Looking for info about James Townsend, 3-12-1840-1885, b. Horton, Tasmania, but from a Michigan family.

Question

John Fox Townsend and Celeste Ferris Townsend 1839-1864, U.S citizens, had several children, but only one of them, James Townsend, was b. in Tasmania.  How did this happen?  I find no reference to foreign travelby these parents.

Comments

I can't find any record of a birth then? https://linctas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/results?qu=townsend&qf=NI_INDEX%09Record+type%09Births%09Births

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Nor did I Tess.

Answer 1

Where did you find this birth (or baptism) for James Townsend. Was it on the Tasmanian Pioneer Index? Someone else's tree? FamilySearch? I don't have my Tas Pioneer Index available at the moment and the collections at FamilySearch aren't indexed (search image by image).

Here's an interesting RootsWeb tree of the pioneers of the Horton district and the Townsend's don't appear to be there. I'm sure if you emailed the owner she could tell you more about the Townsends at Horton.

http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=SHOW&db=alisontassie&recno=127991

As for how they got to Tas? Passengers travelling in steerage often weren't listed by name. Was his father a ship's officer? Wives sometimes travelled with the captain of a merchant ship.