Family History - James Townsend

1. James Townsend,¹ born 1801 in New York (parents not determined);^{1, 2} died 8 June 1866.¹ James married, 26 June 1856 in Cook County, Illinois (the date listed in Gazlay History is 15 June 1856), Mary Louise Gazlay^{9, 11} (born 31 March 1810 in New York, the daughter of Daniel Gazlay and Susannah Leavenworth;^{2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} Mary died 11 December 1897 in Waucoma, Fayette County, Iowa^{3, 10}). James is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Auburn Township, Fayette County, Iowa.¹ Mary is buried in Waucoma Cemetery, Waucoma, Fayette County, Iowa.³

1. Find a Grave (website). Oak Ridge Cemetery, Auburn Township, Fayette County, Iowa, James Townsend, born: 1801 in New York; died: 8 June 1866 (from record, which includes the name and link for one child).
2. U.S. Federal Census, 1860, Iowa, Fayette County, Township of Auburn, Page No. 29, family of James Townsend (60, NY, carpenter); Mary E. Townsend (50, NY) [the middle initial E. is clearly written but is believe to be incorrect; her middle name is Louise and may have been misheard as E.].
3. Find a Grave (website). Waucoma Cemetery, Waucoma, Fayette County, Iowa, Mary L. Gazley Baker, born: 1810 in New York; died: 1898 (from record, which provides the names and links for her mother, three siblings, and one husband).
4. U.S. Federal Census, 1850, Illinois, Cook County, Maine, family of John Gasley (33, NY, farmer); Mary Sa. Gasley (40, NY) [this is believed to be John’s sister Mary Louise]. Also, family of Erasmus D. Gasley (38, NY, farmer); Cornelius Gasley (30, NY, farmer, male) [this is strongly believed to be Cornelia (female), a sister of John, Mary, and Erasmus]; James Sherman (2, Illinois) [this is believed to be the orphaned child of Ann (Gazlay) and Nicholas Sherman; Ann is another sister of the above siblings]; M. L. Gasley (23, NY) [the identity of this male has not been determined but may be a heretofore unknown brother of the above siblings].
5. U.S. Federal Census, 1870, Iowa, Fayette County, Eden Township, Page No. 5, family of E. D. Gazlay (58, New York, farmer); M. L. Townsend (60, New York). This is Erasmus Gazlay and his sister Mary Louise (Gazlay) Townsend. They are living next door to J. L. (James) Sherman and his family (presumed nephew of Erasmus and Mary).
6. U.S. Federal Census, 1880, Iowa, Fayette County, Eden Township, Enumeration District 197, Page No. 8, family of E. D. Gazley [i.e., Erasmus] (68, New York, farmer, widow); Mary Townsend (70, New York); Orlando Cotton (21, Illinois, laborer). Erasmus and Mary are brother and sister. They are living next door to their presumed nephew, James Sherman, and his family.
7. Iowa State Census, 1885, Fayette County, Eden Township, Page 269, J. S. Baker, 61, New York, farmer; Mary L. Baker, 74, New York.
8. Iowa State Census, 1895 Fayette County, Waucoma, Page 278, Jonas Baker, 71, Vermont [sic], retired farmer; Mary L. Baker, 85, New York.
9. Gazlay History, compiled by Margaret Howe in 1955-1956 (copy available at Gazlay Family History - Sources). Margaret Howe indicated that the document is “based on material my mother Inez L. Gazlay collected, but never lived to edit. Her material has just been copied and explains the more extensive material on generation V and VI. Other information has been added which I found from numerous sources.” Unpublished, 29 pages. Several differences in dates have been found between this document and others, especially A Genealogy of the Leavenworth Family; the latter is considered the more accurate source.
10. Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1880-1992, Mary L. Baker, died: 11 December 1897 in Waucoma [Iowa], age: 87 years 7 months 11 days]; born in New York.
11. Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900; Townsend, James; and Gazlay, M. L.; 26 June 1856, Cook County, Illinois. This source also lists the marriage of her sister Cornelia Gazlay to John Baker on the same date and place.