TOWNZEN MEN OF EARLY HENRY CO, TN
This is information I have accumulated over many years of research, from the records of Henry co TN. The ages of these men have been estimated, using a combination of available census records, the date they first paid taxes, date of their first land transaction, or the date they first showed up in Court records. (they had to be of legal age to do all these things.) I will not attempt to include every record I’ve found for these men, but just those necessary to show an estimated age, and/or a possible connection between the various men.
THOMAS TOWNZEN - b: 1790 - In Stewart co TN 1820 census, age 26/45, (b:1775/1794), wife same age, with another male 16/26 (b: 1794/1804) (NOT his son-too old), and a dau under 5 (b:1815/1820). In Stewart co TN, in the Court Minutes Book, Thomas and James
Townzen were shown as having been named by an older Daniel Townzen, who died in 1821, to be the EXECUTORS of his estate. There are no existing probate records for this period of time in Stewart co, so this older Daniel Townzen’s Will has not been found. But
according to law, if there had been no will, and the court had named them to handle the estate, they would have been called “Administrators”. Since the Court referred to them as EXECUTORS, they had to have been named BY this older Daniel to handle his estate. (this fact indicates a close relationship between the deceased Daniel, to Thomas & James) In Henry co TN court, land, census & tax records from 1824 thru 1836. In the 1830 Henry co census, Thomas was age 30/40 (b:1790/1800), wife same age, with another male the same age as Thomas, and 1 male under 5 (b:1825/1830), (is this male under 5 Thomas’s son? or the son of the other male in his household?) There were also 2 fem 10/15 (b:1815/1820). In the Saline co AR 1840 census Thomas was 40/50 (b:1790/1800), in Crawford co AR 1850 census he was age 60, in 1860 he was age 70, so birthdate of 1790 fits. From the various census records it looks like Thomas probably had 1 son b:1825/1830, and 2 daus b: 1815/1820.
JOHN TOWNZEN JR b: 1794 - In Henry co court, tax & census 1826 to 1831. In 1826 he was in Court, charged with “illegal gaming”. 1830 census age 30/40 (b:1790/1800), wife same age, 1 male under 5 (b:1825/1830), 1 male 5/10 (b:1820/1825), 3 males 10/15 (b:
1815/1820), 2 females under 5 (b:1825/1830. In Stewart co court, land & tax records from 1826 thru 1859, but is not on the 1840 or 1850 census. Land & tax records show he was living in the 10th Dist. of Stewart co TN, near John SR & Henry C. Townzen. Previously, from 1816 thru 1819, both John SR and John JR were in Bedford co TN land records. John JR bought land from John SR in 1816, so would have had to be of legal age at that time, so his estimated birthdate is shown as 1794.
ELI TOWNZEN - b: 1790/1800 - In Henry co court, tax, & census records 1826 thru 1833. 1833 court records of Henry co show Eli to have been indebted to the estate of a Daniel Townzen, who died before December of that year, and whose Administrator was Thomas Townzen. 1830 census Eli was 30/40 (b:1790/1800), wife 20/30 (b:1800/1810, 3 males under 5 (b:1825/1830), 2 males 5/10 (b:1820/1825), 1 female 5/10 (b:1820/1825) Benton co TN tax records show Eli lived in the area of Henry co that was cut off to become a part of Benton co in 1835, & court records in 1836 show he died Oct 1836 in Benton co TN, and wife Harriet was named his Administrator. Census & marriage records of Benton co show that Eli and Harriet had the following children: Gideon b: 1825, Daniel b:1828, John b: 1829, Noah b: 1830, and Martha b: 1833.
WILLIAM TOWNZEN - b: 1794 - in Stewart co 1820 census, age 16/26 (b:1794/1804), wife same age, with 2 males under 10 (b:1810/1820), 1 male 16/18 (b:1802/1804 - can NOT be William’s son-too old!) 1 female under 10 (b:1810/1820). In Henry co court, tax & land records from 1822 thru 1826. William would have had to be b:1794 or 1795 in order to have been old enough to marry & father 3 children by 1820.
