Charles Townshend

Charles Townshend (1675-1738), British statesman, prominent under King George I. Born at Raynham, Norfolk, England, Townshend succeeded his father as Viscount Townshend in 1687, and was educated at Eton College and the University of Cambridge. With his brother-in-law Robert Walpole, he supported the political faction known as the Whig Junto during the reign of Queen Anne, and helped arrange the accession of George I to the throne in 1714. As secretary for the Northern Department (1714-16), he suppressed the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. He returned to office in 1720, and from 1724 to 1730 he and Walpole dominated the cabinet. Responsible for foreign affairs, Townshend pursued an anti-Austrian policy in alliance with France and Spain. After the accession of George II in 1727, Townshend became involved in a power struggle with Walpole, and was eventually forced to resign. An advocate of improved agricultural methods, he was popularly known as Turnip Townshend because of his interest in the cultivation of that crop. He died at Raynham.