John Townsend (Norwich)
| John Townsend | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1608 Raynham Hall, Norfolk, England |
| Died | 1668 Oyster Bay, Long Island, Province of New York |
| Nationality | English |
| Known for | Early settler of American colonies |
| Home town | Oyster Bay, Long Island |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Montgomery |
| Children |
John Townsend |
| Parent(s) | (unknown) |
John Townsend
Captain Thomas Townsend
James Townsend
Rose Townsend
Ann Townsend
Sarah Townsend
George Townsend
John Townsend (ca. 1608–1668) was an early settler of the American Colonies who emigrated from England about 1630. Townsend was a signatory to the Flushing Remonstrance, a precursor to the United States Constitution's provision on freedom of religion in the Bill of Rights. Because of religious persecution under the Dutch authorities of New Amsterdam, many members of this family who were Quakers settled in Oyster Bay. There is no evidence in either Rhode Island or New York sources that John was a Quaker himself. John Townsend arrived in Oyster Bay in 1661 and it was there where he died and was buried in the Townsend Cemetery on his own land. Members of his family would go on to be distinguished leaders in the Oyster Bay community and on Long Island for centuries to follow.
Disagreement exists surrounding the facts of John Townsend's birth year, his parentage, and his arrival to America. The work Ancestral Heads of New England Families from 1923 states the following: 1) That John Townsend was the son of Thomas Townsend (1594-1677) and Mary Newgate (1595-1692); 2) He was born at Raynham Hall, Norfolk, England in 1608; and 3) His family emigrated to the colonies in 1637 when his father Thomas was granted 60 acres (240,000 m2) of land with Lord Brook and others in the Town of Lynn.
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 John 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 John Townsend, and to the date that he and his two brothers Richard and Henry 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 John Townsend's biography. John was one of the original settlers of Flushing, having been granted a patent by Gov. Keift in 1645. He and his brother Henry Townsend settled there. Henry Townsend supported the Quakers which created political difficulties with the Dutch governor, Peter Stuyvesant, leading the Townsend brothers moved to Warwick, Rhode Island, where they became members of the Provincial Assembly.
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