Brickhouse Townsend (1708 - 1762)

Born 1708 in Somerset County, Maryland

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Townsend — married 1739 in Worcester County, Maryland

Descendants

Died 1762 at about age 54 in Worcester County, Maryland

Biography

Brickhouse, also spelled Brickus died before 10 March 1762 in Worcester County, Maryland.

He was married to a woman named Mary and their children were

1. Brickhouse or Brickus Townsend
2. Jeremiah Townsend
3. John Townsend
4. Luke Townsend
5. William Townsend
6. Anne Townsend
7. Hemutal Townsend Franklin
8. Mary Townsend

Will of Brickus Townsend

Signed in Worcester County, Maryland 8 January 1760; Will proved: 10 March 1762

Bequests:

to wife Mary Townsend – her choice of land and houses “to plant and sow where she please and paster [pasture] where she pleases and not to be molested or interrupted by any person…” Also three enslaved people: a man named James, a woman named Patience and a woman named Fillace (Phyllis)

-to son Brickus Townsend – 300 acre tract part of Desires Couten, an equal division of still with his brother Jeremiah. An enslaved man named Daniel and an enslaved boy named Sam.

-to son Jeremiah Townsend – the remaining part of Desires Couten tract, about 249 acres, equal division of still with his brother Brickus. Two enslaved boys (or young men), one named George and one named Stephen but called Harry.

-to son John Townsend – 180 acres at the head of the sound called Point Lookout. An enslaved boy or young man named Caleb. Liberty to pasture 20 cattle in son Luke’s pasture

-to son Luke Townsend – the remainder of property called Brunt Marsh and Powells Lot. An enslaved boy or young man named Isaac. Privilege to get timber from John Townsend’s land to support his own. Also the enslaved woman named Patience after the death of his mother.

-to son William Townsend. Brother John and/or Luke’s property if they die without heirs. An enslaved boy or young man named Jacob and an enslaved girl or young woman named Dinah

-to daughter Anne Townsend – an enslaved woman named Rhoda. Also the enslaved man named James after the death of her mother.

-to daughter Hemutal Franklin – an enslaved girl named Sarah. Also the enslaved woman named Fillace [Phyllis] after the death of her mother.

-to daughter Mary Townsend – an enslaved girl named Sarah and the unborn child of an enslaved woman named Fillace (Phyllis)

-Executor: wife, Mary Townsend and son Jeremiah Townsend

-Witnesses: William Fassitt, William Richards, Savery Wing

-14 April 1762: Mary Townsend quits claim to bequests and elects her full thirds of the estate.

Slave Ownership

Brickhouse's will, written in 1760, lists the following thirteen enslaved people. Three of them had been previously owned by his father Jeremiah Townsend who died in 1743.:

man named James, left to wife Mary Townsend, then to go to daughter Anne Townsend

woman named Patience, left to wife Mary Townsend, then to go to son Luke Townsend

woman named Fillace (Phyllis), left to wife Mary Townsend, then to daughter Hemutal Franklin

note - as Mary Townsend quit her claim to these bequests and elected her full widow's third of the estate, it is not certain who took ownership of these three people after 1762.

man named Daniel, left to son Brickus (Brickhouse) Townsend.

boy named George left to son Jeremiah Townsend

boy named Stephen but called Harry left to son Jeremiah Townsend

boy named Caleb left to son John Townsend

boy named Isaac left to son Luke Townsend

boy named Jacob to son William Townsend

girl named Dinah to son William Townsend

woman named Rhoda to daughter Anne Townsend

girl named Sarah to daughter Hemutal Franklin

unborn child of Fillace (Phyllis) to daughter Mary Townsend

Sources

• Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999: Worcester: Inventories 1742-1763 vol 8, pg 19, image 12. Available at FamilySearch.org [1] accessed 18 Sept 2021.

Inventory of estate of Jeremiah Townsend, late of Worcester

Date: 31 July 1743; value £267.13.7

Nearest of kin: Littleton Townsend, Elias Townsend

6 February 1743 [?/44]: “Came Brickhouse Townsend Executor of Jeremiah Townsend” to swear to Inventory.

Includes enslaved people: old man, Mingo, valuation £15; woman, Moll £15; young woman Philis, £30; young woman Patience £35; man Daniel £40

• Will of BRICKUS TOWNSEND, of Worcester County, in Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999 (Worcester) Wills 1759-1769, Vol 3, Image 35. Images (browse only) at FamilySearch.org, accessed 11 Sept 2020.

Will signed: 8 January 1760; Will proved: 10 March 1762

Acknowledgments

• WikiTree profile Townsend-1174 created through the import of atteberry stripped.ged on Feb 7, 2012 by Jim Vondrak. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Jim and others.