Charles Townsend (1786 - 1847)

Born 22 Jan 1786 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Husband of Jane (Corning) Townsend — married 5 Jun 1819 in Albany, New York

Descendants

Died 14 Sep 1847 at age 61 in Buffalo, Erie, New York, United States

Biography

HON. CHARLES TOWNSEND, son of Nathaniel Townsend, was born in Norwich, Conn., January 22, 1786, and came to Buffalo in 1811. In 1814, with his partner, George Coit, he engaged in ship-building and lake transportation, the firm of Townsend & Coit being until 1821 the only Buffalo house following these lines of business. In 1813 Mr. Townsend was appointed Judge of Niagara County, an office which he held until 1826. As a jurist he showed an impartiality and good sense which went far to supply the place of a technical training in the law, and were amply sufficient for the needs of the community. Judge Townsend took a leading part in securing a harbor for Buffalo. In 1821 he with his partner, Mr. Coit, and other citizens mortgaged their private property to the State and obtained a loan of 112,000 for the purpose of building the harbor. The work was accomplished, and on its success the project was taken up by the State and later by the Federal Government, the outcome being the rebuilding of the harbor in its present form. In the courageous and disinterested act of Judge Townsend and his coadjutors in pledging their own property for the benefit of the public, was the germ of the greatness of the port of Buffalo. The Townsend name is also identified with the origin of that standard financial institution, the Buffalo Savings Bank. The bank was organized May 9, 1846, Judge Townsend being elected its first President, an office which he continued to hold until his death.

Judge Townsend married Jane Corning at Albany, N. Y., June 5, 1819. Their children were Anna M. (Stone), born April 23, 1820; George C, born September 25, 1821, died January 30, 1852; Jane C. (Wilson), born November 30, 1823; Mary W. (Kich), born December 5, 1826, died February 11, 1896; Charles, born April 12, 1831; Frances H. (Rosseel), born July 25, 1835. The death of Judge Townsend occurred in Buffalo, September 14, 1847. He survived his wife by six years.

Sources

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 24 May 2016, 20:21), entry for Charles Townsend(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:K4NC-S3V); contributed by various users.

MEMORIAL AND FAMILY HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY NEW YORK VOLUME I BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK- BUFFALO THE GENEALOGICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY THE WINTHEOP PEESS 419-421 LAFAYETTE STREET, NEW YORK

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924092228422