Person Page - 1209

     Jane Townsend was the daughter of James Townsend and Frances (--?--). She married Benjamin Grooms, son of Benjamin Grooms and Isabel Satterfield, on 12 September 1811 at Bulloch, Georgia, United States.^1,2 She died on 12 February 1880 at Putnam, Florida, United States.
     Biography of Jane Townsend:

The earliest record we have found on Jane Townsend is her marriage to Benjamin Grooms on 12 September 1811 in Bulloch County Georgia¹. Unfortunately, this record does not provide the names of her parents other than she was a daughter of a Townsend that was likely living in the area near Bulloch County in 1811.

The next record we find on her is on page 94 of the 1820 census of McIntosh County Georgia³ where she is enumerated as the only adult female (age 26-45) in the household of Benjamin Grooms. Interestingly there are no males under the age of 10 enumerated in that 1820 census. There are however five females under 10 and one female 10 to 16 years of age. This suggests that the female born 10-16 and possibly one or two of the females under 10 are the children of Benjamin Grooms and an unknown first wife and not the children of Jane Townsend. We also know that Benjamin Grooms was granted 400 acres in Effingham County Georgia in November of 1811. This was two months after Benjamin and Jane got married in Bulloch County. In order to obtain a headright land grant at that time one only had to present himself to the county land board and give an oath on the size of his family (each man would get a headright of 100 acres for himself plus 50 acres for every member of his family including slaves) and he would receive a warrant of survey. The county surveyor would then lay out the land and the land would then be registered at the county and state level. These events suggest that Benjamin’s first wife died in 1811 leaving two or three young daughters causing Benjamin in dire need of a new wife. With his new wife, Jane, he likely moved onto land in Effingham County at that time. Then sometime before 1820 Benjamin and his family moved to McIntosh County.

We next find the family of Benjamin and Jane Townsend Grooms are enumerated in the 1830,1840 and 1850 census of McIntosh County. The Grooms family does not appear to have been granted or owned any land in McIntosh County at any time in the time period 1810-1850. Yet here they are on the census records of that county. In the early 1850's the Grooms family moved from McIntosh County Georgia to Florida. Benjamin died in 1854 in St. Johns County, Florida and Jane died in 1880 in Palaka, Putnam County Florida.

Date and Place of Birth of Jane Townsend

The 1850 Georgia Census shows Jane born about 1797 in South Carolina which we accept as her year and place of birth. This suggests she married at age 14 which seems young but not unreasonable. The 1860 Florida census showed Jane as born about 1800 in South Carolina and the 1870 Florida Census showed her born about 1795 in Georgia. Jane is listed on the 1880 Federal Mortality Schedule as having died in February 1880 at age 86 born in South Carolina thus suggesting she was born 1794. It should be noted that the 1870 census and the 1880 mortality lists suggest Jane may have been born several years earlier than 1797 as the 1850 census suggests. Nonetheless, these records establish Jane as being born before 1800 in South Carolina.

The Parents of Jane Townend

The rationale below suggests that James Townsend (1763-1820) and his wife, Frances (--?--) (1782-1842) are parents of Jane Townsend. James is the son of John Townsend (1740-1786) and his wife, Courtney (--?--).
A search for Townsends in census and land grant records in counties surrounding Bulloch County Georgia in the time frame 1800 to 1820 revealed the following:

NAME COUNTY YEAR ACRES
James Townsend Liberty 1803     200
James Townsend Liberty 1803     200
James Townsend McIntosh 1818     400
John Townsend McIntosh 1816     100
Light Townsend Liberty 1803     200
Light Townsend Liberty 1806     200
Light Townsend Liberty 1811     150
Light Townsend Liberty 1820     200
These land grants suggest that James Townsend (1763-1820) and his brother, Light Townsend (1770-1851) moved from Marlboro County South Carolina to the area around Horse Creek in Liberty County Georgia by 1803. It also appears that James Townsend moved from Liberty County to McIntosh County by January 1815 when he received a grant for 400 acres of land in McIntosh County. This land is located in the present-day unincorporated community of Townsend, Georgia.

In the 1820 Georgia Census we find the Light Townsend family still living in Liberty County and the family of Mrs. Frances Townsend (widow of James Townsend) living in McIntosh County. Also enumerated in the 1820 Census of McIntosh County is the family of Thomas Townsend (1765-1828), who is brother of James and Light Townsend. Thomas Townsend, came from Marlboro County, South Carolina to McIntosh County sometime after serving in the war of 1812 and was living in Marlboro County in 1810 so he is unlikely to be the father of Jane. This suggests that only James Towsend and Light Townsend who are living in Liberty County in 1811 are the only Townsends that could be the father of Jane Townsend. The 1800 Marlboro South Carolina Census of Light Townsend shows that he had no female children born before 1800 and there were no female children born before 1800 in reported in Tula Townsend Wyatt’s book “The Seven Townsend Brothers of Texas 1826-1838” thus he is not a likely candidate for being Jane Townsend's father. This leaves us to conclude that James Townsend and his wife Francis, are parents of Jane Townsend.

