Sylvia M. (Benson) Townsend (1840 - 1914)

Born 11 Mar 1840 in Woodstock, Windsor County, Vermont, United States

Died 19 Jan 1914 at age 73 in Charlestown, Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States

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Biography

Sylvia M. Benson was a daughter of Levi Benson, a farmer, and Lydia Holmes. She was born on 11 March 1840 in Woodstock, Vermont.^[1]

She married Rodolphus Townsend in about 1860. ^[2]

Their daughter Dena Nora Townsend was born on 10 or 11 January 1866 in Barnard.^[3] According to the birth record, George was a wheelwright, born in Barnard.

The 1870 U.S. Census recorded Rodolphan R. Townsend, age 34 and a farmer, in Springfield, Vermont, with Sylvia M. Townsend, also 34; 4-year-old Dena M. Townsend; and George Townsend, 78, and Allice Townsend, 76 (Rodolphan's parents). All family members were born in Vermont. The household list also includes Clara F. Randall, 25, "keeps school," born in New Hampshire, and Charles Miles, 19, a farm laborer, born in Virginia, and described as mulatto. Rodolphan reported $8000 in real estate and $1300 personal estate.^[4]

The 1880 U.S. Census recorded 44-year-old farmer Rodolphus Townsend in Springfield, Vermont, with wife Sylvia M. Townsend, 44; daughter Dena M. Townsend, 14 and a "School girl," and his widowed father George Townsend, 89 and a farmer. All family members were born in Vermont to parents born in Vermont. The household also included two servants: farm laborer Charles Fowle, age 18, and house keeper Eva Gowing, 15. Charles was born in New Hampshire to parents born in New Hampshire, and Eva was born in Vermont to parents born in Vermont.^[5]

The family moved across the Connecticut River from Springfield to Charlestown, New Hampshire, in about 1886.^[1]

The 1900 U.S. Census recorded Roudolph R. Townsend, in Charlestown, New Hampshire, with wife Sylvia M. Townsend. Both were recorded as 64 years old, born in Vermont in March 1836. They had been married 40 years; Sylvia had had eleven children, of whom two were living.^[2]

The 1910 U.S. census recorded Rudolphus R. Townsend, age 74, in Charlestown, New Hampshire, with his wife Sylvia M. Townsend, age 71. Both were born in Vermont; his parents were also born in Vermont, while her parents were born in Massachusetts. They had been married 49 years and Sylvia had had only one child, which child was still living. Rudolphus was described as living on his "own income."^[6]

Sylvia M. Townsend died in Charlestown, New Hampshire, on 19 January 1914. She was 73 years old and had lived in Charlestown for 28 years, having moved there from Springfield, Vermont. The reported cause of her death was valvular heart disease.^[1]

Research Notes

Death record says that her mother was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-62T2-VC?cc=1601211&wc=QZV2-KBJ%3A1042740901 : 21 December 2015), 004243395 > image 2479 of 2785; Bureau Vital Records and Health Statistics, Concord.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D1ZQ-X3N?cc=1325221&wc=9BQR-ZNT%3A1030550001%2C1030552402%2C1031555301 : 5 August 2014), New Hampshire > Sullivan > ED 243 Charlestown town > image 23 of 38; citing NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-YX2F-Z?cc=1784223&wc=MFV4-RM9%3A1029407201 : 22 May 2014), 004705382 > image 3733 of 3930; State Capitol Building, Montpelier.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DH7D-GN?cc=1438024&wc=92KV-T3K%3A518653301%2C519139801%2C519155701 : 11 June 2019), Vermont > Windsor > Springfield Town > image 14 of 44; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBF-KJZ?cc=1417683&wc=XZ3D-VZ9%3A1589415260%2C1589415442%2C1589397022%2C1589398366 : 24 December 2015), Vermont > Windsor > Springfield > ED 264 > image 38 of 81; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, (National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., n.d.)
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RVZ-9Q4K?cc=1727033&wc=QZZW-H84%3A133637601%2C136716101%2C134729601%2C1589091960 : 24 June 2017), New Hampshire > Sullivan > Charlestown > ED 306 > image 17 of 32; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).