Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1894-04-19
obituary.

Q u q
OBITUARY.
The Late Warrington Townsend
Known to Many New Haven Friends
a Distinguished Career.
The late Hon. Washington Townsend,
who died ct his home In West Chester, Pa,
this week, was we'll known and much e.
teemed by quite . number of our promi-
nsnt New Haven citizens, some Of whom
have spent many pleasant days as guests
ct his homestead. He had had long, busy |
and honorable life. The West Chester pa
per says Of him editorialIy:
In the death OF Honorable Warrington Town. /
send, sketch Of whoss life il given slsewhsre In
state sust.ins positive loss. He was man Of |
generous impulses, great breadth OF mental Wis
tive in congress- from this district he repre-.
sentative ia the fullest measure Of the term and
nation was upon the merits Of his Judgment and
wholesome regard for the welfare OF his people
and the country. In the walks Of citizenship
figure In whose presence his fellow-men felt 1t
their pleasureable duty to show their regard Tor
foT the %.ss up
called BY the people to lead and direct: Though
showed the touch Of time. the community feels
that he was called early and that they have sIs
counsellor and true friend.
Mr.. Townsend was in the eighty-second
year of his age at the time of his death.
West Chester was his birthplace and life
long home. He was of honorable descent.
In his early business life he was clerk and
then teller in the old Bank of Chester
county, of which his father was for . long
time cashier. Later he became q lawyer
and then prosecuting attorney, meeting
with much success In his profession. Upon
| the retirement of his father SIS cashier of
the bank he succeeded to that position, in
which he continued for several years. His
health becoming poor, he resigned as cash
Ter, and after season of rest returned to
the practice of law. In 1859 he was q del
egate to the whig national convention
| which nominated General Scott for the
presidency. he made q record at the con-
vention from his stand taken against the
fugitive slave law. Eight years later % Q
national delegate at the Chicago conven-
ton he voted for the nomination of Abra-
ham Lincoln.
In 1868 he was a candidate for congress-,
and after a sharp contest he obtained the
nomination over his three competitors.
He Was In that Office during the eight
years of President Grants term. He sue.
ceeded General John 81. Ketcham % chair
man of the committee on public lands, be.
fore which committee came numerous
questions of title to be settled. He wal
also member of the committee on educa
ton and labor, on the committee on freed
mans affairs and On the committee or
} banking and currency.
He made various speeches on the subjec
. 4 n a md "a
which met with the appreciation of hi
constituents and was dil!gent and con
scientious representative.
: While member of congress Mr.. Town
t | send strenuously opposed Q bill BY tn
passage of which the representatives vote,
/ | themselves back pay, amounting to abou
81, 500 for each man, but the measure re
ceived sufficient support to carry
through, and then the gentleman from tn
? Sixth district refused to touch q cent of /,
q | because his Coincidence would not allow hir
to accept 1t. He allowed his conscience t
be his guide in other respects also, an
t dnring the whole time of his official sery
. Ice, 1t is stated, he never consented to rid
+ on q railroad pass.
After his return from congress he wa
elected president of the National Bank @
Chester county, the leading financial inst
tuition OF the county. which Office he bel
2 until his death yesterday. At variou
!; periods of his life he served his fellow cit
gems In the capacity of assistant burgess
:, | borough~treasurer and school director. B
! was also member of the American Phil,
10 sophical society, the West Chester FIJI
l. company, the Pennsylvsnia Forestry ass,
b citation and numerous other associations
d A son and three daughters survive hi
8; I-Franklin e residing In Philadelphi,
Il and Misses Harriet F., Marguerite G an
d Bertha D., who live in the comfortab
le home on North Matlsck street, frontin
N Marshall square. Two daughters are d
y ceased epeccs, wife of the late Colon
t. Harvey Brown, and Elma, frat wife
PLANES O. Sellers, Esq. He has two CRANE
sons, Ethelbert W. Brown, who IL stud,
ing in Psris, and James @. Sellers, IT,, WI
N is at present attending military school
to Reading, Pa.
Or Mr.. Townsend's first wife was ElIzsbe,
n B. Price, u niece of Msjor Issao D. Barnal
'. of West Chester, and she was the moth
81 of his three elder children. The moth
+, of the three younger children was origiua
N ~ Elizabeth Gibbons, daughter of DR.. Gi
* hons of Wilmington.
One of the striking events of Mr.. Tow
sends life was his memorable contest
e. thirty years ago, when in q contest for Il
congressional nomination., he overcau
t. three stauuoh decentralization. Way
In MscVsagh, now United States minister
= Rome, Henry s. Evans of West Chest
- and DR.. David Hutchinson of Oxford.
ID At the close of Mr.. Townssnd's fir
er term DR.. Hutchinson became q candida
IN against him, but the great mass of Mr. n
Veagh's friends supported Mr.. Townsen
g. and as a consequence DIR. Hutchinson b,
9. but few votes In the convention. Aft
I'd that Mr.. Townsend had no oppositf.
a. until Chester county had had its alIottt
re four terms, according to the custom
Of the party, which gave Chester county fo
y terms, or eight years, and Delewa
N county three terms, or six years.