Charles Townshend
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (June 2014) |
William Dowdeswell | |
---|---|
Succeeded by | Lord North |
President of the Board of Trade | |
In office 1 March 1763 – 20 April 1763 | |
Preceded by | The Lord Sandys |
Succeeded by | The Earl of Shelburne |
Personal details | |
Born | University of Leiden University of Oxford | 27 August 1725
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 American Revolution.
Townshend was born at Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England, as the second son of Charles Townshend, 3rd Viscount Townshend, and Audrey Harrison. A sickly child, he later graduated from Leiden University and served in various political roles, including as a member of the Board of Trade, Lord of the Admiralty, Paymaster of the Forces, and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He played a significant role in the taxation and control of American colonies, proposing the Townshend Acts, which imposed taxes on various exports to America. These acts were met with resistance and eventually led to the American Revolution. Townshend died in September 1767. He was married to Caroline Campbell, who later became the Baroness Greenwich, and his brother, George Townshend, became the Lord-lieutenant of Ireland.
Early life
He was born at his family's seat of
Following his return in 1746, he represented
Politics
From 1749 – April 1754, Townshend was a member of the
In the dying days of Grenville's cabinet, to retain the administration of Lord Rockingham, Townshend accepted the position of Paymaster of The Forces, though he questioned the stability of the administration, calling it a "mere Lute-string administration" and stating that it was "pretty 'summer wear', but it will never stand the winter."[5]
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Under the ministry of William Pitt the Elder, Townshend accepted the role of Chancellor of the Exchequer[3] in August 1766. A few weeks later his urgent appeals to the Prime Minister for increased power were favorably answered, and he was admitted to the inner circle of the cabinet. The new chancellor proposed the continuance of the land tax at four shillings in the pound, while he held out hopes that it might be reduced next year to three shillings, whereupon his predecessor, William Dowdeswell, by the aid of the landed gentlemen, carried a motion that the reduction should take effect at once. Townshend pledged to find revenue in America with which to meet the deficiency caused by the reduction. [3]
Early in 1767, shortly after
Soon after that he died somewhat suddenly of a fever on September 4, 1767.
Private life
In August 1755 he had married Caroline Campbell (d. 1794), the eldest daughter of John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll and the widow of Francis Scott, Earl of Dalkeith, the eldest son of Francis Scott, 2nd Duke of Buccleuch.
Townshend's wife was created (August 1767)
Townshend conceived a great and dangerous passion for his step-daughter Frances Douglas, Lady Douglas, and her memorialist, Lady Louisa Stuart, wrote after his death of his character:
This was careless, gay, inconsiderate, volatile, seemingly foreign to every serious reflection or feeling. He had one of those happy tempers which nothing can ruffle, without a grain of pride, sternness or resentment in his nature. Ready to laugh with every body and at every thing, he poured out wit in torrents; and it was so much the worse for truth if ever truth stood in wit's way.[8]
The American towns of Townsend, Massachusetts and Townshend, Vermont were founded and named after Charles Townshend in 1732 and 1753, respectively.[citation needed] Raynham, Massachusetts was also named after him.
References
- ^ Lewis Bernstein Namier, John Brooke, The House of Commons: 1754-1790, p.539–548, Boydell & Brewer, (1985)
- ^ Bancroft, III, [1] p.245.
- ^ a b c d Chisholm 1911.
- ^ "Charles Townshend | British statesman". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
- ^ earl.), Philip Henry Stanhope (5th (1853). History of England from the Peace of Utrecht to the Peace of Aix-la-Chaoelle (to the Peace of Versailles.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Bancroft, III, p 238.
- ^ Christopher Ward. (1957). The War of the Revolution. Volume I. p. 9. The Macmillan Company
- ^ Lady Louisa Stuart, Memoire of Frances, Lady Dougles, at page 37; Edinburgh and London, Scottish Academic Press, 1985
- public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Townshend, Charles". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
- Lady Louisa Stuart, Memoire of Frances, Lady Douglas (Edinburgh and London, Scottish Academic Press, 1985)
- William Edward Hartpole Lecky, History of England (1892);
- Horace Walpole, Memoirs of the Reign of George III., edited by G. F. R. Barker (1894)
- Sholto Percy (1823) The Percy Anecdotes, 1823; online text.
- Lee, Sidney, ed. (1899). . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 57. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- Thomas, Peter D. G. "Townshend, Charles (1725–1767)". doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/27619. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- Memoir (1866) by Percy Fitzgerald