John "Jack" Townsend

M, b. 6 September 1796, d. 1847
     John was born on 6 September 1796 at Marlboro, South Carolina, United States.1 He was the son of John Townsend and Kiziah Hays. He married Vicie Hargrove, in 1817 at Marlboro, South Carolina, United States.2 He married Rachel Jane Hill circa 1832.3 He married Hulda Hargrove, circa 1845.2 John died in 1847 at Suwannee River, Columbia, Florida, United States.2
     Biography of John "Jack" Townsend:
John, or Jack, as his descendants refer to him, moved to Irwin County Georgia about 1824-25 with his brothers Jessie, Allen and David R.. He is found living next door to his brother, Allen, in the 1830 Census of Lowndes County Georgia, which was formed out of Irwin in 1825. (This likely explains why the names of his first four children are found in the Allen Townsend Family Bible) By 1838 he had acquired land in the northeast portion of Madison County, near present day Hickory Grove Church, His brothers David and Allen acquired land a few miles to the west several years earlier and it is assumed Jack removed from Georgia to Madison County Florida about 1838. He is also found in the 1840 Madison County Census. By the late 1840’s he likely moved into Alachua County on the east side of the Suwannee River a few miles north of the present town of Bell, Florida, as his widow and family is found there in the 1850 Census.

Additional information is included in the following excerpts from a genealogy by William Thomas Townsend, a great grandson of Jack Townsend, as included in his addendum3 to Marie Butler’s “The Townsends of Marlboro”.

“Jack Townsend moved to Lowndes County, Georgia, soon after its creation in December 1825, and settled in the 662 Militia District in what is now Berrien County. His brothers, Jessie and Allen also moved there about the same time. Jack was commissioned 1st Lieut. of the Militia in the 662nd District 8-9-1827 and served until 5-27-1830. He was still residing there at the time of the 1832 Cherokee Land Lottery in which he drew land. He removed about 1835 to the area of Madison County, Florida, which later became Lafayette County, where he settled on or near the Suwannee River not far from its confluence with the Santa Fe River. According to the 1840 census records, he and brothers, Allen and David, were all in Madison (Lafayette) County, Fla.”

“Jack drowned in 1847 and census records for 1850 show Rachel Townsend as head of the Jack Townsend family with children listed. Alachua County marriage records show her marriage 8-21-1853 to Nathan Shepherd by Robert Youngblood, J.P. Census records for 1860 show her as Rachel Shepherd, head of Jack Townsend household with children listed, but no mention of any husband. (I am inclined to believe there were children of Nathan and Rachel -which he took when they separated. WTT)”.

Children of John "Jack" Townsend and Vicie Hargrove

Children of John "Jack" Townsend and Rachel Jane Hill

Citations

  1. [S137] Annie Florence Kinney, "DAR Application of Annie Florence Kinney."
  2. [S135] Virgil Light Townsend, Townsend, Bell, and Allied Families,.
  3. [S580] William Thomas Townsend, Townsend, Addendum to The Townsends of Marlboro,.