Townsend/Townsell Family
 

In the background are the remains of what we believe to be the Townsend/Townsell homestead in New Ireland.  When standing on the site one can see the Townsend/Townsell fields, Irish Brook and the beautiful mountains of Allegany State Park in the distance.  It is easy to imagine that the Townsells after leaving Ireland and the Potato Famine behind, must have thought they had found themselves in an American paradise.

The Townsend(Townsell)Family was among the original families who settled in New Ireland.  Through the course of our research, it was discovered that the family name changed in the records that we examined. This is not an uncommon occurrence for immigrants coming to America during this period.  We found the name evolved from Townsend/en to Townsel/ell. One Townsend relative who lived until 1942 spelled his name "Townsend" but pronounced it "Townsell". Descendants spell and pronounce the name "Townsell".

The James Townsend family and the Bridget (Townsend) Spellacy family were two of the original families that emigrated to New Ireland in 1864, and there was a third Townsend sibling that lived in New Ireland sometime during the period 1880 to the 1910's.

In 1849 during the height of the Potato Famine, five Townsend siblings emigrated from Lissycasey townland in Clondagad parish, County Clare, Ireland.  You can see their names in the tenent listing (an Irish document very similar to our own state or federal census)of our Irish Document page.  They were Bridget, James, Tom, Michael, and another girl whose name we are yet to determine.  Their parents were Patrick and Mary; who did not emigrate.  This too was not unusual as very often the strongest or oldest of the family would emigrate and then continually send money home to help support those that stayed behind.  The other siblings that emigrated with James Townsend and Bridget (Townsend) Spellacy also moved from Lissycasey.  About 25 years later a much younger half brother, Pat Townsend, left Ireland to join his siblings, James and Bridget in New Ireland.

One of the Townsend siblings that settled in New Ireland was James Townsend. James' first wife was Mary Hogan; the daughter of Michael Hogan and Bridget McCarty, another family that lived in New Ireland.  She was born in Mullugh Parish, County Clare, Ireland and emigrated with her parents and siblings.  James and Mary (Hogan) Townsend's children were: Bridget (Townsend) O'Connell, Pat Townsend and James Townsend.  All three of these children were born in New Ireland.  Bridget married Jeremiah O'Connell, and they lived in Limestone across the street from St. Patrick's Church.  Pat and James Townsend followed the oil business to Parkersburg, West Virginia.

In 1869, James Townsend became a widower.  He left his children with his sister Bridget (Townsend) Spellacy in New Ireland, while he sought employment in some other area.  In 1870, he married the widow, Mary (Burke) Brushingham, who lived in Morgan Hollow which is near Hinsdale, New York.  Mary had several children from her first marriage and James then brought his two sons, James and Pat, to live on the Brushingham farm with him.  His daughter Bridget stayed with her aunt and uncle Spellacy in New Ireland.  James and Mary Townsend had three more children.  They were Kate, Will, and John.

James Townsend died there in 1881. Until then the Townsends had held onto their property in New Ireland.  In 1883 widow Mary (Burke /Brushingham) Townsend sold the New Ireland property to her in-laws, Bridget(Townsend) and John Spellacy.  James Townsend is buried, along with his first wife, Mary Hogan, in Allegany at the St. Bonaventure Cemetery.  In 1883 the Townsell family (by now the Townsell name was being used) moved to Smith Hollow off Five Mile Road in rural Allegany.  Mary (Burke/Brushingham) Townsend never remarried; she lived until ca. 1924.  She spent the last decade of her life with her daughter, Kate (Townsend) O'Laughlin in nearby Fredonia.  Mary was buried in Cuba, New York (See the O'Laughlin page for more information on Kate. There is also a picture of her located in the Family Album Page 2).

James sister, Bridget married John Spellacy.  The Spellacy's and Townsend's lived next to each other in New Ireland (See the Spellacy page for more information on Bridget).

The youngest half brother, Pat Townsell (see Remembrances), emigrated to the United States in 1880-1881 and worked on many of the farms in New Ireland.  Later, Pat walked the gas lines all the way into the town of Salamanca.  He never married, but for the last few years of his life, he roomed at Anne O'Laughlin's, across the street from St. Patrick's church in Limestone.

All of the boys of James Townsend were "wildcatters" (an experienced oil laborer), and some of the girls would also marry "wildcatters".  Their families, like many other New Ireland families, followed the oil industry, and ended up living in places like New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kansas.

A special thanks to Teresa Townsell (a descendent of the family) who provided us with extensive information on her family. She has compiled a manuscript containing all branches of the Townsell family.  We will be using this as a primary source of information.  She has also given us wonderful pictures of her family, which are located in the Family Album Page 2.