Reverend Thomas Uniacke Townsend (5A00)
| Date of Birth: | 1810 |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | 12 Jul 1889 |
| Generation: | 6th |
| Residence: | Inistioge, Co Kilkenny & Queenstown, Co Cork |
| Father: | Thomas Townsend [509] |
| Mother: | Uniacke, Martha |
| Spouse: |
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| Issue: | |
| See Also: | Table VA ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for Reverend Thomas Uniacke Townsend
Thomas was christened at Mallow, Co Cork on 2 December 1809.
Married 23 April 1839 at St Andrew's, Dublin. Elizabeth Carr (1) was the eldest daughter of Edward Carr of Arnestown, Co Wexford. See 1912 Edn Burke's Irish Landed Gentry - Carr. At the time of his marriage Thomas was shown as "of Hilltown, Co Down".
Alumni Trinity College Dublin from Co Cork and Kerry 1593-1860 in Dr Casey's Collection records that Thomas was taught by Mr Maginn before he entered Trinity College, Dublin, on 17 October 1825 aged 15 as a pensioner who paid a fixed sum annually for his studies. A Scholar in 1829, the TCD Graduation List records that he qualified BA in Spring 1832. John FitzHenry Townsend [250] and John Sealy Townsend [333] were undergraduates at Trinity at the same time, whilst his brother Dr Richard Uniacke Townsend [517], Rev Chambre Corker Townsend [5D01], Rev Horatio Townsend [5D02] and Rev Thomas Townsend [6B03] all qualified MA in 1832 - a year in which five members of the family were at the university.
Ordained Deacon at Dromore, Mallow (2), in 1837 Thomas was appointed Curate of Kells (Ballycallan) on 7 August 1841 where he remained for the next 8 years. The parishioners of Kells presented him with a fine silver salver when he left in 1849. As reported in the 'Ballina Chronicle' of Wednesday, July 18, 1849 Thomas was presented as Vicar of Kilsheelan, Co Tipperary by the Marquis of Ormonde. He remained in that parish until 1858 when he was appointed Rector of Fartagh and Curate of Rathlogan (1863). Eleven years later Thomas was appointed Prebendary and Vicar at Inistioge, Co Kilkenny, on 2 February 1869.
'Land Owners in Ireland, 1876 - Wexford' records "Townsend Thos. Rev." owning land in the county. Is this Thomas?
Thomas was a most scholarly man who taught himself Erse. His collection of rare old books are now in the possession of Colonel John Townsend [5A26].
Page 672 of the Dublin University Calendar 1893 shows Thomas living at "The Park, Queenstown, Co. Cork." 4 years after his death!
Page 702 of the Calendar of Wills and Administration 1858-1922 in the National Archives of Ireland records that the will of "the Reverend Thomas Uniacke Townsend late of Queenstown County Cork Clerk", who died on 12 July 1889, was proved at Cork on 17 October 1889 by "Charles Uniacke Townshend of Hatley Burlington Road Dublin Esquire and Robert Uniacke Fitzgerald Townsend of Stone View Blarney County Cork the Executors". Effects £1,175 14s 6d. Charles Uniacke Townshend [5C00] is Thomas' brother and Robert Uniacke Fitzgerald Townsend [531] is his nephew.
Thomas' burial, in the old cemetery Cobh, is recorded on page 59 (June 7th-13th August) of the Cobh/Queenstown Cemetery Register 1879 - 1907; the cause of death is shown as 'old age'. The register also shows that he was living in Cobh at the time of his death - presumably with his son Richard Hungerford Townsend [5A02], who is buried in the same grave.
(1) Elizabeth died in July 1889, shortly before Thomas who is shown as a widower in the burial register. Entry in the diary of Agnes Townsend [334] - 'July 1889 Mrs T Uniacke Townsend died'.
(2) There is a strong 'Mallow' connection here. Thomas' father lived in Mallow until he moved to Dublin as Examiner to his brother, John Sealy Townsend [507]. Thomas' brother Dr Richard Townsend [517] married Mary Newman of Dromore, Mallow, practiced in Cobh, pre-deceased his father and is buried in Killeens Cemetery, Mallow. Thomas' nephew, Dr Richard Newman Townsend [530] was living at Glountane Cottage, near Mallow in 1863 and appears to have practiced there before he moved to Cobh.