Henry Townsend (Norwich)
| Henry Townsend | |
|---|---|
| Died | Circa 1695 Oyster Bay, Long Island, Province of New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Early settler of American colonies, signatory to the Flushing Remonstrance |
| Home town | Oyster Bay, Long Island |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Coles |
| Children | John Townsend |
Henry Townsend (1626–1695) was an early settler of the American Colonies.
Disagreement exists surrounding the facts of Henry Townsend's place of birth and his parentage. The work Ancestral Heads of New England Families from 1923 suggests that Henry Townsend was the son of Thomas Townsend (1594-1677) and Mary Newgate (1595-1692).
These facts are disputed by findings of the "Townsend Surname DNA Project," conducted by the Townsend Society of America, a well-respected member organization composed of members with Townsend lineage. These findings suggest that Henry Townsend was not the son of Thomas Townsend and Mary Newgate and that these families have "completely different DNA" according to Townsend Society sources. Naturally this raises questions surrounding date of birth of Henry Townsend, and to the date that he and his two brothers Richard and John emigrated to the colonies. The work A memorial of John, Henry, and Richard Townsend, and their descendants published in 1865 is cited for more information on the topic.
While some disagreement exists surrounding origins, general agreement exists around other aspects of Henry Townsend's biography. Henry settled in Flushing, where his brother John Townsend (1608-1668) was one of the original settlers of that place, to whom the patent was granted by Gov. Keift in 1645. On account of political difficulties with the Dutch governor, Peter Stuyvesant, the Townsend brothers moved to Warwick, Rhode Island.
In 1656 Townsend and his brothers, Henry and Richard, again attempted to settle in Long Island, this time obtaining the patent of Rustdorp (now Jamaica). The following year in 1657 he was arrested, imprisoned and fined. Records from 15 September 1657, show Henry Townsend was asked to pay £8 Flanders or depart the Dutch province within six weeks, "upon the penalty of corporeal punishment."
The source of Henry's trouble was his practice of allowing meetings of Quakers in his house. The Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant had outlawed this activity, banning the practice of all religious activity outside of the Dutch Reformed Church.
Later a petition, known as the Flushing Remonstrance was signed by Henry and many others on 27 December 1657. Stuyvesant rejected the petition. Henry Townsend was arrested, imprisoned and fined £8 Flanders for harboring Quakers in his house.
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