Marquess Townshend
Marquess Townshend is a British hereditary title of nobility in the Peerage of Great Britain. It is supported by the Townshend family.
Ancestral home of the family is Raynham Hall, Fakenham, Norfolk.
Award
The title was created for George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend in 1787. He was Field Marshal in the British Army, after he had fought especially in the Seven Years' War in North America. From 1767 to 1772 he was also been Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
Subordinate title
The great-grandfather of the first Marquess had been in 1681 for Baron Townshend of Lynn Regis in the County of Norfolk, and a year later Viscount Townshend, of Raynham in the County of Norfolk, levied. Both titles are now run as the subordinate title of Marquessats and belong to the Peerage of England.
Since downstream titles do not differ in the salutation from the actual title, the title is derived heritage forth his courtesy title from the local description of the Viscountcy and is called Viscount Raynham.
Another title
The grandfather of the first Viscount was appointed in 1617 to the Townshend Baronet, of Raynham. This dignity that belongs to the Baronetage of England, is still worn by the respective Marquess.
The first Marquess married in 1751 Charlotte Compton, 15th Baroness Ferrers of Chartley and 7th Baroness Compton. The two titles that belong to the Peerage of England in 1572 and 1299 and had been created in 1770 went at her death to her eldest son, the later second Marquess, over. As with many ancient baronies of the Peerage of England, the creation was not by appointment of a person to Peer ( letters patent ), but by the fact that the person was asked to take a seat in the House of Lords ( writ of summons ). A special feature of these baronies by writ is that they can also be inherited in the female line, if no children are present. However applies between several sisters - unlike brothers - not the principle of primogeniture. Since the title can not be shared or held in common but the title then rests, however, if no sons, several daughters present ( falls into abeyance ). This is the case since 1855, when the third Marquess died childless.
The eldest son of the first Marquess was a well-known politician of his time. It was 1782, when his father was still alive, raised to the Earl of Leicester. This title was awarded for the sixth time; he also became extinct with the death of the third Marquess in 1855.
List of Townshend Baronets, viscounts and Marquesses Townshend
Townshend Baronets, of Raynham ( 1617)
- Sir Roger Townshend, 1st Baronet ( 1596-1637 )
- Sir Roger Townshend, 2nd Baronet ( 1628-1648 )
- Sir Horatio Townshend, 3rd Baronet ( 1630-1687 ) (1682 to Baron Townshend in 1682 and Viscount Townshend applicable)
Viscount Townshend ( 1682)
- Horatio Townshend, 1st Viscount Townshend ( 1630-1687 )
- Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend ( 1674-1738 )
- Charles Townshend, 3rd Viscount Townshend ( 1700-1764 )
- George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend ( 1724-1807 ) ( 1787 Marquess Townshend applicable)
Marquesses Townshend (1787 )
- George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend ( 1724-1807 )
- George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend, 1st Earl of Leicester ( 1753-1811 )
- George Ferrars Townshend, 3rd Marquess Townshend, 2nd Earl of Leicester ( 1778-1855 )
- John Townshend, 4th Marquess Townshend ( 1798-1863 )
- John Villiers Stuart Townshend, 5th Marquess Townshend ( 1831-1899 )
- John James Dudley Stuart Townshend, 6th Marquess Townshend ( 1866-1921 )
- George John Patrick Dominic Townshend, 7th Marquess Townshend ( 1916-2010 )
- Charles George Townshend, 8th Marquess Townshend ( b. 1945 ).
The heir apparent is the eldest son of the current Marquess, Thomas Charles Townshend, Viscount Raynham ( b. 1977 ).
Literature and links
- Charles Kidd, David Williamson (ed.): Debrett 's Peerage and Baronetage. St Martin's Press, New York 1990.
- Leigh Rayment 's Peerage Page
- Www.thepeerage.com
- Marquessate
- Marquess Townshend