It
was 301 years ago when my 5th great-grandmother, Lydia Reynolds, was
born, 24 Apr 1716 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It was probably in
Chichester Township, which was in the part of Chester County which
became Delaware County in 1789. Her father, Francis Reynolds, was
listed in the township in both 1715 and 1722. Francis had married her
mother, Elizabeth Acton, in 1712at the Quaker Salem Monthly Meeting
in New Jersey. Chichester Township was located along the Delaware
River adjoining Delaware and across the river from New Jersey. Lydia
had 1 older sister, 1 younger sister and 5 younger brothers.
The
family were Quakers and Lydia stayed within the faith when she
married Joseph Townsend Jun of East Bradford Township at the meeting
house in Chichester as recorded at Concord Monthly Meeting. It was
the 17th day of the 3rd month in 1739, which would translate to 17
May 1739.
She
and Joseph had four children: Francis, Benjamin (my 4th
great-grandfather). Esther and Joseph, before her husband Joseph died
at age 34 in Dec 1749. Their 5th child, Elizabeth, was born in 1750.
I find it interesting that Lydia and Joseph's children all seem to be
named for family members:
Francis
-- Lydia's father, Francis Reynolds
Benjamin
-- Lydia's grandfather, Benjamin Acton
Esther
-- Joseph's grandmother, Esther ( ) Wooderson
Joseph
-- Joseph's father and himself, Joseph Townsend
Elizabeth
-- Lydia's mother, Elizabeth (Acton) Reynolds
A portion of the will of Lydia's husband, Joseph Townsend, 1749
Joseph
provided for Lydia generously in his will. Here I am quoting from a
portion of it as best as I can transcribe that old handwriting. (See
above.) "I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Lydia all the
household goods that are now in Being which Shee brought me at
Marriage and all the furniture that belongs to the room Over the
Dwelling house Two pots and the warming pan and half a Duzon of
platters and one Duzon of pewter plates half a Duzon of porringers
one pewter _____the tea kettle and pewter cup and two silver tea
spoons.....the full sum of Six pound a year and every year during her
widowhood...."
Her
father, Francis Reynolds, died in 1760 and Lydia was named as an heir
in his will also. It was 8 May 1761 when Lydia married her 2nd
husband, widower Joseph Talbot, who had 10 children by his first
wife. It was just the next year on 8 Jul 1762 that Lydia's oldest son
Francis married Joseph Talbot's 6th child, Rachel. So Lydia was
Rachel's step-mother and mother-in-law at the same time.
I
have not yet found the date for Lydia's death. But it is reasonable to believe that she
had died before Joseph Talbot married for a 3rd time 21 Aug 1776.
