Ellen Townsend
Ellen (May?) Townsend was the wife of William Webb-King. Her parents were Isaac Townsend and Sarah Brinsdon. She was first married to James Hobbs, of Stroud (11 August, 1861, Holy Trinity, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire - where he is said to be age 32 (b. 1829) and Ellen, 27 - IGI M049001). James Hobbs was the son of Allen Hobbs (b. ca 1799, of Horsley, Gloucestershire) and Mary Ann King. (There is an Ellen Towsend also born in Horsley, in 1832) who's dates and this link may fit with 'our' Ellen Townsend. Horsley is about 4 or 5 miles SW of Minchinhampton, just south of Nailsworth.)
After the death of James Hobbs, Ellen remarried - William Webb-King.
ELLEN TOWNSEND
Christening: 26 AUG 1832 Horsley, Gloucester, England
Father: ISAAC TOWNSEND
Mother: SARAH
Batch No.: P018101ISAAC TOWNSEND
Spouse: SARAH BRINSDON Family
Marriage: 19 OCT 1830 Minchinhampton, Gloucester, England
Batch No.: M0490011841 England Census about Sarah Townsend
[Sarah Brinsdon] occ. needle worker
Age: 50
Estimated birth year: abt 1791
Civil parish: Minchinhampton
Hundred: Longtree
County/Island: Gloucestershire
Country: England
Registration district: Stroud
Sub-registration district: Minchinhampton
Residing - Sear Hill
Household Members: Name Age
Sarah Townsend 50
Wm Townsend 8
John Townsend 5
Ellen Townsend 9 Mo
In 1841 Sarah Brinsdon Townsend (as above) and her family are living right next to Brinsdon family members - likely a brother and his family.
Brinsdon family members next door:
John Brinsdon 50 Traveller (gypsy?) not from this county
Elizabeth 52 not from this county
James 18 ditto
Charles 16 ditto
Benjamin 14 ditto
Sarah Townsend is next (see above) 30 needle worker - not born in this co.
1861 England Census about Isaac Townsend
Age: 56
Estimated birth year: abt 1805
Relation: Head
Spouse's name: Sarah
Where born: M Hampton, Gloucestershire, England
Civil parish: Minchinhampton (St. Chloe Green)
Ecclesiastical parish: Amberley
County/Island: Gloucestershire
Country: England
Registration district: Stroud
Sub-registration district: Minchinhampton
ED, institution, or vessel: 4
Household schedule number: 102
Household Members: Name Age
Isaac Townsend 56 cloth dresser
Sarah Townsend 47
Ellen Townsend 19 flock worker
Richard Townsend 16 woolen cloth worker
Elizabeth Townsend 14 flock worker
Francis Townsend 12 scholar
James Townsend 9 scholar
Catherine Townsend 2 grandchild (of whom - Ellen?)
Next door is an Elizabeth Shipton 25 (unmarried) with a 'boarder' - William Townsend 26 and a daughter, Ellen - 4 mos. Are they the parents of the above Catherine, too?
Also in the 1861 Census, and residing on St. Chole Green is the Allen and Mary Ann (King) Hobbs family, with their son James who would marry Ellen Townsend in that year.
1861
Allen Hobbs head 80 supported by children, formerly woolen cloth weaver, b. Horsley, Gloucestershire
Mary A. wife 66 woolen cloth worker b. Woodchester, Glouc.
