Mary Townley née Gosling (1753–1839) was an English

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

who designed several buildings in

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...

in the late 18th century, making her one of England's earliest female architects. Her most notable building was Townley House.Paul Nettleingham, "Townley House in Ramsgate"
''Michaels Bookshop Ramsgate''. Retrieved 15 March 2012.

Biography

In the 1770s, Mary married James Townley, a

proctor Proctor (a variant of ''procurator'') is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts: * In law, a proctor is a historical class of lawye ...

. The couple established themselves in Ramsgate the east of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

which was developing as a small port. Townley's business earnings were invested in buildings designed by his wife. They included barracks, later converted into houses, the development of Albion Place in the centre of Ramsgate, but above all Townley House (1792), a large mansion considered to be an architectural gem. A set of townhouses she designed in 1820 became the Regency Hotel and later included a language school. The building has recently been fully restored. An account written by her relative and tutor, the artist

Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depend ...

, praises Mary Townley's flair for architectural design, making her unique among women of her day.Harriet Griffey, "Ramsgate's Regency reborn"
''The Telegraph'', 28 August 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2012. Mary Townley played a prominent role in local society, arranging balls at Townley House and entertaining the nobility. Among her guests in the 1820s was

King William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...

. The Duchess of Kent with her daughter Princess Victoria, later

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

, stayed there for several months. The Townleys had nine children but after their eldest and youngest sons died in 1808 and 1810, Mary lost her interest in fashion and society. As a result of the devout Christian inclinations of two of her other sons, evenings were instead devoted to Bible readings. After her husband died, Mary became active in the local church until her death on 19 March 1839, aged 86.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Townley, Mary 18th-century English architects 1753 births 1839 deaths British women architects People from Ramsgate Architects from Kent

Biography

See also

References