these livings until his death in 1788. He married first Abigail Cope, youngest daughter of William Cope of Drummilly, Co Armagh and sister of Walter Cope, Bishop of Ferns. In the marriage license, dated 29 April 1758, he is described as 'Rev. Samuel Meade, of Tuam.' In his will dated 1 October 1784 and proved at Cork in 1788, Samuel desired to be buried near his first wife in the family vault near the chancel of Christchurch, Cork. He bequeathed to the poor of St. Barry's, of Christchurch and of St. Paul's, £3 each. He was buried on 17 May 1788, at Christchurch, Cork.

(2) The entry for Meade in the University of Galway Landed Estates Database records "This family was related to the Meades, Earls of Clanwilliam. In 1787 the Reverend John Meade, Rector of Ballymartle, near Kinsale, county Cork, bought the estates of Ballymartle and Ballintober from his cousin John 1st Earl of Clanwilliam. His nephew the Reverend Richard Meade succeeded to the Ballymartle estate and another nephew John succeeded to the Ballintober estate. Rev. John Meade held townlands in the parish of Templemichael, barony of Kinalea at the time of Griffith's Valuation. William R. Meade was among the principal lessors in the parish of Ballymartle at the same time. He was the proprietor of over 1100 acres in the 1870s while John Meade of Ballintober owned 982 acres."

Judge John FitzHenry Townsend [250] shows Grace as dsp.

For other Meade connections see Helena Townsend [209], Reverend Henry Townsend [5A12], Rev Horatio Townsend [5D00] and Susannah Townsend [604].