Clement Townsend was born about 1795 in VA and died about 1832 in Wilkinson County, MS. He was the son of Richard Stone Townsend (1762-1840) and Francis “Fanny” Jordan (1765-1844) and grandson of Richard and Susannah (Stone) Townsend.
1830 Census - Wilkinson, Mississippi
14 slaves
2 M under 10
3 M 10-23
3 M 24-35
1 F under 10
2 F 10-23
3 F 24-35
Will of Clement Townsend - Wilkinson County, MS BK 1 pg 70-71
[Note: see court case below]
In
the name of Almighty God Amen, I Clement Townsend of the County of
Wilkinson & State of Mississippi being of sound mind and memory but
great infirmity do ordain and decree this to be my last will and
testament hereby revoking all other wills & testaments by me
heretofore made,
First it is my will and desire that my servant man James be free.
Item, It is my desire that my servant woman Frances, together with her two children be free,
Item. I will to Frances five hundred dollars, & a little servant Girl named Kitty.
Item. I will to James the oldest child of Frances Two thousand dollars, I will to Branch Jourdan five thousand dollars,
Item I will to Benj H. Lewis Two thousand dollars,
Item I will to each of my sisters four thousand dollars,
Item I will to my Brother one thousand dollars, I will to my Mother Two thousand Dollars.
Item I will to Benj & Wm. Lewis children of Wm F. Lewis five hundred dollars each.
Item I will unto Wm Stewart my negro man Dennis & my cook woman Martha,
Item I hereby appoint Wm Stewart and Wm T. Lewis* my executors to carry into effect this my last will and testament, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this third day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and thirty two. (3 Feb 1832) Witness: WW Whitehead. [note: William Terrell Lewis was sheriff in Wilkinson County, MS]
* The will of Clement Townsend was probated 3 Feb 1832. Record of Wills, Wilkinson County, Mississippi, Vol 1-2, 1824-1882. Second Probate in New Orleans in February 1832: Louisiana Wills and Probate Records 1756-1984.
From Mississippi, Wilkinson County Newspaper Slave Ads, 1823-1849: Woodville Republican and Wilkinson County Advertiser, 18 May 1833 - Ad
Lewis, William T (trustee): The slave ANN and her MALE INFANT were to be sold May 21st, a deed of trust had been executed by A W Allan to Lewis on July, 8, 1831, to secure to Clement Townsend, now deceased, a payment of money; title was indisputable (W.R. 5-18-33) Note: A William Terrell Lewis served as commissioner in the estate of Horatio Stark (W.R. 5-22-30)
Though I found no final appraisement or settlement of Clement Townsend's estate, he had additional property to disperse after his death. On 9 Nov 1831 a cargo of his property arrived at the port of New Orleans.
Below is the manifest of the schooner "Louisiana" carrying Negroes, Mulattoes and Persons of Color to be sold or disposed of as Slaves or to be held to service or labor. Shipped by Branch Jordan and consigned to Clement Townsend. Master of the ship: Avery Smith. Their voyage originated in the District and Port of Norfolk and Portsmouth and concluded in New Orleans, LA.
1. Isaac Goung (?) male 26 5'6 1/2" Black
2. Sam male 27 5'10" Black
3. Ben male 22 6' 3/4" Copper
4. Peyton male 20 5' 71/2" Copper
5. Spencer male 22 5' 7 1/2" Black
6. Ruben male 19 5' 7 3/4" Black
7. Jackson male 16 5' 2 1/2" Black
8. Jessey male 12 4' 8" Black
9. John Goldust male 13 4' 10" Black
10. Madison male 23 5' 5" Copper
11. Elza Madison female 20 5' 6" Black
12. Eliza female 11 4' 3 1/2" Black
13. Lucy and Child female 18 5' 4" Black
14. Fanny Goldust female 17 5' 1" Copper
15. Jane and Child female 29 5' 2" Yellow
16. Rebecca and child female 30 5'5" Black
17. Isaac Jackson male 28 5' 5" Black
18. Frank male 14 4' 9 1/2" Black
19. Elizabeth Cornish female 17 5' 2" Black
20. Charity and Child female 23 5' 1" Copper
21. Harriet female 22 5' 3" Yellow
Some time after Clement’s death and before 1850, Frances married (given name unknown) Hardin.
