George Wellington Townsend (3B11)
| Date of Birth: | 19 June 1879 |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | 17 April 1960 |
| Generation: | 9th |
| Residence: | Gorrie, Ontario, Canada |
| Father: | Henry Edward Townsend [3B05] |
| Mother: | Cook, Elizabeth |
| Spouse: |
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| Issue: | |
| See Also: | Table IIIB ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for George Wellington Townsend
George was born in Howick Township. (Huron County) Gorrie, Ontario
Married 1st Alice Thornton (1) on 1 November 1911 in Blueville, Ontario. Married 2nd Minetta Anna Beirnes (2) on 25 September 1922 in Fordwich, Ontario, (Huron County), daughter of Francis Beirnes and Margaret Wolfe.
George lived in Listowel (Perth County), Ontario. He suffered a long illness with pneumonia during the winter of 1944 and finally died of atherosclerosis in Hamilton, Ontario. He is buried in Gorrie Public Cemetery.
(1) Alice Thornton died of eclampsia on 5 Jan 1917 and is buried at Gorrie, Ontario.
(2) Minetta Anna Beirnes was born in 1895, the fourth of seven children. She grew up mostly on rental farms in the Ethel area, near the town of Brussels, in south-western Ontario and was withdrawn from school early so that she could work as a domestic to help support the family. After the birth of her illegitimate son (Norman) in 1915 Minetta went to work as a live-in housekeeper for various families. Earning only $10 to $12 a month, plus room & board for herself and Norman, her life was difficult. Later she found employment as a housekeeper for an old gentleman who was a friend of Henry Townsend [3B05] and through this she met George - at that time a widower with two small sons. Minetta died of cancer on 21 July 1957 after long months of suffering.
(3) Between 1992 and 1997, Gracie Townsend [3B27] extensively researched members of the family descended from Richard Townsend [335]. This work has been invaluable in compiling the records of those concerned.