Charles Townshend, 3rd Viscount Townshend (11 July 1700 – 12 March 1764), known as The Lord Lynn from 1723 to 1738, was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

from 1722 to 1723 when he was elevated to the House of Lords by writ of acceleration.

Early life

Townshend was the eldest son of the

Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, (; 18 April 167421 June 1738) was a British Whig statesman. From 1714 to 1717, and again from 1721 to 1730, he served as Secretary of State for the Northern Department . He directed British foreign po ...

and his first wife Elizabeth Pelham, daughter of

Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham of Laughton Baronet, Bt ( 1653 – 23 February 1712) was a moderate England, English British Whig Party, Whig politician and Member of Parliament for several constituencies. He is best remembered as the fathe ...

, MP. He was educated at Eton and was admitted at

King's College, Cambridge King's College, formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, is a List of colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college lies beside the River Cam and faces ...

in 1718. He then undertook a Grand Tour.

Career

Portrait of Ethelreda Harrison Jean-Baptiste van Loo

Townsend entered the

Commons The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons ...

when he succeeded his uncle as Member of Parliament (MP) for

Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth ( ), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside resort, seaside town which gives its name to the wider Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. Its fishing industry, m ...

at the 1722 general election. He held the seat until a year later, when he was summoned to the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

through a writ of acceleration in his father's barony of Townshend. As his father was already Lord Townshend, Charles was styled Lord Lynn after the barony's

territorial designation In the United Kingdom, a territorial designation follows modern Peerages in the United Kingdom, peerage titles, linking them to a specific place or places. It is also an integral part of all baronetcies. Within Scotland, a territorial designation ...

of Lynn Regis. Townshend then became

Lord of the bedchamber Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the Royal Household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain. A Lord of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Household, the term being fir ...

in 1723 until 1727. In 1730 he was appointed Master of the Jewel Office to 1738. Also in 1730 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk and Custos Rotulorum of Norfolk. He succeeded to his father's titles and estates in 1738. His Lordship erected and endowed at Raynham a

charity school Charity schools, sometimes called blue coat schools, or simply the Blue School, were significant in the history of education in England. They were built and maintained in various parishes by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants to ...

for clothing and educating thirty boys and twenty girls; the latter to be brought up in spinning.

Family

On 29 May 1723, Townshend married Audrey (Etheldreda) Harrison, the only daughter and heiress of Edward Harrison of Balls Park,

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

). They separated formally around 1740. Townsend died on 12 March 1764. His surviving children were George, later Marquess Townshend (1724–1807),

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

(1725–1767), and Audrey (died 1781) married to Robert Orme (soldier).

References

4.Townsend--Townshend, 1066-1909: the history, genealogy and alliances of the English and American house of Townsend by Margaret Tagliapietrae (Townsend) Publishdate 1909 {{DEFAULTSORT:Townshend, Charles Townshend, 3rd Viscount 1700 births 1764 deaths 18th-century English nobility People educated at Eton College Lord-lieutenants of Norfolk Whig (British political party) MPs Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1722–1727

Charles Townshend Charles Townshend (27 August 1725 – 4 September 1767) was a British politician who held various titles in the Parliament of Great Britain. His establishment of the controversial Townshend Acts is considered one of the key causes of the Amer ...

Alumni of King's College, Cambridge Politics of the Borough of Great Yarmouth Masters of the Jewel Office 3 Freemasons of the Premier Grand Lodge of England