Person:Richard Townsend (19)

Personal History

Marriage and Family

(see the Family page for references)

Richard Townsend and Agnes (—) (possibly Anne Arnold) were married after 10 March 4 Eliz. [1562], the date from which Richard held the reversion of a messuage called Heywards in West End, formerly Stephen Arnold's.

David L. Greene writes, “It is tempting—and quite possibly true—to suggest that Anne Arnold became Richard^C Townsend's wife (the names Anne and Agnes were then interchangeable). Note, however, that the reversion of Heywards was granted to Richard Townsend ‘and such wife as he should marry,’ not necessarily Anne Arnold. Nevertheless, it seems a reasonable speculation that Anne Arnold and Agnes (—?—) Townsend are identical and that Stephen Arnold(s) was Richard^C Townsend's father-in-law. These are the only four Arnold mentions found in the manorial court rolls, the Bucklebury register, or the Quaker records.”

He also writes, “Many early Bucklebury baptismal records do not mention the parents, and it is clear that many Bucklebury vital events do not appear in the parish register, but the regular sequence of baptisms of the children in the following list indicates that we are dealing with one family.” Also, their son “Stephen is tentatively placed in this family because of possibility that Richard^C Townsend's wife Agnes may have been a daughter of Stephen Arnold.”

Richard Townsend died before 15 October 1593 when his death was reported to the court baron.^[1] His wife was then admitted tenant.

Greene writes, “Unfortunately, the Bucklebury manorial court rolls are missing for 1513 through 1563, but the surviving rolls show no Townsends before a later reference to land held in 1562. Hence it appears that Richard^C Townsend, or possibly his parents, moved to Bucklebury from elsewhere.”

Resources

• Greene, David L. (2002, Fall/Winter). “Townsend Ancestry of Richard of the Welcome, John of Philadelphia, Joseph of Chester County, and Joan of Chester County.” Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, 42 (4): 293–313. See under Richard^C Townsend, pages 297–8.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Humphreys, Arthur Lee. Bucklebury : a Berkshire parish, the home of Bolingbroke 1701-1715. (Reading England: The author, 1932)
   Appendix C, “Court Rolls” [of the Manor of Bucklebury], p 470.

   Digital image (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/27416/dvm_LocHist011555-00268-0 : accessed 17 April 2018).
   
   “Burghulburye”, dated “1593 Oct. 15”—Court Baron.
   
   “They present the death of Richard Townsende, who held (by copy of 10 March 4 Eliz. [1562]) the reversion of a messuage called Heiwardes in West End, formerly Stephen Arnoldes, to hold to him, such wife as he should marry & their eldest son; rent 5s. 10d. Heriot : a brown cow with a white face. He married one Agnes, & had by her a son Richard. Agnes is admitted tenant.”

   David L. Greene writes, “Humphreys includes, in English translation, the records of the ‘Manor of Burghulburie.’ Even though Humphreys was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and should have known better, he was confused about dating. He silently transferred the months from numbers to names using modern numbering [i.e., January as month 1] so that, for example, he misdated 10 1st month as 10 January. This may affect the dating of the manorial rolls, which unfortunately do not appear to be available elsewhere.”

2. ↑ Greene writes that Richard “was born probably in Berkshire, England, say 1540.”