Person Page - 862

     Charles Edgar Hamlin married Mattie Shiver. He died on 12 October 1954 at Lafayette, Florida, United States, at age 82. He was buried at Airline Cemetery, Lafayette, Florida, United States.

     Mattie Shiver married Charles Edgar Hamlin. She died on 4 April 1956 at Lafayette, Florida, United States, at age 73. She was buried at Airline Cemetery, Lafayette, Florida, United States.

     Benedictus Townsend was the son of Thomas Townsend Sr. and Sarah (--?--). He married Lucilla Light, daughter of William Light, circa 1735 at "Millfield", Broadkill Creek, Sussex, Delaware, British Colonial America.¹ He died before 1769 at Hilson Bay, Craven, South Carolina, British Colonial America.
     Biography of Benedictus Townsend:

Early Life in Virginia

Born William Townsend, the youngest son of Thomas Townsend Sr. (1665-1728) and his wife Sarah. At age 13, after his father’s death, he was named as “my son William Townsend” in Thomas’s 1728 will.² Under the terms of the will, he inherited no land—his brothers John and Stephen divided the family plantation—receiving only a one-third interest in the livestock, to be granted upon his twenty-third birthday.

Relocation and Name Change

Benedictus grew up on his father’s plantation until about February 1734/35 where his name as William Townsend appears as a chain carrier on several land surveys in Sussex County Delaware indicating he had relocated from his father's plantation in Accomack County, Virginia to Sussex County. By August 1736, he had married Lucilla Light and formally adopted the name Benedictus Townsend. An August 4, 1736 deed identifies "Benedictus Townsend" and "Lucilla, his wife" as they joined Mary Light in deeding a 300-acre plantation on Beaver Dam Branch to John Light³. Benedictus represented his wife Lucilla's interest in the property. This transaction provided John Light clear title to land inherited from their father, William Light. Benedictus signed the deed rather than making a mark, indicating he was literate. From this point forward, he was known exclusively as Benedictus Townsend in all extant records.

The Logic for the Name Change

It is highly probable that Benedictus adopted a new given name to distance himself from the reputation of another William Townsend (1655–1729) in Sussex County. That individual had died insolvent, leaving a large family impoverished and numerous creditors unpaid. The final settlement of that estate occurred in January 1736/37—just five months after Benedictus first appeared in records using his new name. By choosing "Benedictus," he effectively separated his credit and legal identity from the local stigma attached to his birth name.

Land Records in Sussex County, Delaware (1736-1750)

An October 10, 1745 complex deed⁴ shows Mary Light, Betty Light, and Benedictus Townsend. heirs of deceased John Light purchasing the 200-acre plantation called “Millfield” from the descendants of the original patent holder, William Clark. The transaction formally transferred ownership to the heirs of John Light the elder, via his son William Light, and finally to William's issue: Elizabeth, John the younger, and Lucilla. The repeated instances of intestacy within the Light family likely necessitated this clarifying deed.

On May 3, 1750 Benedictus and Lucilla sold the 200-acre "Millfield" plantation to Adonijah Little for 30 pounds.⁵ This sale likely funded their subsequent move south. The property description places the plantation eastern side of Beaverdam Creek at its junction into the Broadkill River in Sussex County, Delaware. Given the family’s long tenure in the area, it is probable that Lucilla was born there and that all of Benedictus and Lucilla's children were born at "Millfield".

Migration to North Carolina (1750-1764)

The sale of the "Millfield" plantation in May 1750 correlates with the family’s relocation to Granville County North Carolina. Benedictus appears as “Benodictos Townson” on "A List of Tithables on Dan River for the Year 1751"⁶ This specific region of Granville County became part of Orange County in 1752, and later Caswell County in 1777. A search of extant records in Granville, Orange and Caswell counties yielded no other Townsend records of any kind. The 1751 tax list is very significant as it is the only document covering the gap in documentation from 1751 until his next documented appearance in South Carolina in 1764.

Final Settlement in South Carolina (1764-1769)

Benedictus Townsend arrived in South Carolina by November 9, 1764, when he applied to the South Carolina Council in Charleston for 100 acres on the northeast side of the Pee Dee River.⁷ A month later, on December 4, 1764, he applied for an additional 50 acres in the same area.⁸

He received two Crown grants from King George III, signed by Lieutenant Governor William Bull:




The quit rent scrolls show “William Benedictus & William Townsend” listed as having paid the rent due the Crown in 1768 on 50 acres of land. This unusual phrasing likely reflects Benedictus including his birth name for legal clarity in transferring title to his minor son, William. "Light Townsend is listed on the next entry as having paid the rent due on 100 acres of land. A notation to the “William Benedictus & William Townsend” entry shows “New Grant July 16, 1765. In those names.” A notation to the Light Townsend entry reads “New Grant Jan 18, 1765”¹¹ These notations show that new grants had been made on the 50 acre and 100 acre properties that Benedictus Townsend had been granted in 1765.

These grants stipulated a yearly rent of "three shillings sterling or four shillings proclamation money for every hundred acres," commencing two years from the date of the grant. Benedictus and his heirs were further obligated to "yearly, and every year... clear and cultivate at the rate of three acres for every hundred acres of land."

Benedictus Townsend died in South Carolina before 1769 as his name was absent from rent payment on the 1769 quit rent scrolls.

     Lucilla Light was the daughter of William Light. She married Benedictus Townsend, son of Thomas Townsend Sr. and Sarah (--?--), circa 1735 at "Millfield", Broadkill Creek, Sussex, Delaware, British Colonial America.¹ She died before 1764 at Orange, North Carolina, British Colonial America.

     William Townsend was the son of Benedictus Townsend and Lucilla Light.
     Biography of William Townsend:

William Townsend is first found on the 1768 quit rent payments made by “William Benedictus & William Townsend” on the 50 acres of land that Benedictus Townsend had been granted on 16 July 1765. In 1667 a "new grant" made in their names.¹ In 1769, William Townsend paid the quit rent on the 50 acres of land and there is no mention of a William Benedictus or Benedictus. Again in 1774, William Townsend is listed as paying quit rent in the amount of 4 shillings proclamation money per acre on 50 acres for the year 1772 & 1773.² These entries for Quit Rent payments and new grants made in these names suggest that Benedictus may have died before 1769 and his son, William, inherited the 50-acre tract. These are the only records found referring to William Townsend son of William Benedictus Townsend.

It is very likely that William Townsend was still living in the Marlboro County area in 1786 as a deed dated 4 September 1786 between: "George Trayweak planter of Marlborough and William Townsend, son of John Townsend"³clearly distinguishes William, of this deed, as the son of John Townsend (1760-1843). This most likely was done to distinguish William, son of John from his Uncle William Townsend, who must still be living in the area.

We estimate William as being born after 1751. This is based on his not being 16 (the legal age when he could possess land) in 1667 requireing the title to the deed transfering the 50 acres of land discusserd above to be titled to William Benedictus Townsend and William Townsend.

     Cortney (--?--) married John Townsend, son of Benedictus Townsend and Lucilla Light.

     Edith Needham was the daughter of Charlie Needham and Wilda Belle Boatright.

     Charles Needham was the son of Charlie Needham and Wilda Belle Boatright.

     James Needham was the son of Charlie Needham and Wilda Belle Boatright.