Isaac Townsend
Isaac Townsend (c. 1685 – 21 November 1765) was an admiral in the British Royal Navy and a Member of Parliament.
Isaac Townsend | |
|---|---|
 Isaac Townsend | |
| Born | c. 1685 |
| Died | 21 November 1765 |
| Allegiance | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/ | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Royal Navy |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | Greenwich Hospital |
| Battles/wars | War of Jenkins' Ear |
A post-captain from 1720, Townsend commanded various ships. As captain of HMS Shrewsbury he took part in the expedition against Cartagena in 1741. He was promoted to rear admiral in 1744, vice admiral in 1746 and admiral in 1747. He was also an Elder Brother of Trinity House.
He entered Parliament in 1744 as member for the naval port of Portsmouth, and represented that town until 1754. He did not stand for re-election in 1754, when the Admiralty supported two other admirals as its candidates. He became governor of Greenwich Hospital in 1754, and in this capacity in 1757 he had custody of Admiral Byng, who was under arrest there before his court-martial. After Byng's execution, Townsend was chosen to take his place as MP for Rochester, another borough in the Admiralty's gift, and was MP for that city for the rest of his life. He was regarded as a reliable voter for the government, but seems never to have spoken in the House.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in February 1750.[1]
Townsend married Elizabeth Larcum, daughter of William Larcum, a surgeon, and they had one son and one daughter. He died in 1765.
References
- "Lists of Royal Society Fellows 1660-2007". London: The Royal Society. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
- General
- Concise Dictionary of National Biography (1930)
- Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
- Lewis Namier & John Brooke, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754-1790 (London: HMSO, 1964)
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
External links
- Gwyn, Julian (1974). "Townsend. Isaac". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. III (1741–1770) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
- Portrait, possibly of Isaac Townsend, at the National Maritime Museum
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Martin Bladen Captain Sir Charles Hardy |
Member of Parliament for Portsmouth 1744–1754 With: Martin Bladen 1744–1746 Thomas Gore 1746–1747 Captain Edward Legge 1747 Rear Admiral Sir Edward Hawke 1747–1754 |
Succeeded by Rear Admiral Sir Edward Hawke Admiral Sir William Rowley |
| Preceded by Admiral Nicholas Haddock Admiral the Hon. John Byng |
Member of Parliament for Rochester 1757–1765 With: Admiral Nicholas Haddock 1757–1761 Viscount Parker 1761–1764 Admiral Sir Charles Hardy 1764–1765 |
Succeeded by Admiral Sir Charles Hardy Grey Cooper |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by Lord Archibald Hamilton |
Governor, Greenwich Hospital 1754–1765 |
Succeeded by Sir George Rodney |