A genealogy of the descendants of Benedictus Townsend (c1710-c1769) and his wife, Lucilla Light of South Carolina.

 

Benedictus Townsend of South Carolina

A Genealogy

Compiled By: Joseph T. and Clarice T. Burval

Published 2006

 

This work focuses primarily on two of Benedictus Townsend (1710-1769)'s four known sons and their descendants. The sons are John Townsend (1740-1786) and Light Townsend (1745-1817), Revolutionary War patriot and soldier respectively, who lived in Craven County (now Marlboro County), South Carolina during the Revolutionary War.  This book concludes 20 years of research the compilers have worked on this family's genealogy and includes all the descendants of these two sons born before 1900, which the compilers were able to identify. The genealogy starts in 1736 with Benedictus Townsend in Sussex County, Delaware with his wife, Lucilla Light, daughter of William Light. Benedictus and family removed from Delaware to Granville County, North Carolina in 1750, and in 1764 removed to Hilson Bay, Craven County, South Carolina. Son, John Townsend (1740-1786) died in South Carolina leaving his wife, Cortney and eight known children. The children are: John Townsend (1760-1843), William Townsend (1762- ), James Townsend (1763- ), Benjamin Townsend (1764- ), Rhoda Townsend (1765- ) Mary Townsend (1765- ), Thomas Townsend (1765- 1828) and Light Townsend (1770-1851). r. This genealogy concludes that descendants of Benedictus Townsend in Florida, South Carolina and Texas descend from his son, John Townsend (1740-1786) rather than his son Light Townsend (1745-1817) as previous researchers have long inferred. Son, Light Townsend (1745-1817) removed from South Carolina in 1788 to Kentucky where he died leaving eight known children.  Those children are: Benjamin Townsend (1768 -), Mary "Polly" Townsend (1774-1859), Coleson Townsend (1783-1810), Ann Townsend (1797-1850), Lucy Townsend (1799-1878), Elizabeth Townsend (1801-1889), Nancy Townsend (1804-1890) and James Townsend (1808-1889). Descendants of each of these children, most who remained in Kentucky have been researched and traced to the early 1900's. This genealogy also concludes that Thomas Townsend (1735-1796), who is discussed as Thomas Townsend (1732-1796) in Riely Leon Townsend's 1973 Genealogy of the Townsend-Townsend Family is a son of Benedictus Townsend.  However, descendants of Thomas Townsend (1735-1796) are not included in this genealogy, as they are well discussed in Riely Leon Townsend's book.. A fourth son, William Townsend (1746-  ) is included in this genealogy, as a son of Benedictus Townsend, but little is known of him or his descendants.  The descendants of Thomas Townsend (1765-1828) (which this genealogy concludes is a son of John Townsend (1740-1786) rather than Light Townsend (1745-1817) as previous researchers have long inferred) who died in Florida and whose sons went to Texas as discussed in Tula Townsend Wyatt's The Seven Townsend Brothers of Texas 1826-1838 are also not included in this genealogy because they are well cover tin Tula Wyatt's book.  In fact, the three books, Riely Leon Townsend's Genealogy of the Townsend-Townsend Family, Tula Townsend Wyatt's The Seven Townsend Brothers of Texas 1826-1838 and this genealogy Benedictus Townsend of South Carolina comprise the only well researched and documented genealogies which contain several generations of  known descendants of Benedictus Townsend to those living in the early 1900's and later.

 This genealogy includes an updated, expanded version of our book Allen Townsend of Madison County, Florida published in 1991. This 442 page book contains over 2800 direct descendants of Benedictus Townsend (1710-1769) in eleven generations who lived in Georgia, Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina. There is a name index of over 4500 names related to this family. Extensive footnotes citing sources of information, appendixes and exhibits of selected documents are included. 

  

We are very sorry but this book is no longer in print.   However, the book is available in PDF format from the FamilySearch web site of the Mormon Church.   A direct link to call up the book is at Benedictus Townsend of South Carolina
If the link doesn't work you can go to href="https://familysearch.org/search" and click on "Books"and then type in "Benedictus Townsend" .