John Selby Townsend (August 24, 1824 – April 23, 1892) was an American judge and politician.
Townsend was born on August 24, 1824, in Morganfield, Kentucky to James Townsend 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][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.