437:"The Townshend peerage case was one where marquis Townshend (then called Lord Chartley) married Sarah Dunn Gardner in 1807; a year later she left her husband, sued in Ecclesiastical court to have the marriage annulled because of his impotence but dropped the suit and eloped with a brewer of St. Ives. Their children initially bore the brewer's name (Margetts) but from 1823 took the name Townshend, and one took the style of Earl of Leicester. The marquis took no steps to dissolve the marriage, and his brother had no means to dispute the legitimacy of the so-called Earl of Leicester, because no property depended on the title. As time went by and witnesses died off, it seemed the imposture might not be preventable. So the brother and heir presumptive petitioned the House of Lords for inquiry respecting the descent of these honours in May 1842. The next year the marquis himself also petitioned the House.
443:
prerogative not infringed? What about ordinary courts?). In the end the bill received royal assent on July 12, 1843 entitled "An Act to declare that certain persons therein mentioned are not children of the Most
Honourable George Ferrars, Marquis Townshend" (6 & 7 Vict c. 35) and declaring that "the said several children of the said Sarah Gardner, Marchioness Townshend, hereinbefore respectively mentioned, are not nor were, nor shall they or any of them, be taken to be or be deemed the lawful issue of the said George Ferrars Marquis Townshend" (According to Francois Velde, one child, being a minor and having no legal guardian, was exempted from the act's provisions). (Based on
235:
172:
33:
136:
he moved abroad. Sarah bore several children to John
Margetts, who used the surname of their natural father ("Margetts") until 1823 when Sarah had the children baptised with the surname of her legal husband ("Townshend"). The legal position was that since Sarah's marriage had never been annulled, any children she bore would be deemed the progeny of Townshend and thus eligible to succeed him in his estates and titles. With this in mind, the eldest son
41:
131:, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire. His wife left him a year later, not having produced any issue, and having accused him of being impotent and of having had homosexual relations with his Italian secretary. Sarah sued for annulment in the ecclesiastical courts (which was never granted) and very shortly afterwards in 1809 eloped to
135:
with another man, namely John
Margetts, a brewer from St. Ives, to whom she was thus married bigamously, which union was invalid in law. Following this scandal, Leicester was disinherited by his father for bringing disgrace to the family (although he could not affect the descent of the peerages), and
118:
Lord
Chartley (derived from his father's junior title of Lord Ferrers of Chartley). His grandfather was created Marquess Townshend in 1787, and when his father inherited that title in 1807 Townshend adopted as a courtesy title his father's more senior title of Earl of Leicester. He succeeded his
442:
Ultimately a private bill was brought "to declare the illegitimacy of certain persons alleged or claiming to be children of the Most
Honourable George Ferrars, Marquis Townshend". There was much debate (how could you bastardize the children of a valid and continuing marriage? Was the royal
294:(1785–1853) (who would inherit if Townshend had no legitimate sons) petitioned Parliament in May 1842 to have Sarah's children de-legitimized. Townshend supported the petition, and all the children were duly declared illegitimate by a private act of Parliament, the
252:
An Act to extend the Relief given by an Act of the sixth and seventh years of the reign of Her present
Majesty, intituled, "An Act to declare that certain Persons therein mentioned are not Children of the Most honourable George Ferrars Marquess
373:
334:, the petitioner in the legitimacy case, had predeceased him and left no sons. Therefore, the Earldom of Leicester became extinct, while the Baronies of Ferrers of Chartley and Compton fell into
127:
In 1807, aged 31 and still then known as the Earl of
Leicester, he married Sarah Dunn-Gardner (d.1858), the only surviving daughter and heiress of William Dunn-Gardner (d.1831) of
338:
between his nephew (his middle sister's son) and his youngest sister, and remain in abeyance today. He was succeeded in the
Marquessate of Townshend by his first cousin
669:
654:
70:. His homosexuality caused a scandal and resulted in the rapid breakdown of his marriage and disinheritance by his father. He moved abroad and died at
644:
588:
534:
91:
87:
331:
291:
144:
and a major landowner in
Cambridgeshire, as heiress of his mother, and finally after being de-legitimised adopted the name "John Dunn-Gardner".
