Townsend family papers
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Materials from the Townsend family of Oyster Bay, Long Island, including land deeds, an arithmetic book, and a will.
Biographical note
Originally from England, Henry Townsend (d. 1695) immigrated with his brothers, John and Richard, to the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam (later New York) during the mid-17th century. After settling in the town of Flushing on Long Island, the Townsend brothers relocated to Warwick, R.I. after political and religious altercations with New Amsterdam governor Peter Stuyvesant. They returned to Long Island in 1656, settling in the town of Jamaica. In 1657, Henry Townsend was arrested and imprisoned for harboring Quakers in his home. This incident prompted him and his brothers to relocate to the Long Island town of Oyster Bay, which was out of the jurisdiction of the Dutch government of New Amsterdam. Henry Townsend resided in Oyster Bay until his death.
Scope and Contents
This collection includes materials from the Townsend family, including several deeds for land in Oyster Bay, Long Island involving European settlers and Native Americans, dated 1658 to 1678; an arithmetic book of Margaret Townsend, dated 1786; the will of Almy Townsend, dated 1809; and an order to take an oath of allegiance to the Prince of Orange after the Dutch reoccupation of Long Island in 1673.
Subjects
Families
Topics
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
The materials in this collection are in the public domain.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Townsend family papers, 1974.021, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Ada S. Townsend, 1924.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
If digital surrogates exist, they should be used in place of the originals whenever possible.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Originally minimally processed to the collection level, this collection was reprocessed to the file level by Dee Bowers in the early 2020s and the finding aid further revised based on information from the Townsend Society of America in 2026.
