George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend
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George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend PC (28 February 1724 – 14 September 1807) was a British soldier who reached the rank of field marshal.
On 19 December 1751, Townshend had married Charlotte Compton, 15th Baroness Ferrers of Chartley (d. 1770), daughter of James Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton. They had eight children:
- George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend (1755 – 1811)
- Lord John Townshend (January 19, 1757 – February 25, 1833), married Georgiana Poyntz and had issue
- Lady Elizabeth Townshend (d. March 21, 1811)
- Rev. Lord Frederick Patrick Townshend (December 30, 1767 – January 18, 1836)
- Lord Charles Patrick Thomas Townshend (1768 – May 27, 1796)
- Ladies Charlotte, Caroline and Frances Townshend died young
Townshend served as a brigadier in Quebec, under General James Wolfe; when the latter died, and his second-in-command (Robert Monckton) was wounded, Townshend took command of the British forces during the siege of Quebec. He received Quebec City's surrender on September 18, 1759. However, he held Gen. Wolfe in much contempt, and was harshly criticized upon his return to Great Britain for that reason (Wolfe was a popular hero throughout the country). Nonetheless, he was promoted major general on March 6, 1761 and fought at the Battle of Villinghausen.
He served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1767–1772.
On 2 February 1773 he fought a duel with Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont, badly wounding the Earl with a bullet in the groin.
He married Anne Montgomery, the daughter of Sir William Montgomery, 1st Baronet on May 19, 1773. They had six children:
- Lord William Townshend (1778–1794)
- Capt. Lord James Nugent Boyle Bernard Townshend (September 11, 1785 – June 28, 1842), married Elizabeth Wallis and had issue
- Lady Anne Townshend (d. November 29, 1826), married Harrington Hudson
- Lady Charlotte Townshend (March 16, 1776 – July 30, 1856), married the Duke of Leeds and had three children.
- Lady Honoria Townshend (1777–1826)
- Lady Henrietta Townshend (d. November 9, 1848)
In 1779, Fort Townshend, was begun by Governor Richard Edwards, naming it after George Townshend, who was then Master-General of the Ordnance (1772–1782 and 1783–1784) and responsible for the construction of fortifications. The Fort includes the Government House of Newfoundland and Labrador. (See Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, vol. 2, p. 327.)
Townshend was promoted to general in 1782, and was elevated to the marquessate in 1787. He became a field marshal on July 30, 1796. A peculiar family tragedy befell him in May of that year: his son, Lord Charles, had just been elected MP for Great Yarmouth, and he took a carriage to London with his brother, Rev. Lord Frederick, the Rector of Stiffkey. During the journey, Lord Frederick inexplicably killed his brother with a pistol shot to the head, and was ultimately adjuged insane.
[edit] External links
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- Biography
- Government House in Fort Townshend in Newfoundland
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Armine Wodehouse Viscount Coke |
Member for Norfolk with Armine Wodehouse 1747–1764 |
Succeeded by: Armine Wodehouse Thomas de Grey |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by: The Earl of Bristol |
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1767–1772 |
Succeeded by: The Earl Harcourt |
| Military Offices | ||
| Preceded by: Marquess of Granby |
Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance 1763–1767 |
Succeeded by: Henry Seymour Conway |
| Preceded by: Vacant |
Master-General of the Ordnance 1772–1782 |
Succeeded by: The Duke of Richmond and Lennox |
| Preceded by: The Duke of Richmond and Lennox |
Master-General of the Ordnance 1783–1784 |
Succeeded by: The Duke of Richmond and Lennox |
| Honorary Titles | ||
| Preceded by: The Earl of Orford |
Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk 1792–1807 |
Succeeded by: The Lord Suffield |
| Preceded by: New Creation |
Marquess Townshend 1787–1807 |
Succeeded by: George Townshend |
| Preceded by: Charles Townshend |
Viscount Townshend 1764–1807 |
Succeeded by: George Townshend |
