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Townshend Family Papers
mssTD
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Townshend family papers
Creator:
Townshend (Family : Frognal, Kent, England)
Identifier/Call Number: mssTD
Physical Description:
61 Linear Feet
(131 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1521-1956
Date (bulk): 1601-1915
Abstract: The Townshend Family papers is a
collection of correspondence, family and government documents, literary manuscripts,
volumes, diaries, deeds and ephemera spanning the 16th to 20th centuries.
Language of Material: The records are in English with
some French, German, and Latin.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item], Townshend family papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Purchased from H.S. Mott, June 20, 1969: 14 letters addressed to George, 1st Marquis
Townshend, 1768-1770.
Transferred from the Art Gallery, March 1985 [in Art Gallery since 1984]: 1 letter by
George, 1st Marquis Townshend, 1797, Oct. 2.
Purchased June 10, 1999, via Maggs from Christie's sale, Lot 188: Townshend Family
Papers.
Purchased June 7, 2000, via Maggs from Christie's sale, Lot 57: Selwyn Addenda.
Purchased September 14, 2000, from Maggs: Whitchurch Addenda.
The Townshend family lived at Frognal, Chislehurst, Kent and were a junior branch of the
Townshend family of Raynham, Norfolk. The family held the titles of Baron Sydney of
Chislehurst, Viscount Sydney of St Leonards, and Earl Sydney of Scadbury before becoming
extinct in 1890 upon the death of John Robert Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney.
A detailed Townshend family tree is available; please contact reference@huntington.org to
obtain a copy.
Organized in the following manner: Correspondence (Boxes 1-49); Categories: Estate (Boxes
50-61), Financial (Boxes 62-66), Government (Boxes 67-70), Legal (Boxes 71-72), Literature
(Boxes 73-74), Military (Boxes 75-76), Personal and Family (Boxes 77-87), Special Subjects
(Boxes 88-89), Ephemera (Boxes 90-91), Deeds (Boxes 92-129); arranged alphabetically and
chronologically.
The papers consist of the following:
1. Correspondence (Boxes 1-49, 1619-1914, call numbers TD 1-2430) is arranged
chronologically. This series includes family letters of both branches of the Townshend
family; the letters are between parents/grandparents and children, siblings, cousins and
personal friends. The series includes business letters related to their lands in
Chislehurst, Kent, Ludgershall, Wilts., and Whitchurch, Hants. There are also letters
related to the Government and the various public offices held by the family.
Significant correspondents include George III, George IV, William IV and Victoria, as well
as many members of the Royal family. Political correspondents include 1st Earl of Chatham,
W.E. Gladstone, George Grenville, Lord Palmerston, Sir Robert Peel, Spencer Perceval,
William Pitt, the Duke of Wellington, and John Wilkes.
Important note: although this material includes the years 1769-1865 there is only one
letter which refers slightly to the American Revolutionary War and no letters or other
material deal with the American Civil War.
2. Categories (Boxes 50-129, with box and folder numbers) are arranged alphabetically and
chronologically based on material type. This series includes:
Estate (Boxes 50-61, 1659-1846): includes material related to family lands in Frognal,
Ludgershall, and Whitchurch; correspondence, reports, titles, land papers, rent rolls, taxes
and maps.
Financial (Boxes 62-66, 1550-1891): includes family accounts, annuities, bills, bonds,
receipts; also material related to the town of Whitchurch.
Government (Boxes 67-70, 1715-1890): includes material dealing with The Exchequer, the
Palace and Parliament. John Robert Townshend, 3rd Viscount Sydney, held various offices in
the Royal household, including Lord Chamberlain, the material related to his office include
Season Kalendars, Rules and Procedures and Ceremonials.
"Lord Chamberlain / Private" Leather-bound box used by Sydney for official correspondence
and papers; with some damage and a loose handle. Curator approval must be obtained before
paging.
Legal (Boxes 71-72, 1636-1886): includes family accounts, briefs, court opinions,
Chancery, Indentures and material related to Chislehurst, Ludgershall and Whitchurch.
Literature (Boxes 73-74, approx. 1690-1901): includes epitaphs, poems, prayers, songs,
travel accounts and drawings.
Military (Boxes 75-76, 1725-1858): includes appointments, reports, correspondence, Sir
Horatio George Powys Townshend, and Yeoman of the Guard.
Personal and Family (Boxes 77-87, 1513/14-1915): includes wills, marriage settlements,
genealogy, inventories and lists, memorandum books, account books, diaries, London dinner
books and auction catalogues.
Special Subjects (Boxes 88-89, 1707-1901): includes Autograph Collection of Franks, Sydney
Present Fund, Lord Sydney Monument and Elections and Voting.
Ephemera (Boxes 90-91, 1791-1956): includes printed material, autograph notes about the
collection, portfolio covers, and bound volumes.
Deeds (Boxes 92-129, 1521-1818): includes a few land deeds related to Kent; the majority
are land deeds related to Whitchurch: including indentures, feoffments, leases and releases
and uses of fines. These deeds predate the time when the Townshend family had any interest
in the town of Whitchurch so it is important to note the deeds follow the land and not the
family.
Processed by Gayle M. Richardson in 2015. The material in this collection was acquired
through purchase and transfer from 1969 to 2000; as it is more than likely all the material
originated with the Townshend family, or their descendants, the decision was made to merge
all the accessions together and catalog the material as the Townshend Family Papers.
