George Townshend, 3rd Marquess Townshend

George Ferrars Townshend, 3rd Marquess Townshend ( born December 13, 1778 in London, † December 31, 1855 in Genoa), from 1782 Lord Ferrers of Chartley and 1807-1811 Earl of Leicester, also known as George Compton was a British nobleman.

Family and Education

George Townshend was the eldest son of George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend. When his father was raised in 1782 to the Earl of Leicester, he received the courtesy title of Lord Ferrers of Chartley, and as the father in 1807 Marquess, was the son of the Earl led title; Moreover, he was Baron Compton. He studied from 1792 to 1796 in Eton and 1798 at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Marriage with Sarah Gardner

1807 married Townshend Sarah Gardner, daughter and heiress of the wealthy landowner William Dunn Gardner, but left it after one year. The marriage was never officially divorced, although Sarah Gardner had requested the ecclesiastical annulment because her husband was impotent and the marriage had not been consummated; he was not " built like a man." In November 1809 Townshend sued a newspaper for libel on £ 20,000 for pain and suffering; the information about the item came obviously from his wife. In the process, it was mentioned that the couple had spent only three nights together. Witnesses reported that Lord Chartley had gone on the road during his student days in Cambridge in women's clothing and was called in the city Lady Chartley. He had a close relationship with his servant. Another witness described him as a very effeminate young man, the pink ribbons have worn on his shoes. Townshend, who now resided in Paris already, were ultimately awarded £ 1,000 for pain and suffering.

After Sarah Gardner had separated from her husband, she married 1809 in Gretna Green the brewer John Margetts. This connection came from at least five children, bearing the name of her biological father until 1823; then they called themselves Townshend, and her mother Marquess of Townshend. By Act of Parliament the children of Sarah Townshend 1842 were declared illegitimate. Sarah Townshend was buried under her noble name, although she had married two years before her death again. Then took the eldest son, the Earl of Leicester had be called and sat as Member of Parliament for Bodmin in Parliament, with royal permission to name his grandfather Dunn Gardner at.

Life after marriage

Approximately in 1811 was George Townshend by his father because of his homosexuality and transvestism (possibly transsexuality ) - as unpleasant occurance ( German: unpleasant occurrence ) circumscribed - in favor of his younger brother Charles disinherited. Townshend went abroad and lived under the name of Mr. Compton mainly in Genoa, where he died at the age of 77 and was buried. His seat in the House of Lords he never took one.

The earldom of Leicester became extinct after the death of George Townshend, the baronies Chartley and Compton fell to his nephew and his younger sister. As Marquess was succeeded by his cousin John Townshend, 4th Marquess Townshend.