1840 Census - Wilkinson, Mississippi - Frances Townsend
1 FCP M under 10
1 FCP M 10-23
3 FCP F under 10
1 FCP F 24-35
*FCP = Free Colored Person
1845 Mississippi Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index 1805-1890 for Wilkinson County (no township listed): F. Negro Fem. Townsend
On 18 Feb 1850 there was special legislation passed which allowed Frances Townsend, a free woman of color, and her minor children Edward, James, Sarah Jane, Lennora, Frances, Olivia and William, be allowed to lived in Louisiana. The Act is signed by Preston W Farrar, Speaker of the House of Representative; J G Bryce, President pro tem of the Senate, and Joseph Walker, Governor of the State of Louisiana.
1860 Census - Ward 4 New Orleans, Louisiana:
Frances Hardin, age 60, F, Mulatto, born MS
Townsend Hardin, age 19, F, Black, born MS
Virgina Hardin, age 5, F, Mulatto, born New Orleans
Olivia Hardin, age 5, F, Mulatto, born New Orleans
Mary Blake, age 26, F, White, Serveant, born in Ireland
Dwelling #1374
* no other information given including occupations
1870 New Orleans, Louisiana City Directory lists:
Mrs. Frances Ann Hardin living at 36 Gaqnet. Though other listings include (col’d), the listing for Frances does not.
1880 Census - New Orleans, Louisiana
Francis Townsend
Age 87
Born about 1793
Living at 103 Gasquet Street in New Orleans - N side of Gawquet Street
Mulatto
Female
Head of family
Widowed
Father born Virginia
Mother born Virginia
Occupation: Washwoman
She is living with her granddaughter Virginia Miller, age 25, a teacher and her great grandson Walter Genaugh, age 12. Virginia was born in New Orleans, LA; her father born Pennsylvania; her mother born Mississippi.
* Census indicates that all three of them can read and write.
** Gasquet St runs E-W one block S of Canal Street and later became Cleveland Street. This residence would be near the river.
The Statewide Death Index of Louisiana Vol 100, pg 138:
Frances Ann Townsend, age 104, died 24 Aug 1891 in Orleans, LA
Obituary published in The Times-Picayune on 26 Aug 1891, page 3:
Ancient of Days. Death of Frances A Townsend, aged 104.
At the neat little cottage No 473 (?) Customhouse (?) Street near the corner of Ten M (?), there has passed away from all earthly care and trouble Mrs. Frances A Townsend, aged more than a hundred years.
The woman, although belonging to the colored race, was a favorite with the white people in anti-bellam days.
This good old soul was born in Petersburg, VA, 104 years ago and at the age of 25 she went to live at Woodville, MS. Her manner and style of cooking soon attracted the attention of the wealthy residents of Woodville and many were the dinners and supper for bridal parties that she arranged. She resided here for 40 years and was well liked by the people of the place.
At the time of the death of her master, Mr Clement Townsend whose name she had taken, she was emancipated. He had been extremely kind to her and before his death had set her free and willed her some property.
Shortly after Mr. Townsend’s death she ??? To come to this city, but at the time the law of Louisiana was such ? To restrict the migration thereto of colored people unless free born. She appealed to the ladies of Woodville and they immediately took this case in hand and through their influence incurred special legislation in her behalf so that she and her husband were allowed to reside here.
She was twice married and had ten children, five boys and five girls, the eldest, a son, who survives her, is 84 years of age, while the youngest who is also living is 46 years of age. She has also twenty-four grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren, some of whom were present when she died on Monday.