JOSEPH TOWNZEN - b: 1798 - In Henry co TN Court, tax and census records from 1826 through the 1840 census, (except for a probable short time in KY). 1830 census he was 30/40 (b:1790/1800), wife 20/30(b:1800/1810)with 1 male under 5 (b:1825/1830), and 1 female under 5 (b:1825/1830). Sometime in the early 1830’s Joseph apparently moved to KY, where his daughter Martha was born in 1833, but returned to Henry co by the time of the 1840 census. (Simeon & Jeptha were both also in KY in the early 1830's) In the 1840 census he was 40/50 (b:1790/1800), wife 30/40 (b:1800/1820)with 1 male under 5 (b:1835/1840), 1 male 10/15 (b:1825/1830), 2 females under 5 (b:1835/1840), 2 females 5/10 (b:1830/1835), and 1 female 10/15 (b:1825/1830). By the 1850 census, Joseph is in Crawford co AR, and the ages of the children shown with him in this census, match the ages of his children in 1840 - except for the older son b: 1825/1830, and the older daughter, also b:1825/1830. But they would be ages 20 to 25, so are probably married and no longer in his household, or may even be deceased.
HENRY C. TOWNZEN - b: 1799 - Unlike the ages of most people in the census records, who do not always age 10 years between each census year, or age more than 10 years, Henry C.’s age was shown from the 1830 census thru the 1880 census as aging 10 years each census year. So I am certain of his birthdate of 1799. Henry C. Townzen was shown in court and tax records in Henry co TN from 1826 through 1829. He was in Stewart co TN for the 1830 census, age 30/40, with a wife age 20/30 and no children. Henry was at various times a Constable, Justice of the Peace, and a Notary Public, in Stewart co. Stewart co TN tax, land, marriage, court and census records show he remained in Stewart co until his death in 1883, living on Standing Rock Creek in the 10th tax District, along with John SR and John JR, who were in the same tax district, and owned land on Standing Rock Creek. Henry C was bondsman for John JR, when he was in court on an “illegal gaming” charge. (John Jr had previously been charged with the same crime, in Henry Co.) Land records show that John SR, John JR and Henry C, witnessed deeds for each other, and various men of the SEXTON family also witnessed their deeds. The Sextons were In-laws of Henry C, and also lived on Standing Rock Creek.
JAMES TOWNZEN - b: 1800/1810 - James was probably born 1800 instead of the later date of 1810, because he was named as an EXECUTOR of the estate of an older Daniel Townzen in Stewart co, in 1822, and would have to have been of legal age at that time. (See explanation under Thomas Townzen). James was in Henry co TN in Court, tax & census records from 1826 through 1832. In the 1830 census he was age 20/30 (b:1800/1810), wife same age, with 1 male under 5 (b:1825/1830). He does not show up in Henry co TN after the 1832 tax list, at which time he was taxed for 1 white poll, and no land. I have no further information on him.
SEALY TOWNZEN - b: 1800/1810 - Sealy Townzen shows up in Henry Co TN, on just one occasion - the 1830 census, when he was shown as age 20/30 (b:1800/1810), with female the same age, and another female age 40/50 (b:1780/1790). There were no children in his household.
DANIEL TOWNZEN - b: 1805 or before - (This is NOT the older Daniel who died 1821 in Stewart co TN, and is also NOT the Daniel Townzen who was later in Crawford co AR.) This Daniel was in Henry co TN from 1826 thru his death in 1833. He was on the 1830 tax list, but did not appear in the 1830 census. I have estimated his date of birth from the date of his first appearance in the records of Henry co - a Court record of Dec. 1826, when a Plat & Certificate of Survey for 15 acres of land was transferred to him by Henry Sexton. In order to buy land, he would have to have been of legal age on this date. In June 1827, Daniel and Jeptha Townzen were joint plaintiffs in a suit against William Clendenning, and Samuel Townzen was a witness for them. Daniel was in other court records and tax records in Henry Co TN, until Dec. 1833, when Thomas Townzen was shown to be the Administrator of his estate. This court record also showed that Eli Townzen was in debt to this Daniel’s estate, in the amount of $12.
