Elizabeth Townsend

Elizabeth Townsend (Entry 5 in the burial register) was buried 19th February 1856 in plot F48

Elizabeth’s parents, William Townsend and Ann Martin, were married in West Teignmouth church on 13 September 1832, both said in the banns book to be ‘of this parish’.

Elizabeth was born and baptised a couple of years later on 22 Jun 1834 in West Teignmouth.  Her father was shown on the record as a labourer.

By 1841, according to  census, the Townsend family had increased to five, with Elizabeth now the eldest of three children.  Her age was actually declared as eight whilst her two  younger brothers were James aged 5 and William aged 2.  Both her parents were declared to be 30 and they were all living in Upper Brook Street, West Teignmouth.

By 1851, according to the census, the Townsend family had moved to French Street in East Teignmouth.  We learn that her father William, head of the household aged 42, had been born in Bishopsteignton and was still a labourer.  Her mother Ann, aged 43, had been born in Bovey and was working as a laundress.  There were now five children: Elizabeth aged 16 who was described as a scholar; William aged 12, an errand boy; Emma, a scholar aged 6; Robert, a scholar aged 4 and Richard aged 1.  All the children had been born in West Teignmouth.  Also in the house were a lodger, Ann Windsor, who was aged 40, unmarried, and also a laundress born in Bovey; she was accompanied by Edwin Windsor, presumably her son, aged 4 and born in Newton

Five years later Elizabeth was dead.  According to the burial register she was aged 21 and was buried in an unbricked grave in consecrated ground.  The burial was presided over by the Revd W. Robinson, curate of East Teignmouth.  She is shown as having been ‘removed from Wolborough’ which is explained by the fact that she is shown on the burial register as being a laundress at the Union House, Newton Abbot (in the parish of Wolborough).  It does beg the question of how she ended up in the workhouse; one simple explanation is that she was a pregnant single woman, but that is pure speculation.