http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19315/19315-h/19315-h.htm would indicate that Townsend was dead by the time of publishing of the work
No evidence of the author in New York in 1881 census, no evidence of author in some of the available books. Allibone's just notes these translations with no further information. Billinghurst (talk) 15:06, 28 March 2011 (UTC)