I am convinced now, but without concrete proof, that Darius & Abigail Townsend were the parents of Nathaniel P. Townsend.
Nathaniel was the biological father of my third great-grandmother Mary Alice Cutler Ellison.
Abigail Townsend’s parents were Nathaniel Paddock and Mary Crane. I believe my Nathaniel’s name was Nathaniel Paddock Townsend.
Nathaniel’s first-born son was Darius Townsend.
Below is a copy through familysearch.org of the deed in which Darius sells some of his land to his son William on Christmas Day in 1832. The land was in Conquest, but formerly called Brutus. He sold him the land for 200$. I think he bought 21 acres but it is difficult to read. I am not sure if William paid full real estate value of the time. The area was booming because of the Erie Canal (completed in 1825) and Darius had moved to Cayuga County to work on the canal.
What I cannot find are any records for when Darius purchased all of this land.
Voices of My Ancestors 