639:
634:
551:
339:
258:
194:
359:
664:
315:
684:
402:
189:
An Act to declare that certain
Persons therein mentioned are not Children of the Most Honourable George Ferrars Marquis Townshend.
478:
239:
176:
649:
392:
472:
103:
674:
595:
17:
525:
659:
32:
516:
431:
140:(1811-1903) became "John Townshend" and assumed the courtesy title of "Earl of Leicester". He was later a
247:
184:
493:
629:
624:
311:
141:
679:
471:
75:
579:
541:
444:
560:
498:
398:
137:
263:
418:
303:
199:
115:
114:
His father was created Earl of Leicester in 1784, at which point Townshend adopted the
95:
90:(1753-1811), by his wife Charlotte Ellerker. His father was the eldest son and heir of
55:
618:
599:
279:
132:
99:
290:
Alarmed at the pretensions of Sarah and her children, Townshend's younger brother
467:
434:
message from alt.talk.royalty, posted 30 May 2007. The message says in part:
128:
40:
335:
511:
67:
88:
George Townshend, 17th Baron Ferrers of Chartley and 8th Baron Compton
54:(13 December 1778 – 31 December 1855), previously known by the
327:
86:
Townshend was born on 13 December 1778, the elder son and heir of
71:
39:
31:
98:
from his mother, who had died in 1770. Townshend was educated at
310:) whereupon the eldest son "John Townshend" (then himself a
330:
in December 1855, aged 77, without issue. His only brother
318:) assumed his mother's maiden-name of "Dunn-Gardner".
46:
Azure, a chevron ermine between three escallops argent
517:
contributions in Parliament by the Marquess Townshend
278:
273:
257:
246:
216:
193:
183:
157:
490:(1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
360:"The Curious Case of the Townshend Heirlooms Sale"
417:Descent of the peerages pre-determined by law or
52:George Ferrars Townshend, 3rd Marquess Townshend
18:George Ferrars Townshend, 3rd Marquess Townshend
482:. Vol. 57. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
8:
486:Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors).
521:
213:
154:
119:father as 3rd Marquess Townshend in 1811.
92:George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend
36:George Townshend, 3rd Marquess Townshend
351:
473:"Townshend, George (1755-1811)"
449:A History of Private Bill Legislation
7:
670:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
499:Information on the Townshend family
66:(from 1807 to 1811), was a British
655:Earls of Leicester (1784 creation)
451:, 1885, vol. 1 p. 443–450)."
394:Parliament - the Biography: Reform
25:
397:. Transworld Publishers Limited.
391:Bryant, Chris (5 November 2015).
374:"Ferrars, Lord George (FRRS798G)"
488:Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage
479:Dictionary of National Biography
240:Parliament of the United Kingdom
233:
177:Parliament of the United Kingdom
170:
645:People educated at Eton College
494:Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
432:"Genetically Challenged" Queen
1:
640:19th-century English nobility
635:18th-century English nobility
148:Legal children de-legitimized
421:creating the various titles
378:A Cambridge Alumni Database
340:Rear Admiral John Townshend
701:
665:Barons Ferrers of Chartley
380:. University of Cambridge.
298:Townshend Peerage Act 1843
220:Townshend Peerage Act 1847
211:United Kingdom legislation
159:Townshend Peerage Act 1843
152:United Kingdom legislation
104:Trinity College, Cambridge
685:English LGBTQ politicians
606:
596:Baron Ferrers of Chartley
593:
585:
578:
558:
548:
539:
531:
524:
232:
227:
169:
164:
526:Peerage of Great Britain
94:, and had inherited two
62:(from 1782 to 1807) and
82:Origins & childhood
453:
439:
430:Francois Velde (2007)
332:Lord Charles Townshend
292:Lord Charles Townshend
48:
37:
440:
435:
43:
35:
650:Marquesses Townshend
322:Death and succession
312:Member of Parliament
142:Member of Parliament
123:Marriage and scandal
76:Kingdom of Sardinia
44:Arms of Townshend:
604:1811 – 1855
580:Peerage of England
569:1811 – 1855
546:1811 – 1855
542:Marquess Townshend
445:Frederick Clifford
326:Townshend died in
138:John Margetts, Jnr
49:
38:
613:
612:
561:Earl of Leicester
549:Succeeded by
288:
287:
264:10 & 11 Vict.