Mary unmarried 35 woolenCloth power loom worker b Avening, Glouc
Hannah unmarried 27 woolen cloth picker b Minchinhampton
James unmarried 29 works at Flour Mill b Minchinhampton
Edwin grandson 5 Middlesex, PaddingtonJohn Hobbs head unmarried 23 Baker & Confectioner b. Minchinhampton
Ernest Hobbs nephew 13 Baker's Assistant b. Stroud
As one can see, the records are confusing as relating to the birth of Ellen Townsend. Clearly she is the daughter of Sarah Brinsdon and Isaac Townsend (as per comparison of the IGI record and the 1841 Census) Isaac and Sarah are married in 1830. There is also clear linkage between Minchinhampton and Horsley. One IGI record has her birth as 1832, Horsley, Gloucestershire; but the 1841 Census has her as being 9 mos old. The 1841 Census is notariously inaccurate as to dates. Ellen is said to be 32 at her marriage to James Hobbs (which again points to a 1832 birth date. It is likely that the 1841 Census should be listing her as age 9 years of age (not 9 months). On the other hand, the first Ellen (b 1832) may have died and the second (b. 1842) is the one who married James Hobbs.
There is a death record for a Ellen Townsend as follows:
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915 about Ellen Townsend Name: Ellen Townsend
Year of Registration: 1842
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Stroud (1837 Onw)
County: Gloucestershire
Volume: 11
Page: 353
Ellen and James Hobbs had a daughter, named Annie (Mary Anne Hobs in 1871 Census). Annie was born in Stroud Water, Gloucestershire. Minchinhampton is located on a hill top 4 miles south-south-east of Stroud, Gloucestershire, England, in the Cotswolds. The town is an ancient market town dating back to pre-1400. All of this is just south of Stroud and perhaps considered as being part of the Stroud Water basin. Minchinhampton is also a parish including the hamlets of Woodchester, Avening, |Nailsworth and Horsley - all names of places that figure in the family's (and related) history.
Annie Hobbs subsequently married William Pledger. They had a daughter, Winnifred (Winnie) who was born in 1900. She was a nurse who moved to Detroit, Michigan. For some reason, Annie Pledger was known as Aunt Judy (cf. a letter from Frank Burgess to Barry King).
According to the 1881 Census of England, Ellen was living with her husband and family at Nether Street, Widford, Hertfordshire. She is age 39, which indicates that her birth was ca 1842 (sic: I think this should be 1832) and that the place of birth was Stroud Water, Gloucester.
The children of Ellen Townsend and William Webb-King were:
1. Fanny King - born ca 1871, Essendon, Hertfordshire - married (Unknown) Burgess; issue: Syndey, Frank
2. Francis (Frank) King - born 25 February, 1873, Widford, Herts - married Lilian Maria Austin 11 April, 1899, Edmonton (Greater London)
3. Ellen (Nell) King - born ca 1876, Widford, Herts
4. Sarah King - born ca 1878, Widford, Herts - was a greengrocer in Worthing, Sussex. (she had red hair)
5. William King - born ca 1887, Essendon, Herts
Ellen May (Townsend) King was a laundress. She died of a heart attack while washing, over a wooden tub. (She was still alive in the 1881 Census.)
1881 England Census Record
Name: Ellen King
Spouse: William
Children: Fanny
Birth: abt 1842 in Stroud Water, Gloucestershire, England
Residence: 1881 in Widford, Hertfordshire, England
There is also an Ellen Townsend, 9 months old, in the 1841 Census of Stroud, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire. Her mother is Sarah, age 30 - a needle worker; also with sons William, age 8 and John, age 9.
ISACK
TOUNSIND
Christening: 31 MAY 1712 Minchinhampton, Gloucester, England
Father: WILLIAM TOUNSIND
Batch No.: C049001
WILLIAM
TOWNSEND
Spouse: MARY FARMILOE
Marriage: 12 SEP 1774 Minchinhampton, Gloucester, England
Batch No.: M049001
possible:
JOHN
BRINSDEN
Spouse: ELISABETH TANTY
Batch No.: M040801
1851 England Census about William Townsend
Age: 12
Estimated birth year: abt 1839
Relation: Servant
Where born: Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England
Civil parish: Stroud
Town: Stroud
County/Island: Gloucestershire
Country: England
Registration district: Stroud
Sub-registration district: Stroud
ED, institution, or vessel: 1j
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 44
Household Members: Name Age
Enoch Hyde 27
Elizabeth Hyde 28
William Townsend 12 errand boy