Looking at Light's Will

 

Sometimes, unfinished business may be mentioned—and wrapped up—in a person's last testament. In that hope, my first stop in pursuing the records of Light Townsend was to look at his will. While I didn't expect to see any mention of his possible role in assisting his deceased sister Delaney Townsend Charles' orphaned children, I couldn't exactly not take a thorough look. After all, if he did, as Aunt Fannie's story indicated, travel from South Carolina to Florida to offer help to his nieces and nephew, surely there would be a mention of that connection at some point.

Not in Light Townsend's 1869 will, however. Though the man's will revealed the extent of his property—and gives us an idea of the amount of success he enjoyed during his life—there was no mention of any connections to Townsend kin who might have left South Carolina for greener pastures in northern Florida.

Named in Light Townsend's will were three daughters and a son, the youngest of his children. Perhaps owing to Light's thorough nature, each of his daughters' husbands were also listed by name. His will listed, first, his daughter Amelia, wife of Thomas E. Dudley, followed by Harriet, wife of John B. Irby, and finally, Mary Ann, wife of William F. Kinney. His son, John R. Townsend, was to be appointed executor of his will—"when he attains the age of twenty one years"—along with his three sons-in-law. With no mention of his wife, we can assume that the former Mary Ann Carloss had already passed—apparently, by 1858.

As for Light Townsend, himself, his will was presented in court in Marlboro County on March 26, 1870, a little over a year after he had signed it. That there was no mention of any connection with Townsends in Florida is not a surprise, but seeking that information was a step that needed to be taken. Thanks to the mention of the Townsend daughters' husbands, the name William F. Kinney reminds me that it was a Kinney descendant who had included mention of Aunt Fannie's letter in her DAR application—the closest sign of corroboration yet.

Though the Townsend will itself didn't reveal any extended family connections, there is still plenty of room to look further. Let's take some time to do so tomorrow with a different approach.