John Townson
joined the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment as an ensign in 1777 and was
promoted to lieutenant in July 1780. He was reliant on the uncertain
patronage of Sir Joseph Banks, whom he knew through his younger brother,
Robert. Robert Townson was a gentleman scholar, well known in Europe,
author of a number of books and proficient in Latin, Greek, German and
Russian.
John
transferred to the New South Wales Corps in October 1789 and sailed
aboard the "Neptune" as part of the detachment accompanying
the Second Fleet to Australia in 1790.
Most of John's
service was on Norfolk
Island where he
served for six years in total. He was a member of the court of inquiry
in 1794 investigating Lt.Governor King's actions during the Norfolk
Island mutiny. Between September 1796 and November 1799 he was
Acting
Lieutenant-Governor of Norfolk Island.
He was described
as a good administrator and during this time on Norfolk Island he was
responsible for building the sloop "Norfolk" which was later
used by Matthew Flinders to circumnavigate Van Diemans Land.
John suffered
from bouts of ill health and marked deafness and as a result he returned
to England in 1800 and resigned his commission in July 1803.
He returned
to Sydney in 1806 with a letter from
the secretary of state
granting 2,000 acre land grant which Gov.Bligh refused to honour.
John was about
to leave the colony in July 1807 when his brother Dr.Robert Townson
arrived with a promise of land grants. Bligh refused to acknowledge
Robert's land grants without official word from England.
During the
Rum Rebellion, Major Johnston took charge and granted John Townson 2,000acres
in the Bexley/Hurstville area, and a further 250 acres were granted
in 1809.
When Governor
Macquarie arrived in 1810 he confirmed these grants. There is a mention
of Gov. Macquarie visiting John Townson's house at Kogarah Bay.
John visited
Van Diemans Land in 1811/12 and as a result decided to sell his Sydney
land and devote his time to developing his land near Kelso on the River
Tamar, Tasmania.
An advertisement
was placed by John Townson in the Hobart Gazette of 4th April
1818 regarding "a stray cow which had joined his herd would become
his if not claimed within 1 month, this cow is on Mrs. Joseph Wright's
property at York Plains"
John inherited
a quarter of his brother Robert's estate in 1827 and when he died on
the 8th July 1835 his estate was valued at £5000. In his will,
drawn up in 1825, John Townson bequeathed 2/3 of his estate to
his nephew Captain John Witt,R.M. and his nieces Ann & Apphia Witts
and the other third to "Sarah
Wright, my reputed
daughter, wife of Joseph Wright of York Plains, Settler".
At the time
of his death John was living in O'Connell Street Sydney.
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