Kenneth Peter Townend (26 April 1921 - 16 July 2001) was a British genealogist and social editor. He served as editor of Burke's Peerage and later as social editor of '' Tatler''.

Early life and education

Townend was born in Leeds on 26 April 1921, son of Claude William Townend, a farmer and Army riding instructor, and Florence Lily, née Atkinson. As a child, he suffered from

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or ...

, which meant he had little formal education, but did attend

King's School, Pontefract The King's School is a coeducational secondary school with academy status, located in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. It is one of the four oldest schools in Yorkshire, dating from 1139 and was refounded by King Edward VI in 1548. Histor ...

. His mother "keenly followed the doings of the Royal Family and aristocracy", and her son was surrounded by society magazines from an early age.

Career

Townend served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War as a writer/ clerk, and afterwards joined Burke's Peerage under

L. G. Pine Leslie Gilbert Pine (22 December 1907 – 15 May 1987) was a British writer, lecturer, and researcher in the areas of genealogy, nobility, history, heraldry and animal welfare. Early life and education Pine was born at Bristol, the son of Henry Mo ...

as an archivist. He became editor of Burke's in 1960 until he was replaced by Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd in 1971 or 1972, by which time he was social editor of '' Tatler'' magazine, The Independent, obituary by Richard Oldfield, The Independent, Friday 20 July 2001. and had become renowned for his organisation of the vestigial UK ' deb scene'. Townend reportedly asked Jennie Hallam-Peel to "keep the Season alive" prior to his death, leading to the revamping of the Queen Charlotte's Ball.

References

1921 births 2001 deaths English genealogists English magazine editors People educated at The King's School, Pontefract Royal Navy personnel of World War II Writers from Leeds {{UK-historian-stub