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From:
Subject: Re: [TOWNSEND] Re: Benedictus Townsend
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 22:22:52 EDT



In a message dated 6/29/2005 8:33:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:

Well, if Benedictus was a Quaker he should show up in a Monthly
Meeting transcript somewhere. As Isaid, an odd name for a Quaker but
maybe he was a convert. Any way, he should be in a MM somewhere.




Very true. he may show up as Benedictus or as William. On all of the early
deeds that I have seen, the parties involved were mainly Quaker. The Light
family that he married into appear to have been Quaker. Leah Townsend, a
descendant of Light Townsend and an early female attorney in South Carolina,
researched this group. She did not know of the Delaware deeds and Lucilla Light.
However she wrote in 1948, from the Law Offices of McCracken and Townsend in
Florence, South Carolina, "the name Light seems to occur throughout the
years. ..From other indications I have always thought that this Benedictus
Townsend came through North Carolina from the Quakers of Pennsylvania.." I wonder
what records she was looking at even back then.

Benedictus is a Latin name...and the name Lucilla is Latin for 'light.' Her
name literally meant light-light..which is probably why so many Townsend
descendants continue that naming tradition even today, four hundred years later.
An assumption could be made that this family spoke Latin. He also signed his
papers in the very early 1700's, which was somewhat uncommon. It would be
wonderful to find the actual signature and reproduce it.

Michael

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