George Townshend (Royal Navy officer)

Admiral The Hon. George Townshend (29 October 1716 – August 1769) was a British naval commander.

George Townshend
Born	29 October 1716
Died	August 1769 (aged 52)
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	HMS Bedford Jamaica Station
Battles/wars	War of the Austrian Succession
Relations	Hon. Augustus Townshend (brother) Hon. Horatio Townshend (brother) Very Rev. Hon. Edward Townshend (brother) Hon. Richard Townshend (brother) Hon. Dorothy Townshend (sister) Hon. Mary Townshen (sister) Hon. Elizabeth Townshend (half-sister) Charles Townshend, 3rd Viscount Townshend (half-brother) Hon. Thomas Townshend (half-brother) Hon. William Townshend (half-brother) Hon. Roger Townshend (half-brother)

Naval career

Townshend was the eldest son of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, and his second wife Dorothy, sister of Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole.[1]

Townshend served in the Royal Navy and, having been promoted to post captain on 30 January 1739, he was given command of the third-rate HMS Bedford in 1743 and saw action at the Battle of Toulon in February 1744[2] before commanding British fleet at the Siege of Genoa in 1746 during the War of the Austrian Succession.[3] He served as Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station from 1749 to 1752, and having been promoted to rear admiral on 6 January 1755, he served as Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station again from 1755 to 1757.[4]

Promoted to vice admiral in February 1757 and to full admiral in 1765, he died in August 1769.[2]

References

1. Lee, Sidney, ed. (1899). "Townshend, George (1715-1769)" . Dictionary of National Biography. 57. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
2. "George Townshend". Three Decks. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
3. Lodge p.201-202
4. Cundall, p. xx

Sources

• Cundall, Frank (1915). Historic Jamaica. West India Committee.
• Lodge, Sir Richard (1930). Studies in Eighteenth Century Diplomacy 1740-1748. John Murray.