Information about the various acquisitions, including inventories, is available in the
Townshend Family Papers Information File. The autograph notes of Robert Marsham-Townshend
appear on material throughout the collection. Unless substantive, it was decided not to
catalog these autograph notes on the folders or in the Finding Aid.
Individual call numbers included in the collection: mssTD 1-2430.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Anglo-French War, 1793-1802
Anglo-Spanish War, 1739-1748
Catholic emancipation
Children –- Great Britain -– History
Education -- Great Britain -- History
Elections -- Great Britain -- History
Families –- Great Britain -- History -– 17th century
Families –- Great Britain -- History -– 18th century
Families –- Great Britain -- History -– 19th century
Fashion -- Great Britain -- History -– 18th century
Fashion -- Great Britain -- History -– 19th century
Grand tours (Education)
Medicine -- Great Britain -- History
Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815
Pregnancy -- Great Britain-- History
Seven Years' War, 1756-1763
Sick -- Great Britain -- History
Smallpox -- Great Britain -- History
Voting -- Great Britain -- History
Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
Great Britain -– Church History -– 19th century
Great Britain -– Politics and government -– 17th century
Great Britain -– Politics and government -– 18th century
Great Britain -– Politics and government -– 19th century
Great Britain -– Social life and customs -– 18th century
Great Britain -– social life and customs -– 19th century
Business letters -– Great Britain -– 17th century
Business letters -– Great Britain -– 18th century
Business letters -– Great Britain -– 19th century
Deeds -- Great Britain -- 16th century
Deeds -- Great Britain -- 17th century
Deeds -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Deeds -- Great Britain -- 19th century
Diaries -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Diaries -- Great Britain -- 19th century
Drawings -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Drawings -- Great Britain -- 19th century
Family papers -- Great Britain -- 17th century
Family papers -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Family papers -- Great Britain -- 19th century
Letters (correspondence) -- Great Britain -- 17th century
Letters (correspondence) -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Letters (correspondence) -- Great Britain -- 19th century
Manuscripts -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Manuscripts -- Great Britain -- 19th century
Poems -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Poems -- Great Britain -- 18th century
Adelaide, Queen, consort of William IV, King of Great
Britain, 1792-1849
Anglesey, Charlotte Paget, Marchioness of,
1781-1853
Anglesey, Henry William Paget, Marquis of,
1768-1854
Biddulph, Thomas Myddelton, Sir, 1809-1878
Bowlby, Mary Powys, -1813
Conyngham, Francis Nathaniel Conyngham, Marquess,
1797-1869
Cornwallis, Charles Cornwallis, Marquis,
1738-1805
Cust, Peregrine Francis, 1791-1873
Cust, Sophia Mary, -1852
Dynevor, Frances Rice, Lady, 1772-1854
Dynevor, George Talbot Rice, Baron,
1765-1852
Ely, Jane Loftus, Marchioness of, 1821-1890
Eugénie, Empress, consort of Napoleon III, Emperor of
the French, 1829-1920
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820
George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830
Gladstone, W.E. (William Ewart), 1809-1898
Greville, Henry William, 1801-1872
Leitrim, Elizabeth Clements, Countess of,
-1817
Leitrim, Robert Clements, Earl of, 1732-1804
Louis Napoléon, Prince Impérial of the French,
1856-1879
Marsham-Townshend, Robert
Midleton, Charles Brodrick, Viscount,
1791-1863
Napoleon III, Emperor of the French,
1808-1873
Palmerston, Henry John Temple, Viscount,
1784-1865
Peel, Robert, 1788-1850
Perceval, Spencer, 1762-1812
Pitt, William, 1759-1806
Pitt, William Pitt, Earl of Chatham,
1708-1778
Ponsonby, Henry Frederick, Sir, 1825-1895
Romney, Charles Marsham, Earl of, 1777-1845
Romney, Mary Elizabeth Marsham, Countess of,
1794-1847
Selwyn, Mary, 1690-1777
Selwyn, George Augustus, 1719-1791
Selwyn, John, 1688-1751
Sydney, Caroline Elizabeth Townshend, Viscountess,
-1805
Sydney, Elizabeth Townshend, Viscountess,
1736-1826
Sydney, Emily Caroline Townshend, Viscountess,
1810-1893
Sydney, John Robert Townshend, Viscount,
1805-1890
Sydney, John Thomas Townshend, Viscount,
1764-1831
Sydney, Thomas Townshend, Viscount,
1733-1800
Townshend, Albinia, -1739
Townshend, Anne, 1573-1622
Townshend, Charles Townshend, Viscount,
1674-1738
Townshend, Charles Townshend, Viscount,
1700-1764
Townshend, Charles, -1799
Townshend, George Townshend, Marquis,
1724-1807
Townshend, George Townshend, Marquess,
1753-1811
Townshend, Georgiana, 1761-1835
Townshend, Henry, 1736-1762
Townshend, Horatio George Powys, Sir,
1780-1843
Townshend, Mary, -1821
Townshend, Thomas, 1701-1780
Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 1819-1901
Warner, Ferdinando, 1703-1768
Wellesley, Gerald Valerian, 1809-1882
Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of,
1769-1852
Wilkes, John, 1725-1797
William IV, King of Great Britain, 1765-1837
East India Company
Great Britain. Lord Chamberlain's Office