Cheers, for that, I've have a better read and think later.
Just to say I don't think it strange at all there were two John Townsends in the same village/area at the same time, we've seen several examples of this happening all across the country especially in these earlier times. It was completely normal if not usual for first-born sons to be named after their father, and this often carried on thro several generations. I'm happy to be proven wrong, but at this time and unless I'm being even dimmer than usual lol, I cannot seen any reason whatsoever why the two Johns we've discussed are not father and son.
atb J

Forest of Dean records - 1 May 1815 - at Newland

James TOWNSEND - Bachelor - Hundred of St Briavels

Mary Ann BEASLEY - Spinster - Hundred of St Briavels

witnesses: Thomas TOWNSEND and Thomas BOND

Looking at the Original on Ancestry - it's very clear - but the Bride's surname look like Mary Ann BURLEY

witnesses: Thos TOWNSEND - his mark and Thos BOND

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There is a burial at Newland - 11 July 1851 of

John BURLEY - residence Stow aged 15 - son of Joseph & Lavinia BURLEY

Hi again Townie,

big thanks for being polite and not telling me that I clearly am as dim as I suggested I might be, you must have wondered what I was on about earlier !!

For some reason that I cannot now fathom I seem to have overlooked the very first part of your original post, namely John Townsend born 1753. I can honestly say I seemed to have lost the plot earlier, and have no idea why ???. Sorry about that.

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Moving on, wrt your later reply to MPG, yes they may well be cousins, it's a fairly rare surname in the Longhope area so seems likely the two are related. I certainly agree that your thinking regarding the Avening / Sapperton marriage etc may well be flawed, at least I got that part of the puzzle correct earlier.

I've had a good search around the various sites for John Townsends born abt 1753, but struggling to know which is our man. Do you have any idea of his birthplace, or parents, etc ?. Probably father John I suspect.

As a stab at a starting point, I wondered if Brockhampton was his original home area ?.
Using FamilySearch I find the following "John Townsend" records which appear to be family groups, purely conjecture but I wonder if they are ancestors to your John b1753.

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Stoke Bliss is abt 5 miles north of Brockhampton.

Name John Towensend
Gender Male
Christening Date 19 Aug 1681
Christening Date (Original) 19 AUG 1681
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Towensend
Mother's Name Ann

Name Rachel Townsend
Gender Female
Christening Date 11 Feb 1685
Christening Date (Original) 11 FEB 1685
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Anne

Name Benjamin Townsend
Gender Male
Christening Date 15 Jun 1687
Christening Date (Original) 15 JUN 1687
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Anne

Name Thomas Townsend
Gender Male
Christening Date 16 Dec 1688
Christening Date (Original) 16 DEC 1688
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Anne

Name Anne Townsend
Gender Female
Christening Date 29 Jul 1691
Christening Date (Original) 29 JUL 1691
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Anne

Name Martha Townsend
Gender Female
Christening Date 09 Mar 1692
Christening Date (Original) 09 MAR 1692
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Anne

Name Martha Townsend
Gender Female
Christening Date 26 May 1702
Christening Date (Original) 26 MAY 1702
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Anne

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Name John Townsend
Gender Male
Christening Date 11 May 1710
Christening Date (Original) 11 MAY 1710
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Susanna

Name Richard Townsend
Gender Male
Christening Date 14 Mar 1711
Christening Date (Original) 14 MAR 1711
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Susanna

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England Births and Christenings
Name John Townsend
Gender Male
Christening Date 09 May 1733
Christening Date (Original) 09 MAY 1733
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name Benjamin Townsend
Mother's Name Susanna

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"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ,"
Name John Townsend
Spouse's Name Anne Weir
Event Date 22 Sep 1737
Event Place Stoke Bliss,Hereford,England

Name John Townsend
Gender Male
Christening Date 28 Aug 1739
Christening Date (Original) 28 AUG 1739
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Anne

Name Ann Townsend
Gender Female
Christening Date 04 Jul 1742
Christening Date (Original) 04 JUL 1742
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Ann

Name Thomas Townsend
Gender Male
Christening Date 03 Jul 1748
Christening Date (Original) 03 JUL 1748
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Ann

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Not sure if this is the same couple, Thornbury is only abt 2 miles southwest of Stoke Bliss.

Name Townsend
Gender Female
Christening Date 30 Jun 1745
Christening Date (Original) 30 JUN 1745
Christening Place THORNBURY,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Anne

Name Thomas Townsend
Gender Male
Christening Date 09 Apr 1749
Christening Date (Original) 09 APR 1749
Christening Place THORNBURY,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Anne

And Edwyn Ralph is abt a mile southeast from Thornbury, towards Brockhampton.

"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ,"
Name John Townsend
Spouse's Name Anne
Event Date 29 Jul 1729
Event Place Edwyn Ralph,Hereford,England

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"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ,"
Name John Townsend
Spouse's Name Elizabeth Bruton
Event Date 20 May 1767
Event Place Stoke Bliss,Hereford,England

Name William Townsend
Gender Male
Christening Date 25 Jun 1769
Christening Date (Original) 25 JUN 1769
Christening Place STOKE BLISS,HEREFORD,ENGLAND
Father's Name John Townsend
Mother's Name Elizabeth

======

Not sure how this helps... if nothing else proves there are a lot of John Townsends in this small area.

???

atb J

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Ancestry has

Marriage at Fownhope With Fawleye - Hereford - 23 May 1811

Celia TOWNSEND to Edward LEWIS

(tree also on Ancestry - this Contributor doesn't know where Celia's parents)

1841 Census, Fownhope

Edward LEWIS - 60 - Ag Lab - all born in County
Selia - 58
William - 29
Ann - 18
Henry James - 17
Ann TOWENSEND - 19

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1841 Census, Fownhope, Herefordshire

TOWNSEND

James - 55 - Blacksmith (all born in County)
Mary - 51
Elizabeth - 22
Charles - 12
Edward - 6
Frederick 2

1851 Census, Herefordshire, Sollershope

Square College

TOWNSEND Jas - 65 - Journeyman Blacksmith - born Longhope, Gloucestershire
Mary - 60 - NNW
Frederick - 22 - born Sollerhope Hereford