Samuel Nugent Townsend (432)
| Date of Birth: | 7 Dec 1844 |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | dsp 16 Dec 1910 |
| Generation: | 7th |
| Residence: | Church Cross, St Kames Island (8) & Kew |
| Father: | Samuel Townsend [412] |
| Mother: | Becher, Charlotte Augusta |
| Spouse: |
|
| Issue: | None |
| See Also: | Table IV ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for Samuel Nugent Townshend JP
Samuel's birth was recorded in the diary of Agnes Townsend [334] - 'Dec 7 1844 Mrs Sam Townsend had a son Samuel'.
Married 12 October 1886 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Henrietta was the daughter of Captain Anthony Morgan (1 & 1a) of Prospect Hill, (2) Dunmanway and Bunalun, (3) Skibbereen, Co Cork and widow of Captain George Lane of The Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms.
Samuel went to Queen's University and was later admitted as a Fellow to the Royal Geographical Society.
A report on the front page of the Cork Examiner of 26 November 1868 records that Samuel, John Henry Townsend [238], Horatio Hamilton Townsend [6B05], Thomas Somerville of The Prairie, son of Henrietta Townsend [242] and James Redmond Barry JP (4) were all members of McCarthy Downing’s Election Committee for the Cork County Election. He was duly elected on 30 November 1868 and served as a Liberal MP until 9 February 1874.
In 1876 Samuel was nominated by the British Commission in Philadelphia to represent England on a Delegation consisting of one representative each of The Great Powers of Europe, to report on agriculture and travel in the Western States of America. Under the 'nom de plume' "St Kames", Samuel wrote many articles about this and his experiences in America for 'The Field' 1876 - 1878 and two books - 'Colorado, its agriculture, stockfeeding, scenery, and shooting' (can be read online) and 'Our Indian Summer in the Far West'. His introductory remarks in the first of his books sets the scene - “My introduction to Colorado was in this wise. Having spent the summer of 1876 at the Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia, I accepted an official invitation to become a member of an international press party to visit the Western States of North America, dipping far out of the regular route into the Ex-Confederate States, so as to see the best parts of the reclaimed, but only partially settled, lands of that region. Our leader was the Chevalier Ernst von Hesse Wartegg, special correspondent of the Illustrirte Zeitung, Vienna; Belgium sent Leo von Elliot, special artist of the Brussels Monde Illustre; Russia was represented by Count Adam Steenbock, a lieutenant in the Imperial Horse Guards; Henri De La Mothe was special correspondent of Le Temps, Paris ; Professor Paul Oeker, of the Vossische Zeitung, Berlin and F. Bornemann, an American citizen; the writer being the least known to journalistic fame of the party. We all pursued slightly different objects, mine being agriculture, stock-feeding, scenery, and shooting.” The photograph in his 'Scrapbook', taken at Muskogee, Oklahoma, in 1880 is thought to be one of him on his many travels in the USA.
Like his uncle Edward Townsend [411] he was a keen sailor and owned a yacht called ‘Caterina’ (56 tons) (5). He was a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron and a member of the Royal Cork Yacht Club where his Uncle Edward Henry [411] was Secretary for many years and many other distant cousins were also members.
It would appear from three entries in the London Gazette that Samuel was a not very successful businessman for the entries all refer to the winding up of companies. The first entry relates to the liquidation of The Josz Metallochrome Printing Company Limited in November 1891 London Gazette 26225. The notice in the Gazette reads "That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the Company that the Company cannot, by reason of its liabilities, continue its business, and that it is advisable to wind up the same, and accordingly that the Company be wound up voluntarily." Dated this 17th day of November 1891. S. NUGENT TOWNSHEND, Chairman. Nothing is known about this company.
The second entry in the Gazette concerns a company called The New Australian Goldfields Limited. An article in The West Australian dated Perth 28 November 1894 records the setting up of this company by "Mr S Powell of 7, Union Court, Broad Street EC, with a capital of £100,000 in 2,000 1s founder's shares and 99,000 ordinary shares of £1 each. The object is stated to acquire any concessions, rights...to explore mines and ground supposed to contain minerals and precious stones..." A notice in the London Gazette 26935 of 4 February 1898 announced that at an Extraordinary General Meeting of The New Australian Goldfields Limited company it was decided to put the company into 'voluntary liquidation'. The notice was signed and dated - "Dated this 2nd day of February 1898. S. NUGENT TOWNSHEND Chairman."