[CustomHouse Street is now Iberville Street]
Francis' son James (1820-1865) served as a volunteer Private, Co H, Regt 20 United States Colored Troops. He died 13 March 1865 in New Orleans. He's buried at Chalmette National Historic Park, grave site 78-30.
Her son Edward Cage Townsend was born 1829 and died 23 Dec 1876 in New Orleans. In 1871 he worked as a Laborer for the Customs Department of the US Treasury in New Orleans. In 1875 he worked at an Asst Janitor and lived on CustomHouse Street, no house number given in the city directory, but his mother Francis lived at 95 Gasquet in 1st District. [CustomHouse Street is now Iberville Street]
1870 Census - New Orleans - Edward listed as Mulatto, living Ward 4
Edward married Elesa / Elizabeth Douse (1838-1923) in Liverpool, England in 1815. Their children: John Douse Townsend (1865-1931), Adele Justine Townsend (1869-1928), and Hazelwood Townsend (1872-1960).
Elesa / Elizabeth Douse is the daughter of George P Douse and Eliza Puckett (b1790). George was born a free person of color on 9 March 1790 in Philadelphia, PA. He and his wife, Elizabeth, arrived in West Feliciana Parish, LA in 1824. Between 1831-1837 he was a steamboat steward and purchased land and slaves near St Francisville. He operated a house of entertainment frequented by plantation gentry from 1836-1843. He died 7 September 1843.
On 2 June 1815 a Citizenship Affidavit was filed at the Port of Philadelphia which bears his signature:
Physical Description: A free mulatto 5'5 1/2" tall; black wooly hair; dark eyes; stout nose, round chin, smooth face and yellow complexion. Large scar on left side of cheek, 2 on forehead near right eye, one near calf of left leg. Witnessed by Jesse Jackson
Sources: West Feliciana Public Records, Plantation Life in the Florida Parishes of Louisiana 1836-1846 from the Diary of Bennett H. Barrow.
1840 Census - West Feliciana, LA - George Douse
4 slave:
1 M 55-99
3 F 10-23
6 Free Colored Persons:
2 M under 10
1 M 10-23
1 M 24-35
1 M 36-54
1 F 36-54
Edward Cage and Elesa Douse Townsend's daughter, Adele Justine Townsend was born 1869 in New Orleans, Ward 4. She married Dr. John Henry Porter (1859-1938) on 25 Dec 1894 in Jefferson, LA.
Dr. Porter was the son of Alexander Lee Porter and his slave, Almira Rich (1830-1874).
Alexander Lee Porter was born 3 Feb 1813 in Mecklenburg County, NC. By 1860 he was living in Anderson County, TX and own 16 slaves. In 1868 he moved to Grayson County, TX. He wife (name unknown) died before they had children, but he fathered between 14-16 children by a mulatto slave named Almira (formerly owned by the Rich family.) Seven of those children survived: Lafayette (b 1853), Daniel Webster (1855-1934), Octavia (1859-1929), Dr. John Henry (1859-1938), Mary Elizabeth (1862-1854), Dinah Louiza (1864-1893), and William Jackson (1868-1943.)
According to family lore:
...After the death of his wife, Alexander moved Almira and his children into his house despite the objections of his brother and other family members. He was a good father and very protective of his children. It is said he once told his brother, "If you cannot sit at the table with my half-bred children, then you do not have to come to my house." On July 4, 1874 Almira died at the age of 46. The children remained with him until they became of age to leave home. Before his death he encouraged his children to move to Oklahoma because of the racial unrest in Texas. He feared that after he died, they would not be able to survive..... Both he and Almira were buried in the South Cemetery in Red Branch, Grayson Co, Texas.
1820 Census - Mecklenburg, NC - Alexander Porter, Sr
4 slaves:
1 male under 14
2 M 14-25
1 F 14-25
In the 1870 Census, Grayson Co, TX, Almira and children are listed in the household of Alexander Porter. All are marked mulatto.
In the 1880 Census, Grayson Co, TX, only Dr. John Henry Porter is living with Alexander. John is listed as mulatto and the son of Alexander.
