Isaac Townsend

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Isaac Townsend
Portrait of a Naval Officer, possibly Isaac Townsend, d.1765 RMG BHC3057.tiff
Isaac Townsend
Bornc. 1685
Died21 November 1765
Allegiance Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch Royal Navy
RankAdmiral
Commands heldGreenwich Hospital
Battles/warsWar of Jenkins' Ear

Isaac Townsend (c. 1685 – 21 November 1765) was an admiral in the British Royal Navy and a Member of Parliament.

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.

He is frequently confused with his uncle, a naval officer also named Isaac Townsend (d.1731) who is commemorated by a substantial memorial in the North Transept of Winchester Cathedral.

References[]

  1. ^ "Lists of Royal Society Fellows 1660–2007". London: The Royal Society. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
General

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Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by 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
Preceded by 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
Military offices
Preceded by Governor, Greenwich Hospital
1754–1765
Succeeded by


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