View source for Marquess Townshend

{{short description|Title in the Peerage of Great Britain}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
 {{Infobox nobility title
| name              = Marquess Townshend 
| image             = [[File:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|200px]]<br />[[File:TownshendArms.svg|200px]] 
| image_size        =  
| alt               =  
| caption           = '''''Arms:''' Azure, a chevron ermine between three escallops argent. '''Crest:''' A Stag statant proper, attired and unguled Or. '''Supporters:''' Dexter: a Stag statant proper attired and unguled Or; Sinister: A greyhound Argent.''
| creation_date     = 31 October 1787 
| creation          =  
| monarch           = [[George III]] 
| peerage           = [[Peerage of Great Britain|Great Britain]] 
| baronetage        =  
| first_holder      = [[George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend|George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend]] 
| last_holder       =  
| present_holder    = Charles Townshend, 8th Marquess Townshend 
| heir_apparent     = Thomas Townshend, Viscount Raynham 
| heir_presumptive  =  
| remainder_to      = The 1st Marquess' [[heirs male of the body]] lawfully begotten 
| subsidiary_titles = Viscount Townshend, of Raynham <br /> Baron Townshend, of Lynn Regis <br /> Baronet 'of Raynham' 
| status            =  
| extinction_date   =  
| family_seat       = [[Raynham Hall]] 
| former_seat       =  
| motto             = '''Haec Generi Incrementa Fides''' <br /> ''(Faith obtained these honours for our race)'' 
| footnotes         =  
}}
'''Marquess Townshend''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|aʊ|n|z|ən|d}} is a title in the [[Peerage of Great Britain]] held by the Townshend family of [[Raynham Hall]] in [[Norfolk]]. The title was created in 1787 for [[George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend|George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend]].

==History==
The Townshend family descends from [[Sir Roger Townshend, 1st Baronet|Roger Townshend]], who in 1617 was created a [[baronet]], of Raynham in the County of Norfolk, in the [[Baronetage of England]]. He later represented [[Orford (UK Parliament constituency)|Orford]] and [[Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)|Norfolk]] in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]]. His younger son, the third Baronet (who succeeded his elder brother), played an important role in the restoration of the monarchy after the [[English Civil War|Civil War]] and was also [[Member of Parliament]] for Norfolk.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/cu31924092524374#page/n133/mode/2up George Edward Cokayne ''Complete Baronetage Volume 1'' 1900]</ref> In 1661 he was created '''Baron Townshend''', of Lynn Regis in the County of Norfolk, and in 1682 he was further honoured when he was made '''Viscount Townshend''', of Raynham in the County of Norfolk. Both titles were in the [[Peerage of England]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=1778 |date=4 December 1682 |page=2}}</ref>

He was succeeded by his son, the second Viscount. He was a prominent statesman and served as [[Secretary of State for the Northern Department]] from 1714 to 1716 and from 1721 to 1730. Lord Townshend is also remembered for the agricultural reforms he undertook at his Norfolk estate and gained the nickname "Turnip Townshend". His eldest son, the third Viscount, briefly represented [[Great Yarmouth (UK Parliament constituency)|Great Yarmouth]] in the House of Commons. However, in 1723, during his father's lifetime, he was summoned to the [[House of Lords]] through a [[writ of acceleration]] in his father's junior title of Baron Townshend (although he was styled "Lord Lynn", taken from the territorial designation of the barony, to distinguish him from his father). Lord Townshend later served as [[Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk]].

He was succeeded by his eldest son, the fourth Viscount. He was a [[Field Marshal]] in the Army and served as [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]] and as [[Master-General of the Ordnance]]. In 1787 he was created '''Marquess Townshend''' in the [[Peerage of Great Britain]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=12932 |date=27 October 1787 |page=499}}</ref> Lord Townshend married as his first wife [[Charlotte Townshend, 16th Baroness Ferrers of Chartley|Charlotte Compton, 16th Baroness Ferrers of Chartley and 7th Baroness Compton]]. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Marquess. He had already on his mother's death in 1770 succeeded in the baronies [[Baron Ferrers of Chartley|Ferrers of Chartley]] and [[Baron Compton|Compton]]. In 1784, 23 years before he succeeded his father, he was created '''Earl of Leicester''' in the Peerage of Great Britain.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=12541 |date=11 May 1784 |page=1}}</ref> His choice of title derived from his descent from Lady Lucy Sydney, daughter of [[Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester]] (a title which had become extinct in 1743). Lord Townshend later held office as [[Master of the Mint]], as Joint [[United Kingdom Postmaster General|Postmaster General]] and as [[Lord Steward of the Household]].

