Towns Name Study Task List

Date: 2019 [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: Towns towns_name_study

Contents 1 Purpose 2 Process 3 List of Towns Profiles on WikiTree 4 Task List 5 Suggestions for Topics for Tasks 5.1 Free-Space Pages 5.2 Resources 5.3 Sources 5.4 Named Locations 5.5 Notables 5.6 African-American Families 5.7 Oldest Families in the United States 5.8 Towns Genealogy

Purpose

The purpose of this page is an overview of the task list for the Towns Name Study.

Contact the Study Coordinator, Karen Herndon if you have any questions.

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Process

• Research existing Towns profiles on WikiTree, using records found on FamilySearch.org, and Find A Grave, and reconstruct pedigree as much as possible.
• Research other Towns on FamilySearch.org and Find A Grave, add them to WikiTree, reconstruct pedigree or connect to existing families.
• Research historical newspaper references to any Towns in the United States.
• Research histories of the Towns family, whether books, previous personal research, or other written materials; compare with primary records.

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List of Towns Profiles on WikiTree

Sorted in birth order, including current last name

• List of Towns Profiles on WikiTree
• List of Town Profiles on WikiTree
• List of Towne Profiles on WikiTree
• List of Townes Profiles on WikiTree

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Task List

You may choose one of the following tasks to work on from your own list of ancestors profiles or randomly choose any Towns profile that may need research or cleaning up.

For assistance on getting started with any of these tasks, please contact the Study Coordinator Karen Herndon.

1. Add the Towns Name Study Category to the Towns/Town/Towne/Townes Profiles. See the Towns Name Study Helpful Hints for Categorization tips.

2. Search for other Profiles with the Towns Surname and add them to the study by using the QuickLinks found on the Towns Name Study Project page.

3. Invite members who may be searching the Towns family to collaborate in this study.

4. Add the Surname origin and meaning to the study. See Subtask suggestions below for Towns Genealogy.

5. Add DNA subcategories and add DNA results.

6. Add regional subcategories. See the Towns Name Study Helpful Hints for Categorization tips.

7. Add miscellaneous subcategories. See the Towns Name Study Helpful Hints for Categorization tips.

8. Add family units to find a link between the families. See the Subtask suggestions below for Free Space Pages.

9. Add famous notables to the study. See the Subtask suggestions below for Notables.

10. Add sources and resources to unsourced Towns profiles by using the Unsourced Index List found on the Towns Name Study Project page. See the Subtask below for Sources and Resources.

11. Add links to sources and resources.

12. Add biographies to Towns profiles.

13. Adopt orphaned Towns profiles. Find these profiles by using the Orphaned Index List on the Towns Name Study Project page.

14. Add links to other Towns resources.

15. Add free-spaces pages for miscellaneous sub-projects. See Subtask below for Free Space Pages.

16. Add family photos to the Study.

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Suggestions for Topics for Tasks

Free-Space Pages

• Research Links.
• Maps and migratory paths.
• Family homesteads.
• Family bibles or heirlooms.
• Reunions.
• Brick Walls.
• Family Units.
• Photographs.

Resources

• Towne: Hubbard, Edwin. The Towne Family Memorial (Fergus Printing Co., Chicago, 1880)
• Towne: Towne, Edwin. The Descendants of William Towne (E.E. Towne, Newtonville, Mass., 1901)
• Towne: Davis, Walter Goodwin. The Ancestry of Lieut. Amos Towne, 1737-1793, of Arundel (Kennebunkport), Maine (Southworth Press, Portland, Me., 1927)
• Family History Links
• Descendants of William Towne and Joanna Blessing at Towne Family Association, Inc.
• Are there any published books based on the Towns Family with possible links?
• Historical societies in your geographical area of study that hold files on your surname?
• Family Historical Societies?
• Websites that are dedicated to the Towns surname?
• Links for further research?

Sources

• ChroniclingAmerica
• FamilySearch
• FindaGrave
• Newspapers

Named Locations

• Towns County, Georgia
• Towns, Georgia
• Towns Cemetery

Notables

• Governor Georgia Washington Bonaparte Towns, already on WikiTree, but his profile needs more sources.
• Towns Surname on Wikipedia

African-American Families

• Sortable table of profiles for African American families to be added to the project. See the African American Project on WikiTree. (Suggested Columns: Name, Birth, Death, Notes, Descendant List {Link})
• 1850 US Census Slave Schedule: How many entries are there for Towns slave owners and a total # of enslaved people.

Example: There are XX entries in the search for exactly the last name Towns in the 1850 US Census Slave Schedule. This does not count known misspellings. Below is the known list of Towns slave owners, with a total of XX enslaved people and XX slave owners.

Oldest Families in the United States

Oldest known Towns people in the United States, all born before 1800.

Oldest in Families in Georgia

Oldest Families in North Carolina

Oldest Families in Virginia

Oldest Families in Massachusetts

Towns Genealogy

• Surname Origin and Meaning
• Other Towns Family or Surname History
• Coat of Arms or Family Crests

There is debate about the general use of Coat of Arms for Surnames. It is believed by most that the original Coat of Arms belongs to the original "Family" and not necessarily to the Surname. The Study Coodinator has chosen not to use any images of the Towns Coat of Arms or Family Crests in this Study. The exception would be attaching it to the profile of the original "family" that the crest belongs to.

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Project Page | About the Coordinator | Helpful Hints | Profile Improvement Hints

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The text on this page was last updated by Study Coordinator, Karen Herndon o 28 Feb 2019.