User:Pmcyclist/John Townsend Article

quantity of wood in the vicinity John Townsend died aged 72 He was the son of Henry Townsend and was born at the Sterling Iron Works in Warwick Orange county In 1802 he came to Albany in the capacity of clerk to his brother Isaiah who had established himself here four years before and with whom he afterwards became a partner They prosecuted a successful hardware and iron foundry business They were connected with the Albany and Troy Nail Works and in connection with the late William James and others were the first to commence the manufacture of salt at Syracuse by solar evaporation In 1810 he married a daughter of the late Ambrose Spencer who bore him thirteen children and died in 1849 He was mayor of the city in 1829 1830 and 1832 and at the time of his death was president of the Commercial Bank of the board of Water Commissioners of the Albany Exchange Company of the Albany Savings Bank of the Albany Pier Company of the Syracuse Coarse Salt Company of the Watervliet Turnpike Company and acting president of the Albany Insurance Company He retired from active business several years previous to his death and for the last two or three years not only age but disease had made perceptible inroads upon the vigor of his constitution He died at his residence in State street in the full possession of his intellectual faculties and surrounded by all his children He left behind him the memory of a faithful and energetic public officer a liberal and patriotic citizen an intelligent and enterprising merchant a kind and affectionate husband and father an urbane and courteous gentleman and an honest man William W Forsyth died aged 41 27 Rev Wm B Lacy DD formerly rector of St The Annals of Albany  By Joel Munsell