About Henry Townsend
Lived 1815 – 1886 (aged 70–71). Henry Townsend was a Nigerian missionary.
Henry Townsend (1815–1886) was an Anglican missionary in Nigeria.
Early life Townsend was born in Exeter, in Devon, England on December 1, 1815.
Ordained in England in 1842, Townsend set off for Sierra Leone with Charles Andrew Gollmer and Samuel Ajayi Crowther, landing there that same year; after working there only a few months, he was transferred to the Yoruba mission. Townsend was against Crowther, a native Yoruba, becoming a bishop.
Townsend published a Yoruba newspaper called 'Iwe-Irohin' in 1859. and several trade schools.
Townsend retired in 1876. His journals and letters are held at the University of Birmingham and Oxford University.
Publications Townsend published several books including two Yoruba school-books and; Hymn Book in Yoruba Primer in Yoruba Book of Common Prayer in Yoruba Peep of Day in Yoruba
Family Townsend married Sarah Pearse in 1840.
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Important facts
People in Henry Townsend's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Henry Townsend?
British missionary (1815–1886)
When was Henry Townsend born?
Henry Townsend was born in 1815.
When did Henry Townsend die?
Henry Townsend died in 1886.
What was Henry Townsend's occupation?
Henry Townsend was a missionary.
What nationality was Henry Townsend?
Henry Townsend was Nigerian.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Henry Townsend (missionary)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henry Townsend. https://biography.guide/henry-townsend/
MLA: "Henry Townsend." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henry-townsend/.
Chicago: "Henry Townsend." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henry-townsend/.
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