Charles Townshend

Charles Townshend (April 18th 1674 - June 21st 1738), 2nd Townshend Viscount, was a statesman English.

He was the oldest son of Sir Horatio Townshend, baronet of Townshend (about 1630-1687), a dedicated partisan of Charles II, which it created baron de Townshend in 1661 and Viscount of Townshend de Raynham in 1682. The Townshend family, originating in the Norfolk goes down from Sir Roger Townshend (death in 1493) from Raynham. Grandson of Sir Roger Townshend (about 1543-1590), wire of Sir John Townshend (1564-1603), a soldier, Sir Roger Townshend (1588-1637), father of Sir Horatio Townshend, had been created baronet in 1617.

Born in Raynham Hall, in the county of Norfolk, Charles Townshend inherits the Pairie in December 1687. He studies with the college of Eton, then with the King' S College of Cambridge. Near to the Tories when it comes to sit on the benches of the House of Lords, it changes soon sights and becomes a credit in favor of the policy of the Whigs. During a few years, after the accession with the throne of the queen Anne, it remains without the least office, but, in November 1708, it is named captain of Yeomen of the Guard, one year after being entered with the Private Council. He is ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary with the General states of 1709 to 1711, fascinating share, during these years, with the négocations which precede the conclusion by the Traité of Utrecht. After its recall in England, it carries out an active opposition against the action of the new government tory. Townshend gains quickly the favor of George I {{er}}, and, in September 1714, the new king appoints it Secretary of State for North. The policy of Townshend and its colleagues, after the revolt jacobite of 1715, aims at restoring peace. In addition, he is opposed to the intrusion of England in the war which opposes the Sweden to the Denmark and promotes the conclusion of a defensive alliance between England, the Empereur and the France. In spite of these successes, the influence of Whigs is undermined little by little by the intrigues of Charles Spencer, third count de Sunderland, and by mécontement of the favorites of the sovereign hanovrien. In October 1716, the colleague of Townshend, James Stanhope, future first count de Stanhope, who accompanies the king at the time of a voyage in Hanover, is diverted of its allegiance to the ministry by Sunderland, which convinces George Ier that Townshend and Sir Robert Walpole plot with his prince of Wales, with an aim of replacing it by his/her son on the throne. In December 1716, the Secretary thus is drawn aside and named Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Then, in April 1717, it leaves the Cabinet, entering the opposition with Walpole.

At the beginning of 1720, a partial reconciliation takes place between Stanhope and Townshend and, in June of the following year, he becomes Lord President of the Council, a station which he occupies as from February 1721, when, after the death of Stanhope and the forced withdrawal of Sunderland, he is again named Secretary of State for North, with Walpole like First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer. The two men remain very powerful during the remainder of the reign of George Ier, the events most serious being the discovery of the plot jacobite organized by the Atterbury bishop and his dismissal, forgiveness and the re-establishment partial of Lord Bolingbroke, the speculative bubble of the Company of the South Seas, followed collapse of its actions, and disorders to Ireland.

Townshend obtains the reference of its rival, John Carteret, future count de Granville, but a disagreement emerges soon between him and Walpole, and it must face difficulties in the European policy. Although he hates it, George II maitient it at its station, but he loses little by little the prevalence within the ministry with the profit of Walpole. Serious oppositions concerning the policy to be adopted vis-a-vis in Prussia and the foreign politics in general lead finally to a rupture in 1730. Not being able to obtain the reference of an adversary to the profit of a personal friend, because of the intervention of Walpole, Townshend on May 15th, 1730 resigns. Withdrawn to Raynham, it spends its last years to be dealt with agriculture and to promote the culture of turnips, as well as other improvements, through England. He dies Raynham on June 21st, 1738.

To Raynham, Townshend led various agricultural experiments, and its name is remained attached to turnips what is worth to him to be known in the collective memory like “ Turnip Townshend ”. Its agricultural reforms had important consequences. Alexander Pope, in Epistle II of its Imitations of Horace , describes it like a person obsessed by turnips and said, in a note, that “this kind of rural improvement which results from turnips” was the favorite subject for conversation of Townshend.

Descent

Townshend was married twice, the first with Elizabeth (dead in 1711), girl of Thomas Pelham, first baron de Pelham of Laughton, the second with Dorothy (dead in 1726), sister of Sir Robert Walpole. It had eight wire:

Charles, the 3rd Viscount (1700-1764), is called with the House of Lords in 1723.
Thomas (1701-1780), is representing Université of Cambridge at the Parliament of 1727 to 1774.
George Townshend (1715-1769), which, after having served as many years in the navy, in 1765.

became admiral

The third Viscount had two wire, George, first marquis de Townshend, and Charles Townshend.

The only son of Thomas, Thomas Townshend (1733-1800), is created baron of Sydney in 1783 and Viscount of Sydney in 1789, is Secretary of State and President of the House of Commons of July 1782 in April 1783, then, of December 1783 in June 1789, again Secretary of State, Sydney, in News-Wales of the South, being baptized of his name. His/her son, John Robert Townshend (1805-1890), the third Viscount, is created count de Sydney in 1874, the title dying out with his death.

April 3rd 1706 -->

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