REDLONS OF YORK, MAINE.
589
1720 (she was born Nov. 23, 1701,-presumably in Scotland, - and
died in 1730), and had issue five children, one daughter and four sons,
whose names and births stand recorded in the ancient books of the town.
This man changed his own surname, or others wrote it erroneously, sev-
eral times during the first few years of his residence in the colony. In a
letter from William Pepperell of Maine, to the governor of Massachusetts,
dated "Kittery, May the 11th, 1717," he says, "May it please your exc'l'cy.
I have sent you under the conduct of Sarg't Jon. Kingsbury, ten men im-
prest at York," and in the list of names that follow is that of "Magnus,
Redlife." It appears from a deed in the County office at Alfred, Me., that
Magnus Ridlife purchased a tract of land in York, in 1719, of Banks Bane
and Prebble," containing twenty and two acres situate between two brooks,
namely ye Situate Marsh Brook upon ye north-west of ye Sawmill now
in ye possession of ye said Banks Bane and Prebble, and ye Fall Mill
Brook." In this deed a reservation was made "of one half acre for a
landing-place for ye sawmill, and a right-of-way across said land in win-
ter."
This was the first home-farm of our ancestor in the New World.
He was styled "laborer" in this deed, but when the same land was con-
veyed to Jedediah Prebble of York, Feb. 11, 1728, he was styled " yeo-
man"; the last-mentioned deed was signed by "Magnus Readlan "* and
"Susanna Readlan." The subject of this notice now removed to Bid-
deford, purchased land, and built a house there, but after the death of his
wife Susanna, he sold his property, as proved by a deed to Amos Whit-
ney, dated Sept. 22, 1730, by which "Magnus Redlon" conveys "a cer-
tain house of thirty-eight feet long by twenty feet wide, one story, with
sundry movable goods in said house, which house is standing on the east
side of Saco river." He soon after married Massie, daughter of Abraham
Townsend,† and purchased of his new father-in-law "a tract of land and
*In the list of imprest men named by William Pepperill with that of Magnus
Redlife is Henry Reedle."
•
THE TOWNSHENDS-now spelt Townsend and Townson in the United States,
deduce their descent from Ladovic, a noble Norman, who settling in England during
the reign of Henry I, assumed the name of the family; and by a marriage with Eliza-
beth, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas de Haville, obtained the Manor of Rayn-
ham, County Norfolk, which has continued in the family, and is now their principal
English residence. They have been very distinguished in Great Britain, and have
for several generations enjoyed the title of viscount and marquis; and a
branch, by virtue of marriage with the family of Sydney, have risen to the title of
Viscount Sydney. Several representatives of this celebrated family emigrated to
this country very early, since when, as authors, statesmen, and military officers,
they have supported the honor of the family name. The Townsends have so fre-
quently intermarried with the Redlons, in Maine, that some account of this branch
should be placed before the readers of this genealogy.
Abraham Townsend, of Boston, in consideration of one hundred and fifty pounds
current money of New England, received by conveyance from John Hobbs, of Bos-
ton, "all that tract of land which was bought of Maj. William Philips and Bridget,
his wife, by Christopher Hobbs, the grandfather of the said John Hobbs, being and
lying in the town of Saco, bounded on ye Northwest with the Brook commonly
called Davises Brook, and on ye Northeast by ye River of Saco, and on ye South-
west by land which was formerly Mr. John Smith's, and afterwards in ye possession of
Nicholas Bulley, Gent., and by all that breadth Southwest untill three hundred acres
be fully completed and ended, together with eight acres of meadow, being in ye
great meadow, and called ye Wood meadow." This deed was dated April 25, 1724.
"Abraham Townsend, of Biddeford, yeoman," Aug. 13, 1724, conveyed to John Cen-
ter one-half of the tract of land before mentioned; deed signed by Abraham Townsend
and Judith Townsend. In 1728 Abraham Townsend and his wife Judith, 66 late of
Biddeford," convey the remaining half of the tract purchased of John Hobbs to
