Benedictus Townsend - Benedictus Townsend was NOT the son of William Townsend and Elizabeth Costin (with proof)

Benedictus Townsend of Sussex County, Delaware, was absolutely NOT the son of William Townsend and Elizabeth Costin. The confusion may have arisen because Benedictus was quite possibly ( although not absolutely proven to be) the son of a William Townsend of Sussex County.

There were actually two early contemporaneous William Townsends in Sussex County, Delaware.. While they both lived in the same small geographic area and were connected to some of the same families and individuals, they were definitely two separate men.

William Townsend, the son of John Townsend and Elizabeth Danford, is part of a large family known as the “Snow Hill” Townsends. William Townsend “of Snow Hill” was born in 1674:

"William Townsend ye son of John Townsend by Elizabeth his wife was born att Morounsco on ye second day of September Annoq Dominy one Thousand Six hundred and Seveanty and fower." (source Register of Stepney Parish, Somerset County, Maryland, transcript on file at the Maryland Historical Society. )

William Townsend of Snow Hill wrote his will on 4 January 1729. ( new style - old style was written as 1728,) The will was probated in 1736 and left bequests to his sons Stephen, Costin, Solomon, Charles and his daughters Elizabeth and Abigail. (source: Sussex County, Delaware Probate Records 1680-1800. Arch. vol. A102; Liber A, page 83; folios 284-285)

No mention of a son Benedictus Townsend, who is still alive in Sussex at that time.

Elizabeth Costin Townsend, William of Snow Creek‘s wife, made her own will in 1744. This detailed document again mentioned all of the same six children, whom she calls “all my children,” and even leaves bequests to numerous grandchildren. (source: Sussex County, Delaware Probate Records 1680-1800. Arch. vol. A 102, Liber A, page 51, folios 490- 491)

Once more no reference to Benedictus Townsend or his children, all of whom were still alive.

Even more conclusively, numerous descendants of Benedictus Townsend have had their y DNA tested, and a number of descendants of the Snow Hill Townsends have taken these tests as well. The Snow Hill family and Benedictus’s descendants represent two completely separate haplogroups with absolutely no match between the two clans. This proves that Benedictus Townsend did not share a common male Townsend ancestor with the Snow Hill Townsends. The two families could have been related in other ways, but Benedictus Townsend could NOT have been the son William Townsend of Snow Hill.

Benedictus Townsend’s full name appears to be William Benedictus Townsend, according to South Carolina Quit Rent rolls of 1767 . (source: Accounts of Quit Rents Paid 1760-1768 , original on file at the South Carolina Department of Archives an History).

Middle names were exceptionally rare during this time. However, using the “second” name of Benedictus, rather than his (apparent) given name of William, suggests Benedictus’s father may have been named William.

As discussed, William Townsend of Snow Hill could not have been Benedictus ‘s father. However there was another William Townsend, who lived at the same time in Sussex County, Delaware. This gentlemen is referred to as William Townsend “of Cedar Creek” to differentiate him from William Townsend of Snow Hill.

William Townsend of Cedar Creek was deceased before 9 August 1728 , when the executor of his estate sold 200 acres on Cedar Creek to cover his debts.( source: Sussex County, Delaware Deed Book F-6, pages 302-304)

William Townsend of Snow Hill was still alive on 4 January 1729 when he wrote his will. Furthermore, the 200 acres referred to above were originally patented by William Townsend of Cedar Creek in 1684. William Townsend of Snow Hill was only 10 years old at this time. Therefore, they were clearly not the same men.

William Townsend of Snow Hill (1674 - aft 1/1729) signed his documents by mark. William Townsend of Cedar Creek (ca. 1660 - bef 8/1728) signed his full name as a freeholder of Sussex county, Delaware in 1683, and consistently signed with his full signature on other documents. There are a number of records from at least 1681, which connect him to many of the families later associated with Benedictus Townsend. ( who also signed with his full signature )

It appears that William Townsend of Cedar Creek's lands were sold to pay his debts rather than passed on to any children. There are no records of Benedictus Townsend inheriting or selling inherited Townsend land.

None of this proves that Benedictus Townsend was the son of William Townsend of Cedar Creek. However, as William Townsend of Snow Hill was definitely not Benedictus's father, it is offered as a possible area of further inquiry William S. Townsend, Yeoman Elizabeth Costin Benedictus Townsend Benedictus Townsend