Family of James W. Towson and Sarah Root

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 James W. Towson and Sarah Root
James W. Towson, solider in the war of 1812, was the son of Obadiah and Frances Towson. Born January 17th, 1788 in St. John's Parish, he married Sarah Root of Berks County, PA on October 30th, 1817 at the age of 29. The union would last 15 years, until James's death in 1832. Sarah would outlive her husband by several decades, dying sometime after the census was taken in 1860. The children of James W. Towson and Sarah Root were Margaret A. (1819-1891), wife of  William O. Deaver; Frances A. (1823-1874), wife of John F. Helm; Obadiah George (1825-1900); Mary Ann (1826-1889), wife of James R. Ward; John (1829-1842) and John W. Towson (dates unknown).


This is information is cited by the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties report on Saint James, BA-226. However, I have had difficulty verifying this information. The book claims that William and Catherine* had three sons, Obadiah, William, and Roland; other sources give their children as Ezekiel, Rachel, Dorcas, John, Thomas, Ruth, Catherine, and Charles, and say that William remarried Dinah Wilmot after Catherine's death and the couple had a son, Abraham (from "The descendants of Henry Sater of Maryland" and "Notable Southern Families, Volume 1".)

Source: GenealogyBank.com, American and Commercial Daily Advertiser; May 2, 1828; pg. 3.

Looking for a James Towson in the years before 1832, I find a James Towson, a blacksmith, living on Front Street two doors south of French Street. This is in Matchett's directory of Baltimore for 1831. With this information I turn to the census for 1830. In the census there is a James Towson living in Baltimore's 4th Ward, which at the time included Front Street. There are 11 members in his household. I broke it down by who is known to have been a part of the family and how old they would have been at the time:
  • 1 male under 5: John would've been 1 
  • 2 males 5-9: Obadiah would've been 5; “Teal” would've been 9
  • 1 male 40-49: James's date of birth is unknown, but this would have been him 
  • 1 male 80-89: James or Sarah’s father? 
  • 1 female under 5: Mary Ann would've been 4
  • 1 female 5-9: Frances would've been 7 
  • 1 female 10-14: Margaret would've been 11
  • 2 females 15-19: unknown; daughters or sisters of James and Sarah? 
  • 1 female 20-29: Sarah would’ve been 37, but could have lied about her age
The next year for which a directory is available online is Matchett's 1833-1834 directory. There is no James, but if he died in 1832, there shouldn't be. There is, however, a Mrs. Sarah Towson operating a boarding house at 48 N. Front Street. This would have been a reasonable way for a widow to make a living after the death of her husband. In the 1837-1838 directory, Sarah Towson is listed at French Street near Bath. In 1842, Sarah Towson is on the west side of Front Street, south of Hillen. Though her address seems to change, she may not have actually changed houses– in 1859, French Street was renamed Front (source).

In 1834, a Sarah Towson, the administratrix for the estate of a James D. Towson, held an auction on December 9th for "all the remaining furniture and household effects... from his house in Front street near Finn's bridge." It's not the right middle initial, but the other details seem too close for it to be a coincidence.

Source: GenealogyBank.com, American and Commercial Daily Advertiser; Dec 6, 1834; pg. 3.

In the 1840 census there is a house led by a Sarah Towson, but it doesn't quite line up. The household has 1 female 50-59 (Sarah would've been 47) and 2 males 20-29 (Obadiah would've been 15 and "Teal" would've been 19). Additionally, the family is enumerated in the 8th ward, while Front Street would have either been in the 4th or 5th ward. The census taker could have simply checked the wrong box, or Sarah could've fudged their ages a bit, but that doesn't solve the ward situation. It also doesn't explain where 14-year-old Mary Ann would've been at the time. Margaret was definitely married by then, and Frances may have been, but Mary's first child wasn't born until 1850. She likely would not have been married until she was at least 18, in 1844.

In December of 1844, an advertisement was made in the Baltimore Sun for “valuable farm and wood land on the Harford Turnpike” that would go to auction on December 16th. Ten miles north of the city, the 65 acre property featured a two story dwelling featuring “every convenience for a genteel family” and an orchard with 150 trees. The property bordered those of William Grimes, John Shanklin, and John Plasket, and was advertised by Thompson and Gover, auctioneers, on behalf of Sarah Towson. This property appears to have been either Saint James, Maryland Historical Trust BA-226, or Small Valley, BA-225. In 1845, “Lot 5” of Obadiah Towson’s former land passed to John W. Shanklin, Sr., suggesting that perhaps the property that was sold was Small Valley (source, see report on Small Valley).
Source: ProQuest Historical Newspapers, The Baltimore Sun (1837-1988); Dec 9, 1844; pg. 3.

In 1850, 57-year-old widowed Sarah Towson was living in Baltimore's 8th ward with 29-year-old "Teal" Towson, 25-year-old Obadiah, and her 14-year-old grandson James Deaver. The next household listed on the census was that of William Deaver and Margaret, Sarah's daughter, with their children Sarah R. and William (both 10), John (4), and Jehu (2). She could not read or write. In Matchett's city directory for that year, a Mrs. Sarah Towson was living at 92 Madison, which could have been in the 8th ward.

In December 1849/1850, Sarah Towson, widow of James, and Jehu Towson, William and Margaret (Ann) Deaver, and Obadiah (G.), Frances and Mary (Ann) Towson sold property to Dr. Thomas C. Risteau. The property was  a piece of a land grant called "Gay's Inspection." This suggests that Jehu Towson may have been the oldest son of James and Sarah – perhaps Jehu and "Teal" were the same person.