In the 1850 census of McIntosh County, we find the family of William R. Townsend living next door to the family of Benjamin and Jane Townsend Grooms.⁴ William is the son of James Townsend and his wife Frances. Although the earlier McIntosh County census are listed in alphabetical order, so one is not able to determine if the families listed are close neighbors, it would appear that the Grooms family and the surviving members of the Jamea Townsend family had lived in the community of Townsend Georgia beginning about 1818. As we have not found any land grants or deeds assigned to any Grooms in McIntosh County during that time period and we know that James Townsend was granted 400 acres just before his death. We suggest that the Benjamin Grooms family moved from Effingham County into McIntosh County about the time of the death of James Townsend to live with and provide support to James’s widow Frances and his children. This supports our conclusion that Jane Townsend Grooms is the daughter of James Townsend as why else would a daughter and her family move except to provide support to her mother and siblings. Also, the land the Grooms were living on for the last 8 or 9 years was likely timbered out or the soil worn out so it was likely time to move on to new land which James Townsend had just acquired.

     John Colson Grooms was the son of Benjamin Grooms and Jane Townsend. He died on 3 September 1885 at Rice Creek, Putnam, Florida, United States, at age 64.¹ He was buried on 4 September 1885 at Palatka, Putnam, Florida, United States.¹

     Martha Matilda Grooms was the daughter of Benjamin Grooms and Jane Townsend. She married Daniel H. Campbell in 1856 at St. Johns, Florida, United States.¹ She died.

     Susan Ann Elisabeth Miriam Grooms was the daughter of Benjamin Grooms and Jane Townsend. She married Jasper Newton Parker on 27 January 1857.¹ She died on 16 October 1912 at Palatka, Putnam, Florida, United States, at age 78. She was buried in October 1912 at Oak Hill East Cemetery, Palatka, Putnam, Florida, United States.

     Vandenna Simms married Georgia Ann Grooms, daughter of Benjamin Grooms and Jane Townsend, on 20 December 1856 at St. Johns, Florida, United States.¹ He died.

     Daniel H. Campbell married Martha Matilda Grooms, daughter of Benjamin Grooms and Jane Townsend, in 1856 at St. Johns, Florida, United States.¹ He died on 30 January 1897 at Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, United States, at age 58.

     Kisjia 'Keziah' Grooms was the daughter of Benjamin Grooms and Jane Townsend. She married George William Carter on 19 December 1836 at Midway, Liberty, Georgia, United States. She died on 24 March 1902 at St. Johns, Florida, United States, at age 83. She was buried at Pellicer Creek Cemetery, Saint Augustine, St. Johns, Florida, United States.

     Jasper Newton Parker married Susan Ann Elisabeth Miriam Grooms, daughter of Benjamin Grooms and Jane Townsend, on 27 January 1857.¹ He died.

     Eveline Caulder died on 17 November 1890 at age 66. She was buried in 1890 at West View Cemetery, Palatka, Putnam, Florida, United States.

     George William Carter married Kisjia 'Keziah' Grooms, daughter of Benjamin Grooms and Jane Townsend, on 19 December 1836 at Midway, Liberty, Georgia, United States. He died on 8 March 1888 at St. Johns, Florida, United States, at age 70. He was buried at Pellicer Creek Cemetery, Saint Augustine, St. Johns, Florida, United States.

     Riley Moore married Francis Townsend, son of James Townsend and Frances (--?--), on 18 May 1846 at Alachua, Florida, United States.¹

     James Snowden married Francis Townsend, son of James Townsend and Frances (--?--).¹ She died on 9 April 1838 at Duval, Florida, United States.

     Thomas W. Cribbs married Frances (--?--) on 24 March 1822 at Wayne, Georgia, United States.¹ He died in September 1852 at Camden, Georgia, United States.¹

     Fulton McKinney Townsend was the son of James Walter Townsend. He married Clara Elizabeth Stewart on 26 March 1920 at Bradford, Florida, United States. He died on 6 April 1959 at Flagler, Florida, United States, at age 64. He was buried on 8 April 1959 at Daytona Memorial Park, Daytona Beach, Volusia, Florida, United States.

     James Walter Townsend was the son of Fulton McKinney Townsend and Clara Elizabeth Stewart. He married Ruth Carolyn Clegg in 1947 at Flagler, Florida, United States. He died on 23 February 1992 at Flagler, Florida, United States, at age 69.

     Henry J Townsend was the son of Fulton McKinney Townsend and Clara Elizabeth Stewart. He died in 1983.

     Ruth Carolyn Clegg married James Walter Townsend, son of Fulton McKinney Townsend and Clara Elizabeth Stewart, in 1947 at Flagler, Florida, United States. She died on 7 February 2013 at Florida, United States, at age 89. She was buried at Seville, Volusia, Florida, United States.

     Shirley Ratliff died.

     Lora Eloise Townsend was the daughter of Fulton McKinney Townsend and Clara Elizabeth Stewart. She married William Howard Morris on 31 March 1943 at Leon, Florida, United States. She died on 22 September 2005 at Maitland, Orange, Florida, United States, at age 84.

     Clara Elizabeth Stewart married Fulton McKinney Townsend, son of James Walter Townsend, on 26 March 1920 at Bradford, Florida, United States. She died on 1 December 1987 at Daytona Beach, Volusia, Florida, United States, at age 90. She was buried at Daytona Memorial Park, Daytona Beach, Volusia, Florida, United States.

     Elizabeth S Townsend was the daughter of Fulton McKinney Townsend and Clara Elizabeth Stewart. She married William Gardiner Yelvington on 11 April 1939 at Florida, United States. She died on 13 December 1994 at Lake Butler, Union, Florida, United States, at age 70.