The third venture in which Samuel was involved concerns a company called 'Jersey Lily Gold Mines Limited'. It is not known when the company was registered but a notice in the London Gazette 27056 of 24 February 1899 states that "NOTICE is hereby given that a petition for the winding up of the above named Company by the High Court of Justice was presented on the 16th day of February 1899. Amongst others, the petition was signed by "Samuel Nugent Townshend of Brunswick Lodge Kew in the county of Surrey". Jersey Lily is now a ghost town in Arizona; only $7,000 in gold was mined there before it was closed.
He was living at Hazlewood, Richmond, Surrey in March 1891 and later moved to Brunswick Lodge, Kew, London. From there he wrote a number of letters (6) in early 1897 to Edward Mansel Townsend [630] concerning the auction of the Castletownshend Estate on 25 June 1897. In short, Samuel's advice was that it might be possible for the "family to secure the estate by forming themselves into a limited liability company". However he felt that the estate could never really pay its way and went on to say "All the branches of the family having property in Cork have been hit so often and so hard by the Land Commissioners since 1870, that I don't believe even five of them have £1,000 each that they could invest. ….Maurice [263] & Hubert [264] could if they wished put in £7,000 to join with Mundy (Geraldine [252]) in the purchase of the Demesne, and if they, the next heirs will not move in the matter effectively they can scarcely expect the remoter branches to pinch themselves in the matter". For the full story of the auction of the Castletownshend estate see Geraldine Townsend [252].
In an 'Officer of the Long Parliament' it states that Samuel inherited all the Whitehall (6a) family portraits on the death of Elise Townsend in 1896, wife of Samuel Thomas Townsend [443]; amongst these was a supposed Gainsborough portrait of Samuel's great grandfather, Lieutenant General Samuel Townsend [403]. However in a telegram from City of London Club, Old Broad Street dated 4 December 1898 to Edward Mansel, Samuel seems to be saying that he inherited nothing!
Samuel was appointed a Justice of the Peace on 23 August 1867. Under the heading 'Justices of the Peace', in the Official Directory on page 456, Francis Guy’s County & City of Cork Directory 1875-76 records – “Townsend Samuel Nugent St Kames.” Entries in subsequent Directories each show a different address. The 1884 Directory Page 105 records – “Townshend S Nugent, F.R.G.S., St Kames Island, Skibbereen, and Empire Club, London, W“, the 1891 Directory Page 125 records – “Townshend S Nugent, F.R.G.S., St Kames Island, Skibbereen, and Royal London Yacht Club, London, W” and the 1907 Directory Page 158 records – “Townshend S Nugent, F.R.G.S., St Kames Island, Skibbereen, and 6 Sussex Place, Southsea, Hants. 1867.“
Samuel sold 33 acres of land in Bawnahow North, 91 acres in Dereeny and 80 acres on East Calf Island in the Landed Estates Court on 26 June 1875. The land at Dereeny was let to Samuel’s uncle, Walter Townsend [414], who died in 1869 but his wife Alice and two daughters were entitled to continue living there until the lease expired in 1886.
‘Slater’s Royal National Directory of Ireland, 1894’ records under the heading ‘County Magistrates for the Province of Munster. Co Cork.’ - “Townsend Saml Nugent FRGS Brunswick Lodge, Kew, Surrey.”
'Griffiths Valuation of Ireland 1848-64' shows Samuel owning land in the Parishes of Caheragh, Aghadown and Dromdaleague.
The 'Register of Landowners in County Cork 1876' shows that Samuel's estate of 995 acres was valued at £404 - 15s. (2005 equivalent - £29,209).
