John Selby Townsend

John Selby Townsend (August 24, 1824 – April 23, 1892) was an American judge and politician. He was a member of the Democratic Party.

John Selby Townsend
Member of the Iowa House of Representatives
from the 8th district
In office
December 6, 1852 – December 3, 1854
Personal details
Born(1824-08-24)August 24, 1824
Morganfield, Kentucky, U.S.
DiedApril 23, 1892(1892-04-23) (aged 67)
Albia, Iowa, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
OccupationJudge and politician

Townsend was born on August 24, 1824, in Morganfield, Kentucky to a planter and large slaveowner.[1] When Townsend was age four, his father freed all his slaves and moved with his family to Indiana.[1] Townsend studied at Asbury University (now DePauw University) and, subsequently, taught himself law, passing the bar exam in Monroe County, Iowa.[1]

In 1851, Townsend was elected the county attorney of Monroe County.[1] In 1852 he was elected to the Iowa General Assembly, sitting in the House of Representatives from December 6, 1852, to December 3, 1854.[1][2][3] From 1853 to 1863 he served as a district court judge, before going into private practice with Theodore Bolivar Perry, who had previously read law under him.[2][1] He retired in 1883.[1]

References
  1. The Bench and Bar of Iowa: Illustrated with Steel and Copper Engravings. American Biographical Publishing Company. 1901. pp. 168–169.
  2. "Senator Frederick Townsend". legis.iowa.gov. Iowa Legislature. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  3. John Selby Townsend, Iowa General Assembly Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine


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