Abigail Townsend

The passengers by this vessel settled almost exclusively in the Town of Watertown and within the next year Train and Miss Dix inter married. One of their children bore the name of Abigail, and in 1669 Martin Townsend was married, to this Abigail Train and settled in that town, and in that portion of the town which at a later period was erected into a legal township under the name of Weston, which it bears to this day. This John Train was the ancestor of all persons bearing the name of Train in the United States. The family has been a distinguished one in "the State of Massachusetts. One member of the family, Enoch Train of Framingham, having been Lieutenant Governor of the State. Charles R. Train of Framingham, having been for many years Attorney General of the State, and at one time member of Congress, and many members of the family having been dis- tinguished for successful commercial pursuits and enterprises in and about the City of Boston. Ex-Governor Long of Massachusetts intermarried with one of the commercial families bearing this name. George Francis Train, barring his lunacy, is a distinguished member of the family.

Martin Townsend of Watertown had four children.

Martin, born in 1671, wbo died in infancy; Abigail, born about 1673,
and another Martin, born before 1680,
and Jonathan, born in 1687.
Martin, senior, went to Berkeley County, in Carolina, a little south of Charleston, with a view of purchas- ing lands there, and died there of fever late in 1697.

In 1699, Abigail was appointed guardian for her brothers Martin and Jonathan, and Thomas Train (presumably a cousin or nncle), was her bondsman. Abigail, about 1700, married a Mr. Pratt of Watertown, and bore him several children, amongst whom were Nathaniel and Martin, born before 1705. She was dead in 1714. In 1711 the inheritance in lands was divided between Abigail, Martin and Jonathan by commissioners in such wise as to give Martin

References

• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F465-N8G : 20 May 2022), Johnathan Townsend, 27 Jul 1688; citing Birth, Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009514
• Townsend, Martin Ingram; The English Townsends : the Tancreds crusaders : the Townsends of Watertown, Massachusetts : The Townsends of Hebron, Ct. and of Hancock, Mass., Troy, N.Y., 1899. pages 13-22. < FamilySearch >