TOWNSHEND FAMILY

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31586, 25 January 1968, Page 10

TOWNSHEND FAMILY

Reunion On Saturday About 70 descendants of four Townshend brothers who came to New Zealand from England more than 100 years age will meet in Christchurch on Saturday for a family reunion. The gathering, which will be the first meeting for many of the families, has been arranged for the visit of an English member of the family, Mrs M. Ellis, a retired schoolteacher now living in Wales. Mrs Ellis, who is from Birmingham, is a granddaughter of the fifth Townshend brother, Edmund, who did not come to New Zealand. After leaving England the three eldest brothers, Frederick, Joseph and Edwin, spent some time at the goldfields in Australia before going to Gabriel’s Gully in 1862. The fourth brother, Alfred, arrived in New Zealand three years later, bringing with him a bride for the eldest brother, Frederick. The other brothers married New Zealand girls and eventually moved separately to Invercargill, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. The only girl in the family, Julia, stayed in England. Mr C. Townshend, a member of the Auckland branch of the family, who will be the chairman of the gathering, said last evening that a family tree dating back to 1460 would be on display at the reunion. This had been drawn up by Mrs Ellis and Dr O. Townshend, a New Zealand descendant who had visited England. Most of those attending the gathering would be grandchildren of the brothers, he said.

Fire In Truck.—A fire in a Post Office truck, used for carrying line - maintenance equipment, near Cave Rock about 9.59 a.m. yesterday damaged part of the vehicle’s canopy. A shopkeeper had partly extinguished the fire before the Sumner brigade arrived.