Ancestor Birthday – December 7 – Edith Townsend 1791-1837

Three of my ancestors, all female, were born on December 7, so the later 2 are being posted a day or two late.

Today is Edith Townsend who was one of my 3^rd gt-grandmothers. Edith was the daughter of Benjamin and Jemima (Booth) Townsend. Jemima was Benjamin's second wife, so Edith had 6 older half-siblings. But Edith also had at least 4 full siblings. Her parents were married in Chester County (now Delaware County) Pennsylvania at the Quaker Concord Monthly Meeting in 1784. It was 1786 when the family transferred their membership to the Westland Monthly Meeting in Washington County, Pennsylvania. It was there that Edith was born on the 7^th day of the 12^th month (December) 1791. In 1803 the family moved again, or at least transferred their membership to Concord Monthly Meeting in Columbiana County Ohio. They seem to have been members of the Short Creek Monthly Meeting which was set off from the Concord meeting in 1804. In 1806 Edith, as a minor (age 14) transferred to Salem Monthly Meeting which was also in Columbiana County. In 1808 the New Garden Meeting was set off from Salem and Edith was probably one of the charter members there.

It was in 1810 that Edith married Elias Marsh, who had come from New Jersey to Ohio. Edith and Elias had 8 known children: Robert b.1811, Martha b.1812, William b.1817, Lydia b.1818, Jesse b.1820, Sabina b. 1823 (my 2^nd gt-grandmother), Fanny b. 1827 and Joseph b. 1830.

In 1834 the family moved to Indiana, apparently to Hancock County. They were members of Walnut Ridge Monthly Meeting which was in neighboring Rush County.

It was there in Hancock County that Edith died 5 Aug 1837, as recorded in the minutes of the Walnut Ridge Monthly Meeting. Her youngest son Joseph died just 2 months later at age 10. So that must have been a sad year for their family.