His son, the third Marquess, was childless. On his death in 1855 the earldom of Leicester became extinct while the baronies of Ferrers of Chartley and Compton fell into [[abeyance]]. He was succeeded in the other titles by his first cousin, the fourth Marquess. He was the son of [[Lord John Townshend]], second son of the first Marquess. Lord Townshend was a [[Rear-Admiral]] in the [[Royal Navy]] and also sat as Member of Parliament for [[Tamworth (UK Parliament constituency)|Tamworth]]. His son, the fifth Marquess, also represented Tamworth in Parliament (as a [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]]). {{As of|2013}} the titles are held by the latter's great-grandson, the eighth Marquess, who succeeded his father in April 2010.

Several other members of the Townshend family have also gained distinction. [[Charles Townshend]], second son of the third Viscount, was a prominent statesman and orator and served as [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] from 1766 to 1767. The politician [[Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney]], after whom the town of [[Sydney]], [[Australia]], was named, was the son of the Hon. [[Thomas Townshend (MP)|Thomas Townshend]], second son of the second Viscount. Sydney's grandson was the Liberal politician [[John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney]]. [[Charles Townshend, 1st Baron Bayning]], was the son of the Hon. [[William Townshend (MP)|William Townshend]], third son of the second Viscount. See also [[Roger Townshend (British Army officer, born 1708)|Roger Townshend]], [[Admiral]] [[George Townshend (Royal Navy officer)|George Townshend]], [[Lord Charles Townshend (1785–1853)|Lord Charles Townshend]], [[Lord John Townshend]], [[Lord Charles Townshend (1769–1796)|Lord Charles Townshend]], [[Lord James Townshend]], [[Charles Fox Townshend]] and [[Major-General]] [[Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend|Sir Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend]].

As Lord Townshend holds no titles with names different from his main title, the territorial designation from his viscountcy is used for his heir, who is styled ''Viscount Raynham''. Between 1807 and 1855 the courtesy title was ''Earl of Leicester'' (although the title was not used from 1811 to 1855 as there was no a real [[heir apparent]] to the marquessate during this period, but earldom "usurped" by [[John Dunn-Gardner]] in 1823–1843), while from 1782 to 1855 the courtesy title used by the heir apparent to the earldom of Leicester was ''Lord Ferrers of Chartley'' (and consequently was not used from 1811 to 1855 as there was no a real heir apparent either to the earldom or marquessate).

The current Marquess holds several subsidiary titles: '''Viscount Townshend''', of [[Raynham, Norfolk|Raynham]] in the [[County of Norfolk]] (created 1682); '''Baron Townshend''', of [[Lynn Regis]] in the County of Norfolk (created 1661); Townshend [[Baronet]], 'of Raynham in the County of Norfolk' (created 1617), all of which are in the Peerage of England. As noted above, due to being of the same name as the primary title, the Viscountcy has been called "Viscount Raynham" and the Barony "Baron Lynn".

The family seat is [[Raynham Hall]], [[Fakenham]], [[Norfolk]].

==Townshend baronets, of Raynham (1617)==
*[[Sir Roger Townshend, 1st Baronet]] (1596–1637)
*[[Sir Roger Townshend, 2nd Baronet]] (1628–1648)
*[[Horatio Townshend, 1st Viscount Townshend|Sir Horatio Townshend, 3rd Baronet]] (1630–1687) (created '''Baron Townshend''' in 1661)

==Barons Townshend (1661)==
*[[Horatio Townshend, 1st Viscount Townshend|Sir Horatio Townshend, 1st Baron Townshend]] (1630–1687) (created '''Viscount Townshend''' in 1682)

==Viscounts Townshend (1682)==
[[File:Marquess Townshend coa.png|thumb|210px|Arms of the Viscounts Townshend]]
*[[Horatio Townshend, 1st Viscount Townshend]] (1630–1687)
*[[Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend]] (1674–1738)
*[[Charles Townshend, 3rd Viscount Townshend]] (1700–1764)
*[[George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend|George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend]] (1724–1807) (created '''Marquess Townshend''' in 1787)

==Marquesses Townshend (1787)==
*[[George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend]] (1724–1807)
*[[George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend|George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend, 1st Earl of Leicester]] (1753–1811)
*[[George Townshend, 3rd Marquess Townshend|George Ferrars Townshend, 3rd Marquess Townshend, 2nd Earl of Leicester]] (1778–1855)
*[[John Townshend, 4th Marquess Townshend]] (1798–1863)
*[[John Townshend, 5th Marquess Townshend|John Villiers Stuart Townshend, 5th Marquess Townshend]] (1831–1899)
*[[John Townshend, 6th Marquess Townshend|John James Dudley Stuart Townshend, 6th Marquess Townshend]] (1866–1921)
*[[George Townshend, 7th Marquess Townshend|George John Patrick Dominic Townshend, 7th Marquess Townshend]] (1916–2010)
*Charles George Townshend, 8th Marquess Townshend (born 1945)