SIMEON TOWNZEN - b: 1805 - Simeon Townzen was only in one record in Henry Co - a Court Minutes record of Dec. 1826, in which he was ordered to work on the roads, along with ELI, JOSEPH, JAMES and HENRY C. TOWNZEN. The law at that time required all able-bodied men of legal age to keep the roads near their place of residence, in good repair. The fact that they were ordered to work together on the same road, shows that they had to have lived near each other. In 1830 Simeon was in Livingston co KY, on the census shown as age 20/30 (b:1800/1810), wife 30/40 (b:1790/1800), with 1 male under 5 (b:1825/1830), and 1 female 5/10 (b:1820/1825).1840 census of Livingston co KY shows him age 30/40 (b:1800/1810), wife 40/50 (b:1790/1800),1 son under 5 (b: 1835/ 1840), 1 son 5/10 (b: 1830/1835), 1 son 10/15 (b: 1825/1830), 1 female under 5 (b: 1835/1840),and 1 female 5/10 (b:1830/1835). By 1850 Simeon was in Newton co MO, and his age, his wife’s age, and the ages of his children, all match the previous census of
1830 & 1840 in KY. He is not on the 1860 Newton co Mo census, and may have been deceased by then, since in 1861, F.M. Townzen (his son Francis Marion?) was shown as the Administrator of his estate. (also see: Joseph Townzen, who was in Newton co by 1860 when Simeon died). I believe that the Simeon Townzen in the one court record of Henry Co TN, is the same Simeon who was in Livingston co KY and Newton co MO, because of information shown under both Joseph and Jeptha Townzen.
JEPTHA TOWNZEN - b: 1806 or before - Jeptha first showed up in Henry co TN Court records when he was a joint plaintiff with Daniel Townzen in their suit vs: Wm. Clendenning, in which Samuel Townzen was a witness. On March 29, 1831, Jeptha was in KY, where he married Lucinda Shoemaker, in Livingston co KY, where Simeon was living. By 1835, Jeptha had returned to Henry co TN, and is shown on the tax list of that year. On July 7, 1837, Jeptha is once again in KY, but in Caldwell co,next to Livingson co, where Simeon lived. Jeptha was shown on this date, as the bondsman for the marriage of a Mary Townzen to Louis Goodacre. The marriage record included an affidavit signed by Jeptha stating that Mary Townzen was of legal age to marry, and that both her parents were deceased. Jeptha died in Caldwell co KY, probably in 1839, as in 1840, his widow Lucinda is shown relinquishing her administration of his estate. Lucinda is also shown as head of household in the 1840 census of Caldwell co KY.
SAMUEL TOWNZEN - b:1806 or before. Samuel’s birth date is estimated by the date of the court record in which he was a witness for Daniel & Jeptha in their suit against Wm. Clendenning. This is the ONLY record for him in Henry co, and I’ve found no other record for him in any other state or county. Could the name “Samuel” have been mis-read by the court clerk when he copied the records into the Court Minute Book? Could Samuel have actually been Simeon??? (a wild conjecture! NO proof)
STEPHEN TOWNZEN - b: 1805/1810 - Stephen was shown in land and tax records of Henry co TN, from 1828 to 1835. His age is estimated by the fact that he sold land in 1828, and would have had to be of legal age at that time. He is not shown on the 1830 or the
1840 census however. I suspect that he may have no connection at all to the other Townzen men in Henry co, as tax records of 1831 thru 1835, show that he owned two slaves, and none of the others were shown to have owned slaves.
Does anyone have any additional information on these Townzen men of Henry co TN, that might help prove, or disprove, a relationship between them?
Does anyone have additional information on Daniel Townzen of Crawford co AR, who married Mary Elizabeth Frazee in Caldwell co KY in 1853? He is the same age as Eli‘s son Daniel. Eli had children named Martha and Noah, Eli’s oldest son, Gideon, also named two of his children, Martha and Noah, and Daniel of Crawford co AR, has two children named Martha & Noah. Eli’s widow Harriet, and their other children, left Benton co TN after the 1850 census, and are found living in Ripley co MO, in 1860, but their
son Daniel is not with them. Did Eli’s son Daniel go to KY to marry, as Jeptha did? Did he go to Caldwell co KY where Jeptha lived until his death, and his widow and children still were, next to Livingston co KY, where Simeon had once lived? Did he then go to Crawford co AR where Thomas lived, and Joseph had been living?I have found no record whatever, to show that any of the other Townzen men who were originally in Henry co TN, actually had a son named Daniel - except Eli. Is Eli Townzen of Henry & Benton co TN, the father of Daniel Townzen of Crawford co AR?
Any additional records, or any contradictory information, on any of these men will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Betty Moran
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CORRECTION to TOWNZEN MEN-HENRY CO TN
Betty Moran 2/20/01