In 1860, 65-year-old Sarah was living in the household of her daughter Frances Helm and Frances's husband, John, as well as their children James (9), Isabella (6), and Ida (2); her grandsons James (22) and William (18) Deaver; and 15-year-old Catherine Garden, a black servant. By 1860 she was no longer listed in the city directory. John F. Helm is, however, and he is listed as living at 254 Aisquith, which could have been in the 8th ward where the family was enumerated. It is unknown when Sarah died, but it must have been not too long after the 1860 census was recorded, as she was said to have died in her 65th year and by then she would have been closer to 67.

Obituraries published in the Baltimore Sun and the Baltimore Clipper on June 21st and 22nd of 1865, respectively, mentioned the death of Mrs. Sarah Towson on the 20th of the same month after a proctracted illness. She was said to have been in the 68th year of her age, when Sarah Root Towson would have been closer to 72. The funeral was held from her late residence at 225 Aisquith Street. Another possibility is the Mrs. Sarah Towson who died April 5th of the same year, and whose obituary was published in the Sun and the Clipper on April 6th and 7th, respectively. That woman was said to be in the 82nd year of her age.

Source: GenealogyBank.com, Baltimore Clipper, June 22, 1865, p. 2.

In the 1855-56 Matchett's city directory, Sarah Towson and Obediah G. Towson were both recorded as living at 254 Aisquith, and Mrs. Sarah Towson was listed there in 1864. No Towsons were recorded at 225 Aisquith in the 1865-66 directory, but there was a Clara E. Towson at 264 Aisquith and an Edward Towson at 223 Aisquith. Clara may have been the daughter of Thomas W. Towson and Sarah Ann Eliza Etherington, who became Mrs. Cuttle circa 1870-1875. 

Margaret A (1819-died Jan 21 1891) married William O. Deaver on Dec. 10 1836. The couple had a bundle of children, including: James A. (b. 1837), Sarah Rebecca (b. 1840, the grandmother of Clare Boothe Luce), Fannie (b. 1842, married Charles T. Botsford June 18, 1876), William E. (b. 1842), John (b. 1848), Henry Jerome (b. 1849), John (b. 1854), Margaret (b. 1856, married James Clayton in 1874), and Emma (b. 1858, married Hancock in an unknown year and widowed by 1880).

Source: GenealogyBank.com, American and Commercial Daily Advertiser; Dec 15, 1836; pg. 3.

Source: ProQuest Historical Newspapers, The Baltimore Sun (1837-1988); Jan 23, 1891; pg. 2.

Frances A (Mar 23th 1823-1874) married John F. Helm (1822-7 Nov 1892). The couple had at least four children: James Leonard, (b. Sept 15 1850, d. Dec 3 1877) married Caroline "Linie" Cannon and had one son, John Bartine (b. April 1 1876, d. Jan 6 1878); Isabella "Belle" (b. Feb 10 1854); Ida (b. Feb 3 1858) and Sarah "Sadie" (b. June 26 1868) who married S. W. Frizzell in 1889.
Source: ProQuest Historical Newspapers, The Baltimore Sun (1837-1988); Dec 31, 1874; pg. 2.

"Teal" (1821-????) nothing is known about "Teal" apart from his mention in the 1850 census. He may have been the same as the John W. mentioned below.

Obadiah George (1825-1900) married Lydia Tyler Richards of Connecticut. The couple had five children: James Obadiah and Mary Tyler (b. 1857), Charles Richards (b. 1863), Emory Shailer (b. 1867), and Ira Kimball (b. 1872). Read more about Obadiah's family here.

Mary Ann (1826-1889) married James Roman Ward, Sr. The couple had at least five children: Clare Le Mar (1850-1857), Olivia S. (1853-1920), James Roman, Jr. (1855-1923), Henry Clay (1857-1933), and Robert Towson (1865-1945) Ward.

 Interestingly, one death notice for Mrs. Ward will claim that she is a "direct descendant of Gen. Nathan T. Towson" and, through Nathan, William Towson, founder of Towson, MD. This is interesting both because I cannot connect James's Towson line to that of any other Towsons, but also because James Towson was born just 4 years after Nathan Towson, which would make it quite hard for him to have been a direct descendant. It is interesting how quickly we forget– Nathan Towson predeceased Mary by only 35 years.

Source: GenealogyBank.com, The Baltimore Sun (1837-1988); Mar 12, 1889; pg. 4.

Source: ProQuest Historical Newspapers, The Baltimore Sun (1837-1988); Mar 13, 1889; pg. 2.

John (1829-1842) All that is known about John is from his obituary, reproduced below. He may be the same as the John W. listed directly below his obituary.

Source: ProQuest Historical Newspapers, The Baltimore Sun (1837-1988); Oct 21, 1842; pg. 2.

John W. (????-????) Nothing is known about "John W." apart from his mention in his brother, Obadiah's, biography. He may have been the same as the John listed directly above, but he was mentioned separately. He could also potentially be the same as "Teal."


James W. Towson (b. 17 January 1788) m. Sarah Root on 30 October 1817, d. 1832
  • Margaret A. Towson (1819-1891) m. William O. Deaver
    • James A (1837-1887)
    • Sarah Rebecca (1840-) m. John William Thomas Booth of White Plains, NY
    • Fannie (1842-) m. Charles T. Bostford of Boston, MA
    • William E. (1842-)
    • John (1848-1903)
    • Henry Jerome (1849-1865)
    • John (1854-)
    • Margaret (1856-) m. James Clayton of Baltimore, MD
    • Emma (1858-) m. Hancock

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