Doctor Edward Richard Townsend (6C04)
| Date of Birth: | 6 Dec 1834 |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | 11 Apr 1897 |
| Generation: | 6th |
| Residence: | St Patrick's Hill, Cork |
| Father: | Doctor Edward Richard Townsend [6C00] |
| Mother: | Bath, Elizabeth Jane |
| Spouse: |
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| Issue: | |
| See Also: | Table VIC ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for Doctor Edward Richard Townsend MD
Married 9 December 1862. Elizabeth Humphries (1) was the daughter of J Humphries of Pitmedden, Aberdeenshire.
Alumni Trinity College Dublin from Co Cork and Kerry 1593-1860 in Dr Casey's Collection records that Edward was taught by Mr Hamblin before he entered Trinity College, Dublin, on 2 July 1851 aged 16 as a pensioner who paid a fixed sum annually for his studies.
The TCD Graduation List records that Edward qualified BA in Spring 1856, MB in Summer 1857 and MD in Winter 1861. He also qualified MRCS Edinburgh in 1858 and LRCP(I) in 1859. Whilst Edward was an undergraduate at Trinity Thomas Townsend [6B19], Horace Webb Townsend [634] and Richard Horatio Townsend [6A10] were undergraduates there at the same time, whilst Rev Richard Townsend [337] was teaching at the university. When Edward was reading for his MD Samuel Philip Townsend [6A11] and Henry FitzJohn Townsend [260] were studying for their degrees.
Edward started his medical career in Dublin the same year as he qualified MD but by 1871 it appears he had taken over his father's practice in Cork. Page 212 of Fulton’s Directory 1871 records a “Townsend E R M.D. physician” living at Morrison’s Quay, Cork. This most likely refers to Edward rather than his father, Edward Richard Townsend [6C00], who would have been 71 then - he died in 1878.
Francis Guy’s County & City of Cork Directory 1875-76 records on page 535 that Edward was a ‘Consulting Physician’ at the South Charitable and County Infirmary in Blackrock road and at the Lying-in Hospital in Nile Street, which was established in 1798 for the relief of poor married women. The Directory also shows that Edward lived at 24 St Patrick’s Hill and his father lived at Queenstown.
Page 101 of Francis Guy's Directory for 1884 shows that Edward continued as a ‘Consulting Physician’ at the South Charitable and County Infirmary and at the Lying-in Hospital. In addition he was additionally a ‘Visiting Physician’ at the Protestant Home for Incurables in Military road. The Directory also shows that he was a member of the council of the County and City of Cork Medical and Surgical Society, which met at the Royal Cork Institution. His house at 24 St Patrick’s Hill is shown as having a rateable value of £52.
Guy’s City and County Cork Almanac and Directory 1891records Edward continuing in his various appointments and living at 24 St Patrick’s Hill, as described in the previous paragraph. In addition he is also shown as ‘Professor of Medicine’ at Queen’s College, Cork.
Still active aged 60, Edward’s appointments are summarized in ‘Slater’s Royal National Directory of Ireland, 1894’. Under the heading ‘South Infirmary & County of Cork General Hospital, Blackrock road, Cork’ - “Physician, Edward R Townsend MD” and “Hon. Secretary, E. R. Townsend MD.” Under the heading ‘County & City of Cork Lying-In Hospital, Nile street’ - “Physician, E. R. Townsend MD” and ‘Queen's College, Cork. Faculty of Medicine – Professors’ - “Practice of Medicine, Edward R. Townsend BA, MB.”
The Directory has a further entry ‘Cork Street Directory - St. Patrick's Hill, Old Youghal Road’ - “24 Townsend Norman I. LRCP(I) surgeon & Townsend Edmond R. M.D. surgeon.” This should probably read Townsend Edward R. Norman Ian Townsend [6C18] was Edward's son.
Page XIX of the 1896 Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society lists Edward as a member along with his kinsmen Richard Baxter Townshend [5D15], Horace Townshend [5D23], Charlotte Payne-Townshend [5D27] and Horatio Hamilton Townsend [6B05].
Papers presented to the Cork Medico-Chirurgical Society by Edward can be found in The Dublin Journal of Medical Science. Vol. LXI, pp. 578-581, June, 1876 - 'Some forms of haemorrhage and their treatment'. Vol. LXIV, pp. 90-92, July, 1877 - 'Case of difficult labour in a dwarf'.
Edward's death was recorded in the diary of Agnes Townsend [334] - 'April 11 1897 Dr Eddie Townsend died'. Both Edward and his wife are buried in St Finbarr's Cemetery, Cork and the inscription on their headstone reads “IN LOVING MEMORY OF EDWARD RICHARD TOWNSEND M.D. WHO DIED 11TH APRIIL 1897, AGED 62 YEARS. HERE ALSO RESTS HIS WIFE ELIZABETH WHO DIED 10 TH. NOV. 1919 AGED 78 YEARS”.
The April 1901 Irish Census records Elizabeth, a widow aged 60, living at 24 Saint Patrick's Hill, Cork, with her unmarried sons, Norman Ian Townsend [6C18], Edward Neville Townsend [6C19], Percival Crewe Townsend [6C20] and three domestic staff. The house consisted of 23 rooms, a coach house, stable and four further outbuildings. Elizabeth is not shown in the 1911 Irish Census.
Guy's City and County Cork Almanac and Directory for 1907 records that Elizabeth lived at 5 Belgrave Place – “Townsend Mrs E R, 5 Belgrave Place”.
Seven members of the family practiced medicine in Cork and Queenstown during the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries. Richard Townsend [517] 1800-1843; Edward Richard Townsend [6C00] 1800-1878; Richard Newman Townsend [530] 1835-1877; Edward Richard Townsend [6C04] 1838-1897; Richard Hungerford Townsend [5A02] 1845-1922; Normnan Ian Townsend [6C18] 1869-1921 and Thomas Henry Denny Townsend [5A10] 1876-1952. In addition 'Townsends' from another family practiced at roughly the same time; notably Dr William C Townsend and Dr Horace R Townsend.
(!) Elizabeth was born in Scotland on 26 January 1841 and died on 10 November 1919. The Calendar of Wills and Administration 1858-1922 in the National Archives of Ireland records that probate of the will of "Townsend Elizabeth 8 Belgrave Place Cork died 10 November 1919” was granted 25 May 1920 to "Norman Ian Townsend Medical Doctor – son of deceased".