Charlotte Frances Townsend (422)

Date of Birth: 1831
Date of Death: 22 Feb 1907
Generation: 7th
Residence: Whitehall, Aughadown & Abbeystrewry
Father: Edward Henry Townsend [411]
Mother: Warren, Mary Cordelia
Spouse:
  1. Proctor, Henry Paine
  2. Hughes, George William
Issue:
    • Piers
See Also: Table IV ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree

Note for Charlotte Frances Townsend

Married 1st in August 1859. Rev Henry Paine Proctor (1), Curate of Aughadown and son of Nathaniel Proctor of Carlow. Married 2nd, 23 November 1866. George William Hughes (2) of Abbeystrewry, Co Cork and afterwards of Whitehall (3). See Burke's Irish Landed Gentry 1912 - Hughes.

Talking of his visit to Anna Townsend [423] at Whitehall in 1882 Edward Mansel Townshend [630] wrote in his autobiography (4) that Anna "had a married Sister, a Mrs. Hughes, whose son, Piers Townshend Hughes, seemed likely to inherit the property, and came on a visit there, shortly after my arrival. I was very fond of bathing, and used to go out for a swim, off the big Boat in the Harbour, every day, before Breakfast, and while there, Piers accompanied me, though I think he bathed off the shore."

It would appear that when Charlotte's brother, Samuel Townsend [421], died in 1879 Whitehall passed to Charlotte's sister, Anna, who remained there until she died in 1891 when it then passed to Charlotte's son, Piers.

At the time of George Hughes' death in 1884 Charlotte was living in London.

The son Piers Townsend Hughes was born in 1868 and educated at St. Bees and University College, Durham. He was a Justice of the Peace for Co Cork and assumed the name and arms of Townsend in 1879. He is shown on Table X of 'An Officer of the Long Parliament' as "Piers Townsend Hughes Townsend". He married Caroline Shore, only daughter of Major Noel Shore, Connaught Rangers, on 19 September 1901 (5). They had a son, George, born in July 1902 and a daughter, Dorothy, born in 1904. The April 1901 Irish Census shows him as “Townsend Piers. Landowner and Farmer” not married, living at Whitehall, with his mother aged 70 and two domestic staff. Whitehall consisted of 18 rooms with a stable, a coach house and a further 10 outbuildings; Piers also owned four other houses in the townland. The April 1911 Irish Census records much the same but shows additionally that he was a Justice of the Peace, had been married for ten years and had a son aged eight and a daughter aged seven.

He is listed as "Townsend Piers, Whitehall, Church cross, Timoleague JP 1904" on page 158 of Guy's City and County Cork Almanac and Directory for 1907. Page 175 of Guy's City and County Cork Almanac and Directory 1913 continues to list him as living at Whitehall though he sold the property sometime later. Page 284 of Guy's City and County Cork Almanac and Directory 1921 records 'Trinder MJ' living at Whitehall.

In his autobiography Edward Mansel Townshend [630] describes Whitehall as he saw it when he visited. “Whitehall, is a delightfully romantic old House, looking out to Cape Clear, from a Cove of Roaring Water Bay, amid ‘Carbery and its Hundred Isles’, The rooms are almost palatial in size, all of them 15 ft., high, on the ground floor, and the Drawing Room and Dining Room, each 25 ft., long, by about 18 ft., wide, preceded by an Ante room, about 15 ft. square and as high."

Pier's biography can be seen on page 295 of 'Cork and County Cork in the Twentieth Century - Contemporary Biographies' by the Rev Richard J Hodges and published by W T Pike & Co in 1911. It has also been reproduced in his 'Scrapbook'.

There is a memorial tablet in Abbeystrewy church to George Hughes and Charlotte - “Sacred to the memory of George William Hughes of Wexford who departed this life the 23rd day of May 1884 and his widow Charlotte Frances Hughes who died at her residence Whitehall in this parish the 27th day of February 1907. This tablet was erected by their son, Piers Townsend”

(1) A summary of Henry's ministry is given on page 239 of Brady's Parochial and Clerical Records Volume 3. Henry died without issue on 21 February 1860.

(2) George was Collector of Customs Dues. He died on 23 May 1884. Page 354 of The Calendar of Wills and Administration 1858-1922 in the National Archives of Ireland records that Letters of Administration of the personal estate of "George William Hughes formerly of Skibbereen County Cork and late of 359 Strand County Middlesex Gentleman", who died on 23 May 1884 at latter place were granted at the Principal Registry on 12 August 1884 to “Charlotte Frances Hughes of 21 Charleville Road West Kensington London Widow the Universal Legatee for life.” Effects under £52 18s 11d.

(3) The entry for Whitehall in the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway Connacht and Munster Landed Estates Database records "Edward Townsend held this property in fee at the time of Griffith's Valuation, when it was valued at £22. Lewis noted it as the residence of S. Townsend in 1837. In 1906 it was owned by the representatives of Samuel R. Townsend and valued at £21. Bence-Jones indicates that it later became the property of the Alleyne family." Horatio Townsend [5D00] describes Whitehall on page 342 of his book 'Statistical Survey of the County of Cork' - "Whitehall, the seat of Samuel Townsend, Esq. stands on the east side of Rincolisky, or Roaringwater Bay. It enjoys every advantage of land and water, but from the nature of its situation is unfavourably circumstanced for the growth of trees. The upper part of the ground commands one of the grandest prospects to be found any where, an immense expanse of water extending from Cape Clear on one side to the Mizen-head upon the other. The depth of this great bay is proportioned to its breadth, its shores are diversified by many jutting points and headlands, on several of which are ruined castles, and its ample bosom is inlaid with a great number of verdant islands, of different sizes and shapes. The cape forms a fine termination to the land view on the left, and the rocky summit of Mountgabriel appears to great advantage in the back ground on the right. Some of the islands are large, and contain a great many inhabitants; others small, and used only for summer feeding, are remarkable for the richness of their pasture. Exclusive of these considerations, they are extremely useful in breaking the force of the sea, and forming many secure stations for vessels." The property was sold out of the family in the early 20th century by Piers Townsend Hughes-Townsend son of Charlotte Frances Townsend [422].Horatio Townsend [5D00] describes Whitehall on page 342 of his book 'Statistical Survey of the County of Cork' - "Whitehall, the seat of Samuel Townsend, Esq. stands on the east side of Rincolisky, or Roaringwater Bay. It enjoys every advantage of land and water, but from the nature of its situation is unfavourably circumstanced for the growth of trees. The upper part of the ground commands one of the grandest prospects to be found any where, an immense expanse of water extending from Cape Clear on one side to the Mizen-head upon the other. The depth of this great bay is proportioned to its breadth, its shores are diversified by many jutting points and headlands, on several of which are ruined castles, and its ample bosom is inlaid with a great number of verdant islands, of different sizes and shapes. The cape forms a fine termination to the land view on the left, and the rocky summit of Mountgabriel appears to great advantage in the back ground on the right. Some of the islands are large, and contain a great many inhabitants; others small, and used only for summer feeding, are remarkable for the richness of their pasture. Exclusive of these considerations, they are extremely useful in breaking the force of the sea, and forming many secure stations for vessels." The property was sold out of the family by Piers Townsend Hughes, Charlotte's son, some time after 1913.

(4) 'A Protestant Auto-Biography by the Rev E Mansel Townshend'.

(5) Diary of Agnes Townsend [334] - 'Sep 19 Piers Townshend married Miss Caroline Shaw'. Caroline was born in 1877 in Co Dublin.

For other connections with Abbeystrewry see [310], [314], [332], [334], [404], [5D00], [634].