George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend

George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend, PC, FRS (* April 18, 1755; † July 27, 1811 ) was a British nobleman and politician.

Family and Education

George Townshend was the eldest son of George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend and his first wife, Charlotte Townshend, 15th Baroness Ferrers of Chartley. He was the elder brother of Lord John Townshend and Lord Charles Townshend. George Townshend, he inherited his mother at her death in 1770 as the 16th Baron Ferrers of Chartley and 8th Baron Compton.

Townshend was educated at Eton College and at St John's College, Cambridge. For some years he served in the army, reaching the ranks Cornet ( Ensign ), Lieutenant, and finally in 1774 to the Captain.

Political career

1774 Townshend was invited by Writ of Summons to Parliament. In March 1782, he was appointed Captain of the Honourable Corps of Pensioners, a post he held until 1797, from 1783 to May 1783 again. In April 1782, he was admitted to the Privy Council and also served as a member of the Commerce Committee from 1784 to 1786. In 1784, he received the personal title Earl of Leicester. He himself chose the title because it was a maternal great-great -great- grandson of Lady Lucy Sidney, a daughter of Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester, a title which was extinguished in 1743.

Under William Pitt and Henry Addington was George Townshend 1790-1794 Master of the Mint, a high office in the Royal Mint, the Mint of the United Kingdom, from 1794 to 1799 he was Postmaster General of the United Kingdom and from 1799 to 1802 Lord Steward of the Household. In 1807 he inherited from his father the Marquessat of Townshend.

In addition to his political duties Townshend was very interested in archeology and was president of the Society of Antiquaries of London. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Board of the British Museum.

Family

1777 married Lord Townshend Charlotte Mainwaring - Ellerke. The couple had two sons, George and Charles, both of whom died childless, and three daughters. Charlotte Townshend died in 1802, her husband nine years later. George Townshend inherited the title of his father, although he had previously been disowned by this. After the death of Lord George the Earl of Leicester line became extinct. The Marquessat went to his cousin John Townshend, 4th Marquess Townshend.