David Townsend (botanist)
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David Townsend | |
|---|---|
,_American_botanist,_banker,_and_civic_leader.jpg) Townsend in a 1914 publication | |
| Born | December 13, 1787 Pughtown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 6, 1858 (aged 70) |
| Resting place | Oaklands Cemetery |
| Occupations | Botanist, banker, civic leader |
| Known for | Plant genus Townsendia |
| Spouse |
Rebecca Sharpless
(m. 1812; died 1836) |
| Children | 7, including Washington |
| Signature | |
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David Townsend (December 13, 1787 – December 6, 1858)[1] was an American banker, botanist, and civic leader from Chester County, Pennsylvania. He was a lifelong friend and business associate of noted botanist William Darlington and was a founder and chief cashier of the National Bank of Chester County. The plant genus Townsendia was named in his honor.
Townsend was born in the village of Pughtown, Chester County, Pennsylvania, to Quaker farmers Samuel and Priscilla Yarnell Townsend. He studied elementary math and English at a local country school and became a clerk in the office of the Register and Recorder of Chester County in 1810. He moved to West Chester that year and lived in the borough until his death.[2][3][4]
He was elected as a commissioner of Chester County in 1813 and became county treasurer in 1816. In 1814, he became a founding director of the National Bank of Chester County, where he held the position of chief cashier from 1817 to 1849. His friend William Darlington served as the long-time president of the bank.[5] Townsend helped oversee the construction of a new bank building between 1835 and 1837.[6] In addition, Townsend became a trustee of West Chester Academy in 1821 and board treasurer and financier from 1826 to 1854. For two weeks in 1827, he served as prothonotary of Chester County. He resigned from the bank after suffering an accidental head injury, which eventually disabled him and caused his death.[2][4]
Townsend married distant cousin Rebecca Sharpless on April 16, 1812 at the Birmingham Friends Meetinghouse. She was born on June 9, 1789, and died on July 22, 1836. She was the daughter of William and Ann (Hunt) Sharpless. The Townsend couple had seven children: Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Priscilla Ann (who died in childhood), Gulielma Maria, Albert, Anna Eliza, and S. Sharpless. Their eldest son, Washington Townsend, would serve as a U.S. Representative from 1869 to 1877.[3]
Townsend died at his West Chester home on December 6, 1858. His remains were interred at Oaklands Cemetery in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania.[3][4][6]
