Major Edward Neville (Ted) Townsend DSO (6C19)
| Date of Birth: | 1 Jul 1871 |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | dsp 10 Jan 1938 |
| Generation: | 7th |
| Residence: | Delgany, Wicklow |
| Father: | Doctor Edward Richard Townsend [6C04] |
| Mother: | Humphries, Elizabeth |
| Spouse: |
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| Issue: | None |
| See Also: | Table VIC ; Scrapbook ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for Major Edward Neville Townsend DSO
Married 10 February 1902 (1). Marcia Sarah Cooper (2) was the youngest daughter of Austin Damer Cooper (3) of Drumnigh House, Dublin. See 1976 Edn Burke's Irish Family Records - Cooper, Co Tipperary.
Edward was educated at St Mark's School, Windsor and Aberdeen University. According to the London Gazette of 3 September 1895 he was commissioned ‘Second Lieutenant on augmentation’ in the Duke of Wellington's Regiment having been a sergeant in the South Wales Borderers. He was twenty four at the time and the entry shows him as ‘Sergeant Edward Townsend’ (4). It is not known in which battalion he served; at the time he was commissioned the First Battalion was in Egypt and the Second Battalion was in the UK having just returned there from Burma.
Promoted Lieutenant in February 1898 and Captain in February 1901 (5), Edward served in the Second Boer War. He was present at the Relief of Kimberley, 11-15 February 1900 and participated in operations in the Transvaal and Orange Free State. During the course of this he was severely wounded and was awarded the Queen's Medal with 6 clasps. His brother, Evelyn Richard Townsend [6C22], served in South Africa at the same time.
The April 1901 Irish Census records Edward and two of his brothers living at 24 St Patrick's Hill, Cork with their mother and three domestic staff.
Following his tour of active service in South Africa, Edward was appointed Adjutant 3rd Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment in 1902 (6) and promoted Major in 1912 (7). He was Commandant Kilbride Musketry Camp, near Dublin, 1912- 1913. During the First World War I, he saw much action on the Western Front, was mentioned in despatches, severely wounded at Mons and taken prisoner of war.
Edward, then serving with the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment, was awarded the DSO (8) in January 1920 and invalided out of the army in April that same year on account of the wounds that he received during the war (9). The 2nd Battalion was serving in Ireland at the time.
He lived at Wayside, Delgany, Co Wicklow. Probate on his will was granted on 28 April 1938 and is listed in the National Archives of Ireland to his executrix - his wife Marcia Townsend. His estate was valued at £257-10s-0d. (Principal Registry of the High Court - ref CS/HC/PO/4/91/9440.)
(1) Entry in the diary of Agnes Townsend [334] - 'Feb 11 1902 Dr Sandford married to Mary Lady Carberry & Capt Townsend 4th son of Dr Eddie to a Miss Cooper'. See Who Was Who 1929-1940.
(2) Marcia was born on 12 Feb 1874 and died on 2 September 1963.
(3) ‘Slater’s Royal National Directory of Ireland, 1894’ records under the headings ‘County Magistrates, Co Dublin’ and ‘Co Dublin. Magistrates attending- Petty Sessions. Court House, Coolock’ - “Cooper Austin Damer, Drumnigh, St. Dolough's.” The Directory also records ‘‘Co Dublin. Registry of Judgments, &c. Office, Four Courts’ - “Searching Clerk—Austin D. Cooper” and ‘Co Dublin. Kinsaley. Private Residents’ “Cooper Austin J.P. Drumneigh.”
(4) London Gazette 26658 page 4970 dated 3 September 1895. This entry was amended by an entry in Gazette number 26736 dated 5 May 1896 – “The Christian names of Second Lieutenant Townsend are Edward Neville, and not as stated in the Gazette of 3rd September, 1895.
(5) London Gazette 27364 page 6645 dated 11 October 1901.
(6) London|Gazette 27470 page 5683 dated 2 September 1902 .
(7) London| Gazette 28595 page 2396 dated 2 April 1912.
(8) London| Gazette 28595 page 1218 dated 27 January 1920.
(9) London| Gazette 28595 page 4971 dated 27 April 1920.