One Name Place Study: Ella Townsend of Columbus

Townsends of Franklin County OhioIt's once again time to investigate the Townsends of Franklin County, Ohio in an effort to find relatives of William James Townsend who was born around 1842 in Franklin County, Ohio.

The next individual listed 1880 US Census is Ella Townsend. Ella indicates in this census that she was born about 1855 in Connecticut. The twenty-five-year-old is working as an overseer at a box factory. Ella is living with her married sister, Minnie Center, in Columbus Ohio. Minnie's husband Orestes Center is a bookkeeper and they have two young children (aged 4 and 1) in the home, with a 19-year-old servant.



Ella Townsend of Connecticut in 1880 US Census in Ohio
Ella Townsend in the home of Orestus Center; Year: 1880; Census Place: Columbus, Franklin, Ohio; Roll: 1017; Family History Film: 1255017; Page: 380A; Enumeration District: 037

In researching Ella further, I discovered that her sister's name as it appears in the 1880 US Census Minnie is the nickname for Mary. Additionally, her sister's married name of Center is really Senter. Mary Townsend's death record provides the names of George Townsend and Jenny Hall as parents. Thus far, I have not found a George and Jenny Townsend in Connecticut, the birthplace Ella had reported in the 1880 US Census. It's entirely possible that I'm not interpreting things correctly.

What happened to Ella is difficult to say. It's entirely possible that she married shortly after this census and I can not find the record. It's possible she moved back to Connecticut. It's possible she died. The list goes on and on about possibilities. I simply can not find Mary and Ella in the home of George and Jenny Townsend before 1880 and I can not find Ella afterward.

Ultimately the question of relation to William Townsend needs to be asked. What do you think? Would you rule out this connection?


Previous Posts:
What I Know about William James Townsend


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