228:Act of Parliament
209:
208:
165:Act of Parliament
78:, without issue.
64:Earl of Leicester
16:(Redirected from
692:
675:Townshend family
589:George Townshend
586:Preceded by
535:George Townshend
532:Preceded by
522:
483:
475:
454:
428:
422:
415:
409:
408:
388:
382:
381:
370:
364:
363:
356:
300:
299:
237:
236:
223:
222:
221:
214:
174:
173:
160:
155:
96:baronies by writ
21:
700:
699:
695:
694:
693:
691:
690:
689:
615:
614:
603:
598:
591:
568:
564:
554:
545:
537:
507:
466:
463:
458:
457:
429:
425:
416:
412:
405:
390:
389:
385:
372:
371:
367:
358:
357:
353:
348:
324:
304:6 & 7 Vict.
297:
296:
242:
234:
219:
218:
217:
212:
200:6 & 7 Vict.
179:
171:
158:
153:
150:
129:Chatteris House
125:
112:
84:
56:courtesy titles
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
698:
696:
688:
687:
682:
677:
672:
667:
662:
660:Barons Compton
657:
652:
647:
642:
637:
632:
627:
617:
616:
611:
610:
605:
592:
587:
583:
582:
576:
575:
570:
556:
555:
552:John Townshend
550:
547:
538:
533:
529:
528:
520:
519:
506:
505:External links
503:
502:
501:
496:
491:
484:
470:, ed. (1899).
462:
459:
456:
455:
423:
419:letters patent
410:
403:
383:
365:
350:
349:
347:
344:
323:
320:
286:
285:
282:
276:
275:
271:
270:
261:
255:
254:
250:
244:
243:
238:
230:
229:
225:
224:
210:
207:
206:
197:
191:
190:
187:
181:
180:
175:
167:
166:
162:
161:
151:
149:
146:
124:
121:
116:courtesy title
111:
108:
83:
80:
74:, then in the
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
697:
686:
683:
681:
678:
676:
673:
671:
668:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
643:
641:
638:
636:
633:
631:
628:
626:
623:
622:
620:
609:
602:
601:
600:Baron Compton
597:
590:
584:
581:
577:
574:
571:
567:
563:
562:
557:
553:
544:
543:
536:
530:
527:
523:
518:
514:
513:
509:
508:
504:
500:
497:
495:
492:
489:
485:
481:
480:
474:
469:
465:
464:
460:
452:
450:
446:
438:
433:
427:
424:
420:
414:
411:
406:
404:9780552779968
400:
396:
395:
387:
384:
379:
375:
369:
366:
361:
355:
352:
345:
343:
341:
337:
333:
329:
321:
319:
317:
313:
309:
305:
301:
293:
283:
281:
277:
272:
269:
265:
262:
260:
256:
251:
249:
245:
241:
231:
226:
215:
205:
201:
198:
196:
192:
188:
186:
182:
178:
168:
163:
156:
147:
145:
143:
139:
134:
130:
122:
120:
117:
109:
107:
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
81:
79:
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
60:Lord Chartley
57:
53:
47:
42:
34:
30:
19:
607:
594:
572:
566:6th creation
565:
559:
540:
510:
487:
477:
448:
441:
436:
426:
413:
393:
386:
377:
368:
354:
325:
307:
295:
289:
284:25 June 1847
280:Royal assent
267:
203:
133:Gretna Green
126:
113:
100:Eton College
85:
63:
59:
51:
50:
45:
29:
27:British peer
630:1855 deaths
625:1778 births
608:In abeyance
515:1803–2005:
468:Lee, Sidney
253:Townshend."
680:LGBT peers
619:Categories
461:References
248:Long title
185:Long title
573:Extinct
336:abeyance
259:Citation
195:Citation
512:Hansard
401:
316:Bodmin
110:Titles
346:Notes
328:Genoa
274:Dates
72:Genoa
399:ISBN
314:for
102:and
68:peer
306:c.
266:c.
202:c.
58:of
621::
476:.
447:,
376:.
342:.
308:35
268:37
204:35
106:.
407:.
362:.
302:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
