Doctor Charles Bryan (Charlie) Townsend (347)
| Date of Birth: | 1853 |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | 1939 |
| Generation: | 7th |
| Residence: | Unknown |
| Father: | Reverend Horatio Thomas Townsend [334] |
| Mother: | Somerville, Agnes |
| Spouse: |
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| Issue: | |
| See Also: | Table III ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for Doctor Charles Bryan Townsend (Charlie)
Charlie bought his medical practice from the estate of Dr William Beckwith Carr (1) who died in 1876 and who had practiced in Long Eaton, Derby (2). In doing so he met Mary Ann (Marian) (nee Goff Sweet) and fell in love with her. Marian (3) was initially reluctant to marry as she already had four children (4) by William. Charlie's mother Agnes wrote to Marian encouraging her to marry Charlie and this they finally did on 14 November 1878 (5).
Charlie practiced in London but his health broke down when he was quite young and he was paralysed from the waist down in February 1895 (6). An appeal was made on his behalf in The Lancet and British Medical Journal in March 1895. He partially recovered and 18 months later was practicing in Walthamstow (October 1896). (Thomas Henry Denny Townsend [5A10] recalled seeing a relative of his riding in a barrel strapped to a horse because he was paralysed; was this Charlie?)
Charlie died in Over Stowey, Somerset.
Much of the information in these notes came from Lesley Edgecombe (nee Townshend) [397] in Australia, great grand daughter of Charles.
(1) The Long Eaton and Sawley Archive records for 1875 "First meeting of the newly constituted Local Board in the National School on Friday April 16th. Chairman Mr. Samuel Claye. Members elected were: Robert Hill, Joseph Austin, Joseph Fletcher, Sam Smith, Evington Dalby, William Beckwith Carr, Thos. Fletcher, Thos. Maltby, Frederick Atkinson, Samuel Claye, John Shepherd and Thos. Smith. Collector Mr. Jas. Heaps. M.O.H. Mr. James Butler." The archive recorded the death of William the following year.
(2) Entry in the diary of Agnes Townsend [334] - 'Mar 8 1877 Cha went to Long Eaton'.
(3) Marian was born on 25 April 1841 and died on 7 Feb 1942 aged 101 in Hockpitt, Barton, Over Stowey, Somerset
(4) Marian's children Florence, Augusta, Laura and Reuben were adopted by Charlie and took the surname Townshend.
(5) Entry in the diary of Agnes Townsend [334] - 'Nov 14 1878 Charlie married'.
(6) There is a belief in the family that Colonel Bryan [200] was so grieved by the death of his son Bryan Townsend [203] that he set a curse on any of his descendants who used the name. Bryan Townsend [329] died in infancy and Bryan Townsend [323] died in poverty and obscurity.
'Pooles of Mayfield' p. 237 refers.