Page 632 of The Calendar of Wills and Administration 1858-1922 in the National Archives of Ireland records that Probate of the will of "Samuel Nugent Townshend formerly of Hazlewood Ennerdale Road Richmond Surrey and late of 6 Sussex Place Southsea Hants”, who died on 16 December 1910, was granted at London on 9 November 1911 to "Henrietta N Townshend the Widow". Resealed at Dublin on 20 January 1912. Effects in Ireland £19 17s 0d.
Henrietta died on the 9 January 1923 at her home - 6, Sussex place, Southsea, Hants. Probate on her will was granted on 16 May 1923. (7)
(1) 'Property owners County Cork circa 1870' records "Capt A. Morgan. Bunalun, Skibbereen. 1,133 acres". U.H. Hussey de Burgh's ‘Landowners of Ireland 1878' records "Morgan, Anthony, JP. Co Cork; late Captain 95th Regt served during Crimean War - Bunalun House, Skibbereen, Co Cork; County Club, Cork. Clare 1216 acres £528. Cork 1133 acres £652." Colonel Patrick Mercer MP has written three novels based on the character of Anthony Morgan in military campaigns during the second half of the 19th century.
(1a) The entry for Morgan in the University of Galway Landed Estates Database records "Captain Anthony Morgan, of Bunalun, Skibbereen, County Cork married Eliza Tymons, of Riverstown, County Clare and they had a son Anthony Hickman Morgan, born 1858. He served as a surgeon in the British army. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Anthony, Edward and William Morgan held land in the parish of Shanrahan, barony of Orrery and Kilmore, county Cork. In 1896 he married Mary, daughter of Charles Bagnall, of Clonkennan, county Limerick. He was High Sheriff of county Cork and Deputy Lieutenant. In the 1870s [Captain] Anthony Morgan of Bunalun owned 1216 acres in county Clare and 1133 acres in county Cork."
(2) The entry for Prospect Hill in the University of Galway Landed Estates Database records "Elizabeth Bryan was leasing this property from the Cox estate in 1851 when it was valued at £22. There is still an occupied house at the site."
(3) The entry for Bunalun in the University of Galway Landed Estates Database records "At the time of Griffith's Valuation, Rev. Richard Webb was leasing this property from Col. Clarke's estate, when it was valued at £10. Lewis had noted it as the seat of R.F. Webb. Leet refers to it as the seat of Alex O'Driscoll in 1814. In 1906 Capt. Anthony Morgan was the owner of this property, then valued at £26 5s. The house is named Mount Music on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map but as Bunalunn on the 25-inch edition of the 1890s. It gave its name to a novel by the celebrated Anglo-Irish writers, Somerville and Ross. The house is still extant and was offered for sale in 2004."
(4) James Redmond Barry served on the Fisheries Commission at the same time as Henry Owen Townsend [223] and attended the dinner organized by Henry in 1839 in honour of Daniel O’Connell, the famous Irish political leader who campaigned for Catholic emancipation. He was also involved in setting up the Agricultural and Country Bank in Skibbereen in April 1835 along with Richard Townsend [221] and Colonel Thomas Somerville, husband of Henrietta Augusta Townsend [234].
(5) The Caterina was lost at sea near Marseilles, France in 1892; there was only one survivor.
(6) All letters etc quoted are from the Llanvapley Papers.
(6a) The entry for Whitehall in the University of Galway 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."
(7) London Gazette 32832 of 8 June 1923.
(8) St Kames Island. It is generally thought that the Skeam Islands in Roaring Water Bay got their name from St Ceim, supposedly a brother of Ciaran of Cape Clear, though no such person appears in the ‘Calendar of Irish Saints’. The islands were assessed in 1614 as ¾ of a ploughland and were granted to Sir Walter Coppinger. In the ‘Book of Survey and Distribution’ of 1641 they are shown as East and West Eniscame but are shown as Iniskeam in the Coppinger Inquisition of 1694 when they were forfeited by James Coppinger, the son of Dorothea Townsend [112] and Dominic Coppinger, and later acquired by Samuel Townsend [400].
'An Officer of the Long Parliament' Ch X p. 233-239 and 'Pooles of Mayfield' p. 122 refers.
See Who Was Who 1929 where his address is given as 6 Sussex Place, Southsea, Hants and his recreations as yachting and clock making.