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Archiver > TOWNSEND > 2005-06 > 1120178735


From: "Liane Fenimore" <>
Subject: Re: [TOWNSEND] Re: Benedictus Townsend
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 20:45:35 -0400
References: <154.53eaa14b.2ff4b17c@aol.com>


I've done quite a bit of Quaker research as the Fenimore's are a NJ Quaker
family. Have also plowed through records for the PA counties adjacent to
Philadelphia and down into MD. Some of the records go back to the 1680's -
like the Nottingham Meeting in Chester county, PA.

I would guess that Leah Townsend used the traditional resources. A good
place to start is always William Wade Hinshaw's multi-volume 'Encyclopedia
of American Quaker Genealogy' which is basically an index to the meetings
(although some were not available to him). Most good genealogy libraries
have many of the recently printed volumes put out by companies like
Genealogical Publishing (such as Ellen Berry's 'Our Quaker Ancestors;
finding them in Quaker records'). Henry Peden has a book that goes back
into the 1600's for Quaker records in southern Maryland. The LDS has a lot
on microfilm. I have not been to Swarthmore where there is a sizeable
collection of unpublished materials.

As I recall, the Berry book lists all known Quaker meetings in the U.S.
along with the date they started. And if Quakers lived in an area, they
went to a meeting somewhere in the vicinity. PA Quakers are fairly well
documented - it is one of the better states to find someone.

About the name Benedictus - in English it is Benedict - still a somewhat
fancy name for a Quaker (Nicholas is pretty fancy for them - Samuel or
William more usual) and the 'us' ending is found in the Latin. Could they
have been Catholics? The famous Lord Baltimore (d 1715) had a son named
Benedict. Before Lord B died William and Mary made things uncomfortable for
Catholics in Maryland although Queen Anne relaxed the laws in ?1707, but by
the Revolutionary War there weren't a lot left. Some went to PA, others to
Cecil county, MD on the PA border. No doubt some changed religion.

If you do a first name search on HQ for the 1790 census you get no hits for
Benedictus and 63 for Benedict, so this is a very uncommon name. Perhaps a
clue to this family's origins.

Most Quakers could sign their names - those in PA and NJ put their
signatures to the bottom of the marriage records as witnesses (which meant
all persons present) - men and women alike.

Liane

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