== Family tree ==
{{Earls of Romney family tree}}

==Present peer==
Charles George Townshend, 8th Marquess Townshend (born 26 September 1945), is the son of the 7th Marquess and his wife Elizabeth Pamela Audrey Luby. He was styled as Viscount Raynham from birth and was educated at [[Eton College]].<ref name=BP2003/><ref name=DP/>

On 23 April 2010 he succeeded as Marquess Townshend (G.B., 1787), Viscount Townshend of Raynham (E., 1682), and Baron Townshend of Lynn Regis (E., 1682), and also became  the 13th Townshend [[baronet]], of Rainham, Norfolk (1617).<ref name=BP2003>''[[Burke's Peerage]]'', volume 1 (2003), p. 362</ref>

On 9 October 1975, he married firstly Hermione Ponsonby, daughter of Lt.-Commander Robert Martin Dominic Ponsonby RN and Dorothy Edith Jane Lane. In 1990 he married, secondly Alison Combs, daughter of Sir [[Willis Combs|Willis Ide Combs]]. With his first wife he has two children:<ref name=BP2003/>
*Thomas Charles Townshend, Viscount Raynham (born 1977)
*Lady Louise Elizabeth Townshend (born 1979)

The [[heir apparent]] is the present holder's son, whose [[heir apparent]] is his son Rafe Thomas Townshend (born 2014).<ref name=DP/>


{{Collapse top|title={{small|Line of succession}}}}
{{tree list}}
*[[Image:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|35px]] ''George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend (1724–1807)''
**[[Image:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|35px]] ''George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend (1755-1811)''
***[[Image:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|35px]] ''George Ferrers Townshend, 3rd Marquess Townshend (1778-1855)''
**''[[Lord John Townshend]] (1757–1833)''
***[[Image:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|35px]] ''John Townshend, 4th Marquess Townshend (1798–1863)''
****[[Image:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|35px]] ''John Townshend, 5th Marquess Townshend (1831–1899)''
*****[[Image:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|35px]] ''John Townshend, 6th Marquess Townshend (1866–1921)''
******[[Image:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|35px]] ''George Townshend, 7th Marquess Townshend (1916–2010)''
*******[[Image:Coronet of a British Marquess.svg|35px]] '''Charles Townshend, 8th Marquess Townshend''' (born 1945)
********'''(1).''' Thomas Townshend, Viscount Raynham (born 1977)
*********'''(2).''' Hon. Rafe Thomas Townshend (born 2014)
*******'''(3).''' Lord John Patrick Townshend (born 1962)
********'''(4).''' George Townshend (born 2003)
***''Rev. Lord George Osborne Townshend (1801–1876)''
****''George Ferrars Townshend (1854–1942)''
*****''Ferrars Ernest Osborne Townshend (1882–1953)''
******''Henry George Townshend  (1911–1979)''
*******''Ferrars Edwin Townshend (1944–2017)''
********male issue in remainder
****''Ernest Edwin Townshend (1858–1945)''
*****''Clifford Edwin Townshend (1884–1958)''
******''John Edwin Townshend (1918–1990)''
*******male issue in remainder
******''George Maling Townshend (1921–2009)''
*******male issue in remainder
******''Charles Roberts Townshend (1926–1987)''
*******male issue in remainder
{{tree list/end}}
<ref name=DP>{{cite book |year=2019|chapter=Townshend, Marquess |editor1-last=Morris |editor1-first=Susan |editor2-last=Bosberry-Scott |editor2-first=Wendy |editor3-last=Belfield |editor3-first=Gervase |title=Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage|volume=1 |edition=150th |location=London |publisher=Debrett's Ltd. |publication-date=|pages=4609–4614 |arxiv= |bibcode= |doi= |isbn=978-1-999767-0-5-1}}</ref>
{{collapse bottom}}

==See also==
*[[Earl Sydney]]
*[[Baron Bayning]]
*[[Baron Compton]]
*[[Earl of Leicester|Earl of Leicester (1618 creation)]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== References ==
*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, {{Page needed |date=February 2013}}
*{{Rayment|date=February 2012}}

==External links==
*[http://home.worldonline.co.za/~townshend/index.html Townshend family website]
*http://home.worldonline.co.za/~townshend/lordsarms.htm#top

{{s-start}} 
{{s-reg|en-bt}}
{{succession box 
| title= Townshend baronets
| years= 16 April 1617
| before= [[Egerton baronets]]  
| after=  [[Clarke baronets]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Extant British marquessates}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Townshend}}
[[Category:Marquessates in the Peerage of Great Britain]]
[[Category:Townshend family|Marquess Townshend]]
[[Category:1617 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Noble titles created in 1787]]
[[Category:People from Raynham, Norfolk]]
[[Category:Marquesses Townshend| ]]