Isaac Townsend
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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 had become governor of Greenwich Hospital, and in this capacity in 1575 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.
Townsend married Elizabeth Larcum, daughter of William Larcum, a surgeon, and they had one son and one daughter. He died in 1765.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Concise Dictionary of National Biography (1930)
- Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) [1]
- Lewis Namier & John Brooke, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754-1790 (London: HMSO, 1964)
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Martin Bladen Captain Sir Charles Hardy |
Member of Parliament for Portsmouth with Martin Bladen 1744-1746 Thomas Gore 1746-1747 Captain Edward Legge 1747 Rear Admiral Sir Edward Hawke 1747-1754 1744–1754 |
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 with Admiral Nicholas Haddock 1757-1761 Viscount Parker 1761-1764 Admiral Sir Charles Hardy 1764-1765 1757–1765 |
Succeeded by Admiral Sir Charles Hardy Grey Cooper |
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