Richard Townesend (as he spelled his name) was a soldier and politician in England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland He was born in 1618 or 1619. Much research has been undertaken by various members of the Townsend family to trace Richard's origins but nothing is known about him before 1643 when he was appointed to command a company, as a Captain, in Colonel Ceely's Regiment, which had been raised to garrison Lyme Regis. Lyme Regis (ˌlaɪmˈriːdʒɪs is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 Miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter Richard was engaged in several skirmishes, most notably on 3 March 1643 when he surprised and routed 150 Royalist cavalry at Bridport. Bridport is a town in Dorset, England. Located near the Coast at the Western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the rivers Later, he was present during the defence of Lyme Regis 20 April – 13 June 1644 where he distinguished himself and was promoted to Major ("he was shot in the head but still lives"). In 1645 he assumed command of Colonel Ceely's Regt when Colonel Ceely was returned to Parliament as MP for Bridport. The Parliament of England was the Legislature of the Kingdom of England. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament.
Richard took part in the siege of Pendennis Castle in August 1646 and afterwards wrote to Colonel Ceely to report on the siege and "to receive directions how to dispose of the regiment, and positively what employment and future maintenance we may expect". Pendennis Castle is a Castle in Cornwall, England, UK, built between 1540 and 1545 for King Henry VIII to guard This letter is preserved in the Tanner MS in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. The Bodleian Library ( the main Research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in England Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, Following the siege Richard was made Colonel of a regiment of 1000 men, raised for service in Ireland, with Robert Phayre as his Lieutenant Colonel and they remained camped near Bath until 19 June 1647 when Parliament ordered that "Colonel Townesend and his regiment . Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. . . be transported to Ireland" to join the Parliamentary Army in Ireland under the command of Murrough O'Brien, the first Earl of Inchiquin. Murrough O'Brien 1st Earl of Inchiquin ( Irish: Murchadh Ó Briain commonly known as Murchadh na Dóiteáin, 'Murrough of the Burnings' due to his savagery against
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Ireland
On 13 November 1647 Richard commanded the main body of the infantry at the Battle of Knocknones, near Mallow under Lord Inchiquin against the Irish army led by Lord Taaff. Mallow ( Irish Magh Eala "valley of the swans" is the "Crossroads of Munster " and the administrative capital of north County Subsequently Richard and others, in dire need of fresh supplies, joined with Lord Inchiquin in a Declaration of Remonstrance, which was submitted to Parliament in early 1648. Shortly after this Lord Inchiquin renounced his allegiance to the English Parliament and joined forces with Lord Taaff. Richard and several other officers disagreed with this and there followed a period of complex political and military intrigue during which loyalties to the Parliamentary cause and the Royalists were in a state of flux.
The execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649 united all the factions in Ireland against Cromwell, but Richard and a number of other officers in Inchiquin's army (notably Colonel Gifford and Colonel Warden) were unable "to endure the thought of joining with the Irish against their own countrymen" and declared for Cromwell, who, having suppressed the uprisings in Kent, Wales and Scotland, was now in Ireland and marching on Munster. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Munster ( Irish: An Mhumhain, ənˈvuːnʲ Cúige Mumhan or Mumha) is the southernmost of the four Provinces of Ireland. As Richard and the other Colonels were preparing Youghal to receive Cromwell, they were betrayed to Lord Inchiquin who arrested and imprisoned them in Cork. Youghal (ˈjɔːl yawl or /ˈjɒhəl/ Irish Eochaill ˈɔxəʎ meaning 'yew wood' is a Seaport in County Cork, Ireland Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast They were freed when the garrison in the town rose up in support of Cromwell on 16 October 1649, Later that month the 'Protestant Army of Munster' based in Cork drew up a Resolution to send to Cromwell pleading that they had been forced by Lord Inchiquin to serve the Irish cause. The first signature on the Resolution is that of Richard and Cromwell, on 14 November 1649, wrote to Speaker Lenthall that Colonel Townesend had been "an active instrument for the return of both Cork and Youghal to their obedience". William Lenthall (1591 – 9 November 1662) was an English Politician of the Civil War period Speaker of the House
Post-military life
Richard retired from service sometime before 1654 and made extensive purchases of land; in all about 8,000 acres (32 km²). Following the restoration of Charles II in 1666 he was pardoned and hence escaped the forfeitures placed on many Cromwellian soldiers. Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. His purchases of land were subsequently confirmed by royal patents in 1666, 1668 and 1680. He lived for a time at Kilbrittain Castle, near Courtmacsherry before finally settling at Castletown in about 1665. Kilbrittain is a village and parish located in west County Cork, Ireland, about southwest of Bandon, and near Clonakilty and Kinsale Courtmacsherry ( Irish: Cúirt Mhic Seafraidh -- MacSherry's Court is a picturesque seaside Village in County Cork, Province of Munster Castletown later came to be called Castle Townsend and from about 1870 Castletownshend. Castletownshend (Baile an Chaisleáin on Ireland 's southwest coast is a village about eight km from Skibbereen, in County Cork, Province of Munster
Richard was elected MP for Baltimore in the Irish Parliament, which met at Chichester House, Dublin in 1661. Baltimore (Dún na Séad is a harbour town in western County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland. His appearances in the Parliament were infrequent and he was fined for non attendance.
In 1666, under threat of invasion by the French, the Duke of Ormonde, at the insistence of the Earl of Orrery, appointed Richard Commander of Militia in Co Cork. Roger Boyle 1st Earl of Orrery ( April 25, 1621 &ndash October 26, 1679) British soldier Statesman and Dramatist Subsequently, he was appointed High Sheriff of Cork on 12 March 1671 and Sovereign of Clonakilty on 18 October 1685. Clonakilty (Cloich na Coillte Clanna Chaoilte often referred to by locals simply as Clon, is a small town in West County Cork, Ireland, approximately From the time that he moved from Kilbrittain Castle to Castletownshend until his death Richard sought to consolidate his estates in West Carberry and to lead the settled life of a landowner. However, these were unsettled times, particularly after the accession of James II in 1685, and Richard was frequently engaged in various armed skirmishes with Irish rebels. James II of England and Ireland James VII of Scotland (14 October 1633 &ndash 16 September 1701 was King of England, King of Scots, Later that same year James In 1690, under the command of Colonel O'Driscol, the rebels unsuccessfully besieged Castletownshend but soon after it was attacked again by about 500 of them led by MacFineen O'Driscoll and Richard was forced to surrender. He was subsequently paid £40,000 in compensation for the destruction of his home.
Richard signed his will on 21 June 1692 "being sick in body but in perfect sense and disposing memory". He died on 26 September 1692 and was buried in the old churchyard at Castlehaven; his tomb lies in the chancel of the old church and is marked by a slab bearing the words 'This is the burial place of the Townesends'.
It has always been the belief that Richard's first wife, Hildegardis Hyde, was a close kinswoman of Lord Clarendon; if this is correct it might help to explain how Richard's life and lands were spared during these troubled times when many of his friends and acquaintances fared very badly. Earl of Clarendon is a title that has been created twice in British history The surname of Richard's second wife cannot be confirmed but there are good reasons to believe it to be Kingston; the Kingston family were settled near Bandon and Richard named his fifth son Kingston. Bandon ( Droichead na Bandan in Irish) is a town in County Cork, Ireland.
Richard had a large family of which there were seven surviving sons. Of these it is only through his son Colonel Bryan Townsend that survivors in the male line exist today.
References
- Townshend, Richard & Dorothea (1892). An Officer of the Long Parliament. London, UK: Henry Frowde.
External links
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