James S. Townsend

    James S. Townsend, a successful farmer of Washington Township, residing on Section 31, was born May 9, 1822, a son of Gilbert and Mary (Saxon) Townsend. His father was born in New Jersey, in 1780, where he grew to manhood, and was there married to Mary Saxon, who was also a native of New Jersey, born in 1786. They lived in their native State five or six years after their marriage, when they removed to Steuben County, New York, making their home there some twenty-five years, when in January, 1839, they came to Blackford County, Indiana, making the entire journey by team, and camping out every night while on the way. there were but four families living in the neighborhood in which the parents settled on coming to the county. the land on which they settled was entirely unimproved, and the family lived in a cabin owned by William Miles until their own log cabin was built. There the parents lived until their death, the father dying October 7, 1861, at the advanced age of eighty-one years, and the mother dying December 29, 1870. They were the parents of eleven children -Charles died in Blackford County, aged seventy-four years; Lydia, died in Steuben County, New York, aged seventy-three years; Ardelia, died in New York; John, died in Illinois, aged forty-four years; Gilbert, living in Delaware County, Indiana, aged seventy-three years; Ann, wife of Allen Gadbury, aged seventy-one years; James S., our subject; Alvah, lives in Blackford County, aged sixty-two years; Elizabeth, wife of Daniel Leffler, aged fifty-six years, and Mary, who died in May, 1881, aged fifty years.

    James S. Townsend, whose name heads this sketch, came with his parents to Blackford County in 1839, settling on Section 31, Washington Township, which has since been his home. He was reared to the avocation of a farmer, and assisted in clearing their frontier farm, experiencing many of the trials and privations incident to pioneer life. He is now the owner of 100 acres of improved land, where his father first settled.

    Mr. Townsend was married September 25, 1846, to Miss Mary Leffler, who was born in Perry County, Ohio, in 1827, a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Foy) Leffler. Her father was born in Pennsylvania in 1791, and when a young man went to Perry County, Ohio, where he was married in 1822. Her mother was born in Maryland in 1793, removing to Perry County, Ohio with her parents. In 1846 they moved to Blackford County, Indiana, where the father died in 1855, and the mother in 1866. They had a family of eleven children. Mr. Leffler was a soldier in the war of 1812, and received a land warrant for his services.

    Mr. and Mrs. Townsend have had seven children -Lydia A., born in December, 1848; Absalom, born September 9, 1850; Mary, born Nov3ember 8, 1852; J. L., born May 7, 1854, died April 7, 1880; Susan, born June 24, 1856, died December 12, 1884; Jim, born June 7, 1863; Cynthia, born June 28, 1865, died September 6, 1866.

    Mrs. Townsend died September 6, 1873, and Mr. Townsend was again married May 6, 1883, to Mrs. Elizabeth (Hedge) Miles, a native of Pennsylvania, born July 17, 1829, a daughter of Jacob and Abigail (Bradbury) Hedge, and widow of Joseph Miles. Her parents were born, reared and married in Pennsylvania. In 1846 they came to Blackford County and settled near Hartford City, where they spent the remainder of their days, the father dying in December, 1874, aged sixty-six years, and the mother in July, 1863, aged sixty-six years. Of the six children born to them three are living -Mrs. Townsend, John and Morgan. the names of those deceased are -Mary, who died at the age of sixty-six years; Sophia, Aaron, Jester and Abner.

    Mrs. Townsend was first married February 17, 1850, to Joseph Miles, a native of Steuben County, New York, born March 17, 1826, who died December 8, 1874. By her first marriage she had eight children -John H., born November 26, 1850; Mary J., born September 7, 1852; William, deceased, born March 16, 1855; Jerome, deceased, born October 15, 1857; Joseph S., born February 28, 1859; Julia A., born July 21, 1863; Abner, born June 12, 1867, and Charles, born September 8, 1871.

    Eber and Elizabeth (Drew) Townsend, the grandparents of our subject, were born in New Jersey, and died in Steuben County, New York, the former at the age of sixty years, and the latter at the age of eighty-four years. the great-grandfather, Daniel Townsend, was born on Long Island, where he died, and his father, Daniel Townsend, was born and died on Long Island. The Drew family is of Irish descent, the father of the grandmother of our subject, Gilbert Drew, being a native of Ireland, and on coming to America he settle din New York State. The maternal grandparents of our subject, John and Elizabeth (Evans) Saxon, were natives of England, and New Jersey, respectively. They were married in New Jersey, and later moved to Steuben County, New York, and in 1839 came to Blackford County, Indiana, where they spent their last days, John Saxon being 101 years and ten months old at the time of his death. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and received a pension for his services. He was in good health until within a few days of his death, and in walking never used a cane. The grandmother Saxon died at the age of eighty-four years.

    James S. Townsend, the subject of this sketch, is in his political views, an independent Democrat. Both he and his wife are members of the Universalist Church.

Source: Biographical and Historical Record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1887.