Kathleen (Audrey) Townsend (5A15)

Date of Birth: 1884
Date of Death: 1941
Generation: 8th
Residence: Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
Father: Doctor Richard Hungerford Townsend [5A02]
Mother: Denny, Arabella Jane
Spouse:
  1. Tyler, Reginald James
Issue:
  1. Richard
See Also: Table VA ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree

Notes for Kathleen (Audrey) Townsend

Married 1915. Reginald James Tyler (1) was a Colonial Police Officer in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). He married second on 21 October 1942 Lady Madeleine Congreve (2).

The April 1901 Irish Census records that Kathleen was a spinster living with her parents at 11 Westbourne Terrace, Queenstown. The 1911 Irish Census shows the same detail but also records that her aunt, Maria Devereux [5A08] and sister in law, Ethel Mary Townsend [5A10], were living there at the same time.

Kathleen and Reginald's son, Richard, was born in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) on 9 November 1916. He was educated at Charterhouse and spent many of his school holidays with his Aunt Phyllis Townsend [5A11] at her home, Fairhaven, in Batheaston, Bath. He trained at the Bristol School of Architecture and became a most successful and renowned architect specializing in the modernization of old country houses. On the outbreak of the Second World War Richard joined the Royal Engineers and was assigned to the 7th Armoured Division in North Africa. Hit in the thigh by shrapnel in 1941 he lost his leg but this did not stop him from pursuing an active life thereafter. He married his stepsister Henrietta Congreve (3) on 15 July 1944 and had four children:

John Christian Congreve Tyler was born on 25 September 1945.

Camilla Mary Madeleine Tyler was born on 16 June 1946.

Amelia (Amy) Henrietta Rose Tyler was born on 4 January 1950.

Richard Henry Felix Tyler (Felix) was born on 23 September 1954.

Richard died on 13 January 2009 and his Obituary is shown in Kathleen's 'Scrapbook'.

(1) Reginald died on 1 June 1956. His Record of Service in The Ceylon Police is shown in Kathleen's 'Scrapbook'.

(2) Madeleine (nee Allhusen) was born on 17 May 1897 and was married first on 14 October 1922 to Sir Geoffrey Cecil Congreve, Bt DSO who was killed in a commando raid in France on 27 July 1941. They had three daughters Ann Henrietta, Marygold Elizabeth and Carola. Sir Geoffrey was a descendant of Sir William Congreve (1771 - 1828) who invented the rocket system known as 'Congreve's Rocket'.

(3) Hennrietta was born on 1 September 1923.